Friday, July 7, 2017

Book Tour & Giveaway: TURNED BY A TIGER by Felicity Heaton!


About the Book

Turned by a Tiger (Eternal Mates Paranormal Romance Series Book 12)
Turned by a Tiger (Eternal Mates Romance Series Book 12)
Felicity Heaton
On the verge of bleeding out and hunted by his merciless torturers, Talon has no choice but to seek sanctuary at Underworld, a nightclub run by a jaguar shifter liable to kill him on sight for being a tiger shifter male. What he finds in the old warehouse isn’t the grim shadow of Death though but an angel of mercy, one who offers him salvation and revenge—one who happens to be his fated mate.
Tending bar at Underworld is never dull when you’re a mortal surrounded by immortals, but when a gorgeous tiger shifter covered in blood stumbles into the club, and set’s fire to her boss’s temper, Sherry’s entire world is in danger of being turned on its head. Something about the mysterious warrior has her stepping in to save him, something that ignites her heart and stirs her soul, and no matter how fiercely she fights it, she can’t hold herself back.
When Talon reveals the name of his captors, and his plan to head back in to save his friends, will Sherry be brave enough to embrace the feelings he stirs in her and step deeper into the world of immortals? And will Talon be strong enough to resist the lure of Sherry to protect his family’s secret or will he risk everything to claim his eternal mate?


Enter the grand tour-wide giveaway to win a $25, $50 or $75 Amazon Gift Card at the Turned by a Tiger book page. This giveaway is international and open to everyone, and ends at midnight on July 16th.
Enter now: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/turned-by-a-tiger-shapeshifter-romance-book.php
Grand Giveaway

