Donina Lynn's Blog, page 18
June 1, 2015
Boy Toy by Jewel Quinlan
Summer is almost here and to get things ready for the season Jewel Quinlan is back on the blog today with her newest sizzling release Boy Toy. Check it out and happy reading!
New Release: Boy Toy
The Cougar Journals Book 2
by Jewel Quinlan from Evernight Publishing
Blurb: Left hot, bothered, and disappointed by Grant—the man she had high hopes for—Ava breaks up with him and heads out on a ski weekend with a group of friends. Harrison, a twenty-three year old member of the group, can’t help but take notice of her and makes advances. Some of which Ava can’t brush aside when they are stuck sharing a room together. Will she give in to Harrison’s moves or go home and work things out with Grant?
Where you can buy Boy Toy:
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Barnes and Noble | BookStrand
iBooks or add it to your shelf on Goodreads
Enjoy this excerpt from Boy Toy:
The covers shifted again and I could feel the section near me, behind my back, lifting as he scooted closer. The warmth of his body was settled very close to and almost against mine, mirroring my shape like a puzzle piece. His voice was a low whisper in my ear, a single-syllable question. “Spoon?”
My mind went through rapid-fire calculations. Spoon? What would be the consequences of that? Should I do it? I churned through the outcomes of either saying yes or no but, after a moment, threw my pros and cons list out the window as the conclusion of, what the hell, why not? came to me. He was cute and I could use a little spooning. It wasn’t something I got to do often.
“Mm-hm.” I scooted backward into his embrace.
He slid his hand around my waist, his fingers sliding along my rib cage all the way around until he was cupping my other side. Then he nestled his face in my hair and inhaled my scent. “You smell nice,” he whispered.
“Thanks,” I murmured back. For some reason I kept my voice low as if talking too loud would break the spell. It felt so good to have all six feet of his firm body stretched along mine. Even pressed against my back I could sense the various muscles making contact with me. The slow rhythm of his breath just skimming my ear was nice. I let go of all the typical female questions that rose up in my mind at the scenario and enjoyed the moment.
There had been so many times in my life I had imagined waking up in bed with my husband just like this, feeling a new day awakening with me safe and cozy in my true love’s arms. It was one of those dreams that, now, was becoming painful to replay as my singleness continued to stretch out year after year. In a moment like this it was easy to take it out of the closet, dust it off, and use it as a sort of atmosphere to what was actually going on. When things like this happened it reinforced the fact that I really did want to get married. It was just a matter of Mr. Right showing up. No matter how my logical mind kept trying to force Grant into the shape of that hole, my true self stood back shaking its head and saying, “It’s not going to work. There’s too big of an issue there.”
After a few minutes of laying in silence together with the rise and fall of our chests matching, I could feel myself starting to slip away again into dreamland. But then Harrison shifted his hips, scooting closer to my backside. My eyes shot open as it registered exactly what was pressing against my ass and lower back.
Morning wood!
About the Author:
Restless by nature, Jewel Quinlan is an avid traveler and has visited 16 countries so far. Lover of ice cream, beer and red wine she tries to stay fit when she’s not typing madly on her computer concocting another tale. In her spare time she likes to do yoga, hike, learn German and play with her spoiled Chihuahua; Penny. It is Penny’s mission in life to keep Jewel from the keyboard. But, with the help of dog-chew-making-companies, Jewel has been able to distract her canine companion and continues to get thousands of words on the page for your enjoyment.
**Jewel will be attending RomCon 2015 in Denver CO September 25-27. Readers can get tickets to sit with her at the reader luncheon event.
For more information about Jewel Quinlan
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram
Or join Jewel’s newsletter if you just want to get the most important updates
New Release: Boy ToyThe Cougar Journals Book 2
by Jewel Quinlan from Evernight Publishing
Blurb: Left hot, bothered, and disappointed by Grant—the man she had high hopes for—Ava breaks up with him and heads out on a ski weekend with a group of friends. Harrison, a twenty-three year old member of the group, can’t help but take notice of her and makes advances. Some of which Ava can’t brush aside when they are stuck sharing a room together. Will she give in to Harrison’s moves or go home and work things out with Grant?
Where you can buy Boy Toy:
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Barnes and Noble | BookStrand
iBooks or add it to your shelf on Goodreads
Enjoy this excerpt from Boy Toy:
The covers shifted again and I could feel the section near me, behind my back, lifting as he scooted closer. The warmth of his body was settled very close to and almost against mine, mirroring my shape like a puzzle piece. His voice was a low whisper in my ear, a single-syllable question. “Spoon?”
My mind went through rapid-fire calculations. Spoon? What would be the consequences of that? Should I do it? I churned through the outcomes of either saying yes or no but, after a moment, threw my pros and cons list out the window as the conclusion of, what the hell, why not? came to me. He was cute and I could use a little spooning. It wasn’t something I got to do often.
“Mm-hm.” I scooted backward into his embrace.
He slid his hand around my waist, his fingers sliding along my rib cage all the way around until he was cupping my other side. Then he nestled his face in my hair and inhaled my scent. “You smell nice,” he whispered.
“Thanks,” I murmured back. For some reason I kept my voice low as if talking too loud would break the spell. It felt so good to have all six feet of his firm body stretched along mine. Even pressed against my back I could sense the various muscles making contact with me. The slow rhythm of his breath just skimming my ear was nice. I let go of all the typical female questions that rose up in my mind at the scenario and enjoyed the moment.
There had been so many times in my life I had imagined waking up in bed with my husband just like this, feeling a new day awakening with me safe and cozy in my true love’s arms. It was one of those dreams that, now, was becoming painful to replay as my singleness continued to stretch out year after year. In a moment like this it was easy to take it out of the closet, dust it off, and use it as a sort of atmosphere to what was actually going on. When things like this happened it reinforced the fact that I really did want to get married. It was just a matter of Mr. Right showing up. No matter how my logical mind kept trying to force Grant into the shape of that hole, my true self stood back shaking its head and saying, “It’s not going to work. There’s too big of an issue there.”
After a few minutes of laying in silence together with the rise and fall of our chests matching, I could feel myself starting to slip away again into dreamland. But then Harrison shifted his hips, scooting closer to my backside. My eyes shot open as it registered exactly what was pressing against my ass and lower back.
Morning wood!
About the Author:
Restless by nature, Jewel Quinlan is an avid traveler and has visited 16 countries so far. Lover of ice cream, beer and red wine she tries to stay fit when she’s not typing madly on her computer concocting another tale. In her spare time she likes to do yoga, hike, learn German and play with her spoiled Chihuahua; Penny. It is Penny’s mission in life to keep Jewel from the keyboard. But, with the help of dog-chew-making-companies, Jewel has been able to distract her canine companion and continues to get thousands of words on the page for your enjoyment.
**Jewel will be attending RomCon 2015 in Denver CO September 25-27. Readers can get tickets to sit with her at the reader luncheon event.
For more information about Jewel Quinlan
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram
Or join Jewel’s newsletter if you just want to get the most important updates
May 27, 2015
The Contract by Raven McAllan
Today, Raven McAllan is back on the blog and she brought along all the deets on her newest release The Contract.
Take it away Raven and happy reading everyone!! Living in Scotland where summer can be one day in May, and the midges rule from June to September, give me somewhere warm any day. After all mozzies respond to repellent, I swear midges thumb their noses up at it.
I love to travel, and I like setting my books in places I know, so I guess it was inevitable that as I sat by a pool in Barbados I got the idea for this book. (Lot's of 'I's' in there, ooops, sorry.)
Hubby got used to me saying, stop the car while I take a photo, as we drove around, and then scribbling in a notebook, things I didn't want to forget.
The upshot, is The Contract, now released by Evernight Publishing.
Blurb…
Walking out of her job was the best thing Nikki Plummer ever did. What she didn't expect however, was to be tracked down by some hot bod, claiming she owed him.
Ruari Cameron has come to collect what he has paid for, but one look at Nikki, and there's only one thing he wants. Her in every facet of his life.
Of course convincing Nikki of this might take some doing...but he's more than ready to rise to the occasion.
Will they find their happy ever after under the Barbados sun?
This is how she got there…
(a wee tease)
"Plum."
"Go away, I'm not listening." Nikki Plummer, often called Plum and she hated it, finished emptying her head-high cupboard and slammed the door—hard. Her boss moved back in a hurry to avoid her toes, knees, designer shoes, and anything else in the vicinity being pinched between the door and the jamb. Her numerous bracelets jangled as she did so, and seemed to add their displeasure to the wearer's.
"Plum, don't be silly, it was a mistake."
There it was again. Did the stupid woman have no sense whatsoever? Plum was for signing her work, nothing else. Sheesh, she'd told everyone often enough, and most people accepted it.
Not this one.
The noise of a stiletto tapping impatiently on the parquet flooring only firmed Nikki's mind up. Her boss could go to hell. The hard way. On her Manolos.
"No." No to whatever you want. It's over.
"You're overreacting, like I said it’s all a silly mistake." There was a definite note of panic in the voice now. "Plum, stop it and listen to me."
Yeah, yours you bitch.
"No one called Plum around here." Nikki checked her desk drawer. She removed three pens, a diary, and her hot as Hades red lipstick and threw them in her kitchen sink-sized bag. Satisfied there was nothing more lurking in a corner, she grabbed her sprint from the underground—fondly known as The Clockwork Orange—ballet flats and stood up. Anything else? Not that she wanted or needed anyway. The rest of the stuff came with the job and could stay with it.
The feeling, the glorious feeling of liberation kicked in. Nikki zipped her bag and put on her jacket.
"Nikki, for god's sake stop this nonsense." The voice rose to a screech just one notch short of shattering glass. The panic in it was evident. "Stop being a drama queen and vying for notice." The other five or six people in the office gave up their pretense of not earwigging and listened openly.
Nikki winced at the shrill tone. "No one could ever even think of vying for attention, Geraldine, in here," she said calmly, knowing her even note and lack of concern would infuriate the other woman. "Yours or anyone else's. You command the field in that respect, even down to your own attention, weird though it sounds. Luckily I neither want nor need it. Not now. You fired me, I'm out of here."
Geraldine Butters stared at her. "I was joking."
At the back of the room someone coughed, 'bullshit'.
"You should know I didn't mean what I said. It was said in jest." Now the voice was full of panic. "Take off your jacket, put down your bag and get on with that project. I need it by the end of the month. Only you can do it."
Now we're getting to the crux of the matter. The project, whatever it is and your lack of ability. Well tough. Too bad, that's one joke that misfired on you then.
"Don’t care, too late, goodbye."
"You little bitch, you'll pay for this. I gave you a job, I sorted your mess…"
That was the last straw. Nikki picked up the waste paper basket, full of sweet wrappers, old take away coffee cups as well as torn bits of paper, old train tickets, and all the detritus of a busy office and upended it over Geraldine's head.
www.evernightpublishing.com/the-contract-by-raven-mcallan
A multi-published, best selling author of erotic romance, Raven lives in Scotland, along with her husband, in a house much too big for them—their children having flown the nest—surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspires a lot of the settings in her books.
She is used to sharing her life with the occasional deer, red squirrel, and lost tourist, to say nothing of the scourge of Scotland—the midge. As once she is writing she is oblivious to everything else, her lovely long-suffering husband is learning to love the dust bunnies, work the Aga, and be on stand-by with a glass of wine.
http://www.ravenmcallan.com
http:/ /www.ravenmcallan.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/rmcallan (my page)
https://www.facebook.com/ravenmcallan (author page)
https://twitter.com/RavenMcAllan
http://www.amazon.com/Raven-McAllan/e/B00694RHJI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_11?qid=1408015501&sr=1-11
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raven-McAllan/e/B00694RHJI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_11?qid=1408015501&sr=1-11
Take it away Raven and happy reading everyone!! Living in Scotland where summer can be one day in May, and the midges rule from June to September, give me somewhere warm any day. After all mozzies respond to repellent, I swear midges thumb their noses up at it.
I love to travel, and I like setting my books in places I know, so I guess it was inevitable that as I sat by a pool in Barbados I got the idea for this book. (Lot's of 'I's' in there, ooops, sorry.)
Hubby got used to me saying, stop the car while I take a photo, as we drove around, and then scribbling in a notebook, things I didn't want to forget.
The upshot, is The Contract, now released by Evernight Publishing.
Blurb…
Walking out of her job was the best thing Nikki Plummer ever did. What she didn't expect however, was to be tracked down by some hot bod, claiming she owed him.
Ruari Cameron has come to collect what he has paid for, but one look at Nikki, and there's only one thing he wants. Her in every facet of his life.
Of course convincing Nikki of this might take some doing...but he's more than ready to rise to the occasion.
Will they find their happy ever after under the Barbados sun?
This is how she got there…
(a wee tease)
"Plum."
"Go away, I'm not listening." Nikki Plummer, often called Plum and she hated it, finished emptying her head-high cupboard and slammed the door—hard. Her boss moved back in a hurry to avoid her toes, knees, designer shoes, and anything else in the vicinity being pinched between the door and the jamb. Her numerous bracelets jangled as she did so, and seemed to add their displeasure to the wearer's.
"Plum, don't be silly, it was a mistake."
There it was again. Did the stupid woman have no sense whatsoever? Plum was for signing her work, nothing else. Sheesh, she'd told everyone often enough, and most people accepted it.
Not this one.
