Cage West has spent his entire life waiting for that one special woman to turn his world upside down. As a detective with the local PD, he fills his hours investigating criminals with little time left for much else. When a tip comes into the office about a possible kidnapping at a suspiciously familiar address, Cage is prepared to do whatever it takes to rescue the girl, but when he lays eyes on sweet, innocent Tessa, a firestorm knocks him off his feet. She needs him, and he damn sure wants her–for now, for life, forever.
Nineteen-year-old Tessa Talbot hasn’t seen the outside world in two years. Her stepfather keeps her under his thumb after the tragic death of her mother, convinced she’ll only succumb to all the sins the world has to offer. He’s kept her wildly untouched, and after years of sheltered homeschooling, she’s doubtful her life will ever look any different. That is until one tall, dark, and devilishly handsome detective knocks on her door.
Scared to let him in, even more afraid to turn him away, Tessa makes the decision of her life and decides to trust the man she’s only just met and leave the only world she’s ever known behind. She’s just praying the past won’t return to haunt her, he’s just praying he can save her when it does.
Warning: Cage is a rough and growly alpha male with a fierce loyalty for the woman he loves. This story is a wild, twisty ride coated in sugary, Aria Cole sweetness with a sinfully delicious dollop of sexy.
Aria Cole is a thirty-something housewife who once felt bad for reading dirty books late at night, until she decided to write her own. Possessive alpha men and the sassy heroines who love them are common, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily ever afters so sweet your teeth may ache.
Aria’s new release BLACK is the first in her modern fairy tale series. For a safe, off-the-charts HOT, and always HEA story that doesn’t take a lifetime to read, get lost in an Aria Cole book!
Follow Aria on Amazon for new release updates, or stalk her on Facebook and Twitter to see which daring book boyfriend she’s writing next!
It’s Lily Parker’s first day at a new high school. She’s a senior finishing her last semester, and all she wants to do is graduate and get out of town. Her home life is a secret hell, and she’s trying to find a way out. But everything changes when Ren says hello and sees right through to her truth. Ren Hendrick’s succeed’s at everything he touches, including football. But he’s never been passionate about anything. He’s quiet and keeps to himself, which pisses people off. But he can’t find the desire to care. He’s lived a life without color, until Lily walks in and lights up his world. Their story is one of sweet young love and finding your forever before you can even dream of what that is. It’s one of protecting what belongs to you and having the courage to follow your heart, no matter your age. Warning: Call your dentist and schedule an appointment, because you’re going to get nothing but cavities from this sugary book. Ren and Lily start off so innocent, but by the time it’s over, you’re gonna need to hose yourself off. We’re talking two virgins who turn into maniacs. You’re welcome!
The sounds of banging cabinets startle me awake before my alarm can go off. Rolling over to my side, I see I still have thirty minutes before I need to get up. I’d set my alarm a little earlier than I should have because I’m nervous about my first day. I’m going to a new school and have no idea what this one is going to be like. You never know what you’re going to get. Most of the time I can blend in and let myself get lost in the crowd of other students. No one notices me for the most part, but it doesn’t always work.
I should be used to changing schools by now. I think this is the fourth time I’ve moved in the past two years. The schools are starting to run together, but I hope this is the last. Only months separate me from graduation, and only days from my eighteenth birthday. I’ll be able to make my own choices then.
A sound of something shattering in the kitchen followed by a string of curses causes me to hold my breath. I can only hope he doesn’t call out my name. Monday mornings are the worst. Dad’s always coming off a weekend bender, because alcohol seems to be my father’s reason for living. It wasn’t always like this, but it is now.
Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I slowly sit up and listen for his movements. Things have been getting unstable lately, and it’s only getting worse. Dad used to be able to drown his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle and pretend I didn’t exist. But recently his anger has been rising and flying my way. I’m constantly walking around on eggshells, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the look in his eyes, but I can see it. I can feel it deep inside me, like he’s waiting for me to do something wrong so he can strike out.
But I always make sure there isn’t a reason. I desperately don’t want that change to come. I’m a skittish rabbit in my own home. When I finally hear the front door slam closed, all my muscles release, and an all-too-familiar tension within me relaxes.
I pull myself from the bed and get ready for school. I go with a short button-up blue jean dress with wool leggings underneath. They’re soft and warm and will help with the chill on my mile-long walk to school. It’s early January, and the Minnesota winter is raging. The more layers I can put on, the better.
