Screams in Symphony, the jaw-dropping conclusion to The Malvagio Mafia Duet from USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton, is available now!
From USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton comes a dark mafia romance filled with pain, betrayal, devastation, revenge, and a mindblowing ending that will have you questioning everything.
There once was a girl, tarnished and ruined by the actions of others. Some are born plagued by darkness, but she was doused in it by those she trusted.
Like Lucifer himself, she fell from the heavens and landed amongst the flames. Now she wears her crown black, with diamonds coated in the blood of her enemies.
This isn’t the story of a girl who saved the villain. This is the story of a girl who became something much worse, and the man who loved her for it.
The second she’s out the door, Kage is already heading toward me. “What the fuck was that, S?”
It takes everything in my power to hold back my smile, amused with how possessive he is. “I don’t know. She’s determined to become my friend.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
I shrug half-heartedly. “She’s…tolerable. And besides, it’s not like I can go out and find new friends, being dead and all.”
He stares back at me before shaking his head. “No. Nope. I don’t like it.”
Giggling, I stand up and walk toward him, dipping my fingers into his pockets. “I can’t spend the rest of my life with just you and Beni.”
He cocks a single brow at me. “Who the fuck said Beni is invited?”
“Kage,” I laugh. “I need other friends.”
“Why?”
Arching up on my tippy-toes, I press a kiss over his heart. “Because they keep me from wanting to kill you in your sleep.”
His hands land on my arms, and he moves me away from him so he can look down at me. “How many times have you considered doing that exactly?”
“Four…”
“Oh,” he says, relieved.
“…teen.”
Sputtering on air, his jaw drops. “Fourteen?”
I tilt my head side to side. “Give or take a few.”
“Saxon!” he groans, his amusement slipping through.
“What?” I ask innocently. “You’re a little insufferable sometimes.”
The corners of his mouth raise as he stares down at me. “Mm-hm. Great. I’m sleeping in the panic room from now on.”
A laugh bubbles out of me as I press my lips to his. “That’s probably smart.”
Meet Kelsey Kelsey Clayton is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog. She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories – she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey. Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
Meet Amelia Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY bestselling author of dangerous contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.
Bianca has finally found her rightful place amid the powerful Constantines. But all is not what it seems in this glittering new world. And Tiernan Morelli refuses to give her up…
BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE is the final book in the Dark Dream duet by USA Today bestselling author Giana Darling.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo!
Giana Darling is a USA Today and Top 40 Amazon best selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man’s bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat, Persephone, and Golden Retriever puppy, Romeo. She’s a lifetime athlete, playing and coaching basketball, soccer, field hockey, and softball, so she comes by her competitive spirit naturally. A born reader and self-proclaimed geek, she is enamored with mythology, history and all kinds of literature. Before becoming a romance novelist, she was a food journalist, a food blogger, a coach, a French tutor and the owner of a pie company. For the last few years she has been living all over Europe, mostly in her second home France, but she’s finally settled with the Love of Her Life in her hometown on an island off of Vancouver.
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you more in her dark mafia, high school bully romance series.
Blurb:
Whoever said to keep your friends close and your enemies closer… was right.
Being around her is the worst kind of torture.
Emmie is an obligation I can’t avoid… an oath I can’t break.
And having her in my life is the last thing I want or need. But thanks to my father, I have no choice.
This Family—this life, is my future, and I’m sure as hell not going to let some spitfire from the wrong side of town get under my skin and in my way.
When the time comes, I will take what I need and walk away. I’ll finally be free from her shadow and she will know the truth, even if it leaves her broken.
The only problem… she might not be the only one left in pieces.
Dear Reader,
Deviant Knight is the fourth book in my angst-filled new adult mafia Knight’s Ridge Empire series. It’s the first book in Emmie and Theo’s trilogy. It’s a dark bully romance with themes that might make you squirm in all the right ways!
Welcome to the underworld of Knight’s Ridge. An empire steeped in history, wealth, secrets, and lies. Where nothing is quite as it seems, and the shadows lingering around every corner are ready to drag you into the darkness.
If you want a white Knight to save you, you’re in the wrong place…
START the series with a FREE prequel, Wicked Summer Knight!!!
Wicked Summer Knight is a prequel to the Knight’s Ridge Empire series. It was previously released in the Hot Summer School Nights anthology
About the Author:
Tracy Lorraine is a new adult and contemporary romance author.
Tracy has recently-ish turned thirty and lives in a cute Cotswold village in England with her husband, baby girl and lovable but slightly crazy dog. Having always been a bookaholic with her head stuck in her Kindle Tracy decided to try her hand at a story idea she dreamt up and hasn’t looked back since.
Desperate times call for desperate measures—like pretending to be my best friend and posing as a millionaire’s escort for the night.