The noise of a stiletto tapping impatiently on the parquet flooring only firmed Nikki's mind up. Her boss could go to hell. The hard way. On her Manolos.
"No." No to whatever you want. It's over.
"You're overreacting, like I said it’s all a silly mistake." There was a definite note of panic in the voice now. "Plum, stop it and listen to me."
Yeah, yours you bitch.
"No one called Plum around here." Nikki checked her desk drawer. She removed three pens, a diary, and her hot as Hades red lipstick and threw them in her kitchen sink-sized bag. Satisfied there was nothing more lurking in a corner, she grabbed her sprint from the underground—fondly known as The Clockwork Orange—ballet flats and stood up. Anything else? Not that she wanted or needed anyway. The rest of the stuff came with the job and could stay with it.
The feeling, the glorious feeling of liberation kicked in. Nikki zipped her bag and put on her jacket.
"Nikki, for god's sake stop this nonsense." The voice rose to a screech just one notch short of shattering glass. The panic in it was evident. "Stop being a drama queen and vying for notice." The other five or six people in the office gave up their pretense of not earwigging and listened openly.
Nikki winced at the shrill tone. "No one could ever even think of vying for attention, Geraldine, in here," she said calmly, knowing her even note and lack of concern would infuriate the other woman. "Yours or anyone else's. You command the field in that respect, even down to your own attention, weird though it sounds. Luckily I neither want nor need it. Not now. You fired me, I'm out of here."
Geraldine Butters stared at her. "I was joking."
At the back of the room someone coughed, 'bullshit'.
"You should know I didn't mean what I said. It was said in jest." Now the voice was full of panic. "Take off your jacket, put down your bag and get on with that project. I need it by the end of the month. Only you can do it."
Now we're getting to the crux of the matter. The project, whatever it is and your lack of ability. Well tough. Too bad, that's one joke that misfired on you then.
"Don’t care, too late, goodbye."
"You little bitch, you'll pay for this. I gave you a job, I sorted your mess…"
That was the last straw. Nikki picked up the waste paper basket, full of sweet wrappers, old take away coffee cups as well as torn bits of paper, old train tickets, and all the detritus of a busy office and upended it over Geraldine's head.
www.evernightpublishing.com/the-contract-by-raven-mcallan
A multi-published, best selling author of erotic romance, Raven lives in Scotland, along with her husband, in a house much too big for them—their children having flown the nest—surrounded by beautiful scenery, which inspires a lot of the settings in her books.
She is used to sharing her life with the occasional deer, red squirrel, and lost tourist, to say nothing of the scourge of Scotland—the midge. As once she is writing she is oblivious to everything else, her lovely long-suffering husband is learning to love the dust bunnies, work the Aga, and be on stand-by with a glass of wine.
http://www.ravenmcallan.com
http:/ /www.ravenmcallan.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/rmcallan (my page)
https://www.facebook.com/ravenmcallan (author page)
https://twitter.com/RavenMcAllan
http://www.amazon.com/Raven-McAllan/e/B00694RHJI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_11?qid=1408015501&sr=1-11
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raven-McAllan/e/B00694RHJI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_11?qid=1408015501&sr=1-11
May 20, 2015
Jack The Stripper by Jennifer Macaire
Hey everyone! Today, I'm welcoming Jennifer Macaire to the blog. She brought along her new release Jack The Stripper for all of us to check out.
Enjoy and Happy Reading!! :-)
M.U.C.I Files (Mutant and Undead Criminal Investigation)
Welcome to The Purple Dee. Pull up a chair and get settled in, the show will start soon!
Our featured performer tonight is Jack the Stripper. He's Jack Severn, newly back from the dead. He's magical, he's hot, but evil he's not!
Our very own Jim Ling-Li, Necromancer extraordinaire brought him back to life, gave him some extra features, and as you'll see, made him irresistible—especially to Jack's ex-girlfriend Brianna. Jack's sexier than ever, and they're better together. But she doesn't want to risk her heart, not again, and definitely not with a zombie.
Jack also has a mission. He's back to catch the Heart Taker, the mutant that's been terrifying human and undead alike. His current obsession's none other than Jack's Brianna.
So give a big hand for Jack...he's going to need all the support he can get to catch his own murderer.
Available at:
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/jack-the-stripper-by-jennifer-macaire/
Excerpt:
His arm fell off again. The first time it happened, he’d been holding a heavy suitcase. A woman noticed and let out a terrified scream. He looked down. The suitcase lay on the ground, his hand still gripping it.
“Ahhhh!” he screamed too. Suddenly everyone in the bus station was either screaming or running. Panicked, he grabbed his arm, first having to pry his fingers off the suitcase, and fled.
With the bus station far behind him, he slowed down and tried to take stock of his situation. He was lost. His arm had fallen off. Well, it could be worse. At least he hadn’t lost it. He took his shirt halfway off and popped his arm back into its socket—getting it backwards the first time.
It was so bizarre. His arm was like part of a toy that popped in and out of its socket. A strange, magnetic, magical effect held it together. At least he didn’t feel anything and it wasn’t too gross once you got used to seeing bare bone and muscle. No blood. No pain. No suitcase—he’d left it in the bus station. No clean clothes. A raindrop landed on his nose. Then the sky opened up and let down a deluge. Great.
Hunching his shoulders against the rain, he hurried down the street, letting his instinct guide him. A sort of whispered tingle ran through his body, urging him this way and that. It was the same sort of tingling pull that made him go to the bus station. It had led him this far—he might as well follow it to see where he’d end up. The mysterious force coursing through his body tugged him along, and then spun him around and pushed him into a dark, narrow alleyway.
He looked around. At one end of the alley was a dumpster. At the other end was the quiet street where he’d arrived. He knew where he was. Things were starting to fall into place.
He waited a few minutes, but no one had followed him. He sighed, and went to the green door. He tried the handle, but it was locked, and when he pulled it, his arm fell off again.
Depression and dismay rolled over him. He bent down, picked up his arm, and put it back in place. Nothing was going right. He kept hoping he’d wake up from the nightmare he found himself in, but it wasn’t happening. He was dead, and he had no place to go except here. Timidly, he rapped on the green door. No one answered, so he knocked harder, and then, when the door remained shut, he made a fist and pounded with all his might.
After a few moments it opened and a man with long blond hair down to his waist peered out at him. The man rubbed bloodshot blue eyes, yawned, and then said, “You’re too early for the audition. It won’t be for another couple hours.” With that, he shut the door in Jack’s face.
Audition? Jack blinked, backed up, and looked more carefully at the green door. Taped to the door was a sign. “Auditions. All day Sunday.”
He rapped on the door again, and the blond man opened it. He looked cross. “Look man, it says starting at 2 p.m.”
“It says all day Sunday,” said Jack. “Is today Sunday?”
“Of course.” The blond man looked perplexed. “All day Sunday? Let me see that.” He stepped out and examined the sign. “Right.” He looked at Jack. “Wait a minute.” He went inside. A minute later he was back with a felt-tipped pen. Carefully, he blacked out the “All day” and wrote, “Starting at 2 p.m.”. Putting the top back on the pen he nodded. “Better.”
“Could I wait inside?” Jack asked. “It’s raining.”
The blond man had been about to shut the door. He scratched his head then shrugged. “All right. You can wait in the lounge. Follow me.”
Gratefully, Jack entered the building where he was pretty sure he’d been killed.
About the Author:
Jennifer Macaire was born in the US and lived in the Pacific and Caribbean Islands most of her youth. She moved to NYC after graduating high school and worked as a model for a while with Elite before going to Paris where she met her husband at a polo game. All that is true - but mostly she likes to make up stories!
Jennifer Macaire
www.jennifermacaire.com
http://jennifer-tri-via.blogspot.fr/
Enjoy and Happy Reading!! :-)
M.U.C.I Files (Mutant and Undead Criminal Investigation)Welcome to The Purple Dee. Pull up a chair and get settled in, the show will start soon!
Our featured performer tonight is Jack the Stripper. He's Jack Severn, newly back from the dead. He's magical, he's hot, but evil he's not!
Our very own Jim Ling-Li, Necromancer extraordinaire brought him back to life, gave him some extra features, and as you'll see, made him irresistible—especially to Jack's ex-girlfriend Brianna. Jack's sexier than ever, and they're better together. But she doesn't want to risk her heart, not again, and definitely not with a zombie.
Jack also has a mission. He's back to catch the Heart Taker, the mutant that's been terrifying human and undead alike. His current obsession's none other than Jack's Brianna.
So give a big hand for Jack...he's going to need all the support he can get to catch his own murderer.
Available at:
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/jack-the-stripper-by-jennifer-macaire/
Excerpt:
His arm fell off again. The first time it happened, he’d been holding a heavy suitcase. A woman noticed and let out a terrified scream. He looked down. The suitcase lay on the ground, his hand still gripping it.
“Ahhhh!” he screamed too. Suddenly everyone in the bus station was either screaming or running. Panicked, he grabbed his arm, first having to pry his fingers off the suitcase, and fled.
With the bus station far behind him, he slowed down and tried to take stock of his situation. He was lost. His arm had fallen off. Well, it could be worse. At least he hadn’t lost it. He took his shirt halfway off and popped his arm back into its socket—getting it backwards the first time.
It was so bizarre. His arm was like part of a toy that popped in and out of its socket. A strange, magnetic, magical effect held it together. At least he didn’t feel anything and it wasn’t too gross once you got used to seeing bare bone and muscle. No blood. No pain. No suitcase—he’d left it in the bus station. No clean clothes. A raindrop landed on his nose. Then the sky opened up and let down a deluge. Great.
Hunching his shoulders against the rain, he hurried down the street, letting his instinct guide him. A sort of whispered tingle ran through his body, urging him this way and that. It was the same sort of tingling pull that made him go to the bus station. It had led him this far—he might as well follow it to see where he’d end up. The mysterious force coursing through his body tugged him along, and then spun him around and pushed him into a dark, narrow alleyway.
He looked around. At one end of the alley was a dumpster. At the other end was the quiet street where he’d arrived. He knew where he was. Things were starting to fall into place.
He waited a few minutes, but no one had followed him. He sighed, and went to the green door. He tried the handle, but it was locked, and when he pulled it, his arm fell off again.
Depression and dismay rolled over him. He bent down, picked up his arm, and put it back in place. Nothing was going right. He kept hoping he’d wake up from the nightmare he found himself in, but it wasn’t happening. He was dead, and he had no place to go except here. Timidly, he rapped on the green door. No one answered, so he knocked harder, and then, when the door remained shut, he made a fist and pounded with all his might.
After a few moments it opened and a man with long blond hair down to his waist peered out at him. The man rubbed bloodshot blue eyes, yawned, and then said, “You’re too early for the audition. It won’t be for another couple hours.” With that, he shut the door in Jack’s face.
Audition? Jack blinked, backed up, and looked more carefully at the green door. Taped to the door was a sign. “Auditions. All day Sunday.”
He rapped on the door again, and the blond man opened it. He looked cross. “Look man, it says starting at 2 p.m.”
“It says all day Sunday,” said Jack. “Is today Sunday?”
“Of course.” The blond man looked perplexed. “All day Sunday? Let me see that.” He stepped out and examined the sign. “Right.” He looked at Jack. “Wait a minute.” He went inside. A minute later he was back with a felt-tipped pen. Carefully, he blacked out the “All day” and wrote, “Starting at 2 p.m.”. Putting the top back on the pen he nodded. “Better.”
“Could I wait inside?” Jack asked. “It’s raining.”
The blond man had been about to shut the door. He scratched his head then shrugged. “All right. You can wait in the lounge. Follow me.”
Gratefully, Jack entered the building where he was pretty sure he’d been killed.
About the Author:
Jennifer Macaire was born in the US and lived in the Pacific and Caribbean Islands most of her youth. She moved to NYC after graduating high school and worked as a model for a while with Elite before going to Paris where she met her husband at a polo game. All that is true - but mostly she likes to make up stories!
Jennifer Macaire
www.jennifermacaire.com
http://jennifer-tri-via.blogspot.fr/
May 17, 2015
Native Tongue by Lucy Felthouse
Hey Everyone! Today, Lucy Felthouse stopped on by to share her new release Native Tongue. Check it out and happy reading!! 
Blurb:
They may be back on British soil, but the battle isn’t over.
When Captain Hugh Wilkes fell for his Afghan interpreter, Rustam Balkhi, he always knew things would never be easy. After months of complete secrecy, their return to England should have spelt an end to the sneaking around and the insane risks. But it seems there are many obstacles for them to overcome before they can truly be happy together. Can they get past those obstacles, or is this one battle too many for their fledgling relationship?
Author’s note: Although this story does work as a standalone tale, it’s recommended that you read the first instalment of the characters’ journey first-- Desert Heat , which is available from all good retailers.
Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/native-tongue/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25462496-native-tongue
**For those of you that haven’t yet read Desert Heat either, there’s a great value double pack containing both books available exclusively on Amazon (from 14th May), which is available for lending, and for Kindle Unlimited members: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/desert-heat-native-tongue/ **
*****
Excerpt:
Captain Hugh Wilkes drummed enthusiastically on the steering wheel of his car as he drove it up the M3 towards London. He sung loudly and tunelessly along to the song on the radio, too, but it didn’t matter. No one could hear him.
