Monday, December 31, 2012

The Lightning Struck Tower by Theo Fenraven

Blurb: 

Gray Vecello and Cooper Key are back in the last book in the Precog in Peril series. Snatched by PsiOps, a covert arm of the government, they’re offered training in exchange for their psionic help. Will they take the deal, and if they don’t, what will PsiOps do to them?
Gray and Cooper meet new friends and enemies in this final chapter of the trilogy. The story takes the reader from New York City to Ely, Minnesota, and back to Gray and Cooper’s marina in Red Wing, where they will face the ultimate test of their powers. Someone will live… and someone will die.


B&N
Excerpt: 

Chapter 1

The sound of a key in the door made us swivel our heads. The knob turned and the door was pushed open. My heart rose in my throat.
“Oh, good, you’re awake,” said Jolly Roger, eye patch firmly in place. “I think it’s time you met the real SOS.”
I was stunned... for about five seconds. Then I said harshly, “You’re behind our abduction? Those were your men who assaulted us outside Richard McCollough’s building?”
Cooper gasped softly and slid over next to me. “We were snatched. You snatched us.”
The implications of his words were not lost on me. When the SOS grabbed you, you weren’t seen again, or so the rumor went.
Roger stepped into the room, gesturing at someone behind him. A cart was wheeled in by a man wearing a skin-tight tank, cargo pants, and boots. He parked it near the nightstand and left. Roger closed the door behind him.
“Figured you’d be hungry by now.” Fetching the desk chair, he set it down at the foot of the bed and straddled it backwards, folding his arms across the top and fixing us with a sharp eye. “You have questions. Ask them.”
Neither Cooper nor I reached for the food. I gazed back at him with so much anger in my eyes, I’m surprised it didn’t shoot out and burn him to a crisp. “You talk first. Start with why we’re here.” I glanced around the room. “Wherever ‘here’ is.”
“You’re still in New York City. This is a safe house we maintain.”
Cooper said, “Why do we need to be in a safe house?”
“You don’t, really. It was convenient, that’s all. A quiet place to talk.”
“We could have done that at our hotel.”
Roger snorted. “Yeah? So if I’d strolled up to you on the sidewalk, you would have come with me without question?” My sour expression told him my answer. “Yeah. That’s why I had you brought here.”
“Are we prisoners then?” Cooper asked, and I heard a tremor in his voice.
A surge of protectiveness went through me and I wrapped an arm around him, drawing him close. He sagged against me and I was grateful for his warmth.
Roger rolled his eyes. “I find what might be one of the best psionic teams ever and just my goddamn luck, you’re fucking fruit flies. Could you not touch each other, please? I find it offensive.”
“Fuck you,” I said clearly, taking Cooper’s hand in mine. “You lied to us, betrayed us, shot us full of drugs, and threw us into what has to be one of the ugliest rooms in the city. You don’t have the right to tell us to do anything. Plus, you didn’t find us. Graham sent us to you.”
“I want to leave,” Cooper said in a small voice. “Can we go?”
Roger huffed a bit as he straightened. “You’re not prisoners. You’re... guests of the federal government. We want to talk to you about some things. I want to talk to you.” His gaze went to the nightstand and then the floor. “This is an ugly fucking room. Better quarters await, I assure you.”
“We don’t care. We want out,” I insisted stubbornly. The smell of food was nauseating. Under the anger, I was still scared. “I don’t understand what’s going on. I have to understand. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you,” Roger said almost soothingly. “I apologize for our methods in getting you here but you’ve already admitted you wouldn’t have come voluntarily.”
“Who are you? Who’s ‘we’?” I asked.
“I work for a government division known as PsiOps. You call us the SOS.”
“Arcanum isn’t SOS then?”
“No, they only think they are. Arcanum is comprised of a group of the wealthiest people in the world. Three Americans belong, as well as a man from China, someone from Japan, and an Arab from the Middle East.”
“And they have an interest in people with abilities.” I bit my lip. “They use them, right?”
“Pretty much. You met Damon Winter, who works for Richard McCollough. He’s a good telekinetic.” Roger pointed a finger at the cart and the silver lid lifted off a plate and floated in the air. “So am I.” The lid spun lazily, stopped, and then whizzed off, crashing into the nearest wall with a clatter. “My guys had to knock Winter out fast to prevent him from using his ability on them.”
“You’re much better now than when we met,” Cooper observed. “Or was the demonstration at the bar meant to convince us you didn’t have much power?”