Looking in the mirror, I part my hair a little to the side so more falls to the right, before putting in a small clip to hold it in place. I make sure the scar by my ear is hidden as much as possible, then I look myself over, double-checking everything. The scar is all I ever see when I look in the mirror. It’s the bitter reminder of the day that changed my world. My mom might have died in the car, but she dragged my father with her into the grave. Nothing has been the same since that day.
Now when I look into the mirror, the scar isn’t the first thing I see. I see my mother. When I was unpacking boxes last night I pulled out a photo album of my parents when they were younger. I look just like her at my age. From my white-blonde hair, to my too-big blue eyes that take over my face, to my front teeth that are a little bigger than the rest, and my small upturned nose.
We almost look like twins in pictures of us at the same age. Reaching out, I touch the mirror, wishing it was my mother. But all the wishing in the world can’t turn back the clock. I spent the first year after she died wishing for so many things. Wishing gets you nowhere.
I wipe at the tear that’s somehow escaped. I miss when I looked in the mirror and I only saw the scar. It was easier to deal with. Grabbing my bag, I head downstairs knowing the mess my dad made will still be there.
Since my mom died I’ve sort of taken her place when it comes to the household chores. I make sure everything is kept clean, the laundry is done, and dinner is on the table before my dad gets home from whatever job he is doing. Normally it’s some kind of security since he lost his badge after one too many DWIs. I don’t know how he can drink all night and still get up for work, but he does it.
I finish cleaning up the shattered coffee mug from the floor and make sure everything else is in its place. I pull a pack of hamburger meat out of the freezer and sit it out on the stove to defrost. I’ll make something with it when I get home.
Bundling up the best I can, I pray that the weather won’t be too bad when school finally lets out. I need to see about finding a job on the weekends. Maybe I can fill out most of the applications online during lunch at the school library. I’ve seen a few small places in town that are on my way to school. I can see about popping in and applying on my way home. They’d be the best bet being so close. Maybe I’d get lucky and could even work a few hours after school, making it home before Dad.
Dad will never go for me working through the week if it means no dinner on the table, but the weekends he seems okay with. I’ve been pooling every penny I can and saving it away. I feel like time is running out and I need as much money as I can get to try and get a place of my own. I want to be able to afford college next year and to put a roof over my head. I have to get out of here. I can’t watch my father kill himself. I already watched my mother die.
OMG!!!! Talk about knocking it out of the park!!! Yes, just when I thought I couldn’t love these authors more, Alexa Riley managed to leave me speechless… They completely knocked me out on three fronts! First and biggest, everyone who knows me, knows that YA is definitely not one of my fav genres, and that I tend to stay away from me, but this book, and specially this hero, blew my predefined ideas, because it really made forget that I was reading this genre, and for the very first time, I’m adding a smutty YA to my ALL time favorite list! Secondly, as you know, I devour everything AR, and couldn’t be a bigger fan, but Shielding Lily and mainly Ren managed to push ahead of so many of my AR favs, and make it to my TOP 3 (not leading because that is reserved to the amazing EFH, our Christmas present)!!! And last, but not least, you know how I’m a sucker for virgin heroes, so how could I resist this trope executed in the most perfect of ways, and combined with another of my all time favorites, each-others-one-and-only, it was PERFECTION in writing!!! Really, melting into a puddle from start to finish! And I can’t finish without mentioning this, but you know how KA is know for her amazing and fulfilling epilogues, right? Well, these ladies manage to live up to those and then some! I couldn’t ADORE them more!!! Yes, completely fan-girling right here, and they most certainly deserve all the credit and SO much more!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.
They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!
Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. In her Fusion Series from William Morrow, she seduces readers’ senses with the sexy, contemporary romance in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you the gorgeous cover for BLUSH FOR ME, the third book in the Fusion Series! BLUSH FOR ME brings readers the next story in this amazing cast of characters. Releasing March 21, 2017, BLUSH FOR ME is the third standalone novel in Kristen’s Fusion Series. Grab your copy of the first two books in the series, LISTEN TO ME and CLOSE TO YOU, and preorder BLUSH FOR ME today!
BLUSH FOR ME
Series: Fusion #3
Author: Kristen Proby
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 21, 2017
New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby continues to delight the senses with the latest novel in her delectable Fusion series.