He’d surprised himself by being so chilled out about the volume of Friday evening traffic. He wasn’t the most patient of people, so the slow progress should probably have been increasing his blood pressure, if not leading to full on road rage. But, although he’d have loved to be actually achieving the speed limit, not bumbling along at a mere fifty miles per hour, Wilkes was just glad the traffic was moving at all. Britain’s roads, the motorways in particular, soon came to a standstill if there was so much as a tiny bump between two vehicles. So any progress was better than none.
Besides, what could he do about it? His only other options to get to London from his base in Wiltshire were a train, or stealing a plane, helicopter or tank. The latter might just cause a little bit of bother, and mean the end of his army career, not to mention criminal charges. The former meant cramming in amongst sweaty, disgruntled commuters. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’d be charged an extortionate amount to do so, probably wouldn’t even get a seat, and would likely be subjected to delays.
At least driving took him from door to door, with plenty of personal space. And if there were delays, well, he could sit them out from the comfort of his own vehicle, with the climate control set to the perfect temperature, and the radio blasting some of his favourite tunes.
The next song was even better, and Wilkes’ tuneless wailing became more enthusiastic, as did the drumming on the steering wheel. He was in one hell of a good mood, and if he was truthful with himself, he knew it wasn’t just the fact the M3 was moving at a nice pace. It wasn’t the Friday feeling, either. Sure, both of those things were contributing to his happiness, but the main reason he was grinning like a buffoon was the thought of what awaited him in the capital. Or rather, who.
Rustam Balkhi. His gorgeous Afghan boyfriend, whom he’d met out in Afghanistan while they were working together for the British Army. Now, with their tour of duty over and the forces’ presence pulled out of the country, the two men had returned to England. Wilkes had gone back to his regular army life in Bulford Camp, near Salisbury. Balkhi was in London, where he’d recommenced the medical training he’d postponed to become an interpreter for the Brits.
The past few weeks had been somewhat of a whirlwind. Wilkes’ return to the UK had been straightforward, but Balkhi had had to jump through some hoops in order to get back onto his medical course. He’d been willing to start from scratch, but it’d seemed like an awful waste of time, so Wilkes had spoken to his superiors, who’d explained to the university what important work Balkhi had been doing. Fortunately, they’d been persuaded of Balkhi’s commitment and character, and allowed him to pick up where he’d left off. That settled, Balkhi had to pack up, travel back to the UK, find somewhere to live, move in… and all before the start of the next academic term.
Wilkes had felt terrible. His return had taken place a few weeks before Balkhi’s, so although he’d been granted some leave for R&R, he hadn’t been able to either spend it with Balkhi, or to use it help him with his relocation. By the time Balkhi had set foot on British soil, Wilkes was back to work. And, given nobody knew about the two of them, or even that Wilkes was gay, he couldn’t exactly ask for more leave in order to help his boyfriend move into his new flat.
Life had conspired against them ever since, so this was the first opportunity they’d had to see each other since saying goodbye in Afghanistan all those weeks ago. They’d communicated via email, text message and phone calls, but it just wasn’t the same. Especially since they’d gone from seeing each other every single day for the best part of six months to not setting eyes on each other for weeks on end.
Wilkes had struggled terribly in the interim. Life had been tough enough while they were still out in the desert. After weeks and weeks of trying desperately to ignore their growing attraction, they’d finally given in to it. It had been stupid and risky, but, having quickly realised there was more to their attraction than the physical, they’d decided to carry on their relationship in secret while they were in Afghanistan, see how it went, and figure things out once Wilkes’ tour of duty was over. Balkhi had always intended to return to the UK for his studies, so they would, at least, be living in the same country.
*****
Author Bio:
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9
Blurb:They may be back on British soil, but the battle isn’t over.
When Captain Hugh Wilkes fell for his Afghan interpreter, Rustam Balkhi, he always knew things would never be easy. After months of complete secrecy, their return to England should have spelt an end to the sneaking around and the insane risks. But it seems there are many obstacles for them to overcome before they can truly be happy together. Can they get past those obstacles, or is this one battle too many for their fledgling relationship?
Author’s note: Although this story does work as a standalone tale, it’s recommended that you read the first instalment of the characters’ journey first-- Desert Heat , which is available from all good retailers.
Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/native-tongue/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25462496-native-tongue
**For those of you that haven’t yet read Desert Heat either, there’s a great value double pack containing both books available exclusively on Amazon (from 14th May), which is available for lending, and for Kindle Unlimited members: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/desert-heat-native-tongue/ **
*****
Excerpt:Captain Hugh Wilkes drummed enthusiastically on the steering wheel of his car as he drove it up the M3 towards London. He sung loudly and tunelessly along to the song on the radio, too, but it didn’t matter. No one could hear him.
He’d surprised himself by being so chilled out about the volume of Friday evening traffic. He wasn’t the most patient of people, so the slow progress should probably have been increasing his blood pressure, if not leading to full on road rage. But, although he’d have loved to be actually achieving the speed limit, not bumbling along at a mere fifty miles per hour, Wilkes was just glad the traffic was moving at all. Britain’s roads, the motorways in particular, soon came to a standstill if there was so much as a tiny bump between two vehicles. So any progress was better than none.
Besides, what could he do about it? His only other options to get to London from his base in Wiltshire were a train, or stealing a plane, helicopter or tank. The latter might just cause a little bit of bother, and mean the end of his army career, not to mention criminal charges. The former meant cramming in amongst sweaty, disgruntled commuters. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’d be charged an extortionate amount to do so, probably wouldn’t even get a seat, and would likely be subjected to delays.
At least driving took him from door to door, with plenty of personal space. And if there were delays, well, he could sit them out from the comfort of his own vehicle, with the climate control set to the perfect temperature, and the radio blasting some of his favourite tunes.
The next song was even better, and Wilkes’ tuneless wailing became more enthusiastic, as did the drumming on the steering wheel. He was in one hell of a good mood, and if he was truthful with himself, he knew it wasn’t just the fact the M3 was moving at a nice pace. It wasn’t the Friday feeling, either. Sure, both of those things were contributing to his happiness, but the main reason he was grinning like a buffoon was the thought of what awaited him in the capital. Or rather, who.
Rustam Balkhi. His gorgeous Afghan boyfriend, whom he’d met out in Afghanistan while they were working together for the British Army. Now, with their tour of duty over and the forces’ presence pulled out of the country, the two men had returned to England. Wilkes had gone back to his regular army life in Bulford Camp, near Salisbury. Balkhi was in London, where he’d recommenced the medical training he’d postponed to become an interpreter for the Brits.
The past few weeks had been somewhat of a whirlwind. Wilkes’ return to the UK had been straightforward, but Balkhi had had to jump through some hoops in order to get back onto his medical course. He’d been willing to start from scratch, but it’d seemed like an awful waste of time, so Wilkes had spoken to his superiors, who’d explained to the university what important work Balkhi had been doing. Fortunately, they’d been persuaded of Balkhi’s commitment and character, and allowed him to pick up where he’d left off. That settled, Balkhi had to pack up, travel back to the UK, find somewhere to live, move in… and all before the start of the next academic term.
Wilkes had felt terrible. His return had taken place a few weeks before Balkhi’s, so although he’d been granted some leave for R&R, he hadn’t been able to either spend it with Balkhi, or to use it help him with his relocation. By the time Balkhi had set foot on British soil, Wilkes was back to work. And, given nobody knew about the two of them, or even that Wilkes was gay, he couldn’t exactly ask for more leave in order to help his boyfriend move into his new flat.
Life had conspired against them ever since, so this was the first opportunity they’d had to see each other since saying goodbye in Afghanistan all those weeks ago. They’d communicated via email, text message and phone calls, but it just wasn’t the same. Especially since they’d gone from seeing each other every single day for the best part of six months to not setting eyes on each other for weeks on end.
Wilkes had struggled terribly in the interim. Life had been tough enough while they were still out in the desert. After weeks and weeks of trying desperately to ignore their growing attraction, they’d finally given in to it. It had been stupid and risky, but, having quickly realised there was more to their attraction than the physical, they’d decided to carry on their relationship in secret while they were in Afghanistan, see how it went, and figure things out once Wilkes’ tour of duty was over. Balkhi had always intended to return to the UK for his studies, so they would, at least, be living in the same country.
*****
Author Bio:
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9
May 13, 2015
Through Her Eyes by Amber Morgan
Hey Everyone! Today, I'm welcoming Amber Morgan to the blog. She brought along all the details for her new release Through Her Eyes. Check it out and take it away Amber! I wrote the first draft of THROUGH HER EYES in 2011. It was very different to the final product – much shorter, with no real romance. That might be why it's taken five years for it to finally see the light of day! I thought I had a pretty cool concept, but the story itself wasn't quite right. When I returned to that first draft last year, I had a much clearer idea of what kind of story I wanted: a romantic suspense with a light paranormal element. Even then, it still took me until early 2015 to finally get the story in the shape I wanted it. I think it's been worth the wait, and the work. I hope you agree!
Blurb:
Six years ago, Keira nearly died at the hands of a serial killer. The experience left her with more than just physical scars. She was psychically linked to the killer, a helpless witness to all his crimes. Now the man known as the Shoreditch Slasher has killed again, and Keira is dragged right back into his path. Detective Dom Abbott believes Keira's link to the killer will help the police finally catch him, even if it means putting the woman he loves in danger. With Dom to protect her, Keira is willing to risk almost anything...But where will her strange gift lead her?
Excerpt:
Cold hands seized her, wrapping round her throat in an iron grip. The scream that spiraled up in her lungs was crushed from her. He shoved her hard against the wall, face first. If there'd been any air left in her that would have knocked it out. The brickwork scraped her cheek and the stinging pain brought tears to her eyes.
She felt him push against her, his body hard and unrelenting. Through the flimsy material of her skirt, she felt his cock strain against her ass cheeks. Horror turned her stomach and she tried to struggle, kick, anything that might free her. It was impossible. He was strong and unyielding. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "They all try to fight. They all fail."
His words were like an icy lance through her heart. She whimpered, the only sound she could make while his fingers squeezed at her throat. Her vision was blurring, growing steadily darker as her heart fluttered uselessly against her ribs. He was going to hurt her and she couldn't stop it. It would be a mercy to lose consciousness.
And then she felt the blade against her cheek.
His voice was rough with dark pleasure. "Say goodnight, sweetheart."
Available At:
Evernight - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/through-her-eyes-by-amber-morgan/
Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Through-Her-Eyes-Amber-Morgan-ebook/dp/B00XBBD11U/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1431074180&sr=8-10&keywords=amber+morgan
Amazon Uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Her-Eyes-Amber-Morgan-ebook/dp/B00XBBD11U/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1
Author Bio and Links:
Amber is the secret identity of a writer who normally pens urban fantasy, but feels like stretching her wings. Amber loves darker romance, anti-heroes, good red wine, and expensive chocolate (sometimes all at once). She's based in the UK and lives in an adorable cottage with her dream man and a demanding cat.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AmberMorganWrites
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AmberMothling
Blog - http://ambermorganwrites.weebly.com/
Blurb: Six years ago, Keira nearly died at the hands of a serial killer. The experience left her with more than just physical scars. She was psychically linked to the killer, a helpless witness to all his crimes. Now the man known as the Shoreditch Slasher has killed again, and Keira is dragged right back into his path. Detective Dom Abbott believes Keira's link to the killer will help the police finally catch him, even if it means putting the woman he loves in danger. With Dom to protect her, Keira is willing to risk almost anything...But where will her strange gift lead her?
Excerpt:
Cold hands seized her, wrapping round her throat in an iron grip. The scream that spiraled up in her lungs was crushed from her. He shoved her hard against the wall, face first. If there'd been any air left in her that would have knocked it out. The brickwork scraped her cheek and the stinging pain brought tears to her eyes.
She felt him push against her, his body hard and unrelenting. Through the flimsy material of her skirt, she felt his cock strain against her ass cheeks. Horror turned her stomach and she tried to struggle, kick, anything that might free her. It was impossible. He was strong and unyielding. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "They all try to fight. They all fail."
His words were like an icy lance through her heart. She whimpered, the only sound she could make while his fingers squeezed at her throat. Her vision was blurring, growing steadily darker as her heart fluttered uselessly against her ribs. He was going to hurt her and she couldn't stop it. It would be a mercy to lose consciousness.
And then she felt the blade against her cheek.
His voice was rough with dark pleasure. "Say goodnight, sweetheart."
Available At:
Evernight - http://www.evernightpublishing.com/through-her-eyes-by-amber-morgan/
Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Through-Her-Eyes-Amber-Morgan-ebook/dp/B00XBBD11U/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1431074180&sr=8-10&keywords=amber+morgan
Amazon Uk - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Her-Eyes-Amber-Morgan-ebook/dp/B00XBBD11U/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1
Author Bio and Links:
Amber is the secret identity of a writer who normally pens urban fantasy, but feels like stretching her wings. Amber loves darker romance, anti-heroes, good red wine, and expensive chocolate (sometimes all at once). She's based in the UK and lives in an adorable cottage with her dream man and a demanding cat.
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AmberMorganWrites
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AmberMothling
Blog - http://ambermorganwrites.weebly.com/
May 4, 2015
Seduced By Two Warriors by Ravenna Tate
Happy Monday Everyone! Today, Ravenna Tate is on the blog with her new release Seduced By Two Warriors. Nothing will jump start the beginning of your week like two alpha men! Check out that excerpt and happy reading!!