Roger grinned. “Very astute. Yeah, I purposefully made you think I was still learning. Truth is, I’m very good at wielding the power.”
His hand came up and a moment later, Cooper was yanked away from me and lifted into the air, legs dangling a foot above the bed. Roger held him there without effort while Cooper struggled impotently against invisible hands.
“Put him down,” I ordered, fear rocketing through me. “Please.” Roger lowered Cooper until he was once more beside me on the bed. He collapsed against me, shaking. I was dazed, thinking about the implications of someone with that much power walking around, and if there was one, there had to be more. “Can Damon do that?”
Roger’s grin got toothier. “Yeah. Why else would Arcanum want him?”
“Are we common then? People with abilities?”
“Not at all. Part of PsiOps job―part of my job―is to find you, try to figure out why there are any at all. It’s still relatively rare and there are people studying the phenomenon.”
“You told us you didn’t want to be poked and prodded,” Cooper reminded him. “When we met, you said that’s why you kept a low profile. You lied to us.”
“I stretched the truth. I do keep a low profile, and I was poked and prodded plenty when I was in the Marines.” He leaned over the chair back and narrowed his good eye at us. “But you know about that, don’t you?”
“We know you were in a special unit,” I said. “You were observed moving a glass of water across a table and General Pritchard brought this to McCollough’s attention.”
“McCollough didn’t tell you that so you must have seen it on the plane.”
“How do you know he didn’t tell us?” Cooper asked.
Roger blinked. “What?”
“You said McCollough didn’t tell us about Pritchard. How do you know that?”
“Jesus!” I burst out. “His office is bugged, isn’t it? Is that all you people do all day, eavesdrop on each other and play games? Christ.”
Roger laughed. “It’s all a game, don’t you know that? Every morning, McCollough has his office swept for listening devices. His pretty little secretary, who works for us, plants a bug when she brings in his morning coffee and removes it before going home at night.”
Appalled at the duplicity, I moved back against the headboard, taking Cooper with me, belatedly realizing I was trying to put as much distance between us and Roger as I could, not that it would do us any good given the strength of his telekinesis. “You’re all assholes, you know that? Why doesn’t he know you’re PsiOps?”
“The department is covert. Almost no one knows about us.”
Shaking my head, I closed my eyes in disgust. “So you work for both sides and collect two salaries.”
“Pretty much. It’s the American way,” he said flippantly before getting serious again. “Look, I paid my dues. I earned this. When they found out I could move things with my mind, they put me through a series of tests, some of them painful, as they tried to figure out why I was different.”
If Jolly Roger Dean, a marine trained to withstand extremes, was saying the tests they used on him were merely “painful,” I figured they’d probably come close to killing Cooper and me.
“That lasted a while. Hell, it lasted too long. There was a time when I wondered if I might be crazy. Then they ordered me to apply telekinesis in certain instances, on special missions. I was in the Marines. I did what I was told.”
“But it pissed you off, so why are you cooperating with them now? Why put us in the same position?”
A shadow crossed his face, so briefly I couldn’t swear it had been there. “PsiOps recruited me straight out of the service. They made it worth my while. I believe they’re doing good or I wouldn’t be here.”
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear any more.” I couldn’t look at him.
He sighed and lightly tapped the top of the chair back. “You’re not ready to listen yet.” He stood. “Think about what I said. Eat, rest, I’ll be back later.” His eyes went to the cart. “The food’s not poisoned, if that’s what you’re wondering. Neither of you are worth a damn to me disabled or dead.”
Just before he walked out the door, I said, “Is this room bugged?”
He paused, the muscles in his back tensing. After a moment, he turned, crossed to the nightstand, and yanked something free of the lamp. “It isn’t now.” He left quickly, slamming the door behind him. I heard clicks as he locked it.
“This is fucking nuts,” I said heatedly.
Shhh....” Cooper moved his lips against my ear. “I bet there’s more than one bug.”
“Damn it,” I hissed. “You’re probably right.”
We tossed the room and found a small square device with a tiny antenna in one of the bed rails. With great pleasure, we took turns jumping on it until it was smashed flat. Then we flushed the pieces down the toilet.
“That ought to do it,” I said. Having exerted control, however limited, over our situation, and knowing we had to keep up our strength, I added, “Let’s eat.”
Releasing 1/13: The Lightning Struck Tower, Precog in Peril, Book 3