Excerpt
Sherry’s bottom hit the top of the low wine refrigerator as Kyter suddenly vaulted the black bar that ran almost the entire length of one wall of Underworld. She quickly set down the cloth she had been using to dry the last of the glasses and rushed forwards, running down the narrow walkway behind the bar and reaching the end just as Kyter hauled the stranger off his knees and onto his feet, and landed a hard right hook across his jaw.
The big guy growled through the thick black beard covering the lower half of his face and hit the wall close to her, slid down it and landed on his butt on the tacky floor.
“Kyter,” Sherry snapped, but her boss wasn’t listening.
His eyes glowed golden in the low light as he stalked towards the man, muscles tense beneath his white dress shirt, coiled in readiness.
She looked down at the newcomer.
The poor bastard wasn’t in any shape to fight, had shocked her when she had seen him dragging himself into the club. At first, she had figured him for a local homeless drunk, with his wild shaggy black hair that brushed his nape, ragged thick beard, and his lack of clothes, but the way her boss had reacted told her he was something else.
Another cat shifter.
Kyter often lost his shit when male shifters came into the club unannounced and uninvited.
Apparently it was a territory thing.
Sherry didn’t think this man was here to fight Kyter for his perceived territory though.
Blood covered his bare chest, outlining some of the hard compact muscles and concealing the rest. It drenched his left arm from the elbow down too, and had stuck his loose black cotton trousers to his left thigh.
The man lifted amber eyes to lock with Kyter’s golden ones and bared his fangs on a snarl.
Kyter didn’t back off.
He grabbed the man by his throat, pulled him up the wall and punched him again, bristling with aggression as he growled right in the man’s face and bared his own emerging fangs.
“Kyter!” She would keep shouting his damned name until she got through to him or her voice gave out. “Kyter!”
He still refused to heed her and she flinched as he went to town on the poor bastard, hitting him with a low blow to his stomach that had fresh blood rolling down his hip and a pained growl leaving his lips. The man sagged but Kyter held him up, shoved harder against his throat.
Something inside Sherry snapped, and she lifted the section of bar in front of her, driven to intervene, but stopped dead when the injured man roared.
A wave of prickles rushed down her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as her heart thundered in response to that feral and wild sound.
In a move she couldn’t track, he launched Kyter across the room, sending her boss slamming into the wall. Kyter hit the deck but was on his feet a heartbeat later, launching back at the newcomer.
What had him so damned intent on killing the bastard?
Was the man a jaguar too?
Normally when Kyter got pissy because another cat shifter had come into the club, he managed to hold himself together and keep his irritation to a series of low growls and death glares, and the odd kicking out.
There had been one time when he had really lost his shit though, had ended up in a brawl that had emptied the busy club.
That time, it had been a fellow jaguar that had rolled in.
The injured man caught Kyter as he tackled him and wrestled with him, his muscles bunching and bulging as he strained against Kyter and fought to subdue him. A low growl curled from his lips as he got the upper hand.
Kyter snarled right back and pushed harder, managed to twist his right arm free and smash his fist into the man’s face.
The man staggered towards Sherry, going down the whole time, and she flinched as his face smacked off the end of the bar and he ended up in a tangled heap on the floor, his left arm hooked through the legs of one of the bar stools.
Kyter was on him in the blink of an eye, pounding his chest and face with hard blows. The man roared and bucked up, closed his fist around the stool and swung it at Kyter’s head.
Her boss grunted as it impacted, fell to his left and rolled onto his feet. Blood trickled down from a gash above his right eyebrow, dripping into his eye and onto his cheek. He growled and swiped his hand across it, and was on the other man before she could even attempt to track his movements.
The man flew past her and crashed into the wall just ten foot from her, leaving a huge dent in the black plaster. He landed on his face and lay there, so still she was sure he was dead.
Kyter prowled towards him, clearly convinced that he wasn’t and determined to finish him off.
He had to be another jaguar.
The man twitched and then he was gone, leaped clear just as Kyter landed where he had been.
Her gaze zipped to the man and her blue eyes widened as beautiful amber fur striped with thick black bands rippled over his bare chest and down his arms.
Not a jaguar.
A tiger.
He growled, bearing huge canines.
Kyter twisted and leaped again, springing across the gap to land on the man’s chest. The man caught him and they went down hard in a tangle of limbs. She winced again as Kyter managed to get on top and landed a solid left hook that snapped the tiger’s head around and made his teeth clack together so hard she heard them.
The big tiger snarled and shook his head, and she had the terrible feeling that he was going to pass out.
Or die.
She couldn’t let him die.
That sensation went through her like a thunderclap, lighting her up inside with a weird sort of energy, a need that drove her to obey it.
Tiger rolled and got the upper hand on Kyter for all of a second.
Her boss pressed his feet into the man’s stomach and kicked, sending him sailing through the air again. She squeezed her eyes shut as he hit the bar, bending backwards over it, and barked out a pained whimper before collapsing on the floor and scattering several bar stools.
Kyter dragged a hand over his wild sandy hair and advanced.
Tiger didn’t move.
She had to do something.
Her boss was going to kill him if she kept standing back and let things continue.
That lightning arced through her again, that dangerous need that demanded she obey it.
She had to protect the tiger.
Aware that she might get hurt, that placing herself between two cat shifters was madness and beyond a risky move, she swiftly rounded the bar, because she was equally as aware she had to save the tiger.
That only she could save him.
Kyter snarled and swung at the male, his claws cutting through the air.
Sherry leaped between them, splaying her arms out at her sides to block his path to the tiger.
She flinched away, heart rocketing, blood pounding and dizziness setting in as she struggled not to pass out from the fear that blasted through her, fear that this was the end and defending the tiger had just got her killed instead of him.
The expected blow didn’t come.
She slowly cracked her eyes open and they widened as she saw Kyter’s extended claws in the corner of her field of vision.
Her boss stood just inches from her, breathing so hard she thought the buttons of his white shirt might pop off at any moment. His golden eyes glowed in the dim light from behind the bar, drilling into her with a question, a demand to know what had possessed her and made her leap between him and the tiger.
She wasn’t sure.
She just hadn’t been able to stand idle any longer, letting him fight when he was wounded, weak from his injuries. It wasn’t fair, and he hadn’t done anything to deserve such a brutal attack from her boss.
Sherry backed off a step, moving one closer to the tiger, but maintained her pose, blocking Kyter’s way to the man.
Kyter huffed and eased back a step too, and raked long fingers through his hair as he breathed hard, clearly fighting the urge to get at the tiger and take him down.
“Reining it in.” He held his hands up at his sides when she continued to watch him, and even went as far as moving back another two steps.
He muttered something under his breath and began pacing. She had seen Kyter do that enough times to know to give him space. He had a habit of working off energy by pacing.
It was a cat thing.
She had seen their resident snow leopard shifter, Cavanaugh, use the same trick when his mate had wound him up or someone had dared to look at her.
Sherry looked over her shoulder at the tiger where he knelt behind her, doubled over and clutching his stomach, his black head bent so she couldn’t see his face.
She had the feeling he hadn’t wandered here by mistake, and hadn’t come looking for a fight.
She had a feeling that he was looking for salvation.
Protection.
He lifted his head and she sucked in a breath as bright amber eyes met hers and heat curled through her, a fire that only grew in intensity as a low growl curled from his bloodstained lips.
The club whooshed past her and she gasped as she flew backwards. She stumbled and grunted as the hand suddenly clamped around her right wrist hauled her upwards again, jerking her forwards and slamming her into a broad masculine back.
Kyter.
He held her behind him, shielding her with his body.
Why?
She hadn’t been in danger.
Not physical danger anyway.
She was no cat shifter but she had the undeniable sensation that growl hadn’t been a show of aggression.
It had been a show of possession.
A sign that even in his weakened state, knocking on Death’s door, this mysterious tiger shifter wanted her.



