Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 201
July 3, 2017
Martini Sunday by Fifi Flowers
Title: Martini SundayAuthor: Fifi FlowersGenre: Steamy Romance
Release Date: July 2, 2017
Blurb
Vixen Dupree, owner of a funky martini bar in Palm Springs, had struck out twice in the romance field, she wasn't looking for anything more than a safe and friendly environment to start a new life with her young son.
Sutton Beauclaire, musclebound hunk and entrepreneur, signed up to protect a child, he didn't expect to find himself so wrapped up in his daily life and wanting to wrap his arms around the beautiful mother.
Sometimes you have to make decisions, sacrifices, and leave your old life and friends behind, but if everything turns out alright, someone special comes along and your old friends join you to celebrate on Martini Sunday.
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Author Bio
Fifi Flowers, an internationally known artist turn author from the Los Angeles area of California, writes romance novels and paints fantasies with a Parisian flair while daydreaming of her time spent sipping cafe crème in the cafes of Paris.
She penned her love of Paris and romance to the pages of her first novel, A Window To Love, published in 2013, when she sat down, and instead of putting paint to paper, put her pen to paper and began her first novel. Since that first novel, Fifi has self-published several steamy contemporary romances and has many more in the works.
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Steal by Rachel Van Dyken
Title: StealA Standalone Seaside Pictures NovelAuthor: Rachel Van DykenGenre: Second Chance/Rockstar Romance
Release Date: July 3, 2017
Blurb
Steal, the follow-up standalone rockstar romance to the #1NYT Bestseller Keep…
It's easy to lose yourself in someone you love.Easier to lose yourself in someone you hate…
I didn't think it could get any worse than having to babysit a bunch of spoiled musicians on set — keeping them out of trouble is a cakewalk compared to seeing my ex every day.
Seaside, Oregon isn't big enough for the both of us.
She hates me.I loathe her.The plan was simple — stay the hell away and make sure she gets to set on time.What I didn't expect was to be faced with our past in front of an audience — and be forced to face it again.It's torture.The way she looks at me.The way I try to look through her.Words left unsaid.The lingering aftermath still as powerful as ever.I feed the chasm between us, for fear that she'll make me feel again — and steal the last shred of heart I have left.We have everything but each other.
It's not enough.Not when you've lost love.And replaced it with the only thing left — hate.
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Excerpt
Angelica
I finally understood what prison would be like.By way of my agent.After his pep talk where I imagined kissing him about a million times before he gave me a pat on my shoulder and helped me to my feet, he walked me back to set and watched each scene.When I was done and Lincoln asked if I wanted to go out with the rest of the cast for drinks, Will stepped in. “She can’t.”Did I call him a babysitter earlier?The man was like a parent.A prison guard.A hot one.One that oozed sexuality with a swagger that refused to go away every time he walked in any direction. Hell, the guy was going to be eighty years old and still turning heads when he walked into restaurants.“I should have gone,” I said once Lincoln walked off with Dani and Jay. “It’s good for the cast to bond.”“He’s your brother. You’ve had your time.” Will shrugged.I clenched my teeth and followed him to the parking lot, but instead of going to his shiny car, he walked right past it.Shit, he was going to make me walk back to the beach house again, wasn’t he?“Come on,” he called over his shoulder. “Keep up.”“You’re twice my size!” I yelled in a struggle to keep up with him in the flip-flops I’d packed into my bag that morning. “Hey, wait up!”If anything the bastard picked up his pace until he reached the sidewalk then stopped.My flip-flop got stuck on the sidewalk sending me into his arms. I braced myself on both of his biceps. My fingers tingled with the need to squeeze and swoon into his embrace.Instead, I shoved away and crossed my arms. “So? What now?”He licked his lips, drawing my attention to his mouth. I licked mine in response. Like an idiot.“You did good today, Ang.” He held out his hand.I narrowed my eyes. “Is this a trick?”“No.” He smirked. “This is a hand. You take it in yours, see?” He demonstrated by lacing our fingers together. A shiver erupted down my right arm, goose bumps popped up.People didn’t touch me.But Will did.I forgot what warmth had felt like.Until he held my hand.“Dinner.” He squeezed my hand and let it fall against my side before he nodded to the busy main street of Seaside where families ran back and forth between ice cream and taffy shops like sugar addicts. “It’s the least I can do.”“For?”He grinned. “For actually not sucking today.”I smacked him in the shoulder. It was a kneejerk reaction. He laughed harder and rubbed the spot.“I see you still know how to hit pretty hard.”“And you’re still a sarcastic ass,” I said sweetly.“Always will be.” He winked.My diaphragm refused to work.I nearly stopped breathing.Why did he have to remind me how easy it had been between us? Because in a life full of harsh realities — he’d always made me realize one thing about love.In the beginning, it should be easy.Involuntary.Like sucking the sweet salty air through my teeth and exhaling in the same breath.Love was as simple as the air surrounding us.And between us, it had been more than natural; it had been effortless. Love shouldn’t start out hard, the struggles happen once you’re together long enough to realize that the other person isn’t perfect, and the anger comes when you blame them for not living up to expectations.I knew it well.Because it had been easy.Until it was so hard that I bailed.