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Woman on Top by Karen Mercury

PRE-ORDER!
AVAILABLE: Friday, January 4th

[Siren Ménage Everlasting: Erotic Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F, with M/M elements, light consensual BDSM, spanking, sex toys, HEA]
Wild child Brooke McQueen has promised to behave, starting a new life at her sister’s Triple Play Lodge in Utah. But she falls hard for the wounded mercenary and antiquities expert, Adrian Kinsey, and can’t keep her hands off him. Adrian wants nothing to do with another woman after he was betrayed by a fiancée back east, and peaceful game warden Gabriel Verona offers to be a buffer zone between the destined lovers.
The trio tries to pretend it’s all merely a lusty game of bondage and discipline as they hook up around the lodge. They walk a delicate balance in their power plays, but Adrian can’t avoid his passion for Brooke forever.
A despicable animal poacher they’ve nabbed vows revenge. Emotions run deep as they scramble to keep one step ahead of the unbalanced criminal. Brooke’s deepest desire is to emerge as the woman on top of every game.
Note: Each book is the McQueen Was My Valley series is stand-alone and can be read in any order.

http://www.bookstrand.com/woman-on-top

STORY EXCERPT

Adrian was about to say that, along with Brooke, he was becoming very interested in the workings of the cattle ranch, but someone pounded on the tack room door then.
“I know you’re in there!” yelled Sol Greenspan. Adrian knew Sol from dealing with Xandra and the coin. The lawyer was a very amusing, fiercely protective, and sleazy sort. Sleazy lawyers were the best. They knew all the ins and outs of things. “Manuel told me he saw things that can’t be unseen looking through that window! I don’t want to suffer the same fate, but I have something urgent to impart to you!”
Adrian waited until Brooke had buttoned her jeans and her cowgirl shirt to unbar the door. The lawyer with the bad comb-over came whistling into the tack room, bringing a rush of frigid air. “What’s so urgent?” Adrian asked.
Sol held his hand out in the “stop” signal toward Gabriel and Adrian. “I know you had every right to arrest that fucktard Wade Rivers, or Thor Heyerdahl, or whatever he’s calling himself. You did a clean sweep of the house, DNA matched, casings matched, cigarette butts, yadda yadda. You had at least ten legitimate charges to keep him in the pokey for a good long time, or several months, whichever comes first.”
“Yeah?” Adrian didn’t like the sound of this. “What happened—he bust out?”
“Close. He made bail. I know you requested it to be set at two hundred thousand dollars, but guess what—someone had even better taste in lawyers than you guys, because ole Dirk Hausenstrauss there had bail reduced to fifty thousand, which he easily made this morning.”
“Fuck!” yelled Gabriel. He grabbed the first thing he saw, a bridle, which he smashed against a saddle.
Now Sol made a picture frame out of his hands. “I’m just telling you this as a courtesy warning. I’ve known about ole Wolfgang Katzenjammer there for years. He’s a thorn in everyone’s side, spewing racist remarks like a volcano, breaking and entering every house between here and Moab. No one’s ever been able to nail him for much of anything. So I got to warn you. He’s going to have it out for you, rifling through his house, taking all his weapons, confiscating his racks and hides. Julian might have to fear the most because he’s half-Navajo.”
“Yeah,” Gabriel snarled bitterly. “Adrian should be safe, with that lily-white skin of his. I resemble my Italian grandfather.”
Sol said, “I think all three of you have some shit creek action going on. And in case you’re thinking what I know you mercenary types like to think, winging this guy isn’t going to mitigate your predicament. You’re gonna have to be on the lookout at every moment.”
“For what?” Brooke asked. “I mean, what’s his style? What does he like to do?”
“Short-sheet the bed?” Gabriel wondered.
Brooke giggled. “Egg the lodge?”
Sol waved them away. “I’ll have to be honest. There have been a few unexplained rapes where his name was bandied about. That seems to be his style. They’re always talking about founding a white breakaway nation. So before you even protest, Opie—you’re the man, you’re the protector, you and Smoky the Italian Bear here. I don’t want to hear any high school protestations that you’re not even going steady and you barely know her. All right? This is your perp and your responsibility to keep my McQueen girls safe.”
Adrian stood next to Brooke and even took her hand. “Oh, I’ll do that, all right. No problem there.”
“Good,” said Sol, jutting out his chin stubbornly. “I’m glad to hear that. Because there’s at least one ranch hand named Manuel who will have to go wash his eyes in bleach after witnessing your shenanigans, which were definitely not high school level. So don’t pretend you don’t know each other.” He walked to the door and didn’t turn around as he pointed behind him.
“And that saddle. Bleach that, too.”