As the take-charge wine bar manager of Seduction, Portland’s hottest new restaurant, Katrina Meyers is the definition of no-nonsense, and she isn’t afraid of anything. Well, almost anything: she hates to fly. When she’s forced to travel on a death trap with wings, the turbulence from hell has her reaching for any safe haven—including the incredibly handsome guy sitting next to her.
Ryan “Mac” MacKenzie hasn’t been able to get his sexy seatmate out of his head. The way she clung to him stirred something inside him he didn’t think existed: tenderness. As the owner of a successful wine touring company, Mac thinks he’s got a handle on what life can throw at him and he’s not prepared for any surprises, especially in the feelings department. And when he brings a tour into Seduction, he sees the petite spitfire he just can’t forget.
Mac is determined to discover what else they have in common besides fine wine and the inability to keep their hands off each other. But what will it take for two stubborn people to realize that what they have is so much more than a hot chemistry between the sheets and to admit to falling in love…?
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.
Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry Charles Albert Edgar Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.
He’s not handling it well.
Hoping to force her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora goes on a much-needed safari holiday—and when the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:
Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.
A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world’s most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.
While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.
The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit…and her naughty sense of humor.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight.
As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.
Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the hot and hilarious Tangled series and The Legal Briefsseries. Emma lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two naughty (but really cute) dogs. She has a long-standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.
I’m good in a boardroom, but I’m better in the bedroom. Much better. I can charm the skirt off any woman in one encounter. I’ll even give her an orgasm before I put her in a cab. Or three. No more or she’ll start making plans for the future and I’m not into that.
Or I wasn’t until Genevive Fasbender. She’s the first woman in five years that I want to spend the whole night with. And she’s the first woman who’s told me I’m not what she wants in a lover, even after multiple O’s. She’s brash and bold and stubborn as hell, and she doesn’t believe it’s possible to satisfy her.
But I’m up for the challenge.
And after an incident in my brother’s office closet―a downright dirty incident―I think I’m just the guy to deliver.
Genevive Fasbender will never know what’s coming.
Five minutes later, the valet pulls up with my car. Genevieve raises an eyebrow. “A Bugatti?”
I’m so impressed she can name the model that I practically jizz in my pants. “It’s the best.”
She shakes her head, and I swear I hear her mutter something about rich men and their toys, but I don’t respond, too occupied with inspecting my car and then passing the attendant the cash I promised him earlier for returning my vehicle in perfect condition.
I slide into the driver’s seat, and when I look over at Genevieve as she buckles her seatbelt, a wave of pure, unadulterated lust rolls through me. I’m very aware that I’ve trapped her, that she’s now defenseless to my whims. Not that I’d take advantage, but goddamn, to think that I could…
I nearly shiver at my own vile thoughts.
Glad she can’t know what I’m thinking, I flash her a smile. “So. Where am I taking you?”
“I’m staying at the Park Hyatt on 57th Street.”
“Fancy.” The Park Hyatt is one of the nicest luxury hotels in New York. That means this girl has money, which isn’t a bad thing. Just, the swell of my wallet in my back pocket is usually one of my better attributes. If wealth doesn’t attract her, I hope I’m not shit out of luck when it comes to getting an invitation up to her room.
Apparently, I’m transparent because she asks, “Not impressed?”
“Quite the opposite. I’m worried you won’t have a reason to be impressed with me.” Now I’m the one who can’t believe how honest I’m being.
“It’s a valid worry,” she says after a beat, and I can’t tell if she’s teasing or being blunt. Can’t tell if I should prepare for gut-wrenching disappointment or dive into another round of sexy banter.
I concentrate on my driving instead, speeding up before slipping expertly into a tight opening in the adjacent lane.
I’ll admit I’m showing off.
“Smashing,” she says with a tone that vibrates through my body like I’m a tuning fork.
Then, abruptly, she laughs, and I turn my head toward her, alarmed at the source of her amusement.
“I still can’t believe you drive a Bugatti in the city. I can’t decide if that makes you brilliant or as mad as a bag of ferrets.”
“Brilliant, of course.” Though, with her so close, I feel more like I’m going crazy. “What can I say? I like things that are fast.”
“Of course you do.”
“You don’t?” I raise a questioning brow. “Maybe you don’t understand how awesome fast can be.” I put my foot on the gas and race down the next block to prove my point.
The traffic light turns red as I approach the intersection, and I ease the brakes. “See? Fast is fun.”
“The problem with fast is it’s over too quickly.”
Is that innuendo? Her gaze pierces into me, and the air around us feels tight and charged, and I’m suddenly certain that I will die if I don’t get to taste her tonight.