Author Bio
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!
You can connect with her on Facebook or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. And make sure to check out her website.
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Surviving the Fatherland By Annette Oppenlander
Historical FictionDate Published: March 15, 2017
***An IWIC Hall of Fame Novel***
***Winner 2017 National Indie Excellence Award***
"This book needs to join the ranks of the classic survivor stories of WWII such as "Diary of Anne Frank" and "Man's Search for Meaning". It is truly that amazing!" InD'taleMagazine
"This family saga is wonderfully written and, aside from the emotional ramifications, very easy to read. I stayed up too late a couple of nights reading it...I highly recommend this book!" Long and Short Reviews
Spanning thirteen years from 1940 to 1953 and set against the epic panorama of WWII, author Annette Oppenlander's SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND is a sweeping saga of family, love, and betrayal that illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the children's war.
SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND tells the true and heart-wrenching stories of Lilly and Günter struggling with the terror-filled reality of life in the Third Reich, each embarking on their own dangerous path toward survival, freedom, and ultimately each other. Based on the author's own family and anchored in historical facts, this story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the strength of war children.
When her father goes off to war, seven-year-old Lilly is left with an unkind mother who favors her brother and chooses to ignore the lecherous pedophile next door. A few blocks away, twelve-year-old Günter also looses his father to the draft and quickly takes charge of supplementing his family's ever-dwindling rations by any means necessary.
As the war escalates and bombs begin to rain, Lilly and Günter's lives spiral out of control. Every day is a fight for survival. On a quest for firewood, Lilly encounters a dying soldier and steals her father's last suit to help the man escape. Barely sixteen, Günter ignores his draft call and embarks as a fugitive on a harrowing 47-day ordeal--always just one step away from execution.
When at last the war ends, Günter grapples with his brother's severe PTSD and the fact that none of his classmates survived. Welcoming denazification, Lilly takes a desperate step to rid herself once and for all of her disgusting neighbor's grip. When Lilly and Günter meet in 1949, their love affair is like any other. Or so it seems. But old wounds and secrets have a way of rising to the surface once more.
Excerpt
Chapter OneLilly: May 1940
For me the war began, not with Hitler’s invasion of Poland, but with my father’s lie. I was seven at the time, a skinny thing with pigtails and bony knees, dressed in my mother’s lumpy hand-knitted sweaters, a girl who loved her father more than anything.It was May of 1940, my favorite time of year when the air is filled with the smell of cut grass and lilacs, promising excursions to town and the cafes in the hilly land I called home.Like any other weekend, my father came home that Friday carrying a heavy briefcase of folders. Only this time, he flung his case in the corner of the hallway like it was a bag of garbage. You have to understand. My father is a neat freak, a man who keeps himself and everything he touches in absolute order. And so even at seven—even before he said those fateful words—I knew something was different.My father had been named after the German emperor, Wilhelm, and Mutti called him Willi, but to me he was always Vati.Ignoring me, he hurried into the kitchen, his eyes bright with excitement. “I’ve been drafted.”At the sink, Mutti abruptly dropped her sponge and stared at him. Her mouth opened, then closed without a sound.I didn’t understand what he was talking about. I didn’t understand the meaning of a lie, yet I felt it even then. Like others detect an oncoming thunderstorm, pressure builds behind my forehead, a heaviness in my bones. There is something in the way the liar moves, his limbs hang stiffly on the body as if his soul cringes. His look at me is fleeting and there is something artificial in his voice.At that moment I knew Vati was hiding something from us.“They want me there Monday. I’ll be a captain.” His voice trembled as he sank into a chair, still wearing his coat and hat.“But that’s in three days.” Mutti picked up Burkhart, my little brother who was a just a toddler and had begun to whine. “It’s fine,” she soothed as she paced the length of the kitchen, the click-click of her heels like an accusation.I frowned and moved closer to my father. Since my brother’s birth, Mutti had been spending every minute with the baby. No matter how well I behaved, how I did what she asked, I rarely succeeded drawing her eyes away from my brother. It annoyed me to no end that I couldn’t stop myself from trying.“Vati, where are you going?” I asked, secure in the knowledge that my little brother wouldn’t draw away his attention.My father’s cheeks glowed with excitement. As if he hadn’t heard me, he rushed back into the hallway and knelt in front of the wardrobe. I followed.One door gaped open, revealing a gray military uniform. He was rummaging below. “What are you looking for?”