ADULT EXCERPT

This was how Brooke came to be standing in the shallow end of the indoor mineral pool sucking on Gabriel’s cock as he sat on the tiled edge.
It had been Adrian’s idea, surprisingly enough. “Suck his cock,” Adrian had gently urged as he stood behind her. As if she needed any demonstration, Adrian had reached around her to fondle Gabriel’s large cock. She thought that maybe Adrian became inspired by watching Gabriel get a blow job, so she was perfectly willing and even eager. Adrian, however, gripped Gabriel’s cock at the base, angling the big mushroom head toward Brooke, and explained quietly,
“I want to see what I feel when you suck him. If I’m going to be eaten up with jealousy, this isn’t going to work.”
“Yes,” said Gabriel impatiently. He lifted one foot out of the water and placed it on the tiled edge near his ass, the better to jut his cock forward, displaying his impatience. He smoothed Brooke’s hair with his palm. “Let’s find out. Hop to it!”
Brooke giggled at his half-serious impertinence and reached out to where she’d bundled her towel at the pool’s edge. She withdrew the handcuffs. “Here.” She handed them over her shoulder to Adrian.
“Ah!” said Gabriel. “A thief. I knew you were more than meets the eye, you little vixen.”
Brooke held her wrists together to indicate to Adrian how she could be cuffed at the nape of her neck. She wanted to demonstrate her submissiveness. She knew instinctively that by taking the passive role, Adrian would feel pumped up with power. Once empowered, he wouldn’t feel that she—or Gabriel—would spiral beyond his control.
Adrian snapped the cuffs on in an instant and pressed on the back of her skull, urging her face toward Gabriel’s crotch. He seemed to enjoy wrapping his fist around the girth of the veined penis, jacking it. She dove onto the cock with abandon, gratified when Gabriel uttered a low, deep growl. She sucked as deeply as she could, the taut glans massaging the back of her throat. She took several deep gulps as though trying to suck it down, proud of her hoovering skills, but still unsure if she’d come up to the par Gabriel was accustomed to. Hell, for all I know Adrian is the best cocksucker around.
“There. That’s good.” There was some tension while she waited for Adrian’s reaction to seeing the woman who loved him suck another man, but his words soothed her. “Take his big dick into your mouth. You’re helpless, and I’m not going to let you stop sucking his juicy, long dick.”
As if to underline his supremacy, he clasped her tits in his palm, diddling her nipples, making her squirm. The warm waters of the mineral pool swirled around them, warming Brooke up to her abdomen, but her nipples were hard and pebbled in the early morning air before the receptionist turned on the room heaters. Adrian bent at the knees, inserting his stiff cock between her thighs. She clamped onto it, overjoyed that he was allowing physical intimacy between them. Brooke didn’t know how close he’d been to the traitorous fiancée, but just the fact that she was his fiancée let her know he had loved her. Brooke was prepared to wait a good long time for him to get over that. It was sweet, in a way, that he was so tortured by the other woman’s betrayal. He wouldn’t be so tormented if he hadn’t loved her deeply.
A block of filtered sunlight fell from a skylight, but outside it was snowing. It made Brooke feel protected and safe, as though she were inside a steamy snow globe. Adrian’s prick was thick and squeaky captured between her thighs, and she swung her hips back and forth. She was juicy enough that the prick slid easily, and Brooke began to get fancy with her swivels. Gyrating like a belly dancer while she simultaneously deep-throated Gabriel soon proved too much for Adrian.
“All right,” he gasped, now placing his palm on her forehead and jerking her mouth away from the cock with a popping sound. “Enough.”
Gabriel’s groan echoed against the tiled walls of the pool room. “No…” he wailed, caressing his cock as though injured.
Brooke twirled to face Adrian. “I’m sorry!” she said automatically.
Adrian’s grip was reassuring. He even smiled, and maybe it was her imagination, but the smile seemed affectionate. “Nothing’s your fault. I’m not jealous. I just couldn’t take your dry humping anymore.”
“Or wet humping,” Gabriel said wittily. “Since you’re not jealous, maybe you could allow the lady to finish?”
“Oh, sorry,” Adrian said offhandedly. He turned Brooke around and urged her head back into Gabriel’s crotch. “Please, do finish.”
So Brooke sucked and licked while Adrian angled the cock correctly down her throat. She could tell by the fluttering down the underside of Gabriel’s prick that he wouldn’t last long, so she gulped more energetically. Adrian didn’t insert his cock between her legs this time, but she could feel it knocking against her butt as she gobbled away at Gabriel’s cock.
“That’s it. Suck him good, Brooke. You want to taste his salty seed sliding down your throat. You want to taste that delicious warm jism. Your mouth is watering to swallow his load—That’s right. Suck. Suck harder.”

Friday, December 28, 2012

Rearview Mirror by JC Szot

PRE-ORDER!
AVAILABLE: Monday, January 7th
This title is offered at a 10% discount. Offer ends midnight CST, January 14th.

[PolyAmour: Erotic Multiple Partner Romance, M/F/M, HEA]

Following a catastrophic diagnosis and the sudden death of her husband, Liz Gallagher becomes a widow at the age of thirty. Grieving and alone, she has to subdivide her property to avoid financial hardship. Ben Neilson and Noah Finley move in next door.
Ben, a successful lawyer, feels Liz’s pain, reaching out to her in attempts to bring her back to the land of the living. Noah, who spent the majority of his teen years in juvenile detention, can’t escape the crime of his youth and has been living the life of an introverted man.
When both men find themselves attracted to their new neighbor, Ben decides to take matters into his own hands, determined to see Liz and Noah heal their pain and stop looking into the rearview mirror of their past.