Even if she didn’t mean anything more when she made her statement, I certainly do when I say, “Don’t worry. I know when to take my time.”
She exhales, slowly, and I swear I can feel it. As though she’s already in my arms and her breath is grazing every inch of my bare skin. No matter what happens after this, I know she at least feels this…this attraction. Or whatever it is.
Her voice is low and sultry when she replies. “You’re not talking about cars anymore. But do you really take your time? I’d guess you bolt the minute you’re finished.” She’s so blunt, so direct, and I don’t know if it’s a her thing or an English thing, but I like it.
I also like this conversation we’re having. Because we’re drawing the lines, and that means the potential for tonight is high. So I answer with a nod, making sure she understands that she’s correct in thinking I’ll bolt. Because I will.
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
Jodi Ellen Malpas is the New York Times and Sunday Times (UK) bestselling author of two romantic trilogies: This Man and One Night.Now, Jodi Ellen Malpas is back with her long-awaited next novel—and her first stand-alone story—THE PROTECTOR (Forever; September 6, 2016; $15.99).
People think they have Camille Logan nailed: rich kid, daddy’s girl, beautiful, and spoiled.But Camille knows that support from her ultra-wealthy and overbearing father comes with a price tag not worth paying for.She wants a life without his strings.Out on her own, she’s made a few mistakes, including one that found her clawing her way back after a stint in rehab and plenty of bad press.Now, after fighting so hard to be independent and happy, she finds her life threatened as a result of her father’s questionable business dealings.She has no choice but to play ball when he hires an ex-SAS sniper to protect her at all costs.
Jake Sharp resides in his own personal hell.He had been distracted from duty once before and the consequences were devastating, both personally and professionally.He vowed to never let that happen again.Being the bodyguard to socialite model Camille is exactly the kind of low pressure job he needs.But he quickly comes to discover that Camille isn’t what he expected.She’s warm and emotionally generous, and she slowly succeeds in drawing him out of his tough exterior.Jake’s past haunts him.Camille’s presence settles him.But he can’t have both.
Jake Sharp is every woman’s fantasy man because ‘Mysterious, dark and dangerous’ fits him to a t. That is until you really now what his happening behind that handsome and appealing package…
“Where’s the billboard?”
I swallow. “Huh?”
“The billboard.” Her eyes dart, genuinely looking around.
“What billboard?”
“The one he’s just fallen out of?”
But looks can be so deceiving, and being that panty melting magnetism he hides a world of pain, guilt and suffering. Five years prior something horrible happened, destroying his world, and his causing a chain of events, that altered his existence forever. An existence where alcohol, anonymous sex and his job are his coping mechanisms, and which allow him to barely survive, much less live. But his job in security and protection really is his lifeline. Without that distraction, he would just drown in a sea of pain. And its only this prospect that makes him a accept to take on the job as shadow of the spoiled and frivolous daughter of a billionaire. Or so he thought…
Camille as always tried to escape this preconceived image of daddy’s spoiler and wealthy girl, and takes her independence and struggle to fight her own battles very seriously, so when a treat against her life, doe to her father’s business, comes up and she his forced to deal with a shadow, a ever present bodyguard in her life, let’s just say she is less than pleased.
To make matters worse that protector had to be an handsome and sexy devil, which causes her body to react in most unwelcoming ways, so in addition to fighting this theft of her privacy and independence, she also has to fight her body and the attraction to Jake. Talk about an impossible mission!
But this struggle against this attractions isn’t one sided, Jake has to fight at every turn against these feeling and magnetism that Camille has woken in him, and let’s just say he also isn’t a happy camper.
Camille, however, is costing me lots of thoughts. Inappropriate thoughts. Painful thoughts. Annoying thoughts.
I can behave as professionally as I like, but my cock and all other vital organs aren’t playing along. Resistance is key. Being sensible is paramount.
All the pushing and dodging away is hard to keep up on both ends, specially given that they’re together and in contact 24/7, even more so when they start to unveil the other’s true personality, and what they both hide behind their well put together facade. When they do, they are even more attracted than they were together, because they complement each other perfectly.
My eyes are heavy, and my heart is full of hope.
Hope that I never encounter Sebastian Peters again. And hope that Jake Sharp stays with me forever to ensure it. To protect me from him. From everything.
I’ve never felt so certain or so desperate in my life. I want him—this cryptic, unfathomable man. I want him with every fiber of my being.