I thought I had nothing left to lose, only I didn’t take my heart into consideration. What started as a one-time date turned into so much more in the blink of an eye. Because Isaac is used to getting what he wants, and even after learning the truth, he wants me. Unconditionally.
Even though my heart is on the line, I find myself falling in love with him. But all too soon, I learn that loving a powerful man like Isaac can be dangerous. And despite how careful he is with my heart, it’s still capable of breaking.
Isaac
From the moment we met, she’s taken up residence in my head and in my heart. I’ll do everything in my power to make her mine. But first, I need to secure a second date.
It’s more than chemistry. My parents had this too. She’s the one. Marriage, babies, forever… I want it all with her, and in return, I’ll give her the world.
When the unimaginable happens, love and loyalty are put to the test. But I’ll move heaven and earth to protect Camilla… even if it means breaking her heart.
Audiobook will be duet-style, performed by Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright, featuring Ava Lucas and Ron Butler.
BLURB
#12 Johnny Decker. Star quarterback for the Boston Tomcats. Two-time Super Bowl MVP…a decade ago. Nickname: Decker the Panty Wrecker.
I get tackled for a living by men who are built like rhinos. I could take the wings off a fly with a football from 30 yards away. (I wouldn’t, but I could.) Being a veteran quarterback means I’m a mentally alert, fine-tuned athletic machine who can make split-second decisions. It’s my job to anticipate what’s going to happen next and adapt. But I couldn’t have anticipated the death of our beloved team owner.
His estranged daughter Hannah Strong is a finance nerd from New York. She knows less than nothing about football. Know what she didn’t anticipate? Inheriting the Boston Tomcats. She’s stubborn, uptight, infuriating, and wrong about absolutely everything—from pizza to how to run my team. And I don’t want to talk about how good she looks in a skirt. Or daydream about how good she’d look out of it.
Really, I don’t.
I’m not Decker the Panty Wrecker anymore—I’ve changed.
Before writing steamy romantic comedy novels, Kayley Loring got a BFA in creative writing and had a fifteen-year career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles (under a different name). She mostly wrote PG-13 family comedies that studios would pay her lots of money for and then never make into movies. In 2017 she decided to move to the Pacific Northwest and write about all the fun stuff that she wasn’t allowed to write about in those PG-13 scripts. Now she’s an Amazon Top 25 bestselling author who is breathing cleaner air and writing dirtier words. It’s an adjustment she’s happily getting used to.
Rest assured that her funny sexy sweet romances have no cheating or cliffhangers, and always have HEAs!
Connor Crais is a classically trained actor living in the Midwest with his wife, two kids, and rescue greyhound. He has been both a stage and television actor, and before plunging into the romance genre, he had been narrating commercials, audiobooks, and explainers for well over a decade from his home studio. From alphas to bosses to cocky sports stars (a particular favorite), he loves sparring with beautiful, sassy heroines (and their talented narrators) but also loves winning them over and reaching that happily ever after. He is excited to now create those stories as an author.
Empire of Sin, performed by John Hartley and Vanessa Edwin!
⚖️ BLURB ⚖️
My boss. My sin.
I’m not the type who has one night stands. It wasn’t supposed to happen, okay? A couple of drinks and a sinful British accent later and I’m in bed with a stranger.
Of course, I left first thing in the morning because I’m a responsible adult.
An adult who has a new job that I need in order to keep my double life a secret. Little did I know I’m not, in fact, responsible. Because the stranger I left in bed? Yeah, he’s not a stranger after all. He’s my new boss.
Knox Van Doren might have a charming smile, but a true villain lurks beneath it all. And like any villain, he’ll use my sin against me…
Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.
Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.
Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.
Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.
Don’t forget to Sign up to Rina Kent’sNewsletter for news about future releases and an exclusive gift.
What if Fate matched me with this human, and she’s my mate?
Alpha’s Revenge, an all-new steamy and action-packed paranormal romance from USA Today bestselling authors Renee Ross and Lee Savino, is available now!
This is insane. This human—beautiful though she may be—can’t be my mate. I learned the hard way what it’s like to lose people you love. As an alpha, I vowed never to let that happen again. That means keeping my focus. Never letting my guard down. And, most of all, staying away from civilians – i.e. humans. But the feisty chocolatier has me breaking my own rules. The beautiful female tests my patience… and all my control. I should stay away. I can’t protect the pack if I succumb to my desires. But what if this is more than desire? What if Fate matched me with this human, and she’s my mate? If I don’t claim her, I’ll lose it all in the worst possible way.
“Adele.” Rafe catches my elbows to steady me as I bounce off his immovable form.
I’m more flustered than a misstep calls for, but it’s only because my nerves were already ragged over asking Rafe for a job, and now that I’ve decided I don’t actually want the job, I feel somehow caught.