SEDUCED BY TWO WARRIORS - Voyeur Moon 4***Click HERE to purchase directly fromEvernight Publishing***BLURB: Gia Falconetti was taken by the Tyranns in the first wave of invasions on Earth, and sent to the holding cells. But she was lucky. She got away from the men who had taken her as their sex slave. When the opportunity comes to work in the Ministry on Sera, writing down her experiences for the people of both Sera and Addo, she jumps at the chance to help others understand what is truly happening on Voyeur Moon. Addonian warriors Thane and Rune have come to work in the same department as consultants. They fall hard for Gia, but she has demons that might prove too much for the men to help her overcome. When Thane and Rune go along on the mission to rid Voyeur Moon of the Tyranns forever, their most fervent wish is to return to Gia, the woman they have grown to love.
SEDUCED BY TWO WARRIORS - Voyeur Moon 4***Click HERE to purchase directly fromEvernight Publishing***BLURB: Gia Falconetti was taken by the Tyranns in the first wave of invasions on Earth, and sent to the holding cells. But she was lucky. She got away from the men who had taken her as their sex slave. When the opportunity comes to work in the Ministry on Sera, writing down her experiences for the people of both Sera and Addo, she jumps at the chance to help others understand what is truly happening on Voyeur Moon. Addonian warriors Thane and Rune have come to work in the same department as consultants. They fall hard for Gia, but she has demons that might prove too much for the men to help her overcome. When Thane and Rune go along on the mission to rid Voyeur Moon of the Tyranns forever, their most fervent wish is to return to Gia, the woman they have grown to love.Warning Adult Content
ADULT EXCERPT: Rune lay next to her, brushing his fingers up and down her arms, slowly, sending tiny jolts of electricity straight to her clit. It throbbed now, and her pussy was soaked. Happy thoughts filled her head as Thane’s tongue circled her breasts through her top and camisole. Thoughts of Earth, and her life back home, and times when sex was fun and she looked forward to it. He brushed his fingertips over her nipples, hardening them to the point of pain. She moaned loudly as he rolled the hem of her top upward. When Rune moved to her legs, she writhed against his touch. His hands were on her thighs, teasing, moving her legs apart gently. She let him, spreading them herself after a moment. They all wore jeans here, which would have made her laugh if not for the fact that they’d basically stolen them from Earth after the invasion. But now, she was almost grateful for the fact that she’d changed into a pair instead of staying in the skirt she’d worn to work, because the heavy fabric would mask her wetness for a while longer. She shouldn’t be embarrassed that they aroused her this way, and she wasn’t entirely sure why she didn’t want them to know. They would want this for her. To know they could do this to her. Thane kissed her breasts through her clothes, and she let out a loud groan then pushed his head closer, wanting more. When he pulled off her top, he watched her face carefully, as if unsure whether to keep going. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m ready now.” He pushed down her camisole straps, then pulled the fabric down further, exposing her breasts. “You’re beautiful, Gia.” He kissed both everywhere but on the nipples, holding them in his big, strong hands as if they were fine china and might break. She whimpered and panted, sure she’d go out of her mind with desire. Between her legs, Rune rubbed his palm over her pussy and clit, and that forced loud moans from her. She was close to an orgasm. She hadn’t had one in so long she wasn’t sure she’d need to be touched directly on her clit to make it happen. Thane removed her camisole at the same time Rune slid down her jeans and panties. He removed her shoes, and then she was naked with both men. Rune sat back on his heels and gazed at her with nothing short of awe in his beautiful eyes. “Wow.” His brother sat up and let his gaze travel over her body. “Yeah. What he said. You’re stunning. Truly.” She couldn’t hold back the tears now. “So are you. Both of you. Thank you for this. For everything. For being so gentle and patient, and for helping me get here, to this point.” Rune shook his head. “Oh, Gia. I wish we could take it all away for you.” “You are. You’re replacing it. Please don’t stop.” Rune kissed her abdomen, and then he trailed his tongue over both thighs, up and down, until Gia could do nothing but moan. Thane took her breasts in his hands and licked her nipples, sending electricity once again straight to her pussy. When he began to gently suck and bite them, she cried out in pleasure. Between her legs, Rune brushed his fingers over her wet pussy, and then he bent his head to lick her and suck her clit.***Other Buy Links***AMAZON US AMAZON UK AMAZON CA AMAZON AUS
April 29, 2015
Veil Of Scars by J.R. Gray
Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope your week has been fantastic so far. Today, J.R. Gray is visiting and brought along a new release Veil Of Scars. Nothing says hump-day-read like a love triangle. Check it out and Happy Reading!! 
Blurb:
Steven is tall, dark and damaged. He doesn't let anyone close,
comfortable on the outside of normal life where he can hide his scars
behind a wall so high that nothing gets through…except them. Despite a
childhood marred with black and blue, he's survived and moved in with
his two best friends, Sam and Charlie.
Life should get better, but it was Sam who held him when the dark
threatened to swallow him whole, Sam who gave him a place that felt
like home, and Sam who knew every scar and every broken place.
And it's all been taken away with Charlie sharing Sam's bed.
Without his former comfort, Steven realizes what's been hiding in the
deep corners of his heart, and the truth sinks him like a weight. He’s
in love with one or maybe both of his roommates. Navigating unrequited
love tears Steven apart and brings him to the precipice, and he has to
choose: his feelings or Sam’s…and Charlie’s?
Buy Links:
Evernight
Amazon
Amazon UK
Here is a sneak peek from Veil of Scars:
"Charlie coming home from the party, too?" I didn't dare to hope.
“She didn’t go. She’s pulling an all-nighter in the library with a group for a project or something or other." He shrugged.
Maybe I would get a stolen night. One like old times.
We sat there for a while in silence, not quite wrapped up in one another but taking comfort from the other's body heat. I closed my eyes. Even on the sofa a night in his arms was bliss.
"Want to go to bed?" Sam asked, rousing me from the light sleep I had slipped into.
“Yeah, sorry." I got to my feet, cheeks flushing a bit, realizing I’d just fallen into something that wasn’t a reality anymore. In seven months there had been a few stolen nights with my best friend, but living with Charlie had put a stop to how we once were.
His brows fell, and he looked up at me before getting to his feet. I was turning to head to my room when he grabbed me by the hand, lacing his fingers through mine. I stopped, looking up to search his face.
He didn't say a word as he led me to the bed he shared with her. I couldn't help the smile that spread over my lips. The dark gave me the cover I needed to watch him pull the polo off his broad shoulders and cast it aside. I kicked out of my jeans and added my shirt to his on the floor, before crawling into bed.
The assured way he scooted in after me, coming up from behind to wrap his arms around my body, gave me a pain in the middle of my chest I couldn’t explain. I leaned back into his bare skin, and a calm washed over me. Within moments, it was like the nervous bundle of energy that had been wound inside me for months started to dissolve.
He tucked his head in next to my shoulder and whispered, “Goodnight," against my skin.
About J.R. Gray:
When not staying up all night writing, J.R Gray can be found basking in the warm glow of the Miami sun, or at the gym where it's half assumed Gray is a permanent resident. A dominant, pilot, and sword fighting enthusiast, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. Gray frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns, to jot down nonsense. The bane of Gray's existence are commas, and even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder.
If Gray wasn't writing...well, that's not possible. The build up of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave or possibly a mental institution where the tales would end up on the walls in crayon and finger paint.
Find J.R. Gray online:
My Blog / Facebook
Twitter / Twitter Book only news .
Tumblr / Tumblr (NSFW)
Other books by J.R. Gray:
Legally Bound - UK - All Romance eBooks
Breach of Contract - UK - All Romance eBooks
Illicit Activity - Evernight
Blurb: Steven is tall, dark and damaged. He doesn't let anyone close,
comfortable on the outside of normal life where he can hide his scars
behind a wall so high that nothing gets through…except them. Despite a
childhood marred with black and blue, he's survived and moved in with
his two best friends, Sam and Charlie.
Life should get better, but it was Sam who held him when the dark
threatened to swallow him whole, Sam who gave him a place that felt
like home, and Sam who knew every scar and every broken place.
And it's all been taken away with Charlie sharing Sam's bed.
Without his former comfort, Steven realizes what's been hiding in the
deep corners of his heart, and the truth sinks him like a weight. He’s
in love with one or maybe both of his roommates. Navigating unrequited
love tears Steven apart and brings him to the precipice, and he has to
choose: his feelings or Sam’s…and Charlie’s?
Buy Links:
Evernight
Amazon
Amazon UK
Here is a sneak peek from Veil of Scars:
"Charlie coming home from the party, too?" I didn't dare to hope.
“She didn’t go. She’s pulling an all-nighter in the library with a group for a project or something or other." He shrugged.
Maybe I would get a stolen night. One like old times.
We sat there for a while in silence, not quite wrapped up in one another but taking comfort from the other's body heat. I closed my eyes. Even on the sofa a night in his arms was bliss.
"Want to go to bed?" Sam asked, rousing me from the light sleep I had slipped into.
“Yeah, sorry." I got to my feet, cheeks flushing a bit, realizing I’d just fallen into something that wasn’t a reality anymore. In seven months there had been a few stolen nights with my best friend, but living with Charlie had put a stop to how we once were.
His brows fell, and he looked up at me before getting to his feet. I was turning to head to my room when he grabbed me by the hand, lacing his fingers through mine. I stopped, looking up to search his face.
He didn't say a word as he led me to the bed he shared with her. I couldn't help the smile that spread over my lips. The dark gave me the cover I needed to watch him pull the polo off his broad shoulders and cast it aside. I kicked out of my jeans and added my shirt to his on the floor, before crawling into bed.
The assured way he scooted in after me, coming up from behind to wrap his arms around my body, gave me a pain in the middle of my chest I couldn’t explain. I leaned back into his bare skin, and a calm washed over me. Within moments, it was like the nervous bundle of energy that had been wound inside me for months started to dissolve.
He tucked his head in next to my shoulder and whispered, “Goodnight," against my skin.
About J.R. Gray:
When not staying up all night writing, J.R Gray can be found basking in the warm glow of the Miami sun, or at the gym where it's half assumed Gray is a permanent resident. A dominant, pilot, and sword fighting enthusiast, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. Gray frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns, to jot down nonsense. The bane of Gray's existence are commas, and even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder.
If Gray wasn't writing...well, that's not possible. The build up of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave or possibly a mental institution where the tales would end up on the walls in crayon and finger paint.
Find J.R. Gray online:
My Blog / Facebook
Twitter / Twitter Book only news .
Tumblr / Tumblr (NSFW)
Other books by J.R. Gray:
Legally Bound - UK - All Romance eBooks
Breach of Contract - UK - All Romance eBooks
Illicit Activity - Evernight
April 27, 2015
Dragons by Jaycee Edward
Happy Monday Everyone! Today, Jaycee Edward stopped over to share with us her new release Dragons. If you're looking for a quick read to help get through the start of a new week, then this is the book for you. Check it out!! 
A chance encounter in a hospital waiting room between twenty-two year old Will Messina and sixteen year old Josiah Pinkerton ends with a gift of a stuffed dragon off the hospital gift cart and a memory neither of them can shake.
Five years later, when a lonely, buttoned-up Will ventures into a gay club, he spots a pale, leather-clad specter with violet eyes tracking his every move. Will realizes he’s being watched by the grown version of the boy who’s haunted his thoughts for years.
Joey recognizes Will, but he’s no longer the sweet, brown-eyed boy worthy of Will’s attention. He’s damaged and defective and lives in a different world than Will now. When his childhood crush makes his way across the bar, Joey doesn’t have time to decide whether to be enchanted or dismayed because, unless he turns and runs, those worlds are about to collide.
Excerpt:
Joey felt out of place in the posh, downtown steakhouse. He’d heard of Messina’s, of course, but he’d never been inside. Will, however, had to be a regular customer there, because everyone seemed to know him and they were quickly ushered - ahead of other customers, even - to a large booth at the back of the restaurant. The hostess - Will called her Trish - handed them heavy, leather-bound menus that felt more like a book. Joey had been aware of people gawking at him as they’d made their way across the dining room, his leather club clothes and assault boots completely out of place in the high-end dining room. After scooting into the booth, he glanced out from under his bangs. No one was paying him any attention. He was used to both reactions.
He pretended to read the menu, but couldn’t help watching Will instead. Why would he bring him someplace nice like this? Someplace he’d have to explain - to people he knew - why he’d brought a freak to dinner?
“You should be looking at the menu. The waiter will be here any second. You can stare at me all you want after we order.”
The blood rushed to Joey’s face and he ducked behind the big menu. “I wasn’t staring,” he grumbled.
Will laughed. “You mumble when you lie. Got it. See? Learned something new about you already.”
He raised the menu higher so Will wouldn’t see him grin.
The waiter came and they placed their orders. Will studied him and Joey fidgeted, feeling off-kilter and lightheaded. Maybe it was because he hadn’t had anything but Coke today and the smell of wood-fired meat was making his stomach growl.
“Relax, Joey. You look like you’re waiting for a mob hit or something.”
Joey slumped, but then immediately straightened and smoothed the tablecloth. “It’s just… this is a nicer place than I’m used to. It’s fancy. Everyone’s in suits.”
Will looked around and shrugged. “It’s just a restaurant. No different than Steak N’ Shake. Just better decorating, different menu, lower lighting, and higher prices. I didn’t bring you here for any of that anyway. I brought you here because I know we’ll get a good meal and because I want to get to know you.”
“Why?” The question was out before Joey could stop it. Will seemed surprised.