Of course with this new discoveries, their already epic attraction, that was set to explode at some point, took only a small physical touch to break through in a way, that there was no more coming back for them. They were completely lost to each other, and nothing else existed.
I’ve never felt a connection so intense that I can physically feel it. It’s no distraction. It’s no means to an end. It’s tangible. It’s pulling at every one of my muscles and stabbing at every inch of my naked skin. I’ve never felt so absorbed by a woman that she makes me want to sacrifice my soul in her honor.
I’ve never felt this. Never.
Many words are trying to wrestle their way into my twisted mind, but only one is making it through.
Mine.
And it was an hold no barriers explosion! One of vulcanic proportions, that will surely leave you weak kneed and panting. That’s how crazy HOT they are together!
From that point forward there was no more denying their true feelings, and they gave in to all the lust and passion in the most delicious and steamy ways, with some scorching sex scenes and interactions. We could literally feel the sparks flying when they were together – it was enough to be in the same room. Jake really let it all show and his possessive, protective, OTT Alpha couldn’t have shone more through. And I loved every second of that, how he wasn’t afraid to show how crazy he was when it came to Camille.
“Does it swallow you up like it does me?” he asks quietly, unmoving above me. “Does it consume you so much you think you might never break free?” He rises to his elbows, taking his time, until he’s gazing down at me, looking almost confused. His handsome face is clear, his gorgeous eyes twinkling. “Tell me you feel the same. Tell me I’m not alone.”
Yes, he did get on my nerves in the beginning, with his arrogance, cockiness (specially in the regards of his sexual past and confidence) and asshole and standoffish attitude towards Cami. But when he gave in, OMG! he made me fall in love with him along with Camille. I loved his brand of crazy obsessed with her. They had these fantastic steamy moments, where he made me fan myself with his possessiveness and dirty talk, but also had the most amazing tender and loving moments, where he showed her how precious she was to him, that had me swooning… WOW!!!
“You calm me, regardless of the fact that you’ve actually made my life the most chaotic it’s ever been. You’ve found me, despite the fact that I never wanted to be found.” I grab her hands and squeeze, desperate for her to understand the depth of impact she’s had on me. She looks stunned but calm. “You’re the missing piece I wasn’t looking for, angel. And now I’m scared of being incomplete again. I’m so scared of being without you.”
Doesn’t that just make you melt? I couldn’t get enough of these moments, where he truly showed her what she meant to his, that she really was his angel. That she saved him from the darkness and despair.
And of course that this ‘perfect imperfection’ of Jake isn’t surprising, given that we are talking about a story written by Jodi Ellen Malpas! She is, after all the creator of the Lord of the Manor, Jesse, and who could forget that character? I certainly never will! And after reading this story I have to say that Jake is close to that unforgettableness, given some personality similarities, like the crazy possessiveness and obsession (not quite on Jesse’s level, LOL) as with their unquestionable love for their ‘angels’.
Like I mentioned before I enjoyed this story immensely and loved all the characters – specially Jake and Camille – and the pace and development of the side plot and the unveiling of the mysteries. I would have rated it higher if not for that nerve touching details on Jake that I referred before, and for the lack of true epilogue. I wanted more about their future, and what happened to them further along, specially given that it’s a standalone.
Nonetheless I LOVED this story, which was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and JEM sure did not disappoint! After this I can only count down the days and be on the look out for her next release, because I have no doubt that from her creative hands it will certainly be something delicious – specially the Hero!!! <3
“Home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Where do you want it to be?” He looks across at me, keeping his face blank, waiting for my reply.
“You’re my home now,” I tell him. “Wherever you are, that’s my home.”
“What is your thing?” “You.” That’s easy. “You are my thing.”
ARC Kindly provided by the author via Forever in exchange for an honest review
British talent Jodi Ellen Malpas sold hundreds of thousands of e-books of her passionately erotic trilogy This Man before landing a major US publishing deal and sailing straight to the top of the New York Times bestsellers chart in a few short months. Success quickly followed in the UK, with thousands of readers falling head-over-heels for the devastatingly handsome Lord of the Manor Jesse Ward and his feisty counterpart, Ava O’Shea, as all three books became major Sunday Times bestsellers. This was followed by further success with her second series One Night, which introduced the irresistibly enigmatic M.
Jodi was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys and a beagle. She is a self-professed daydreamer, a Converse and, mojito addict, and has a terrible weak spot for Alpha Males.