“Just a minute.” He emerged with a pair of shiny black boots. He knelt at my level and to this day I remember smelling the cologne he used every morning, a mix of spice and citrus.“I am packing.”“Where are you going?” Vati had never been away, not even for one night. In fact, he and Mutti had strict routines, and these were dictated by the clock. We ate every night at six thirty sharp. Even on Sundays. Breakfast was at seven in the morning. Clothes never ever lay on the floor, each item brushed and aired and returned to its spot in the closet. Life was laid out in rules, washing hands before dinner, carrying a clean handkerchief at all times and always, always looking spotless when leaving the house.He smoothed the pants of his uniform. “I’ll be helping out in the war.”“Will you be back for my birthday?” My birthday was on June fourth and I worried about our customary visits to town. In the window of Wiesner, our local toy store, I’d discovered a Schildkröt doll. Her name was Inge and I wanted her badly. Vati said she looked just like me, with blond hair and this pretty red-checkered dress with a white apron and white patent shoes you could take off. As Vati lifted me in the air and turned in a circle, I shrieked in surprise and delight. I was flying.“They want me after all! With all my experience, they should be glad.”
About the Author
Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts in the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past. Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, was elected to IWIC’s Hall of Fame and won the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves actual historical figures and events into her plots, giving readers a flavor of true history while enjoying a good story. Oppenlander shares her knowledge through writing workshops at colleges, libraries and schools. She also offers vivid presentations and author visits. The mother of fraternal twins and a son, she lives with her husband and old mutt, Mocha, in Bloomington, Ind.
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CONDEMNED: PART TWO by Samyah Leighton
CONDEMNED: PART TWORedemption series, book 4by Samyah Leighton Genre: Suspense Romance (Contains sex, strong language and violence)
Innocent until proven guilty… Or guilty until proven innocent?
Jackson and Skylar have their backs against the wall. They’re facing down a vengeful ex, a bias cop, a corrupt CPS Agency and a judge who is threatening to throw Jackson back in jail. The only way out of this mess for the couple depends upon the success of the sting operation the police have set up to catch the crooked social worker and attorney.
They have one shot to get the evidence they need to prove Jackson’s innocence to the judge presiding over their custody case. So much is riding on this one event. If everything goes as planned Jackson will be free from prosecution and they will get Sutton back. However, should they fail, Skylar and Jackson may lose Sutton for the next three years.
What does fate have in store for the three of them? Will Sutton be returned to her parents? Can Jackson and Skylar’s marriage survive this storm? And will Jackson ever be vindicated to the public or will he forever be fighting to clear his name?
His back is to me and he’s naked from the waist up. He’s wearing a pair of black Nike joggers and running shoes. Sweat is running down his back and one hand is resting on his hip. “I can’t believe they are going to fucking do this to me.” He must sense I’m here because he spins around in my direction.
His features are morphed into an angry scowl and it only gets worse when he sees me. Now I’m concerned. Who’s he on the phone with? I watch as he forces himself to relax. He did that for my benefit. “I know,” he says into the phone. “Just do what you can to save the rest.” Ending the call, he puts his phone in his pocket. He doesn’t come closer to me or even speak. A huge valley has opened between us and I’m not sure how to close it. At the moment, I don’t believe there’s any way I can. He stares grows unbearable and it makes me nervous. It’s like he’s contemplating his life. Contemplating his relationship with me.
“Who was that?” I ask timidly. Jackson doesn’t answer me right away. He just keeps staring.
Finally, he says, “My agent.”
“And?”
The muscles in his jaws flex. “And I’ve been dropped from some of my endorsements,” he says, pocketing his hands. Shit. That’s not good. This is what I feared. His reputation is suffering. And now, so is his career.
“Which ones?” He looks down at his feet and rubs the tip of one of his shoes into the carpet.
“Gatorade, Nike and Calvin Klein.”
I gasp. Those are huge endorsements for him. This is so unfair. He shouldn’t lose what he’s worked so hard for because of me. “What about your sportswear and shoe line?”
“They got canceled with the Nike deal.”
“How can they do that?”
He looks up at me, his eyes so cold. “Because of the morals clause in my contracts. I have to represent myself at all times in a manner befitting of these companies.”
“Then let’s set the record straight,” I say.
Frowning he ask, “What are you talking about?”