http://www.bookstrand.com/rearview-mirror

STORY EXCERPT

He’d felt queasy since he’d set foot on her property. It was that nervous bundle of knots that always formed with anything unknown, whether it was a person or a situation. Noah couldn’t turn away from a lady who was struggling. That usually prompted him to intervene. He had no dating skills, but offering his back for physical labor was no problem.
Ben was at work, and since Noah only had part-time hours on the road department, he was planning on getting in a full day of renovations.
He’d watched her from afar, her willowy frame trying to drag a fifty-pound bag of mulch across the yard. A widow at thirty, Jesus. Ben had told him that Liz’s husband had passed away, but to hear it from her made it a hard, cold reality. Did I think she was older? The word “widow” sounded old. The look that glazed over her tired eyes only added to his anxiety.
Noah never knew what to say or how to handle people like himself, and he was pretty sure he and Liz were treading water in the same murky pond, trying not to drown in fear and misery. He didn’t even know how to cope with himself. The idea of him ever being able to offer any type of comfort to another was ridiculous. That would be like a shrink going to see another shrink.
He paced up and down the length of the porch while he waited for her. The longer he waited, the more apprehensive he got. What would they talk about? I’ll just down the tea and scoot back into my own yard. He leaned on the railing, taking in the rural peacefulness. It really was beautiful here. He’d had to battle that peacefulness the first few weeks. It was too quiet for him to sleep. Noah usually needed some type of background noise. He’d grown up accustomed to the racket of a twenty-four-hour-a-day operation. It was a daily routine that consisted of changing shifts, buzzers sounding, and someone in authority ordering you to your next destination. They decided what you ate, what you wore, and when you could use the toilet.
After meeting Ben, Noah often forgot that he no longer needed permission to do things. Noah gripped the railing. His eyes fell to his clenched fingers before moving to a nearby plant that sat in the corner where the railings met. He leaned into the plant. His eyes went wide at the sight of what looked to be a discarded marijuana cigarette. Tempted to confirm what he thought he was seeing, he reached for it, but quickly retreated when the back screen door opened and Liz emerged, carrying a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses.
“Sit, please,” Liz said, waving him to the swing. Noah sat down, the swing swaying. Liz set the glass pitcher and two tumblers down on a small table. “Help yourself.” Liz walked to the far end of the porch and retrieved a chair. Relieved that she wasn’t going to sit next to him, Noah took one of the glasses and poured hers first, careful not to allow the lemon slices to fall into her glass.
Liz sat down. Noah handed Liz her drink, surprised that his eyes took a hasty tour up and over her shapely legs. Her skin looked smooth, blushing with a peachy hue. Her voice rang out around them. His fingers gripped the glass.
“Thanks again.” She smiled, tipping her glass back. Noah nodded, sticking his nose into his glass, running to safety again. Ben said he had a talent for that. Whatever others thought was normal was alien to him. Sitting on a porch gazing out at the countryside drinking iced tea with a woman was one of them. Noah gulped the chilled tea, his dry throat cooling. A sweetened fragrance seeped into his nose. Was it her, or nature’s new season?
“It’s not a big deal, really,” Noah insisted. “Don’t hurt yourself.” Her expression changed, dropping a bit. “No, no,” Noah’s voice rose. His face twisted, wishing he could eat his words right out of the air. You idiot! “I didn’t mean it that way, really. Just remember that we’re here, me more so than Ben. You know his job can be demanding. What I’m trying to say is…” He shook his head in frustration.
Liz spoke, coming to his aid. “I know.” She smiled. “I’ll ask next time,” she told him. “Please just be honest with me. If you’re busy, you’re busy.” She escaped his eyes quickly.
Noah took a deep breath, relieved. He settled back into the cushions and extended his legs. His muscles were tightening up, a good excuse to leave before he got lazy. Instead of drinking his tea, Noah found himself drinking in Liz’s profile as she stared out into the treed horizon. Her hair had lovely waves of loose curls, full of movement that rested right on her shoulders. Her eyes were a pretty, sweet brown, but they were sad. They sort of dipped downward at the outer edges. The last part of her face Noah wanted to see was her lips. Regardless of his dysfunctional fears, his risk didn’t disappoint. Liz did have a gorgeous mouth, her lips pouty and full. Her soft voice moved through the tranquil quiet, her eyes still staring into the spacious backyard.
“So what are you working on today?” she asked, facing him. She rested an elbow on her knee, bobbing the toe of her sneaker.
“We’ve made it upstairs. I’m gutting out the bathroom today. I should get back.” Noah set his glass down on the table and stood. “If I can help you with anything else…” Noah raked his fingers through his hair. Liz rose from her chair.