“Because I like you?”
“How do you know? If you don’t know me?” He had no clue why he was being such a dick. It was like his subconscious was trying to drive Will away, when, in truth, that’s the last thing he wanted to do.
“Fair point, well played.”
“Why would you bring me someplace like this?”
“You don’t like it?”
“No! I mean, yes! It’s… nice! It’s just, people know you here.”
“So?”
“Why wouldn’t you go somewhere no one knows you.”
“What the hell difference does it make?” Will scrunched his face in confusion.
“So you don’t have to, you know… explain.”
“Explain what?”
“Me,” Joey whispered and fidgeted with his place setting. Will reached across the table and took Joey’s hands in his. Joey looked up in shock, but Will’s expression was calm. The waiter came with their salads and Joey frantically tried to pull his hands out of Will’s, but Will didn’t release them until he absolutely had to, in order to make room for their plates. The waiter placed their salads and a basket of rolls wrapped in a linen napkin on the table and took a step back.
“Can I get you anything else right now, Will?”
“No, thank you, Trevor,” Will said and the waiter vanished. Will immediately turned his attention back to Joey. “Why in the hell would I have to explain you to anyone?”
Seriously? He couldn’t be that clueless, could he? Was Will really going to make him spell it out? Joey huffed in frustration. “Look at you.” He waved a hand at Will before sweeping his arm in an arc that encompassed the entire room. “Look at everyone else in here - like you.” He looked at Will and tried not to shrink. “Now, look at me.”
Will studied him for an uncomfortably long minute, never breaking eye contact. Then, to Joey’s shock, he leaned way out of the booth and eyeballed Joey’s entire length, his gaze raking slowly up and down. Will returned to a normal sitting position and leaned in, lowering his already deep voice.
“Thanks for that little opportunity. I’ve been dying to check you out all night, but I wasn’t going to be quite that obvious about it.”
A minute ago, Joey was blushing at his own self-consciousness, but when he met Will’s heated gaze, the blood rushed to his cock, making his inappropriate attire even more inappropriate. He squirmed in an effort to discretely adjust himself, but Will’s sultry smile told him it was no use.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25215765-dragons
Buy Links:
Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/dragons-by-jaycee-edward
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Romance-Go-Jaycee-Edward-ebook/dp/B00VTRNDUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1428506179&sr=1-1&keywords=jaycee+edward+dragons
About Jaycee:
Jaycee Edward is no longer seventeen years old but don’t tell her that. She’s actually a tad older and lives in northeast Ohio with her handsome husband and one, big gorgeous dog. She has two grown stepdaughters and is proud to be the ultra-cool Nana to two amazingly incredible grand-teens. Jaycee loves pistol shooting and is has earned her Bar 7 Sharpshooter status in the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and hopes to someday reach the level of Expert Marksman. She is proud to be the token liberal at her gun range. Jaycee knows way too much about the inner workings of Walt Disney World and anything related to One Direction. She’d love to pull you into the rabbit hole with her. All you have to do is ask. Find her there or contact her through social media.
Website
Facebook
FB Author Page
Twitter
Google+
Goodreads
TSŪ
Ello
Tumblr
A chance encounter in a hospital waiting room between twenty-two year old Will Messina and sixteen year old Josiah Pinkerton ends with a gift of a stuffed dragon off the hospital gift cart and a memory neither of them can shake.Five years later, when a lonely, buttoned-up Will ventures into a gay club, he spots a pale, leather-clad specter with violet eyes tracking his every move. Will realizes he’s being watched by the grown version of the boy who’s haunted his thoughts for years.
Joey recognizes Will, but he’s no longer the sweet, brown-eyed boy worthy of Will’s attention. He’s damaged and defective and lives in a different world than Will now. When his childhood crush makes his way across the bar, Joey doesn’t have time to decide whether to be enchanted or dismayed because, unless he turns and runs, those worlds are about to collide.
Excerpt:
Joey felt out of place in the posh, downtown steakhouse. He’d heard of Messina’s, of course, but he’d never been inside. Will, however, had to be a regular customer there, because everyone seemed to know him and they were quickly ushered - ahead of other customers, even - to a large booth at the back of the restaurant. The hostess - Will called her Trish - handed them heavy, leather-bound menus that felt more like a book. Joey had been aware of people gawking at him as they’d made their way across the dining room, his leather club clothes and assault boots completely out of place in the high-end dining room. After scooting into the booth, he glanced out from under his bangs. No one was paying him any attention. He was used to both reactions.
He pretended to read the menu, but couldn’t help watching Will instead. Why would he bring him someplace nice like this? Someplace he’d have to explain - to people he knew - why he’d brought a freak to dinner?
“You should be looking at the menu. The waiter will be here any second. You can stare at me all you want after we order.”
The blood rushed to Joey’s face and he ducked behind the big menu. “I wasn’t staring,” he grumbled.
Will laughed. “You mumble when you lie. Got it. See? Learned something new about you already.”
He raised the menu higher so Will wouldn’t see him grin.
The waiter came and they placed their orders. Will studied him and Joey fidgeted, feeling off-kilter and lightheaded. Maybe it was because he hadn’t had anything but Coke today and the smell of wood-fired meat was making his stomach growl.
“Relax, Joey. You look like you’re waiting for a mob hit or something.”
Joey slumped, but then immediately straightened and smoothed the tablecloth. “It’s just… this is a nicer place than I’m used to. It’s fancy. Everyone’s in suits.”
Will looked around and shrugged. “It’s just a restaurant. No different than Steak N’ Shake. Just better decorating, different menu, lower lighting, and higher prices. I didn’t bring you here for any of that anyway. I brought you here because I know we’ll get a good meal and because I want to get to know you.”
“Why?” The question was out before Joey could stop it. Will seemed surprised.
“Because I like you?”
“How do you know? If you don’t know me?” He had no clue why he was being such a dick. It was like his subconscious was trying to drive Will away, when, in truth, that’s the last thing he wanted to do.
“Fair point, well played.”
“Why would you bring me someplace like this?”
“You don’t like it?”
“No! I mean, yes! It’s… nice! It’s just, people know you here.”
“So?”
“Why wouldn’t you go somewhere no one knows you.”
“What the hell difference does it make?” Will scrunched his face in confusion.
“So you don’t have to, you know… explain.”
“Explain what?”
“Me,” Joey whispered and fidgeted with his place setting. Will reached across the table and took Joey’s hands in his. Joey looked up in shock, but Will’s expression was calm. The waiter came with their salads and Joey frantically tried to pull his hands out of Will’s, but Will didn’t release them until he absolutely had to, in order to make room for their plates. The waiter placed their salads and a basket of rolls wrapped in a linen napkin on the table and took a step back.
“Can I get you anything else right now, Will?”
“No, thank you, Trevor,” Will said and the waiter vanished. Will immediately turned his attention back to Joey. “Why in the hell would I have to explain you to anyone?”
Seriously? He couldn’t be that clueless, could he? Was Will really going to make him spell it out? Joey huffed in frustration. “Look at you.” He waved a hand at Will before sweeping his arm in an arc that encompassed the entire room. “Look at everyone else in here - like you.” He looked at Will and tried not to shrink. “Now, look at me.”
Will studied him for an uncomfortably long minute, never breaking eye contact. Then, to Joey’s shock, he leaned way out of the booth and eyeballed Joey’s entire length, his gaze raking slowly up and down. Will returned to a normal sitting position and leaned in, lowering his already deep voice.
“Thanks for that little opportunity. I’ve been dying to check you out all night, but I wasn’t going to be quite that obvious about it.”
A minute ago, Joey was blushing at his own self-consciousness, but when he met Will’s heated gaze, the blood rushed to his cock, making his inappropriate attire even more inappropriate. He squirmed in an effort to discretely adjust himself, but Will’s sultry smile told him it was no use.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25215765-dragons
Buy Links:
Evernight: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/dragons-by-jaycee-edward
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Romance-Go-Jaycee-Edward-ebook/dp/B00VTRNDUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1428506179&sr=1-1&keywords=jaycee+edward+dragons
About Jaycee:
Jaycee Edward is no longer seventeen years old but don’t tell her that. She’s actually a tad older and lives in northeast Ohio with her handsome husband and one, big gorgeous dog. She has two grown stepdaughters and is proud to be the ultra-cool Nana to two amazingly incredible grand-teens. Jaycee loves pistol shooting and is has earned her Bar 7 Sharpshooter status in the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and hopes to someday reach the level of Expert Marksman. She is proud to be the token liberal at her gun range. Jaycee knows way too much about the inner workings of Walt Disney World and anything related to One Direction. She’d love to pull you into the rabbit hole with her. All you have to do is ask. Find her there or contact her through social media.
Website
FB Author Page
Google+
Goodreads
TSŪ
Ello
Tumblr
April 22, 2015
Filling The Void by Morgan Hunter
Happy Wednesday everyone! I'd like to welcome Morgan Hunter to the blog today. She brought her new release Filling The Void to help with that mid-week slump. Because nothing gets you over the hump better than a good vampire romance! Check it out and Happy Reading! 
Book Blurb:
From sucking the life from her beloved to asserting herself as a true elite master of blood-filling and sexual prowess, this story follows the bloodsucking adventures of a female vampire that has it all.
Unfortunately, the elite undead still have scrapes with the reaper and this female temptress is beginning to realize that even well-executed plans can falter. Then there's Daron Alexander; the only human in more than four-hundred years to put her sexual radar through an unnerving series of both gratifying and terrible loops.
Will she allow Daron to be her undoing or will she take her place as the master temptress and destroy all who get in her way? To find out, join the vampire ranks on this harrowing and seductive journey as our female seductress struggles with lust, loyalty, and love.
Book Excerpt:
She stood against a light pole near the curb outside a pub I liked to frequent when I was in town, The Axe and Fiddle. I liked the music and atmosphere and, what can I say, it was a great place to pick up fine blood fills. We were in Cottage Grove, ten minutes from Eugene, so I figured she was an undergraduate at the University of Oregon. Her pouty lips accepted a cigarette effortlessly and the smoke enveloped her curves like she had just appeared out of nothing. Her low-cut plaid skirt waved slightly in the subtle breeze and I wondered what I’d find if I got the chance to sneak a peek. I had to go talk to her so I pulled out a pack of Camel’s to show her I was friendly.
“May I have a light?”
I thought I startled her, but she quickly replied, “You…you’re beautiful!” She shook as she held the lighter out for me.
“Thanks,” I snapped as if I was extremely narcissistic or didn’t care. Funny enough, both were true. I had heard that line thousands of times, and it just didn’t have the same effect as it used to when I was a budding vamp. However, since she was my first woman, I thought I’d let it slide.
She just kept staring at me, scanning me with her hazel eyes like she had to take me in a few times so she would never forget what had graced her presence. She was almost as pretty as I was, but I had a beauty secret she could never maintain; fresh unsuspecting blood. It was tragic really, knowing that her death was only hours away at most. But I hungered for wet flesh and she was the prize I craved.
“So, where’re you from?” I asked.
She continued to stare. “I’m…uh…Joana.”
I smirked. “So, you’re from Joana? Where’s that?”
“Oh, um, no! That’s my name…I’m from Portland!”
I winked at her. “You know you don’t have to shout it, darling. I have perfectly good ears. I’m from Salem, myself.”
Her gaze locked on my three carat diamond earrings dangling from flawless lobes. They were spoils from my last rendezvous. “I shouldn’t be talking to you.” She hesitated. “I’m not like you.”
“Well that’s what I was hoping for. If you were just like me, I wouldn’t be able to have the kind of fun that I was hoping for later.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Now, I could have taken it slow and just brushed my index finger across her rosy cheek while talking her up a bit, but I could tell she was the kind of girl that got taken advantage of quite often. She reeked of insecurity and, while I liked the hunt just as much as the next vamp, I thought she would be an easy way to test my curiosity for the same gender. Her needy gaze reminded me of all the men I had seduced. She would do whatever I wanted whether words were involved or not. Just like I craved blood, she craved acceptance and she didn’t care what the price was as long as she got what she needed; no matter how temporary.
Purchase Links:
EP: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/filling-the-void-by-morgan-hunter/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5UY11C
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fillingthevoid-1782199-340.html
Author Bio:
Lots of individuals like to credit their college degree or some life hero for their accomplishments (and that's fine), but Morgan Hunter prefers to call it an overactive sex-drive coupled with an imagination that teeters on the edge of insanity. After two tours in the military and many a quarrel with the written word, decadent erotic stories slowly began to emerge. Many years later, while sitting comfortably at home, Morgan found a way to make complete strangers' special places tingle from thousands of miles away.
Oregon harbors the Hunter family along with two spoiled dogs.
Website: http://morganhunterauthor.wix.com/erotica
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorganHunterAuthor
Twitter: @MH_Author
Book Blurb:From sucking the life from her beloved to asserting herself as a true elite master of blood-filling and sexual prowess, this story follows the bloodsucking adventures of a female vampire that has it all.
Unfortunately, the elite undead still have scrapes with the reaper and this female temptress is beginning to realize that even well-executed plans can falter. Then there's Daron Alexander; the only human in more than four-hundred years to put her sexual radar through an unnerving series of both gratifying and terrible loops.
Will she allow Daron to be her undoing or will she take her place as the master temptress and destroy all who get in her way? To find out, join the vampire ranks on this harrowing and seductive journey as our female seductress struggles with lust, loyalty, and love.