“Doing an interview.” Jackson immediately starts shaking his head before I even finish my proposal.
“No. Out of the question. I already told Katrina, my publicist, that I won’t do any interviews. She’s looking for other ways to fix my image.”
I sigh, exasperated. He’s in one of his stubborn moods and there’ll probably be no changing his mind but I have to try. “Maybe the public will move on. But what about your career? Do you never intend to work again? Are you really going to be okay with being a pariah like O. J. was?”
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DECEIVEDA lie tore them apart… A truth will bring them back together.
Fifteen years ago Jackson Delaney met Skylar Deveraux. It was love at first sight. He adored her. He trusted her. And she betrayed him. Breaking things off, he left her behind and never expected to see her again.
Heartbroken and angry, Jackson forced himself to move on with his life but not before swearing off committed relationships forever. Love had made a fool of him once, he swore never to let it happen again. After graduating from college he got drafted into the NFL.
With the help of time Jackson was able to put the past behind him. Now at thirty-six-years-old he believes he’s living his dream. He’s rich, famous and a celebrated NFL quarterback who can have anyone woman he sets his sights on. His life is perfect until the death of his brother and sister-in-law unearths some devastating secrets from the past that forces him to question everything he thought he knew about his life.
All of the people who were supposed to love him are involved in some duplicitous schemes to conceal the truth from him and Skylar is at the center of the biggest scheme of them all. Now he must find Skylar to get the truth from her.
How will he handling seeing her again after all this time? Will the extreme passion they once shared still burn hot between them? And if so, can he ever forgive her deceptions and be able to reclaim the only woman he has ever loved?
REVEALEDSkylar's ex-husband Chris has discovered her secrets and is using them against her to get what he wants. And what he wants is her. Believing she’s the only woman for him, Chris is desperate to prove to Skylar that he’s the only man for her. He wants his wife back at all cost and he’s willing to do anything to keep her. Even blackmailing her into another marriage.
Skylar is desperate to protect Jackson and Sutton from the truth coming out so she agreed to return to L.A. with Chris. However, she’s struggling with her decision to leave her family behind and is hell bent on getting back to them. She tries her best to stay on Chris’ good side until she can find some leverage to free herself but when Chris sets the date for their wedding it kicks Skylar's quest for freedom into overdrive.
Jackson and Sutton are confused and hurt by Skylar's unexpected departure. Sutton is very suspicious and has doubts about the nature of her mother’s sudden absence but not Jackson. He believes Skylar willingly left them and he’s furious. Skylar's abandonment devastates Jackson and pushes him into the arms of an unlikely companion.
Will Skylar find a way back to her family before Chris get what he wants? Or will there be a wedding in Skylar's immediate future?
CONDEMNED: PART ONEIt’s said the truth shall set you free…but does it really?Only hours after marrying Skylar, Jackson is placed under arrest and is being extradited back to Massachusetts to face the charges against him. His arrest goes viral and the internet gets flooded with rumors and theories about who his victim could be.
With DNA evidence on her side ambitious prosecutor, Adrianne Washington, is offering no deals and is ready to proceed to trial. However, her rush to judgment may have less to do with facts and more to do with a personal vendetta.
Unforeseen problems lurk around every corner and the newly married couple find themselves being tested in ways they never imagined. With the world falling apart around them, Jackson and Skylar are determined to keep their family together. Yet will all their efforts be in vain? Is the damaged that’s been done to their lives beyond repair? Does the truth really set you free or are there some secrets that should stay buried?
Samyah Leighton is a wife and mother of four. She's always had a passion for writing and storytelling. She loves to read. Romance and erotica are her favorites genre. Samyah loves all kinds of animals and movies and music. She loves to cook and bake and window shop. She finds beauty in all types of love. For the most part Samyah enjoys the simple things in life.Twitter ✯ Amazon ✯ Instagram ✯ Facebook ✯ Goodreads
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July 2, 2017
Alamir by Nesa Miller
Title: AlamirSeries: Blood of Kaos SeriesBy: Nesa MillerPublication Date: July 1, 2017Genre: Urban Fantasy#alamirblitz
The Alamir came about to protect the human realm from evils worse than humans. Torn from a life of childish innocence, fourteen-year-old Etain Rhys witnesses the brutal murder of her family. Running for her life, she inadvertently lands in the mystical realm of the Alamir. Scared and alone, she’s taken in by a small clan and learns their warrior ways. Moving up the ranks in a short time, the day comes when her chieftain tells her it’s time to move on. Although her heart burns for revenge, she soon realizes it will take more than a sword and her newfound powers to track down her family’s murderer. Lord Darknight, the elusive chieftain of the LOKI clan, one of the most powerful in the Alamir, has connections that could aid her quest. A dangerous encounter with the warrior might prove advantageous - if she can survive him…and his dark secret.