“I’ll be sure to ask,” she nodded. A tangle of hair fell over her arched brow. Her gaze hovered around him, settling on his eyes briefly.
Her question caught him off guard, icing him over like a snowstorm.
“Have you and Ben been friends long?” Liz shifted her weight, maybe uncomfortable with her inquiry.
“I met Ben when I was eighteen,” Noah informed her.
“Oh, wow,” Liz answered, her brows raised.
The past was coming at him like an avalanche. One question always led to more. The guys on the road department never pushed, but women were different. They always wanted to know more.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Thank you for coming. Every time I see you I want more and more of you,” he murmured. His voice was low and throaty. Ben’s other hand rested on her waist. His hips gently rolled against hers. His body spoke, its message loud and enunciated. She could feel him. His cock was distended, lightly rubbing against her. Her head fell back, the bark sharp on her scalp. His face blended in with the shadows, his lips now on hers. A light kiss led to the breath of his words tickling her lips.
“I’d like more, but I don’t want to push,” Ben whispered. When his tongue artfully traced her lower lip, Liz felt her body kick on, waking up like a dormant machine. The sensation began in her toes, moving up and over her body like a wild and crazy growth wrapping around her limbs. Their lips sealed. Their mouths naturally opened, inviting the other in to taste. His tongue brushed the insides of her mouth, slowly gliding over the surface of her tongue. The kiss was impeccable, sweeping her off her feet. Gravity waned, giving in to the power of his affectionate persuasion.
The attention and graciousness with which Ben carried himself was as enticing as his kiss. Though Noah was a powerful deterrent, the way Ben served his affection to her was a delicacy no woman could turn away from. He was luring her out. Liz touched his teeth, venturing into his heat, tasting the fruity sweetness in his mouth. His palms slowly skimmed up her body, lifting the hem of her tank top. Her lungs caught. Her heart raced with the craving, the uncertainty. It had her in knots. Liz’s celibate body screamed. All reservation was gone, being wiped away by his touch. An anguished moan escaped from her throat. Ben slowly lifted the material, raising her arms into the air. Her tank top fell onto the dewy grass at their feet. Ben placed her hands on the thick branch above. Liz curled her fingers, gripping, hanging on. She hadn’t worn a bra. The cool air hit her flesh. She felt her nipples tingle in response. The chalky haze of the moon glazed over her nakedness.
Ben’s hands slid over her torso, cupping her breasts.
“Oh God,” Liz whispered. The huskiness of her voice surprised her. It’s been so long. His head dipped. Her eyes closed at the sensation of a wet, hot tongue as Ben licked the swell of her breast. Her nails dug at the bark. Her lungs fought for more air. She glanced down, watching his lips part. His mouth enveloped her, suckling gently on her nipple. Fire raged, searing her skin. Her belly tingled, waking with an erotic excitement. Her hips fidgeted. His mouth moved slowly, like thick syrup dripping. A rush of air hit her again as he lowered to his knees. His mouth moved over body, his teeth nipping at the button of her shorts. Liz’s eyes flew open, staring into a twinkling night sky. She did want this. The urge was there. Something that’d been dead was being rebirthed and brought back to life. Her pussy was wet, swollen with the desire to receive another man’s attention. He slid her shorts down to her ankles, lifting her feet with care. He skimmed the edges of her panties, teasing her through the thin silk before removing them.
His actions were precise and unhurried. Ben was giving her the opportunity of a polite refusal. Her body ached for a release. She absorbed his tender touch. The ground beneath her feet vanished. He had her floating better than any drug she’d ever ingested. His soft fingers were on her, parting the delicate folds of pussy. His hot breaths warmed her skin. The gentleness of his tongue on her had her calling out.
“Ben,” Liz gasped. Her spine crumbled into dust. Ben held her hips, his lips on her navel.
“I’m right here.” The words of his affirmation were hoarse. “I want to give you pleasure. I don’t want you to feel any more pain, just decadent pleasure. Please let me,” he pleaded. “You’re so beautiful.” He rained her belly with kisses. His finger eased into her heat, sliding through her pussy with feathering touches. Liz’s head tipped back, her mouth opening in awe. He slipped his hands around her hips, cupping her ass. His mouth suckled her clit before his tongue tenderly lapped at her pussy with slow, soothing strokes.
“Oh,” Liz whimpered. Her legs turned to liquid, the weight of her own body suddenly too much. A hand retreated back. Ben’s finger slid up inside her, uniting with her heat. She was cresting, riding an endless wave. His mouth and finger worked in unison, a rhythm that was custom made for her. Her body arched, bowing into the cool night air. Her arms began to numb. His finger left her, his tongue now swirling over her pussy.