Book Excerpt:
She stood against a light pole near the curb outside a pub I liked to frequent when I was in town, The Axe and Fiddle. I liked the music and atmosphere and, what can I say, it was a great place to pick up fine blood fills. We were in Cottage Grove, ten minutes from Eugene, so I figured she was an undergraduate at the University of Oregon. Her pouty lips accepted a cigarette effortlessly and the smoke enveloped her curves like she had just appeared out of nothing. Her low-cut plaid skirt waved slightly in the subtle breeze and I wondered what I’d find if I got the chance to sneak a peek. I had to go talk to her so I pulled out a pack of Camel’s to show her I was friendly.
“May I have a light?”
I thought I startled her, but she quickly replied, “You…you’re beautiful!” She shook as she held the lighter out for me.
“Thanks,” I snapped as if I was extremely narcissistic or didn’t care. Funny enough, both were true. I had heard that line thousands of times, and it just didn’t have the same effect as it used to when I was a budding vamp. However, since she was my first woman, I thought I’d let it slide.
She just kept staring at me, scanning me with her hazel eyes like she had to take me in a few times so she would never forget what had graced her presence. She was almost as pretty as I was, but I had a beauty secret she could never maintain; fresh unsuspecting blood. It was tragic really, knowing that her death was only hours away at most. But I hungered for wet flesh and she was the prize I craved.
“So, where’re you from?” I asked.
She continued to stare. “I’m…uh…Joana.”
I smirked. “So, you’re from Joana? Where’s that?”
“Oh, um, no! That’s my name…I’m from Portland!”
I winked at her. “You know you don’t have to shout it, darling. I have perfectly good ears. I’m from Salem, myself.”
Her gaze locked on my three carat diamond earrings dangling from flawless lobes. They were spoils from my last rendezvous. “I shouldn’t be talking to you.” She hesitated. “I’m not like you.”
“Well that’s what I was hoping for. If you were just like me, I wouldn’t be able to have the kind of fun that I was hoping for later.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Now, I could have taken it slow and just brushed my index finger across her rosy cheek while talking her up a bit, but I could tell she was the kind of girl that got taken advantage of quite often. She reeked of insecurity and, while I liked the hunt just as much as the next vamp, I thought she would be an easy way to test my curiosity for the same gender. Her needy gaze reminded me of all the men I had seduced. She would do whatever I wanted whether words were involved or not. Just like I craved blood, she craved acceptance and she didn’t care what the price was as long as she got what she needed; no matter how temporary.
Purchase Links:
EP: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/filling-the-void-by-morgan-hunter/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5UY11C
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fillingthevoid-1782199-340.html
Author Bio:
Lots of individuals like to credit their college degree or some life hero for their accomplishments (and that's fine), but Morgan Hunter prefers to call it an overactive sex-drive coupled with an imagination that teeters on the edge of insanity. After two tours in the military and many a quarrel with the written word, decadent erotic stories slowly began to emerge. Many years later, while sitting comfortably at home, Morgan found a way to make complete strangers' special places tingle from thousands of miles away.
Oregon harbors the Hunter family along with two spoiled dogs.
Website: http://morganhunterauthor.wix.com/erotica
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MorganHunterAuthor
Twitter: @MH_Author
April 20, 2015
Adira's Mate by April Zyon
A big happy start of a new week to everyone! Today, April Zyon stopped in to share her new release Adira's Mate. Check it out! :-)
Adira's MateSpace Wars 1by April ZyonPublished by Evernight Publishing
**Cover created by the amazing Jay Aheer
Purchase Links:
All Romance EbooksAmazon USAmazon CAAmazon AUAmazon UKBarnes and NobleBookstrandEvernightSmashwords
Blurb:
Captured by his mortal enemy General Fintan Daykin is held for many long months in an Imarian Facility. On the day that he’s able to escape he’s faced with one of the biggest surprises of his life.
Adira Lora is the head of the Medical Ministries offices of Imaria and she learnt that there is something seriously wrong with one of the facilities. Something that she has to go and figure out for herself since she trusts no one else.
Taken hostage by the tall, dark Craegin was not what Adira had in mind when she got to the facility, but it seemed as if Fate and the Spirits had something else altogether in mind for her.
She should be wary of the man who could tear her apart but she’s not. She’s drawn to him, she aches for him and she’s desperate to heal his injuries but he pushes her away at every turn.
He can’t let her too close, he’s far too attracted to the small Imarian that he dragged with him onto her crawler. He only wanted to get home, back to his people and away from the slow death that her people were giving him.
Once the pain of his injuries starts to ease and the reality of who little Adi is to him sets in Fin realizes that he will have to protect her from more than just his people. Fin realizes that he would also have to protect her from hers as well.
When Adira finally submits to Fintan however he knows that he will never let her go. He owns her now, she is his in every sense of the word for now and all time and nothing would come between them.
Excerpt:
Adira went stiff as a board when the pistol was lifted to her temple. She took a deep breath and nodded. She understood what he was saying, understood and would comply. She had no idea who it was that had her, so she would play along until she could be free.
She listened to the man’s breathing and frowned. He was in pain; it was clear from how he was gasping for air but there was something more. He wasn’t breathing as an Imarian would, three sharp intakes of breath and one exhale.
Her stomach felt as if it were in knots. She felt ill because she suddenly knew that she wasn’t being held by someone that was on the island and had no idea who she was. She was being held by one of the Craegin that her people had kidnapped and had been torturing.
Stars. She was in deep trouble. “You really don’t want to do this,” she told the man. “I’m more trouble than I am worth. Ask anyone. I’m seriously not a good person to take hostage.”
“I don’t have what one would call a lot of choices here.” His voice was low, but she could hear the underlying growl that gave it a certain rough quality. “One way or another you are my ticket out of this hellish place. So you can either help me willingly, or I start to break bones. Nothing important, but I know the ones that will cause you immeasurable pain while still allowing you to function enough to get me free. The choice is up to you. What will it be?”
There was no choice. Adira was a lot of things, but able to withstand pain was not one of them. She just nodded. “What do you need?” She would get him to where he needed to be in order to get free. Then she would run as far and fast as she could.
He let out a harsh-sounding breath. “I need you to guide me to the ship bay here. Preferably to one of your crawlers. Then you and I are going to leave on that ship, and get me to a place where I can contact one of my own vessels to pick me up. If you behave yourself, don’t try anything to alert anyone, and generally do not make yourself an annoyance to me I might let you go free. Depends on how bad my mood is by that point.” She felt him shift slightly, his arm slowly letting go of her neck.
“We’re going to take the path of least resistance. No guards, as few cameras as possible, and you are not going to let anyone know anything is amiss in any way. I have zero problem shooting a woman, but I’d rather not have to drag you around at my heels to break free of here.”
Stars. “Okay,” she said with a wobbly voice. “Then the best way to go will be back the way that I came.” She had already killed a guard. This had to be her punishment. She knew it. She had killed one of her own people so this was the spirits’ way of punishing her. She was going to be this Craegin’s shield to get free of her people. “I have a crawler. I came over from one of our other worlds.”
The weapon lowered until it was pressed into her lower back, right on her spine. At that range he’d never miss, and if she wasn’t dead she’d definitely be paralyzed. “How many guards between here and the bay?” he asked. He’d given her a nudge to get her moving, but a hand on her arm slowed her pace. Adira couldn’t see much of him beyond the one arm down at his side. But she did notice he seemed to be limping, even dragging one of his legs slightly.
“None. There was one but he won’t be a problem.” The physician in her wanted to heal him. She wanted to reach out and find out what was wrong, but the prudent part of her kicked in and she knew that would be just plain dumb. She did, however, slow down. She ensured that she kept a pace that would keep them moving, but wouldn’t push him too far. She didn’t know what to expect of this Craegin, especially since the female captive had so easily sold out her people.
“What about the cameras? How many are we going to have to contend with once we’re past the holding areas?” The pressure of the weapon on her spine eased a little. She knew it was still there, but he wasn’t digging it in any longer. He might be injured, but she didn’t think for one moment he wasn’t aware of everything around him.
“None.” She had disabled them so that she could wheel the body out and dispose of it. Why hadn’t she thought to reenable them? “I had disabled them,” she told him. “I had been so caught up in my own mind that I forgot to reenable them,” she added honestly. “My crawler is the one closest to the exit doors as well, so there shouldn’t be anyone in the bays that will see us as that side is blocked from view by my crawler.”
“Good,” he grunted out. Suddenly his hand came up to her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Shh,” he hissed. The pressure of the weapon was back for a moment as the sound of boots on the tiled hall could be heard. They faded a few minutes later, and he released her arm. “Go.”
She nodded and went. There was something about his touch. It was odd. She didn’t focus on it, though. Instead, she concentrated on getting through this alive.
She made several twists and turns, being stopped a few times by the rather large male that held a weapon at her head, and finally they were before the bay doors. “When we enter we need to be fast. Get on my crawler. I need to make a call to the booth. There is audio as well as visual so you will have to stand far to the left behind a console and have to trust me. I really don’t want to die, so I will get you out of here.” She would have somehow gotten him free anyway because she didn’t believe in the tortures her people were inflicting upon this male.
His hand was on her arm again, holding tight. “Say or do the wrong thing when you talk to them and you won’t live long enough to make another mistake. If need be I can fly this thing out of here, but I’d really rather not have to do it with your blood all over the console.” He gave a light but firm squeeze of her arm, then let go. “Move,” he said under his breath.
She nodded and moved as quickly as his pace would allow to her crawler. The medical insignia on the side denoted it to be the head of their Medical Ministry, her. Her hand to the panel at the side had the doors sliding open and engines starting. She explained, “I’m still a doctor. My crafts need to be able to go the moment I get in, just in case of an emergency.”
No words came from him, just a grunt. A hard hand landed on her shoulder as soon as they stepped into the crawler. She could see the weapon out of her periphery as it was sweeping around the space. He was ensuring they were alone in the small craft. The hand eased and gave her the smallest of pushes toward the cockpit as the doors sealed behind them with a hiss of air.
Adira settled into the pilot’s seat and strapped in. Looking back at the male, she viewed him for the first time. He was large and impressive, handsome even. He was also severely injured. “Stand just to the left there,” she told him as she pointed to a console. “Now, please. They are beeping to get through.” She adjusted herself slightly, and when he was hidden pulled up the view screen. “Sorry that took so long, gentlemen. I had to take another call. I have an emergency on Talaxia five. I need clearance to scuttle quickly.”
The man on the screen was looking around the inside of her cockpit. “Likely a good thing you’re getting out of here now, Doc. Sounds like there’s an escapee in one of the wards. No clue how the freak got loose, but he’s extremely dangerous. He’s killed three of our men already, the spirits only know what he’d do to a woman,” he said. The hangar bay doors began to open. “You are clear for departure. Head straight out, and stay in the lane until you clear the beacons. Safe journeys.”
“Thank you.” She winced. Oh God, had he really killed three men? Or was the man she killed one of those? She closed off the view screen, then looked back. “You might want to hold on to something.” She began to move her crawler into place and took off as quickly as she typically would in any emergency situation.
Ten minutes later they were free of the planet and she looked to him once more. “Where are we headed?” She knew that he had said to a planet where his people could pick him up, but she had no idea where.
Easing around the equipment board he’d hidden behind, the Craegin male came forward. He leaned over the console to input some coordinates. “There,” he said. “Set the autopilot, and then we’re going to check the rest of this crawler over.” There wasn’t a whole lot left to check, except for the kitchenette, a tiny medical bay, the small sleeping quarters, and the bathing room that approximated to less than a closet amount of space. Crawlers were meant for short runs, not for comfort. Beyond that there was a storage area, but it wasn’t accessible from inside, only from the exterior of the craft.
Once she’d set the autopilot, he leaned in once more to type something else in. A quick glance showed he’d just locked down the entire panel. Without the code he’d entered she couldn’t call out, or fly the craft. Which meant she had to keep him alive if she wanted to survive this. “Stay here,” he ordered. Now that she couldn’t alert anyone to the fact she was a hostage, he likely felt secure in leaving her in the space. A hard look from his bright gray eyes under the heavy fall of badly tangled black hair, and he turned to leave the cockpit.
He had to keep his head lowered to move through the spaces, being taller than the average Imarian male. She noticed he was also broader, more heavily muscled than an Imarian. Not that she should be noticing anything about him, but it was hard not to when he seemed to take up so much of the space around her.
“Since you have locked everything down you should let me have a look at your injuries.” She should just let him bleed to death, but with him having locked her out of her own ship that would end very badly for her. “It’s beneficial to me for you to survive. The least I can do is tend to your injuries. I am a medical doctor, allow me to assist you.”
A derisive snort was her only answer as he continued away from her. He disappeared from view a couple of times, checking out the additional spaces afforded on the craft. Finally he reappeared from the sleeping quarters and signaled her toward him.
Adira cautiously moved forward. “Yes?” she asked as she looked up into his gray eyes. They were actually rather beautiful and ringed with a bright green that captured her interest. Adira shook her head. No, not her interest, something else. “I have a full medical bay. It’s very small but it has everything that we could offer. I could close your wounds and do a scan of your leg to find out what’s wrong with it. If you will let me?” She couldn’t push him to do as she asked, but she itched to ensure that he was okay.
“I know what’s wrong with it. I was there when they did it,” he said. No, it was more of a snarl, given the curl of his lip. “Inside. You’re going to sit on the edge of the bunk and not move while I clean up. I need to get the blood off of me so I can evaluate the exact amount of damage your colleagues inflicted.”