AMAZON US - http://amzn.to/2sUG2cYAMAZON UK - https://goo.gl/UUJPOrAMAZON CA - https://goo.gl/rkLlBR
A late bloomer from Texas, living the life in jolly ol' England with her handsome English husband. The couple loves traveling to magical places, experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, and, most of all, taking a break from everyday life. Social Media LinksFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/theAlamir/Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6925890.Nesa_MillerWebsite - https://ladyofkaos.com/Twitter - @Ladyofkaos
July 1, 2017
DIRTY By R.L. Kenderson
Contemporary RomanceDate Published: July 1, 2017
He’s a player. She’s too smart to let him in her pants. Until a night of drunken sex has her kicking herself and vowing she’ll never let it happen again. Or will she?
After returning home due to her father’s illness, Elise Phillips reunites with her college friends, including Luke Long. Luke was a player back then, and Elise had always prided herself on not being another notch on his bedpost.
Luke is still gorgeous though, and he knows it. And he checks all her boxes—intelligent and sexy with muscles and a hard body.
Following a night of beer and shots, her resistance runs out, and he finally does check her box. And Elise knows that it can never happen again.
Luke had always thought of Elise as the pretty girl that was friends with his roommate’s girlfriend, but now she’s all grown up. When their night of passion rocks Luke’s world he realizes he must have her again.
The two enter a friends-with-benefits relationship with the agreement that they’re just going to have fun. The only thing is, with mutual friends involved, they have to hide their indiscretion.
But what harm can come from a dirty little secret?
Dirty is the first contemporary romance from paranormal romance author R.L. Kenderson. If you like laughing out loud, sexy book boyfriends, playful couples, and dirty, dirty sex, then you’ll love this fun contemporary romance.
Get your copy of Dirty and start falling in love today!
Excerpt
Elise grabbed the triangle and began racking the balls, putting them in their proper place. She grabbed the one ball and put it at the apex when Rachel walked over and leaned against the side of the pool table.
“Are you having a good time?” her friend asked.
“Yeah. I’m glad you asked me to come. I totally kicked Luke’s ass.”
Rachel smiled, but it was hesitant.
Elise stopped what she was doing. “What’s wrong?”
Rachel stood up straight. “I think we’re going to take off. I don’t feel well. Shelly and Joe are leaving, too. Shelly’s tired, and she wants to go home and put her swollen feet up.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said, putting her hand over her stomach. “I think it was something I ate.”
Elise narrowed her eyes and studied her friend. “Liar. You just want to go home and get laid.”
Rachel blushed. “Guilty. I haven’t seen Sean for a week.” She stuck her bottom lip out.
Elise laughed. “I understand. Go have fun with your man.”
Rachel looked around the room, as if she was calculating the situation.
“What is it?” Elise asked.
“Nothing.”
“Rachel, just spit it out. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to leave you here with Luke.”
Elise shook her head. “I’ll be fine. We’re having fun. I’m not ready to go home yet.”
Her friend looked over her shoulder to where Luke stood at the bar, talking to Sean. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. She looked back at Elise. “I just want you to be careful.”
Elise tilted her head. “How do you mean?”
“It’s been over six months since you and Jason broke up. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
Elise shook her head in confusion. “I still don’t get it. Why would I get hurt?”
Rachel sighed. “Just don’t sleep with Luke, okay? He’s grown up quite a bit, but he’s still Luke. I’ve never seen him get serious with anyone, and I don’t want your heart to get broken.”
Elise threw her head back and laughed. “We are just playing pool. Nothing’s going to happen.”
Rachel didn’t laugh. “I know you haven’t slept with anyone since before you and Jason broke up.” She leaned in close and lowered her voice. “And I know how horny you get when you’ve been drinking. I also know that sex with Jason was mediocre, at best, so you’re probably really jonesing for sex now. And let’s face it; we both know that Luke probably fucks like a rock star.”
Elise laughed again and shook her head. “Trust me, Rach, you have nothing to worry about. I am never going to sleep with Luke Long.”
The next morning, Elise woke, flat on her stomach, disoriented, with a piercing headache that only came from a hangover. While she’d been living with her parents for about a month now, she’d often still wake up in confusion from forgetting where she was at first. It’d sometimes take her a minute to realize she wasn’t in her house in Denver anymore. She opened one eye to check the time, but the alarm clock wasn’t hers or the one in her parents’ guest room.
She sat up, jarring her already-sore head, and let out a moan. Thankfully, dark shades were covering the windows, casting the room in shadows and hiding the evil sun.