JC Szot- Author


Monday, December 24, 2012

Julian's Happy Place by Stormy Glenn

Julian's Happy Place (MM)
Aberdeen Pack 2
 
AVAILABLE: Tuesday, December 25th
[Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, HEA]
Djal was just trying to do his duty as beta of his pack when he made one small mistake, and now he has a pack member chasing after him, intent on mating him. If Djal doesn’t figure out how to stop Julian’s obsession with him, he just might strangle the man.
Julian has lived through hell, more so than most people know. When freedom comes, Julian is still faced with people out to harm him. The mere sight of the big, strong beta makes Julian feel safer. One night spent together convinces Julian that Djal would be the perfect mate. He just has to catch Djal first.
When Djal discovers that someone is abusing Julian, the protective streak he tried so hard to control breaks free. It goes way beyond what Djal knows he should feel for a mere pack member, and only by giving in to Julian can Djal come to terms with the need growing inside of him. But before Djal can save Julian, he has to figure out who is after him, and Julian isn’t talking.

http://www.bookstrand.com/julians-happy-place

STORY EXCERPT
Djal slipped around the side of the house then pressed his large body back against the large, two-story, wooden building. He closed his eyes and prayed when he heard the quick patter of feet running past his hiding position. He opened his eyes a moment later and held his breath as he watched Julian hurry past him as if he was invisible.
And he wished he was.
This thing with Julian was really getting out of hand. If the man wasn’t trying to chase Djal down, he was staring mooneyes at him. Djal had barely had a minute to himself in two weeks. If something didn’t change soon, Djal was going to strangle the little guy.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like Julian, because he did. Julian was cute, and he made Djal laugh. But every time Julian looked at him, he had daydreams in his eyes, and that just wasn’t who Djal was. He didn’t sleep with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that came around, but he liked keeping his options open.
Julian wanted commitment. He wanted a mate, and he wanted Djal to be that mate. Everyone knew it. Djal felt like he had become the butt of everyone’s laughter over the last two weeks. And just because he had tried to comfort the guy after he had been kidnapped and attacked by his ex.
Djal knew he made a mistake when he offered comfort to the man. He knew it when he did it. It should have simply been the beta of the pack—Djal—comforting a pack member—Julian—as was his duty.
It had turned into far more, and now Djal was paying the price. It had gotten to the point where he was avoiding pack gatherings just so that he wouldn’t run into Julian. The guy was sweet, maybe too sweet. There was a gentle nature about Julian that called to every protective instinct Djal had and maybe a few he didn’t even know he had.
Djal wanted to wrap Julian up in bubble wrap so the world couldn’t hurt him. And that was dangerous—to Djal, to Julian, and to the pack. Djal had no doubt that if he gave into the crawling need that ate away at him every time he smelled Julian’s alluring scent, he would forsake everything in order to keep the man safe, even his duty to his alpha and their pack.
And in all of the years that he knew Alpha Iben Khenti, Djal had never let the man down. He wasn’t about to start now, and that meant staying as far away from his cute little pack mate as he possibly could—no matter how much he wanted to taste Julian’s sweetness again.
When the sounds of Julian’s footsteps faded, Djal blew out a frustrated breath and pushed himself away from the side of the house. He cast a quick glance down the path Julian had taken and then hurried it into the alpha house.
Djal wanted to sink into a hole the moment he closed the door behind him and realized that Iben and his mate, Zack, were in the great room, staring right at him with a good deal of amusement on their faces.
“Problems, Djal?” Iben’s eyebrow quirked as the man asked a question he already knew the answer to.
Djal curled back his upper lip as he growled at his alpha. He was probably one of the few people in the world that could get away with such an action without losing his head. Iben had befriended Djal and his siblings, Sissy and Rory, when they were toddlers. They had stood side by side in support of the man ever since.
“I swear to god, Iben,” Djal grumbled as he pushed a hand through his long hair in frustration and stalked into the great room, “if something isn’t done about Julian pretty soon, I’m going to flip the hell out.”
Iben laughed. “He likes you.”
“He’s obsessed!” What part of that didn’t Iben get? Taking a deep, unsteady breath, he stepped back from his alpha and lowered his tone. Iben would have his butt in a sling if he was disrespectful. “He won’t leave me alone, Iben. He follows me everywhere. I can’t get a moment alone.”
“Would it be so bad to be with Julian? He’s actually a pretty great guy.”
Djal’s eyes snapped to Zackary Evans, the mate to Alpha Ibenré Khenti. Zack was crazy about Iben, and protective as hell. He saw his duty to the alpha to keep him safe and happy. He would never understand the need Djal had to keep all of his pack safe. It was ingrained in him, part of his very DNA. He could no more deny his need than he could deny his pack or an order from his alpha.
“My duty is to Iben and this pack,” Djal replied. “I don’t have time for a mate.”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you slept with Julian.”
Djal’s eyes narrowed. While he hadn’t come right and said he slept with Julian, pretty much everyone knew he had. Djal wasn’t proud of that fact simply because he had been trying to comfort the guy, not fuck him into the mattress.