Books in the Series
Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince (Only 99c at all retailers!)
Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat
Book 7: Taken by a Dragon
Book 8: Marked by an Assassin
Book 9: Possessed by a Dark Warrior
Book 10: Awakened by a Demoness
Book 11: Haunted by the King of Death
Book 12: Turned by a Tiger
Book 13: Tamed by a Tiger - Coming August 2017
Book 14: Treasured by a Tiger - Coming September 2017

About Felicity
Felicity HeatonFelicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.
If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Cover Reveal: BULLETS AND BONFIRES by Autumn Jones Lake!

Today we have the sexy cover reveal for Bullets & Bonfires by Autumn Jones Lake! Check it out and preorder your copy today!

Title: Bullets & Bonfires

Author: Autumn Jones Lake

Release Date: July 17, 2017

About Bullets & Bonfires:

The one man she’s always wanted is now the sexy sheriff of their hometown. Battered but not broken, grad student Brianna Avery returns to the childhood home she abandoned four years ago. With her abusive ex behind bars, Bree needs the summer to relax and recover before returning to school. But her overprotective brother decides she needs someone to babysit her in his absence, and he picks the one person guaranteed to drive her nuts. She’s the one woman he can’t have. Telling Bree no has never been easy. Four years ago, Liam Hollister did it to preserve his friendship with his best friend—Brianna’s brother. Now, no matter how she tempts him, he’s determined to do the right thing. As deputy sheriff of their rural area, Liam is torn between protecting Brianna and wanting her for himself. Take a risk or lose the chance. Spending so much time alone together challenges them both. Old feelings and hurts resurface immediately. With each hot, sweaty day it’s harder to deny their attraction. It’s going to be a long, hot summer.

ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR!

Bullets & Bonfires is a complete stand-alone, but if you’re familiar with my Lost Kings MC series, Teller and Murphy make brief appearances throughout.

Preorder Today

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About the Cover:
Cover Design by: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs
Cover Photo: Wander Aguiar Photography
Cover Model: Andrew Biernat
 

Exclusive Excerpt:

LIAM Rage boils inside me at the sight of the once-vibrant girl in my arms. Big, bug-eyed sunglasses or not, I caught another glimpse of the bruises on her face before she buried her head against my chest. “Tell me what happened, Bree. Who did this to you?” Her muffled whimper makes me regret questioning her so soon. But I have to know who did this so I can plan how to kill them. My hands curl into fists and I struggle to straighten them out and keep running them over Bree’s back. If I could carry her pain, I’d do it. No question. She flinches, and I hesitate. Where else is she hurt? An unfamiliar, out-of-control sensation threatens to blow the top of my head off as I consider the possibilities. Nothing in my professional training prepared me for this. Maybe that makes me a shitty cop. I don’t know. I’ve dealt with DV victims before. Locked up plenty of husbands who were too quick with their fists. It made me angry every single time. But nothing like this. “Honey,” I say gently, trying to keep my voice calm and professional. “Is Chad the one who hurt you?” It’ll take everything in me not to hunt Chad down and beat the living fuck out of him if he did this to my little Bree. I need to know every single detail so I can fix this for her. One more sniffle from Bree threatens to shatter me, and I wrap my arms around her tighter. Against my body, she seems fragile and tiny. What kind of “man” hurts a woman? Slowly, she unwraps her arms from around my waist before I’m ready to let her go. Shoving the sunglasses up and settling them on top of her head, she brushes a few stray tears off her cheeks. One look at the full extent of the bruising sends me back into murderous-rage territory. She must sense my fury, because she quickly tugs the sunglasses back down. “It looks worse than it feels. I’m okay, really.” I was in enough fights as a teenager to know she’s lying. Her bright blue eyes may have temporarily lost the sparkle I remember, but her courage reassures me. “Thank you for being here, Liam.” “I’m always here for you.” Sure wish I’d been there to prevent this. Our eyes lock and I nod, hoping to encourage her to tell me what happened. “Tell me the truth. Did Chad do this?” I ask again. She nods slowly and I suck in a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. “Where is he now?” “Empire County Jail,” she whispers. “Good.” My eyes take more of her in. I haven’t seen her in at least two years. Bree isn’t a little girl anymore. She’s grown into a stunning woman. A woman who just got knocked around by her boyfriend, dickhead. “Please don’t—” “Don’t what, Bree?” “Get involved. He’s in jail and the judge denied bail. I’ll be fine. I’m okay,” she says, but I’m not sure if she’s trying convince herself or convince me. Okay my ass. Unwanted memories of her high school graduation flood my brain. Sweet little Bree had curled herself around my body, stared up into my face, and informed me she wasn’t a kid any more before asking me to be her first. Like an idiot, I’d given in and kissed her. Wanted to do a hell of a lot more. Vince catching his best friend making out with his sister behind their house had not gone over well. In the academy, I’d been tasered, tear-gassed, and pepper-sprayed, but pushing Bree away to save my friendship with her brother remains the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Because I really, really wanted to be her first. How would things have turned out if I’d followed my instincts? Told my best friend to fuck off, mind his own business. Explained that I was crazy about his sister and he better suck it up? But she was barely out of high school. About to leave for college when I had no plans to leave our small town. She was off limits in so many ways. Now, she’s home to recover from something horrible. Not to be manhandled. No matter how much I want to keep my arms around her, I have to let her go. It’s the right thing to do. She’s not only Vince’s little sister, she’s my friend. And I want—no, I need—to do everything possible to help her through this. Coming on to her is not helpful. It’s not what a good friend would do. “I don’t have a key anymore, so I guess that’s why Vince called you?” I’m struggling here. Unsure of which role to slip into. Detached cop consoling a victim? Friend? More-than-friend? Definitely not the last one.

About Autumn Jones Lake:

Autumn believes true love stories never end. She’s easily amused, a procrastinator and loves romances with true alpha heroes who cherish the sassy women they fall in love with. Her past lives include baking cookies, slinging shoes, and practicing law. Playing with her imaginary friends is her favorite job so far. Autumn prefers to write her romances on the classy side of dirty, and she’s a sucker for a filthy-talking, demanding alpha male hero. The bigger the better.  

Connect with Autumn!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | IG | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter | Bookbub | Personal Facebook Group

Enter Autumn’s Giveaway:

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Thursday, July 6, 2017

Cover Reveal: DIRTY LITTLE SECRET & DIRTY LITTLE PROMISE by Kendall Ryan!

We are excited to bring you the two upcoming covers for the new FORBIDDEN DESIRES series from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Kendall Ryan. DIRTY LITTLE SECRET and DIRTY LITTLE PROMISE are written in the same vein as the much loved international phenomenon, Filthy Beautiful Lies.

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET releases SEPTEMBER 14th.