What happened last night? Her memory was fuzzy, and it hurt to think.
She realized she was naked and pulled the sheet up to cover herself as she slowly looked around the room, recognizing nothing. Nothing but the sleeping naked male lying on the bed next to her.
Oh God. No! Panic raced through her body, and memories rose to taunt her.
She’d slept with Luke Long. She’d slept with. Luke. Long.
She whimpered and closed her eyes. She had managed to escape college without screwing the guy, only to have dirty, dirty sex with him last night. And that was only the stuff she could remember.
She was never drinking again.
If Rachel ever found out, she was going to give Elise so much shit—after she quizzed Elise on whether the whole fucks-like-a-rock-star thing was true.
Elise couldn’t recall everything from last night after the rest of their friends had left the restaurant, and Luke and she had decided it would be fun to take a bunch of shots. But, now, she did know that, yes, Luke Long did indeed fuck like a rock star. Her sore vagina could attest to that.
I hate you, alcohol.
Luke shifted beside her, but the arm he had over his eyes remained where it was, and his breathing regulated and deepened again.
She really should get out of there before he woke up, but instead, she found herself staring at his beautiful body. Why does he have to be so gorgeous?
She moved her gaze from his face to down his muscular chest and stomach and noticed a blemish of some kind. She leaned closer to look at the red mark directly above his hip.
Are those teeth marks?
A memory surfaced. She’d bitten him so hard that she bruised him…after she went down on him…again. She dropped her head in her hand. She was such a slut.
She looked again at the wound, and her gaze moved to the thin white sheet that was covering one leg and only part of his penis. God, even flaccid, it was thick and long. She remembered thinking it was perfect. She might have even told him that she wanted to mold his dick, so she could use it on herself when she was alone. She moaned softly with embarrassment.
“Jesus, would you stop thinking? You’re making my hangover ten times worse.”
Elise jumped. “Would you stop scaring me?”
Luke chuckled and moved his arm from his face. His brown eyes glittered with amusement. “Sorry,” he said, but his tone indicated that he wasn’t the least bit remorseful.
And, now, she was regretting not getting the hell out of there right away. She looked at the floor next to the bed and only saw a few items of clothing and nothing that looked like the shirt or skirt she’d been wearing last night. Nothing to cover her up so that she could make her escape. Then, she spotted them by the door on the other side of the room and winced.
She looked at Luke, hoping maybe he’d shut his eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep, but luck was not on her side this morning, and she found him watching her. It was making her self-conscious, knowing all the naughty things she’d done with him and to him last night. “Can you please close your eyes, so I can get dressed?”
This made Luke laugh, but she didn’t find it the least bit funny. She needed to get up and out of there before Rachel called her or her parents called Rachel. She really didn’t need a lecture about sleeping with Luke right now—from her parents or Rachel. Especially after she’d told her friend it was never going to happen.
“I think that ship has sailed, Lise. I already saw everything last night, babe.” He looked down at her crotch. “Everything.”
She fidgeted on the bed. First, she didn’t know if she liked him shortening her name like they were close now or something, and second, she suddenly pictured him kneeling between her legs as he parted her and blew on her nether lips right before he—
Luke threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed, giving her a clear view of his back. Even his back was sexy. Except for the red claw marks there.
Holy shit. Had she possessed any restraint last night?
Luke stood and walked to the door to retrieve her clothes. He didn’t seem to care that he was naked because he didn’t bother dressing. Of course, he had a world-class butt. Elise tried hard, but when he turned around, she couldn’t help staring at his morning wood, and she grew wet between her legs.
“Can you put on some clothes, please?” Her tone was bitchier than she had meant it to be, but she really needed him to get dressed before she threw back the bedsheet and spread her legs for him, begging him to fuck her again.
He raised an eyebrow.
“I know, I know. We already had sex, so what’s the big deal? And I’m sorry for being rude, but I’m finding it hard to think with you walking around…” With your big beautiful dick saluting me.
Luke snickered as he tossed her clothes on the bed, as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. But he didn’t object as he went into his walk-in closet.
As soon as he was in there, she quickly yanked on her clothes, except for her underwear. She didn’t see them anywhere, and since Luke would walk out at any second, she opted for going commando. It wasn’t ideal since she was wearing a skirt, but at least she wasn’t nude anymore.
Luke exited his closet, wearing a pair of nylon shorts and holding a T-shirt in his hand. The bite mark she’d left stood out against the light gray of his shorts. She considered just pretending like she didn’t know it existed, but she was maturer than that. Or, at least, she wanted to think she was.