Apple “Core” Drew needs The Uncertain Saints MC like he needs air. He is barely making it through the day, and each one that goes by takes him closer and closer to hell. Literally, not figuratively.
He’s a half breath away from killing himself—maybe not by taking his own life, but he’s not against making someone else do it for him. Then he meets her. One of his club member’s sister, and his whole outlook on life changes.
And not for the better.
Just as surely as he ruined his life, he ruins her life, too. One lapse in judgement on his part, and his one night of happiness turns into the worst nine months of his life.
Which he would’ve thought was damn near impossible with the things he’s done and seen.
She never saw it coming…
It was the beard. The beard made her do it.
That is a good excuse for having sex with a man she barely knows, isn’t it?
Yeah, who was she kidding? It wasn’t the beard. It was the way he looked so dejected and solemn. The sad look in his eyes pulls her in, and the way his rough hands touch her makes her stay.
All she wants to do is take that look out of his eyes, but the consequences to her actions only make things worse, not better. One day is all she gets, and he’s not willing to give her more.
“Your brother’s gonna kick my ass you know,” I said.
“Why?” she asked.
I snorted.
“A, because he doesn’t like me. Two because he doesn’t like me,” I explained seriously.
“My brother’s suspicious,” she amended. “And he doesn’t hate you. If he hated you, you’d be treated like my brother.”
“And how’s that?” I asked in confusion, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Like a common criminal,” she expounded. “Ridley keeps him under surveillance, and he doesn’t get to come around me, him, or any of the club members.”
“Hmm,” I started walking faster. “Interesting.”
She nodded.
“He’s not here,” she informed me.
“Okay,” I said, my eyes following the movement of her finger as she brought one manicured finger up to her mouth and bit lightly on the nail.
“Do I have to spell it out for you?” She lifted her brows, her finger still rubbing lightly across her bottom lip.
I rebalanced my weight on both feet as I readied myself for whatever was going to come out of her mouth next.
I wasn’t disappointed. It was quite shocking, to say the least.
“I want you to fuck me,” she said.
She didn’t lead up to it or anything, just blurted that shit out there.
Which might’ve been why I couldn’t think of anything to say to that.
“I’m…” I hesitated.
“You’re a pussy,” she said, brows raised.
My eyebrows lowered.
“That’s certainly not what I was going to say,” I informed her. “Which you would’ve known had you not interrupted me.”
“Most people finish their sentences in a timely manner,” she said stiffly.
She was getting pissed.
Interesting.
“Desperate much?” I asked her. “You have to proposition guys that don’t want you in an attempt to get what you want?”
Her mouth dropped open in affront.
“You’re shitting me right now, aren’t you?” she asked, hurt evident in her voice.
“Yes,” I said, contrite. “But you surprised me is all. And I’m not a pussy.”
“Well, what are you?” she asked primly.
“Honestly?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“I’m trying to get into a club that my father thinks’ll be good for my PTSD and anger management,” I answered. “And to do that, I need to not piss off the members; for example, your brother.”
Her mouth thinned.
“My brother’s already let you know that he doesn’t like you. What’s sleeping with his sister going to change?” she challenged.
I paused, unsure how to answer that.
“Well…” on one hand she was correct. He wasn’t going to hate me any less if I slept with his sister.
And I did find her attractive.
Extremely attractive.
She was gorgeous.
And I’m not talking in a girl next door kind of way. I’m talking about a ‘keep her locked down in baggy pants and a sweat shirt’ kind of way and still beat the men off with a stick.
She’d be hell on the heart, that was for sure.
Her long, black curly hair came to about mid back, and her porcelain white skin seemed almost luminescent under the light of the moon.
She had long legs that looked fucking superb in those tight jeans she had on, not to mention the black Jack Daniel’s t-shirt she was wearing, cut up in that fashion that women seemed to like now-a-days, was only accentuating her curves.
And what little denial I tried to hang on to by the tips of my fingers slipped away, leaving only one thing in my mind.
I couldn’t pass this opportunity up.
Not after I’d been lusting after the woman for so long, even though she didn’t know that.
“You really want this?” I asked her, crowding her so close that she started backing up out of reaction.
She licked her lips, and then nodded.
“Yes,” she said surely. “Or I wouldn’t have brought it up.”
“You know who I am?” he asked. “You’re not intoxicated and asking for things that you shouldn’t be asking for in this condition.”
She laughed in my face.