      Gavin Kingsley burst into my life in a sharp and unexpected twist of fate. You know his type—arrogant, dangerously handsome and impossible to ignore. Something dark within him calls to the shadows inside me. I long for the kind of heart-wrenching passion I’ve only read about, and his tragic past reads like one of my favorite literary classics. Raw. Visceral. Captivating. Together, we’re a perfect mess. The deeper I fall into his world, the more I crave him like a drug—he pushes every boundary I have, and challenges everything I thought I wanted. I want to unlock his heart. I want his dirty secrets. But in the end, will he be the blade that cuts me ... or the bond that makes my life complete? Written in the same vein as Kendall Ryan’s New York Times bestselling and much loved international phenomenon, Filthy Beautiful Lies, Dirty Little Secret begins an erotic new series. ADD TO GOODREADS For more info visit http://www.forbiddendesiresseries.com/  

PRE-ORDER DIRTY LITTLE SECRET TODAY

Amazon | iBooks

  The secret I’d discovered about sexy billionaire Gavin Kingsley was so big, so haunting wasn’t something I could overcome. I had a decision to make—hear him out and see where things went, or turn to his brother Cooper, who I was fairly certain was in love with me. But something dark inside of Gavin called to something dark inside of me. And I wasn’t willing to just walk away—not yet anyway. This is the conclusion to Emma Bell’s epic love affair with the alpha and enigmatic Kingsley brothers. Secrets will be exposed, sides will be chosen, and nothing will ever be the same.           A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 2 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine. She lives in Texas with her husband and two sons.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Release Blitz: HENRY & ME by Sasha Clinton!




Title: Henry & Me
Author: Sasha Clinton
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: July 5, 2017



Blurb

When we were in college, Henry Stone asked me out and I shot him down in the most humiliating way possible.
He was a nerd and I was the golden girl of the theatre society, destined to make it big in Hollywood, so how could there be anything between us?
Now, six years later, as an out-of-work actress who has to take on a housekeeping job to stay afloat, I run into him again—and boy, has he made it big.
As I begin to clean his house and take care of his precocious nephew, I realize how wrong I was about him. He’s sexy, smart, kind, everything.
But I have demons that he can’t fight. Demons that keep me away from love.
One thing’s for sure: This housekeeper gig is going to be the hardest role of my life. 








Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited





Excerpt

Blank. My mind goes totally blank. A deeply disturbing feeling coils under my ribs, spreading its coldness throughout my body.
Tumor? Did he say tumor? The stuff you get when you’ve got cancer?
No. No, no, no. I can’t lose him. I cannot. In these terribly depressing times, when my career has failed and my luck’s pulled a Houdini on me, Lucien and Henry are the only people making my life worthwhile. I really, really anticipate seeing him every morning, making him breakfast, talking to him. I don’t want him to go.
“Tumor, did you say?” My lip wobbles.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He puts both his hands under the arch of his back for support. Does it still hurt there? “Maybe it’s my imagination, but when I was diagnosed with cancer four years ago, I felt a similar pain in my back, and I was confident it was nothing…but I was wrong,” Henry says, in a voice that milks every ounce of my emotions.
I don’t want to cry for him. But I do. On the inside.
And then poof goes my promise to not get near him, not touch him, not put my arms around him, draw him close and comfort him. I do it all.
My cheek sweeps an arc over his shoulder blade, and in those moments, the world is pure and beautiful and there is no such thing as fear. I don’t even recoil.
Maybe, I think, it’s because I know he’s a good person. The reason doesn’t even matter. What matters is to comfort him. 
“Don’t feel bad for me.” Henry winds one arm around me.
The urge to protect him that arises within me at that moment tells me more than I need to know.
“I’m not feeling bad for you. I’m praying that you’re wrong.”
I don’t even recognize the person who says that.
When did I become someone who cares for other people? When did Henry Stone become someone who could tear my soul to pieces with a simple glance? When did he go from being a nobody I wouldn’t look at twice in a million years to making my heart race like a F1 racecar in his presence? Have I been blind all along or has he always been so fuckin’ beautiful?





 Author Bio

Sasha Clinton discovered romance novels at the age of thirteen and has been addicted to the genre ever since. After getting a degree in Chemical Engineering and realizing that there was no way she could ever be an engineer, she decided to follow her passion and write romance novels. Sasha has lived in New Delhi, Melbourne, Manchester and Boston and continues to move frequently. But wherever she is, she’s hard at work on her next book. 


Author Links

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Monday, July 3, 2017

Release Blitz: UNTAMED by Lauren Hawkeye!