“I’m sorry—”
“If you apologize for fucking me…” Luke’s lips were in a hard line, and his eyes had lost all humor. He almost looked hurt. “Look, we’re both adults, both single, we used protection, and no one got hurt.”
She sat on the side of the bed. “Well, see, that’s not exactly true…” She waved her hand toward his lower body.
He shook his head, obviously not understanding. “What’s not true? Are you trying to tell me you have a boyfriend?”
“No.”
He frowned. “Are you saying, we didn’t use protection? Because I might have been drunk, and you did almost jump the gun there the first time, but I distinctly remember using condoms.”
Her cheeks got warm as she vaguely recalled pushing him down on the sofa, slipping her underwear off, lifting her skirt, and—
“Open your eyes and watch me while I fuck you, Elise. I want you to know whose cock you’re riding.”
She shook her head before she turned red, clearing the memory. “No, that’s not it either.”
“Okay, Lise, you’re just going to have to spit it out then.”
“Hurt. You’re hurt.” She pointed to his hip and sighed. “I hurt you.”
Luke lowered his head and examined her bite mark. “Oh, yeah, I remember that.” He looked up at her and grinned. “I never would have taken you for a wildcat in bed, but damn, I liked it.” He shrugged and put his shirt on. “Besides, I sort of got you back.” He waved his hand over his neckline.
She gasped and jumped up, bolting for the bathroom. “You didn’t!” she yelled at him before she flipped on the light switch. She lifted her chin up and to the side, and there it was—a big ole hickey right on her neck. Thankfully, the top she’d worn last night had a low collar, so she should be able to find a more modest shirt to cover it for work, but she sure as shit didn’t know how she was going to walk into her parents’ house and not let them see it.
He came up behind her. “I’d tell you I was sorry, but then I’d be lying. If it makes you feel better, I don’t remember doing it, and I didn’t do it on purpose.”
She angled her head to look at it again. “Fat lot of good that does me. It’s there whether you meant to do it or not.”
He leaned in closer to her, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “Well, at least I didn’t bite you,” he teased.
Embarrassed, she didn’t reply. Instead, she worked on straightening her appearance. She finger-combed through her long hair to get the snarls out and used hand soap and water to get rid of the mascara that rimmed her eyes.
She almost forgot he was still there when he said, “I’m going to get coffee. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
She hurried up, trying to make herself look presentable, and quickly used the facilities before heading downstairs.
If she wasn’t hungover and freaking out about sleeping with Luke, she would have taken the time to admire his beautiful home. But, at the moment, she wanted to forget that she had ever been there and get the hell home.
She quickly scanned the living room for her missing article of clothing, but with no luck, she met Luke in the kitchen where he handed her a glass of water and a couple of pills while the smell of coffee brewing filled the kitchen.
“Ibuprofen,” he explained when she gave him a questioning look.
“Thank you,” she said. Swallowing the medicine, she downed the whole glass in a few gulps. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she had been until now.
She handed him the empty cup, and he put it in the sink. After he poured himself some coffee to go, he grabbed his keys off the counter.
“I rode with Sean last night, so my car’s here. You need a ride, I’m assuming?”
“Yes, please.”
“Do you want any coffee?”
She shook her head.
He reached for something else on the counter and handed it to her. It was her purse.
“Do you have everything?”
Everything but her underwear, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Yep, I’m ready.”
About the Author
R.L. Kenderson is two best friends writing under one name. Renae has always loved reading and in third grade wrote her first poem where she learned she might have a knack for this writing thing. Lara remembers sneaking her grandmother’s Harlequin novels when she was probably too young to be reading them, and since then she knew she wanted to write her own.
When they met in college, they bonded over their love of reading and the TV show Charmed. What really spiced up their friendship was when Lara introduced Renae to romance novels. When they discovered their first vampire romance, they knew there would always be a special place in their hearts for paranormal romance. After being unable to find certain storylines and characteristics they wanted to read about in the hundreds of books they consumed, they decided to write their own.
They both live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area where they’re a sonographer/stay-at-home mom/wife and pharmacist/mother by day and a sexy author by night. You can find them at http://www.rlkenderson.com, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and Goodreads. Or you can email them at rlkenderson@rlkenderson.com. They always love hearing from their readers.
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THE DATING GAME by LORHAINNE ECKHART
The Dating Game by Lorhainne Eckhart Series: The Parker Sisters, #2Genre: Women's Fiction/Family SagaRelease Date: June 30, 2017
From a Readers’ Favorite award-winning author and “queen of the family saga” (Aherman) comes The Parker Sisters, a new spinoff series of the Married in Montana series.