She winced and nodded. “I know that this isn’t a good time to tell you this.” She settled on the bunk and watched him as he moved. “And please don’t shoot me for telling you this truth.” She was chewing her lower lip as she watched him and gasped at the injuries that he wore. “By the stars, how can you even be mobile?” Gone was what she was going to tell him about the Craegin female. Instead her medical training kicked in and she wanted to heal.
He turned a cold look on her as he dropped the coat and shirt he’d removed to the floor. “Sheer will to not die in an Imarian testing facility. It’s amazing what the body and mind can do when the goals are so simple. Do not move,” he warned again. He took the pistol, and one other she hadn’t realized he had, and set them inside the shower—up high so they wouldn’t get wet, and where he could easily reach them but she couldn’t. He turned on the water and dropped his pants. No warning, no closing the small sliding door, nothing. Down they went, and a moment later his ass disappeared behind the sliding pane of the enclosement.
Adi simply watched him. Her mouth had gone suddenly dry and her mind went places that an Imarian held captive by a Craegin should never go. He was stunning. His height was massive, over two meters tall, easily, and his build was thick but it was the markings on his body that captured her attention. Well, that and the musculature and his ass. By the mother, his ass was impressive. “I’m sorry that you were taken,” she told him honestly. “There was a Craegin female that was held there as well.” Please don’t let them be related, she prayed.
“So I’d heard.” His words were barely loud enough for her to hear. “She was the one feeding your people information about us. Once I’m back I’ll be ensuring that anything we’d done prior is never done the same again. I will not allow our people to be easy prey for you sick freaks.”
“How did you know?” she asked with a frown and tilt of her head. “Yes, she has been feeding my people information for years, from what I surmised. They are sick.” She mumbled that last part. She didn’t protest on the sick freaks comment, because he had that right. Sadly. Her people weren’t supposed to ever take prisoners of war and abuse them as this man had been abused. “She watched. She took glee in telling me that when they did their first procedure on you she was able to watch. I’m so sorry.” Her people had a lot to answer for, but not every being who was Imarian was a sick freak, as he had stated.
“It’s amazing what we can hear in that place. They figure since we’re all going to die they don’t need to watch their words.” She watched him tip his head back, his face into the spray. He was tall enough that his shoulders, neck, and head were above the partition. The water shut off a moment later, and he shook his head before slicking his hair back from his face. He locked eyes with her as he pushed the partition aside and stepped out to collect a towel.
“Holy mother,” she whispered a moment before she turned her face from him. He was…there weren’t words to describe the perfection of this man. Even with the injuries that he had sustained he was impressive. Her gaze had gone straight to his cock and she had to bite her lip at the memory of that brief glance. He was soft, but his shaft hung low and was thick. He was very large, all over, and he made her heart do things that no Imarian had ever made her do before.
She could hear him toweling off. A soft clunk sounded, and she shot him a look to see he’d collected the laser pistols. The towel was wrapped around his waist, barely covering everything of importance. He was peering into the mirror on the wall, twisting this way and that to get a look at all the damage done. His back was a mass of bruises, as were his legs and arms. His chest had some bruising, but older from the colors she could see. Fresh nicks and cuts were all over his body. The leg he’d been favoring, though, looked the worst. His leg looked as if there was a heavy bruise that was practically fully black from his knee up to somewhere under the towel. She cringed at the sight. The pain that he was in had to be terrible. She hurt for the man. Obviously someone had repeatedly struck that leg.
“Will you please let me scan your leg at least? I know you have no reason at all to trust me, with what they did to you, but I need you to understand that it’s hurting me to see you hurting, especially since I can do something about it.” She wanted to help him. He could think all that he wanted about her people, but seeing him injured was hurting her. She had never hurt before like this. It was as if she could feel his pain.
He turned his head slowly to give her a look. She could practically see him thinking through all the options, considering every angle, and coming to a decision. With a small jerk of his head he gave her permission. “I need something to wear. This towel is not exactly comfortable over the wounds inflicted on a certain part of my anatomy. I need pants at the very least, but a shirt wouldn’t be amiss either.”
“I should have a medical uniform that will fit you.” She pointed to the drawer to his left. “There should be one in there. It might be a bit short on you but the male who wore it was rather overweight, so it should fit across your chest. I hope.” She winced and chewed her lip again. “I’m so sorry.” She seemed to continue to say that to him, but there weren’t enough words to tell him just how horrified she was that her people had done this to him.
“Your words hold no meaning to me, Imarian, so you may as well quit spouting them,” he said coldly with his eyes narrowed. Digging through the drawer, he pulled out pants and slipped them on. They were definitely short, only coming down to the top of his calves. He was a lot taller than the average Imarian, and definitely taller than her coworker. The shirt he pulled on after dropping the towel to the floor. It was definitely tight, but he seemed to have no loss of movement. “Good enough,” he muttered.
She nodded. “We should go into the medical bay. There’s a handheld scanner there and I can check to ensure that they didn’t break the bone. If they have, then I can put you into an air cast to help ease the pain.” Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Are you going to be okay if I get up and go get medical ready for you?”
His head whipped around to look at her. “We’ll go together,” he said. He picked up one of the laser pistols and quickly took it apart, dropping the parts, except for the power source, into the disposal unit. He picked up the other one, but kept it down at his leg as he waved her out into the corridor.
“Okay.” She moved away from the large Craegin and toward medical bay. Looking over her shoulder she saw him following slowly behind her. Once that was done she pulled down supplies. “If you will have a seat on the bay bed there? I will scan you from head to toe. I would feel much better knowing that you are at least mostly healed before you go to your people.”
He eyed her up and down for a long moment before moving to the bed. Easing up on it slowly, he let out a hissing breath. Not that his face showed any of his discomfort, though. Once he was laying down she moved closer to him and saw he still had one hell of a grip on the weapon.
“I won’t hurt you. I know you have no reason at all to believe me but I will not hurt you,” she assured him. “It’s not who I am. I’m a healer,” she told him quietly. “Oh this is not good.” She paused the scan over his knee and bit her lower lip. “It looks as if they have dislocated your knee. I can set it and that will ease much of your pain.”
The Craegin gave her a grunt, but didn’t move. Adira was going to take that as acceptance of the help she was offering. He also didn’t shoot her, so that was a huge plus. “Apparently not all your healers have the same beliefs as you do.”
“I can’t speak for them, only me. I can’t believe that they did this. We have laws in place for a reason.” She was muttering as she spoke to him. “No one is supposed to ever be subjected to the pain and suffering that you were submitted to. For that I am so sorry. I want to kill my people for doing this.” Especially in her facility. She was not pleased at all.
The look on his face said he didn’t believe her. “If you plan on fixing my leg, sooner would be appreciated. I’ll need all the time possible to heal before we reach our destination. Especially since it won’t be in friendly territory, for you.”
“You aren’t going to put me off at a neutral planet?” she asked with a frown and sat back on her heels on the floor in front of him. “Oh stars.” She was so totally screwed. She was never going to live through this one. “Okay.” At least she could set his knee and help him heal, that was what she could do.
“There are no neutral planets anymore,” he said. “There are only ones slightly less hostile than the others. The one we’re aiming for is the least hostile around. But if your brethren weren’t so determined to exterminate us we wouldn’t have this problem. Would we?” he asked with a hard look at her.
Sadly he had a point there, but she didn’t say anything. Instead Adi worked on his leg, then passed him a medical hypospray. “You should give this to yourself to help you with your healing. It’s only vitamins, it shouldn’t harm you.”
He took the hypospray, looking it over a moment, then tossed it aside. “No drugs, nothing from an Imarian. I’ve been given more shots since my arrival than I have in my entire life. No more.
Especially something I didn’t load myself from supplies I trust. Fix my leg, or move so I can get up.”
She nodded and put her hand on his knee. “It’s going to hurt,” she told him only a moment before she popped his knee back into place. “So sorry,” she said once more and moved back. Standing, she looked over him. “No drugs, then. Sorry I offered them to you.” Maybe she should drug herself and be done with it.
He hadn’t even flinched. Either his pain was already so great he hadn’t felt what she’d done, or he was so well trained he’d been able to hide the reaction. She had a feeling it might have been a little of both. Easing to a sitting position, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly put weight onto his leg. “Better,” he muttered. “You really shouldn’t be apologizing to anyone, especially your enemy. It leaves you in a weakened position, more so than you currently are in.”
Adira's MateSpace Wars 1by April ZyonPublished by Evernight Publishing
**Cover created by the amazing Jay Aheer
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Blurb:
Captured by his mortal enemy General Fintan Daykin is held for many long months in an Imarian Facility. On the day that he’s able to escape he’s faced with one of the biggest surprises of his life.
Adira Lora is the head of the Medical Ministries offices of Imaria and she learnt that there is something seriously wrong with one of the facilities. Something that she has to go and figure out for herself since she trusts no one else.
Taken hostage by the tall, dark Craegin was not what Adira had in mind when she got to the facility, but it seemed as if Fate and the Spirits had something else altogether in mind for her.
She should be wary of the man who could tear her apart but she’s not. She’s drawn to him, she aches for him and she’s desperate to heal his injuries but he pushes her away at every turn.
He can’t let her too close, he’s far too attracted to the small Imarian that he dragged with him onto her crawler. He only wanted to get home, back to his people and away from the slow death that her people were giving him.
Once the pain of his injuries starts to ease and the reality of who little Adi is to him sets in Fin realizes that he will have to protect her from more than just his people. Fin realizes that he would also have to protect her from hers as well.
When Adira finally submits to Fintan however he knows that he will never let her go. He owns her now, she is his in every sense of the word for now and all time and nothing would come between them.
Excerpt:
Adira went stiff as a board when the pistol was lifted to her temple. She took a deep breath and nodded. She understood what he was saying, understood and would comply. She had no idea who it was that had her, so she would play along until she could be free.
She listened to the man’s breathing and frowned. He was in pain; it was clear from how he was gasping for air but there was something more. He wasn’t breathing as an Imarian would, three sharp intakes of breath and one exhale.
Her stomach felt as if it were in knots. She felt ill because she suddenly knew that she wasn’t being held by someone that was on the island and had no idea who she was. She was being held by one of the Craegin that her people had kidnapped and had been torturing.
Stars. She was in deep trouble. “You really don’t want to do this,” she told the man. “I’m more trouble than I am worth. Ask anyone. I’m seriously not a good person to take hostage.”
“I don’t have what one would call a lot of choices here.” His voice was low, but she could hear the underlying growl that gave it a certain rough quality. “One way or another you are my ticket out of this hellish place. So you can either help me willingly, or I start to break bones. Nothing important, but I know the ones that will cause you immeasurable pain while still allowing you to function enough to get me free. The choice is up to you. What will it be?”
There was no choice. Adira was a lot of things, but able to withstand pain was not one of them. She just nodded. “What do you need?” She would get him to where he needed to be in order to get free. Then she would run as far and fast as she could.
He let out a harsh-sounding breath. “I need you to guide me to the ship bay here. Preferably to one of your crawlers. Then you and I are going to leave on that ship, and get me to a place where I can contact one of my own vessels to pick me up. If you behave yourself, don’t try anything to alert anyone, and generally do not make yourself an annoyance to me I might let you go free. Depends on how bad my mood is by that point.” She felt him shift slightly, his arm slowly letting go of her neck.
“We’re going to take the path of least resistance. No guards, as few cameras as possible, and you are not going to let anyone know anything is amiss in any way. I have zero problem shooting a woman, but I’d rather not have to drag you around at my heels to break free of here.”
Stars. “Okay,” she said with a wobbly voice. “Then the best way to go will be back the way that I came.” She had already killed a guard. This had to be her punishment. She knew it. She had killed one of her own people so this was the spirits’ way of punishing her. She was going to be this Craegin’s shield to get free of her people. “I have a crawler. I came over from one of our other worlds.”
The weapon lowered until it was pressed into her lower back, right on her spine. At that range he’d never miss, and if she wasn’t dead she’d definitely be paralyzed. “How many guards between here and the bay?” he asked. He’d given her a nudge to get her moving, but a hand on her arm slowed her pace. Adira couldn’t see much of him beyond the one arm down at his side. But she did notice he seemed to be limping, even dragging one of his legs slightly.
“None. There was one but he won’t be a problem.” The physician in her wanted to heal him. She wanted to reach out and find out what was wrong, but the prudent part of her kicked in and she knew that would be just plain dumb. She did, however, slow down. She ensured that she kept a pace that would keep them moving, but wouldn’t push him too far. She didn’t know what to expect of this Craegin, especially since the female captive had so easily sold out her people.
“What about the cameras? How many are we going to have to contend with once we’re past the holding areas?” The pressure of the weapon on her spine eased a little. She knew it was still there, but he wasn’t digging it in any longer. He might be injured, but she didn’t think for one moment he wasn’t aware of everything around him.
“None.” She had disabled them so that she could wheel the body out and dispose of it. Why hadn’t she thought to reenable them? “I had disabled them,” she told him. “I had been so caught up in my own mind that I forgot to reenable them,” she added honestly. “My crawler is the one closest to the exit doors as well, so there shouldn’t be anyone in the bays that will see us as that side is blocked from view by my crawler.”