“Rafe,” I manage to say. Don’t be nervous. Imagine him naked.
Trouble is, I imagine Rafe naked far too much.
He’s still holding my elbows, standing far too close. Rafe’s not as Hollywood good-looking as his brother Lance, who recently knocked up my friend Charlie. His hair is darker. His eyes are green. Lance is charming in that laidback, lazy smile kind of way. Rafe is the opposite. No charm. Definitely not laidback. There’s a ruggedness and ferocity about him that makes being around him feel terribly dangerous.
Dangerous, intense, and… exciting.
He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side, not against it. Last week, when my business partner turned up dead, Charlie got kidnapped, and I was picked up by the police for questioning, I learned exactly how powerful it is to have a guy like him in my court.
So I’m already beholden to Rafe.
Something I hate. Don’t trust a man …
“I—um—I was just leaving.”
“You were?” His brows go down, gaze sweeps over me. “It looks like you just got here.” His eyes snag on my high heeled boots. “You walk in the snow in those?”
“Yes?” Why did I make that sound like a question? Something about his surly black brows makes me uncertain. I clear my throat and try again. “Yes, of course.”
“You need to be more careful. Those boots aren’t good in the snow.” And there it is, the most annoying thing about Rafe. He orders everyone around. The fact that he’s always in fatigue pants and a gray or army green Henley doesn’t lessen his drill sergeant vibe. Neither does the way he stands and looks down on everyone, like a general inspecting his troops and finding us all wanting. I think it’s great he had a military career—when I first met him, I thanked him for his service—but he’s not the boss of me!
I’m tempted to declare that and stomp my boots like I’m four, but that won’t help him take me seriously. Or land me a job.
“Are you meeting someone?” Rafe asks.
“No. Um, yes. Ah—” I shake my head. I’m on the spot here, not sure whether to flee or beg. Neither idea appeals.
Of course, he doesn’t make it easy for me. He releases my elbows to put his hands on his hips, like I’m in trouble, and now I have to answer to him.
Screw this. I can’t work for him.
“Nothing. Nevermind. I have to go.” I try to move past him, but he moves to block my path.
“Hang on a second. Were you here to see me? Or did something happen?” He scans the restaurant with a scowl, as if to identify some mystery offender who was rude to me.
Shoot. Maybe I am supposed to ask him for a job. I mean, here he is, insisting I explain myself.
“Rafe, I—”
At the sound of his name, his gaze snaps back to mine, locking and honing in. When I nervously lick the lip gloss off my lips, his gaze dips to my mouth. A hungry expression comes over his face.
God, I’m hungry, too. And not for food.
Every time I’m near this guy, a slow thrum of awareness tunes up between my legs. His big body, hard and solid with muscle, his dark hair and eyes… I gaze up at him, and it’s all too easy to imagine what it would be like to be underneath him. He’d probably order me, as bossy and dominant in bed as he is out.
And wouldn’t that be delicious?
No, no, no. I absolutely do not want Rafe, naked and looming over me, telling me what to do. That would be terrible.
Gawd, my panties are soaked. Time to get this conversation back on track. I take a second to remember how much Rafe annoys me and raise my chin.
“Honestly?” I say. “I came to see if you, um, still needed help. You know, in the kitchen. I’m, ah, not going to be able to reopen The Chocolatier at the moment.”
Rafe goes still, his brows angled together in concern.
It’s way more of a reaction than I expected from him. I don’t know what I thought he’d do—blow me off or tell me to fill out an application. But instead, he grabs my hand and draws me further into the Grille. “Come here,” he says gruffly.
Meet Renee Rose
USA Today Bestselling Author Renee Rose loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, and Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance. She’s hit the USA Today list ten times with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, Wolf Ranch books, and various anthologies.
Meet Lee Savino Lee Savino has grandiose goals but most days can’t find her wallet or her keys so she just stays at home and writes. While she was studying creative writing at Hollins University, her first manuscript won the Hollins Fiction Prize.
he lives in the USA with her awesome family You can find her on Facebook in the Goddess Group (which you totally should join).
Some say: Ask for forgiveness, never permission. Kage asks for neither. Especially when he gets his hands on me.
Suffer in Silence, the first must-read story in The Malvagio Mafia Duet filled with all things dark and dangerous from USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton, is available now!
Monsters don’t hide in dark alleys. They lurk in plain sight, clawing into your soul with cordial smiles. They wear Armani, they drive Cadillacs, they attend fundraising balls… And they rule the city with a merciless fist.
The Familia is a mystery to most, and sitting on it’s throne is Kage Malvagio.
Vile. Sadistic. Painstakingly beautiful.
Some say: Ask for forgiveness, never permission. Kage asks for neither. Especially when he gets his hands on me.
I should hate him. I should run at the first chance I get. But how could the devil be so bad when he looks at me like that?