The first part in Lauren Hawkeye's super sexy UNINHIBITED! serial is available today - and you don't have long to wait, with the next part releasing next week! Find out more about UNTAMED below and pick up your copy today!

   

About UNTAMED (Uninhibited! #1)

Celebrity archaeologist Cari Dunn is so over the Georgia heat, the red tape at her dig site, and the threatening messages left on her motel door. She just wants to dig, and the network just wants to keep her safe—with a bodyguard. She can’t complain. Jasper Benjamin radiates raw masculinity that penetrates her to the core and ignites passion she’s never felt. Too bad for him, she's not going to be easy to handle.
Lusting after the bodyguard shouldn’t be so tempting, especially when her life is on the line.

Grab your copy of UNTAMED now:

Preorder UNBOUND (Uninhibited! #2) - Releases July 10th

Preorder UNDONE (Uninhibited! #3) - Releases July 17th

 

Get a Sneak Peek at UNTAMED:

  “You know what Krav Maga is, and you let me spar with my imaginary friend for the last hour?” I let myself go limp, become dead weight, expecting the move to surprise him enough to drop me. It did not. Instead he rolled with me until his back was against the parched grass, and I was seated astride him. I should have been able to get free since I was on top, but I couldn’t rid myself of his steely grip on my arms, and I knew he’d chosen that position deliberately, to prove his point. Damn it. This was not the result I wanted—proof that I did, in fact, need him. “I get it. You’re stronger than me. Now let me up.” Temper-tears stung the back of my throat. Convincing my stepfather that I was going to go to university, convincing my colleagues that I wouldn’t have a nervous breakdown just because some idiot spray painted my door—why did I always have to fight just to live my life the way I wanted? Instead of gloating and letting me up, my newly vindicated bodyguard tugged me down so that I lay at on top of him. I surprised myself by wanting, suddenly, to bury my face in his T-shirt and just let go for a moment, rather than fight this new reality—that I might actually be in danger. “I’m not trying to prove that I’m stronger than you. I don’t have to. It’s obvious.” The urge to snuggle passed as I cranked my head around with a glare. Way to make me feel worse, asshole. Krav maga is a discipline, and the first rule is to avoid confrontation. You know this. So why the hell are you out here, alone, after dusk?” His words were tinted with frustration, the first hint of emotion he’d shown, and I was surprised enough to stop tugging at his grip. When I did, he let go, and I pushed myself up on his massive chest but didn’t roll off. “You’re serious.” I waited for the punchline, but it didn’t come. Instead, he fixed me with a stare from those pale eyes, and a shiver skittered down my spine. “You don’t actually think someone is out to get me, do you? It’s a prank, right?” “Let’s look at it this way.” Propping himself up on an elbow brought that rock-solid stomach of his in contact with my hip. I thought he would push me away, but he didn’t, seeming completely unaffected by the closeness of our bodies. That stung, because I sure as hell wasn’t. This close, I could feel the warmth of his skin, smell a hint of soap, and it invaded my senses slowly, lazily, like honey melting on a summer day. “You’re an archaeologist. You search for physical proof of things before you build theories on top of that evidence. Would that be an accurate explanation?” “Yes.” Narrowing my eyes, I tried to drag my attention from the scent of his skin to what he was saying. My mouth was dry, and the space between my legs that pressed into the cradle between his hip was warm and starting to ache. He gave no indication that our position was getting him all hot and bothered, too. None. How was I the only one feeling this? “You have your physical proof. Harassment in the form of vandalism, and the more direct threat with the poster mailed to Margot.” With the sort of ab crunch I couldn’t do even on my best day, he hauled himself into a sitting position, still without pushing me off his lap. “Sure, it could be that someone just wants to mess with your head. But what if it’s more? Wouldn’t you rather be prepared?” “I like being prepared.” I ran my tongue over my lips and swallowed. Holy mixed messages. His words, his demeanor—he was still fully in G.I. Joe mode, but still, he hadn’t pushed me away. “So how is this going to work? You just follow me around all the time?” A thought occurred to me. “You’re not expecting to stay in the same room, are you?” Looking at him, though, I felt that same strange pull that I had in Margot’s suite. I might not actually mind having him that close. What was wrong with me? Margot and the network had been right—I was absolutely in danger. But the threat? It was him.

About Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.

Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers!

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