“Good,” he grunted out. Suddenly his hand came up to her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Shh,” he hissed. The pressure of the weapon was back for a moment as the sound of boots on the tiled hall could be heard. They faded a few minutes later, and he released her arm. “Go.”
She nodded and went. There was something about his touch. It was odd. She didn’t focus on it, though. Instead, she concentrated on getting through this alive.
She made several twists and turns, being stopped a few times by the rather large male that held a weapon at her head, and finally they were before the bay doors. “When we enter we need to be fast. Get on my crawler. I need to make a call to the booth. There is audio as well as visual so you will have to stand far to the left behind a console and have to trust me. I really don’t want to die, so I will get you out of here.” She would have somehow gotten him free anyway because she didn’t believe in the tortures her people were inflicting upon this male.
His hand was on her arm again, holding tight. “Say or do the wrong thing when you talk to them and you won’t live long enough to make another mistake. If need be I can fly this thing out of here, but I’d really rather not have to do it with your blood all over the console.” He gave a light but firm squeeze of her arm, then let go. “Move,” he said under his breath.
She nodded and moved as quickly as his pace would allow to her crawler. The medical insignia on the side denoted it to be the head of their Medical Ministry, her. Her hand to the panel at the side had the doors sliding open and engines starting. She explained, “I’m still a doctor. My crafts need to be able to go the moment I get in, just in case of an emergency.”
No words came from him, just a grunt. A hard hand landed on her shoulder as soon as they stepped into the crawler. She could see the weapon out of her periphery as it was sweeping around the space. He was ensuring they were alone in the small craft. The hand eased and gave her the smallest of pushes toward the cockpit as the doors sealed behind them with a hiss of air.
Adira settled into the pilot’s seat and strapped in. Looking back at the male, she viewed him for the first time. He was large and impressive, handsome even. He was also severely injured. “Stand just to the left there,” she told him as she pointed to a console. “Now, please. They are beeping to get through.” She adjusted herself slightly, and when he was hidden pulled up the view screen. “Sorry that took so long, gentlemen. I had to take another call. I have an emergency on Talaxia five. I need clearance to scuttle quickly.”
The man on the screen was looking around the inside of her cockpit. “Likely a good thing you’re getting out of here now, Doc. Sounds like there’s an escapee in one of the wards. No clue how the freak got loose, but he’s extremely dangerous. He’s killed three of our men already, the spirits only know what he’d do to a woman,” he said. The hangar bay doors began to open. “You are clear for departure. Head straight out, and stay in the lane until you clear the beacons. Safe journeys.”
“Thank you.” She winced. Oh God, had he really killed three men? Or was the man she killed one of those? She closed off the view screen, then looked back. “You might want to hold on to something.” She began to move her crawler into place and took off as quickly as she typically would in any emergency situation.
Ten minutes later they were free of the planet and she looked to him once more. “Where are we headed?” She knew that he had said to a planet where his people could pick him up, but she had no idea where.
Easing around the equipment board he’d hidden behind, the Craegin male came forward. He leaned over the console to input some coordinates. “There,” he said. “Set the autopilot, and then we’re going to check the rest of this crawler over.” There wasn’t a whole lot left to check, except for the kitchenette, a tiny medical bay, the small sleeping quarters, and the bathing room that approximated to less than a closet amount of space. Crawlers were meant for short runs, not for comfort. Beyond that there was a storage area, but it wasn’t accessible from inside, only from the exterior of the craft.
Once she’d set the autopilot, he leaned in once more to type something else in. A quick glance showed he’d just locked down the entire panel. Without the code he’d entered she couldn’t call out, or fly the craft. Which meant she had to keep him alive if she wanted to survive this. “Stay here,” he ordered. Now that she couldn’t alert anyone to the fact she was a hostage, he likely felt secure in leaving her in the space. A hard look from his bright gray eyes under the heavy fall of badly tangled black hair, and he turned to leave the cockpit.
He had to keep his head lowered to move through the spaces, being taller than the average Imarian male. She noticed he was also broader, more heavily muscled than an Imarian. Not that she should be noticing anything about him, but it was hard not to when he seemed to take up so much of the space around her.
“Since you have locked everything down you should let me have a look at your injuries.” She should just let him bleed to death, but with him having locked her out of her own ship that would end very badly for her. “It’s beneficial to me for you to survive. The least I can do is tend to your injuries. I am a medical doctor, allow me to assist you.”
A derisive snort was her only answer as he continued away from her. He disappeared from view a couple of times, checking out the additional spaces afforded on the craft. Finally he reappeared from the sleeping quarters and signaled her toward him.
Adira cautiously moved forward. “Yes?” she asked as she looked up into his gray eyes. They were actually rather beautiful and ringed with a bright green that captured her interest. Adira shook her head. No, not her interest, something else. “I have a full medical bay. It’s very small but it has everything that we could offer. I could close your wounds and do a scan of your leg to find out what’s wrong with it. If you will let me?” She couldn’t push him to do as she asked, but she itched to ensure that he was okay.
“I know what’s wrong with it. I was there when they did it,” he said. No, it was more of a snarl, given the curl of his lip. “Inside. You’re going to sit on the edge of the bunk and not move while I clean up. I need to get the blood off of me so I can evaluate the exact amount of damage your colleagues inflicted.”
She winced and nodded. “I know that this isn’t a good time to tell you this.” She settled on the bunk and watched him as he moved. “And please don’t shoot me for telling you this truth.” She was chewing her lower lip as she watched him and gasped at the injuries that he wore. “By the stars, how can you even be mobile?” Gone was what she was going to tell him about the Craegin female. Instead her medical training kicked in and she wanted to heal.
He turned a cold look on her as he dropped the coat and shirt he’d removed to the floor. “Sheer will to not die in an Imarian testing facility. It’s amazing what the body and mind can do when the goals are so simple. Do not move,” he warned again. He took the pistol, and one other she hadn’t realized he had, and set them inside the shower—up high so they wouldn’t get wet, and where he could easily reach them but she couldn’t. He turned on the water and dropped his pants. No warning, no closing the small sliding door, nothing. Down they went, and a moment later his ass disappeared behind the sliding pane of the enclosement.
Adi simply watched him. Her mouth had gone suddenly dry and her mind went places that an Imarian held captive by a Craegin should never go. He was stunning. His height was massive, over two meters tall, easily, and his build was thick but it was the markings on his body that captured her attention. Well, that and the musculature and his ass. By the mother, his ass was impressive. “I’m sorry that you were taken,” she told him honestly. “There was a Craegin female that was held there as well.” Please don’t let them be related, she prayed.
“So I’d heard.” His words were barely loud enough for her to hear. “She was the one feeding your people information about us. Once I’m back I’ll be ensuring that anything we’d done prior is never done the same again. I will not allow our people to be easy prey for you sick freaks.”
“How did you know?” she asked with a frown and tilt of her head. “Yes, she has been feeding my people information for years, from what I surmised. They are sick.” She mumbled that last part. She didn’t protest on the sick freaks comment, because he had that right. Sadly. Her people weren’t supposed to ever take prisoners of war and abuse them as this man had been abused. “She watched. She took glee in telling me that when they did their first procedure on you she was able to watch. I’m so sorry.” Her people had a lot to answer for, but not every being who was Imarian was a sick freak, as he had stated.
“It’s amazing what we can hear in that place. They figure since we’re all going to die they don’t need to watch their words.” She watched him tip his head back, his face into the spray. He was tall enough that his shoulders, neck, and head were above the partition. The water shut off a moment later, and he shook his head before slicking his hair back from his face. He locked eyes with her as he pushed the partition aside and stepped out to collect a towel.
“Holy mother,” she whispered a moment before she turned her face from him. He was…there weren’t words to describe the perfection of this man. Even with the injuries that he had sustained he was impressive. Her gaze had gone straight to his cock and she had to bite her lip at the memory of that brief glance. He was soft, but his shaft hung low and was thick. He was very large, all over, and he made her heart do things that no Imarian had ever made her do before.
She could hear him toweling off. A soft clunk sounded, and she shot him a look to see he’d collected the laser pistols. The towel was wrapped around his waist, barely covering everything of importance. He was peering into the mirror on the wall, twisting this way and that to get a look at all the damage done. His back was a mass of bruises, as were his legs and arms. His chest had some bruising, but older from the colors she could see. Fresh nicks and cuts were all over his body. The leg he’d been favoring, though, looked the worst. His leg looked as if there was a heavy bruise that was practically fully black from his knee up to somewhere under the towel. She cringed at the sight. The pain that he was in had to be terrible. She hurt for the man. Obviously someone had repeatedly struck that leg.
“Will you please let me scan your leg at least? I know you have no reason at all to trust me, with what they did to you, but I need you to understand that it’s hurting me to see you hurting, especially since I can do something about it.” She wanted to help him. He could think all that he wanted about her people, but seeing him injured was hurting her. She had never hurt before like this. It was as if she could feel his pain.
He turned his head slowly to give her a look. She could practically see him thinking through all the options, considering every angle, and coming to a decision. With a small jerk of his head he gave her permission. “I need something to wear. This towel is not exactly comfortable over the wounds inflicted on a certain part of my anatomy. I need pants at the very least, but a shirt wouldn’t be amiss either.”
“I should have a medical uniform that will fit you.” She pointed to the drawer to his left. “There should be one in there. It might be a bit short on you but the male who wore it was rather overweight, so it should fit across your chest. I hope.” She winced and chewed her lip again. “I’m so sorry.” She seemed to continue to say that to him, but there weren’t enough words to tell him just how horrified she was that her people had done this to him.
“Your words hold no meaning to me, Imarian, so you may as well quit spouting them,” he said coldly with his eyes narrowed. Digging through the drawer, he pulled out pants and slipped them on. They were definitely short, only coming down to the top of his calves. He was a lot taller than the average Imarian, and definitely taller than her coworker. The shirt he pulled on after dropping the towel to the floor. It was definitely tight, but he seemed to have no loss of movement. “Good enough,” he muttered.
She nodded. “We should go into the medical bay. There’s a handheld scanner there and I can check to ensure that they didn’t break the bone. If they have, then I can put you into an air cast to help ease the pain.” Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Are you going to be okay if I get up and go get medical ready for you?”
His head whipped around to look at her. “We’ll go together,” he said. He picked up one of the laser pistols and quickly took it apart, dropping the parts, except for the power source, into the disposal unit. He picked up the other one, but kept it down at his leg as he waved her out into the corridor.
“Okay.” She moved away from the large Craegin and toward medical bay. Looking over her shoulder she saw him following slowly behind her. Once that was done she pulled down supplies. “If you will have a seat on the bay bed there? I will scan you from head to toe. I would feel much better knowing that you are at least mostly healed before you go to your people.”
He eyed her up and down for a long moment before moving to the bed. Easing up on it slowly, he let out a hissing breath. Not that his face showed any of his discomfort, though. Once he was laying down she moved closer to him and saw he still had one hell of a grip on the weapon.
“I won’t hurt you. I know you have no reason at all to believe me but I will not hurt you,” she assured him. “It’s not who I am. I’m a healer,” she told him quietly. “Oh this is not good.” She paused the scan over his knee and bit her lower lip. “It looks as if they have dislocated your knee. I can set it and that will ease much of your pain.”
The Craegin gave her a grunt, but didn’t move. Adira was going to take that as acceptance of the help she was offering. He also didn’t shoot her, so that was a huge plus. “Apparently not all your healers have the same beliefs as you do.”
“I can’t speak for them, only me. I can’t believe that they did this. We have laws in place for a reason.” She was muttering as she spoke to him. “No one is supposed to ever be subjected to the pain and suffering that you were submitted to. For that I am so sorry. I want to kill my people for doing this.” Especially in her facility. She was not pleased at all.
The look on his face said he didn’t believe her. “If you plan on fixing my leg, sooner would be appreciated. I’ll need all the time possible to heal before we reach our destination. Especially since it won’t be in friendly territory, for you.”
“You aren’t going to put me off at a neutral planet?” she asked with a frown and sat back on her heels on the floor in front of him. “Oh stars.” She was so totally screwed. She was never going to live through this one. “Okay.” At least she could set his knee and help him heal, that was what she could do.
“There are no neutral planets anymore,” he said. “There are only ones slightly less hostile than the others. The one we’re aiming for is the least hostile around. But if your brethren weren’t so determined to exterminate us we wouldn’t have this problem. Would we?” he asked with a hard look at her.
Sadly he had a point there, but she didn’t say anything. Instead Adi worked on his leg, then passed him a medical hypospray. “You should give this to yourself to help you with your healing. It’s only vitamins, it shouldn’t harm you.”
He took the hypospray, looking it over a moment, then tossed it aside. “No drugs, nothing from an Imarian. I’ve been given more shots since my arrival than I have in my entire life. No more.
Especially something I didn’t load myself from supplies I trust. Fix my leg, or move so I can get up.”
She nodded and put her hand on his knee. “It’s going to hurt,” she told him only a moment before she popped his knee back into place. “So sorry,” she said once more and moved back. Standing, she looked over him. “No drugs, then. Sorry I offered them to you.” Maybe she should drug herself and be done with it.
He hadn’t even flinched. Either his pain was already so great he hadn’t felt what she’d done, or he was so well trained he’d been able to hide the reaction. She had a feeling it might have been a little of both. Easing to a sitting position, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly put weight onto his leg. “Better,” he muttered. “You really shouldn’t be apologizing to anyone, especially your enemy. It leaves you in a weakened position, more so than you currently are in.”