“Oh, honey. Now you’re just trying to think up an excuse to back out, aren’t you?” she glared.
Bad Apple let us into Apple and Kitt’s story, and it’s quite a ride…
They are both broken souls, each in his/hers own way, but when they meet something special happens, and they soon realize it, but also fight it. Sure, they give in to their physical attraction, but letting themselves go and trust, is a whole new matter. But they were also aware it was near to impossible mission.
She’d be hell on the heart, that was for sure.
She may want just a one night stand, but I wasn’t one to fool myself. This, what we had, was explosive.
Apple is the prospect of the Uncertain Saints, it comes with tasks and rules he’s not so kin of, but it’s the only thing that gives in him some sort of escape from his severe PTSM and an unforgettable and horrific event that happened in his past that doesn’t allow him to move on and live a normal life, or look forward for the future, sadly the exact opposite. That is until he meets Kitt. She really brought a new light into his life, the problem is how deeply engrained his trauma and scars have buried themselves in his mind.
But as I saw the bags under his eyes, I realized then that his wounds weren’t superficial. They were deep, and they wanted to hold on and dig deeper. And he’d been letting them fester.
Kitt is not with her own brand of problems. The fact that she’s the sister of one of Apple’s Uncertain Saints brothers, Ridley, may seem like the biggest obstacle for her and Apple’s involvement, but it that is only a small part of the problem, on her hand. Kitt suffers from a very particular and dangerous health condition, which she keeps under wraps, as much as she can, but that it that’s her brother’s overprotectiveness to a whole new level. But she doesn’t let that get in the way of her fighting for something she wants, and when she realizes that Apple his her future, she sure as hell is prepared to fight.
But one thing was for certain. Over good food and lots of laughs, I fell deeply in love with Apple Drew.
And it sure is a rocky road! After their two times together and while Apple is already pushing her away, they find out she is pregnant (which is not the ideal situation in her condition), and that takes their situation a whole new level of problems and misunderstandings, which makes them both suffer immensely.
Because that was exactly how the next couple of months went. Misunderstanding after misunderstanding.
I loved both characters so much! Sure, Apple really made me mad multiple times with is long lasting pushing away, but I understood why, and putting things in his perspective, he really didn’t see a way to get out of his own head and dark thoughts. What made me forgive him and swoon was his complete devotion to Kitt, even while apart. I will not reveal too much, but he really was there for her throughout the whole pregnancy and heath problems, even if from the distance in most of the times. But I never doubted she was the center of his world, and how much he loved her.
“You smell good,” he growled. “And the answer to what’s gotten into me, is you. You’ve gotten into me. I can’t stop thinking about you. Your laugh. Your smell. Your taste. Your sense of humor. The way your eyes light up when you experience pleasure. Fucking everything about you has gotten into me, burrowed deep under my skin and won’t let me go.”
Kitt is an awesome character on her own. Sassy, smart and completely kickass! She doesn’t let her health condition restrain her, and that’s exactly how she faces life, completely head on! I adored that she fought for what she wanted, and that she never gave up on her biggest fight, for Apple and their love and life together. To bring him to the light! Because she couldn’t be more right, she was the only one who could do do it. They were, after all, soul mates.
“But not a day has gone by, since I met you, that I haven’t thought about you. In fact, it would be safe to say not a single day has gone by where I haven’t thought about you several times. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve wished you were there holding me at night. I’m damn tired, too, of fighting what I feel for you, and I honestly don’t want to do it anymore. I’m fucked up. Beyond fucked up. You’re fucked up. Apple, why can’t we just be fucked up together?”
I had no doubt that they belonged together, and if you take into consideration what her bodies were telling them all that time, they were meant to be. They really were explosive together, the sex scenes were scorchingly hot and Apple sure had a deliciously dirty mouth on him… SO HOT!!!
“I want to fuck you,” he whispered. “I want to bend you over that dresser, then shove my cock so far into your pussy that you feel it in your throat.”
“I wish I could have my mouth on you and cock in you at the same time,” he growled. “Taste you while I felt you around me all at once.”
And those funny – hilarious, actually – rollling in the floor laughing moments?! Fantastic! Lani really is able to integrate the most assorted and end of the spectrum moments PERFECTLY, throughout the amazing development of the story and characters. One thing is always guaranteed, you will NEVER get bored reading one of her books! Yes, she is that spectacular!