But one thing had led to another, and things happened.
“It was a onetime thing,” Djal insisted.
“Does Julian know that?” Zack asked.
“I told him.” And he still felt the weight of his guilt at the tears that had sprung to Julian’s eyes when he did. But, no matter how he felt, Djal couldn’t back down. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be the mate that Julian was dreaming of.
There was just no way.
ADULT EXCERPT
“Kiss me, pup.”
Djal was ready for Julian to kiss him. He was even ready for the man’s eagerness. He wasn’t ready for the streak of lust that flared to life deep inside of him the second Julian’s lips touched his.
Julian wasn’t a graceful kisser, and he certainly wouldn’t win any awards. But he more than made up for that lack of expertise with pure enthusiasm. Julian kissed Djal with a hunger that rocked Djal to the core.
Crushing Julian to him, Djal pressed his mouth more firmly against Julian’s. He moved his mouth over Julian’s, devouring its softness. He stroked his tongue across Julian’s lips, tasting him. When Julian’s lips parted, Djal delved inside to explore and conquer.
Djal pinned Seth against his chest and moved his lips over the man’s jaw, kissing a line to his swanlike neck. Djal brushed his lips over Julian’s throat. His lips left a blazing trail on Julian’s heated skin. He kissed the silky skin at the base of Julian’s throat.
Something intense flared inside of him when Julian moaned. Djal felt a possessiveness that was far beyond anything he had ever felt for Iben, Sissy, or Rory. He needed to possess Julian, to feel the man submit to him, to his wolf. He needed to know that Julian belonged to him and him alone.
And Djal suspected Julian needed the same thing.
“Mine,” Djal growled savagely against Julian’s throat. He nipped at the bite mark he had left, licking across it with his tongue. Julian’s shudders filled him with an overwhelming need to give the man more—more pleasure, more caring, more everything.
He felt the harsh, uneven breathing coming from Julian’s body. It was as poignant as the hard cock pressing against Djal’s abdomen. Julian’s body seemed to ache for his touch. His beautiful eyes were no longer pale but stunningly emerald green.
Djal stroked his hands down Julian’s side until he reached the man’s ass—and what an ass it was, tight and rounded and made to be fucked. Djal didn’t want to tell Julian that. It seemed wrong and out of place, even if it was true.
“Are you ready for me, pup?”
Julian gulped and nodded.
Djal kept his eyes locked with Julian’s—watching for any sign of pain as he lathered his fingers with lube then slowly pushed one into Julian’s tight ass. Except for the slight inhale of breath, Julian didn’t move a muscle.
He pulled his finger out then pushed back in, gently fucking Julian with his finger. When he thought that Julian could take more, Djal pressed in another finger and wiggled it around.
Julian suddenly wailed when Djal pushed in a third finger and altered the angle of his thrusts. Djal knew that he had hit Julian’s prostate. He started to move his fingers in a steady rhythm, making sure he stroked his fingers over Julian’s sweet spot as often as he could.
“Oh gods…Djal…I have to…oh please.” Julian clutched at Djal’s arm, his nails digging in as he started moving his hips, pushing back against Djal’s fingers. “I need!”
“I know what you need, pup.”
Djal fucked Julian’s ass a few more times and then pulled them free. He grabbed the tube of lube and spread some on his cock. Julian had plenty of lube already in his ass, but Djal wasn’t taking any chances.
The air around Djal seemed electrified as he lifted Julian up by his hips then slowly lowered the man down onto his thick cock, gently thrusting into him. He pressed in a little more each time, and Julian rocked back, silently begging for more. With every inch that slid inside of him, Julian’s eyes widened until they dominated his face.
Once Julian’s body rested fully against his, Djal paused. It took every ounce of control he had honed over the years to keep from plunging into Julian’s sweet body. He wanted to give in to the blazing fire burning inside of him, to plunge deep inside of Julian.
He just couldn’t.
He wouldn’t move until Julian gave him the okay.
“Djal, please, I…I need more.”
Oh, thank fuck!
 

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Silver Secrets by Patricia Logan



Coming 12.25.12

Some hold secrets close to the heart… and those are the secrets that will get you killed.
Rome Wilkins hopes to start his life free from covert operations and impending danger. As a black ops Navy SEAL, Rome is the best assassin the US government has at its disposal. When they call him in to help with mission after mission, it seems as though his best laid plans are slipping through his fingers.
Thom Akecheta, a Native American born warrior in his own right and a Marine Corps veteran, works in the FBI's Houston office as a forensic scientist. His immediate attraction to the handsome and enigmatic Rome is complicated by his lust for Pepper Rawlings; his very beautiful, very young lab partner. He’s wanted her for a very long time, and now, he wars with his attraction between the two.
Pepper, London born and raised, dreams of becoming more than what is expected of her. After graduating at the top of her class from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, she is paired with Thom and her interest is instantly piqued by the reserved and sexy scientist. When a chance meeting with Rome Wilkins evolves into a hot and heavy relationship, Pepper wonders if she can bring together these wounded warriors and possibly make all of their dreams come true.
When the three become involved, none of them expect their country will once more call on their service and ultimately put all of their lives in terrible danger.

http://naughtypassions.blogspot.com/?zx=fde7889224b44930