Twenty Six year old Ivy Parker is a Nurse by day, but an unlikely attraction with a mysterious man will turn her world upside down as she finds herself in, The Dating Game.
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart recently received the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance for her two titles Vanished & The Bloodline. With over fifty titles under her belt, her big family romance series are loved by fans worldwide. Books that celebrate love, family, commitment, hope, and making a relationship work. With flawed strong characters, characters you can relate to. Lorhainne writes the kind of books she wants to read.She is frequently a Top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres, such as romance, western, military, and mystery/suspense. She has written multiple series, including The Outsider, Walk the Right Road, The Wilde Brothers, Saved, The Friessens, Married in Montana, Kate and Walker: Deadly, Dangerous, and Desired, and her newest addition and spinoff of the bestselling Friessen Series THE MCCABE BROTHERS.
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New York Times Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart has entertained 100,000’s of readers with her big family romance series – and she is giving away free novels. Subscribe to her mailing list to receive your FREE STARTER LIBRARY: http://gem.godaddy.com/signups/162081/join
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June 30, 2017
Romance Between the Pages' Weekly Podcast Interview With Willow Winters
Ever wondered about the personalities behind your favorite books? Victoria Danann's new podcast with Riley J. Ford has an incredible lineup of authors booked through the spring. No question is out of bounds. Check it out!
THIS WEEK'S BEST SELLING AUTHOR...WILLOW WINTERS!
Willow Winters is so happy to be a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and #1 Contemporary Bestselling Romance Author. She likes her action hot and her bad boys hotter. She certainly doesn’t hold back on either one in her writing!Want a text alert when Willow has a new release? Text "Willow" to 797979!
Or if you prefer by email, Sign up for her Naughty List to get all the newest bad boy releases, sales, great giveaways and a FREE Bad Boy Billionaire Romance → http://eepurl.com/b2izzf
Willow started writing after having her little girl, Evie, December 2015. All during her pregnancy with Evie she continued to read and she only wanted to read romance. She was reading a book a day — sometimes two.
In January 2016 Willow was staying up late with Evie and just thinking of all these stories. They came to her constantly so she finally sat down and just started writing. She always wanted to do it so she figured, why not? Today Willow cannot be happier for making that decision!
Listen on Itunes (Subscribe so you never miss an episode! It’s FREE!)
Ruck Me by Rebecca Norinne
Title: Ruck MeSeries: Dublin Rugby #2Author: Rebecca NorinneGenre: Contemporary Sports RomanceRelease Date: August 9, 2017
Blurb
She’s a free spirit; he’s a no nonsense kind of guy. When these opposites attract ... oh baby! It's game on!
I’ve called Aoife O’Shaughnessy a number of things, but dumb was never one of them. Through all the insane things she’s done—all the trouble she’s gotten into—I never once thought she was actually stupid. Until now. Because I just heard her plan to lose her virginity to the vilest human being I’ve ever met.
My first thought? How the f*ck is Aoife still a virgin? The second? Over my dead body.
So I volunteered for the job instead.
It might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but once the words were out of my mouth, I couldn’t take them back. Now, I can’t stop wondering what it will be like to kiss the pink-haired sprite I’ve known my whole life, to hear her moan my name when she comes.
And I know she’s wondering about me too.
What started off as a bit of fun has spiraled out of control and now I’m in deep. I never meant to fall in love with Aoife … it was never supposed to go this far. And what happens next, just might break both of us.
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USA TODAY bestselling author Rebecca Norinne writes contemporary romance featuring smart and sexy heroines and the men who adore them. When not writing, Rebecca is watching rugby, drinking craft beer, or traveling the globe in search of inspiration for her next story. Her favorite foods are popcorn, sushi, and French fries and she’s never met a Kelly Clarkson song she didn’t like. For more information, visit http://www.rebeccanorinne.com.
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Recluse by Jaycee Ford
Title: RecluseSeries: Spider #1Author: Jaycee Ford Genre: Romantic Suspense Release Date: June 26, 2017
Blurb
You were my brother in the line of duty.My partner.My best friend.You were the man who had it all.Your thoroughness and precision made you a great cop.It’s what got you killed.And now I live with the darkening shadows of your memory.You weren’t here when I needed you to save me.You weren’t here when I needed help solving the most gruesome murder this town had ever seen.But most of all, you weren’t here to keep me from falling in love with your wife.
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Bestselling author Jaycee Ford grew up chasing street cars around the city of New Orleans. After doing a four year stint at Louisiana State University, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and fled for the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. New Orleans beckoned her home again where she put her love of the foothills into a series of romance novels. In between writing, she’s found behind her desk at a top rated law firm … or still chasing street cars.
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