“Does being your old lady come with a ring?” She batted her eyes sweetly. I smiled at her. “Fuck yeah it does,” I said. “I have some chicken rings at my place we can cook up for dinner.” She slapped my arm in affront. “That’s not what I meant, and you damn well know it.”
I absolutely loved this story – with Lani, I always do – and couldn’t devour it fast enough. The only issues I had, hence not the five stars were that Apple’s pushing away took, in my opinion, far too long, with created an too extended dark period of pain and suffering, in their behalf, in the book. The second point was the small OW drama (not even sure that is the correct word, given the small relevance), which definitely was not relevant or necessary for this amazing story. They had already too much problems to deal with, and since it had barely no impact, I didn’t see the point in them. Apart from those minor issues, I really adored this two, and it was amazing to revisit the rest of the gang, and oh boy, I can’t wait to read Ridley’s story!!! Lani, you are such a teaser!!! I’m normally not a big fan of the dead spouse lover, but I seriously can’t wait to read DIRTY MOTHER. November 3rd, can’t come fast enough!!! <3
“I love you. I love you when you’re you. I love you when you’re not you. I love you when you’re sick. I love you when you’re healthy. I’d take care of you even if you were a quadriplegic. You’re it for me, and I’m it for you. Got it?” I whispered. She still didn’t answer, but I wasn’t worried. She’d come back to me. And when she did, she was mine. Forever.
ARC kindly provided by the author via Enticing Book Journey Promotions in exchange for an honest review
I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.
“Zach Watters has made a lot of mistakes in his life. But when he sees Shelby Calder looking more beautiful than ever standing outside her childhood home, he promises himself that letting her go won’t be a mistake he ever makes again.”
That moment you love someone more than you love yourself.
That was the moment we gave our son up for adoption and the moment I was left bare. A wide-open space that would forever be empty.
There are moments that define you as a person, moments that prove just how strong you are, moments you push yourself to keep going forward when all you really want to do is give up. It was in one of those moments when I reached out and found him waiting for me.
When Shelby Calder left home fifteen years ago, she never planned on returning to the Alaskan town she left behind. But after the death of her grandfather and a bitter divorce, she hopes going home will be a fresh start for her and her ten-year-old son.
Zach Watters has made a lot of mistakes in his life. But when he sees Shelby Calder, looking more beautiful than ever, standing outside her childhood home, he promises himself that letting her go won’t be a mistake he ever makes again.
Some things never change and love is one of them.
“Then why did you marry her?” I ask, wondering if I’m really ready to go there with him, but it’s too late to change my mind. The question is out, and as much as I don’t want to know the answer, I need to know the answer.
“I wanted my kids to have what I didn’t. I believed that, with time, we could find a way to be happy.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this,” I say, changing my mind as nausea and jealousy turn my stomach.
“You loved your ex, baby. I know you did. I didn’t have that. I wanted it but never had it with her or anyone else since you.”
“Please stop.” Feeling tears burn the back of my eyes for him, I close them tight. Max and I were happy and in love in the beginning, and I hate knowing Zach never had that… the kids didn’t see or feel that.
“I wish my past didn’t hurt you so much. I’m sorry for hurting you the way I have. If I could take your pain away, I would.” He gathers me against him and tucks my head under his chin.
“As sad as it makes me, I wish you would have had that with her or someone else,” I say, and his arms tighten so much that my lungs compress.
“I don’t,” he growls.
“What?” I wheeze, and he loosens his grip just enough for me to take a breath.
“I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I had been with her or someone else when you came back. I don’t want to face that demon inside of me that knows what I would have done.”
“Zach—”
“I’ve been in love with you for almost eighteen years. I carried your missing pieces around inside me for that long, Shelby. I know it would have made me an asshole, but there is only one you. You’re the only place I’ve ever called home.” His voice is thick with emotion, and that wound inside of me fills up a little bit more. I hate his words, but a part of me is relieved he feels that way, that he feels so deeply for me.
“There’s been a wide open space inside me since we placed Samuel and I left you behind. But, from the moment I came back, it’s slowly been filling up.”
He goes quiet at my words. Several moments pass before he speaks again. “One day, that space will be full. I swear, with everything I have in me, I will make sure it’s overflowing and that you never feel empty again.”
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.
Aria Cole is a thirty-something housewife who once felt bad for reading dirty books late at night, until she decided to write her own. Possessive alpha men and the sassy heroines who love them are common, along with a healthy dose of irresistible insta-love and happily ever afters so sweet your teeth may ache.