The whiskey swirls aroundin the cup as I sit at my desk. It’s well past three in the morning but my mind is wide awake. The knowledge of the call I have to make sits heavy on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
I wanted to leave her out of this, not only for me but for Silas. If he knew what I’m about to do, he’d kill me himself— his relationship with my father be damned. He was right when he told me there is no part of her that belongs in this world.
She’s too innocent. Too perfect. Too good to be tainted by all of this.
And yet I have no choice but to drag her into it—kicking and screaming, I’m sure. There used to be a time when I would imagine another life for myself. One where I wasn’t the leader of one of the most powerful organizations in the world. One where a family was in the cards for me. One where she wasn’t the most forbidden thing in my life.
I used to close my eyes and live in that false reality for as long as I could. But it was exactly that.
A daydream. An imagination. An impossible outcome for how my life will go. And after I do this, I’m only sealing that fate. But as much as it pains me to admit, Nico was right. This is our only option at this point. I will not lose everything my father worked so hard to achieve.
I grab my phone and down the rest of the glass as I dial the number. It rings three times before a voice comes through the other side. Sleep laces Beni’s tone as I pull him out of a peaceful slumber.
“Boss?” he asks.
Closing my eyes, I utter the words and kick into action a plan I’d hoped would always be theoretical. “Execute Plan S. Let me know when it’s done.”
Meet Kelsey Kelsey Clayton is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance novels. She lives in a small town in Delaware with her husband, two kids, and dog. She is an avid reader of fall hard romance. She believes that books are the best escape you can find, and that if you feel a range of emotions while reading her stories – she succeeded. She loves writing and is only getting started on this life long journey. Kelsey likes to keep things in her life simple. Her ideal night is one with sweatpants, a fluffy blanket, cheese fries, and wine. She holds her friends and family close to her heart and would do just about anything to make them happy.
“Wouldn’t most guys love a little no strings attached hook up?“
“Maybe, but most guys don’t deserve you. I want to be one who does. And I want to be all tangled up in your strings.”
Newly arrived on campus, I knew two things. 1) No one could know my dad was the president of the university and 2) football players were bad news.
My run in, the literal kind with my neighbor cranked up the heat and sparks flew.
A new college campus. A secret bound to explode in my face. And a football player neighbor who is bad news in the best of ways.
Reid Riddick was hotness personified, so of course I literally ran into with him–well, more like he plowed into me.
I didn’t know he was a football player when I started falling and now I can’t stop. A stolen kiss later and my heart races whenever he looks at me from across the quad.
But my secret would spell disaster for him.
I’m the daughter of the college president. The college president who’s been feuding with his football coach for years. Their bitter campus war leaves us teetering on the edges of a divide we can’t see a way across.
Resisting him is more than I can handle. He’s risking it all for me. His team standing. His football season. His pro future. Throw in a campus gossip site. My out of control new friends. His way too hot roommates. College traditions. A secret campus bar and the only guy who’s ever made me feel like he can’t live without me. And I have one last secret.
Our star-crossed love is my first and I want him to be mine.
Book 1 in the new STFU series – rival campus to Fulton U!
EXCERPT “Are Ashley and Taylor home?”
Closing the door, I turned to face him. “No, they won’t be back for a couple—”
His lips cut off my words.
He’d bridged the gap between us, and my back was pressed against the metal safety door. His hands pressed into the door behind me on either side of my head, caging me against him, not that there was anywhere else I wanted to go. His mouth was searing and hungry and different than yesterday. It was more in every conceivable way.
He tasted like mint.
The tingles spread throughout my body, turning into sparklers under my skin. Hot and bright, the charge ignited every nerve ending. The firm but somehow soft feel of his lips sent the tingles traveling lower, and I gasped, squeezing my thighs together.
His hands moved from the door to the sides of my neck. His thumbs brushing against my skin fired off even more flares.
He shifted his hands off me and rested his forehead against mine. “I know this is crazy. I know we said we wouldn’t, but I can’t stop thinking about you. It’s been keeping me up at night how much I wanted to touch you like this again. To kiss you again.” His eyes burned with a fierceness that sent shivers streaking down my spine.
I swallowed, trying to keep myself from blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “Same.”
His fingers skimmed across my shoulders.
Goose bumps rose along my arms, and my breath shuddered under the intensity of his gaze. “Sorry about that. I’ve just been wanting to do that, like really kiss you, for way too long.”
COMING SOON IN STFU SERIES ADD BOOK 2 – THE KISS LIST – COMING SOON GOODREADS https://bit.ly/thekisslist
AUTHOR BIO
Maya Hughes, that’s me!, can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.
I love writing stories that capture the possibilities of the paths less travelled and enjoy experiencing life through my characters’ eyes.
I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe, traveling with my family and Jeff Goldblum.
He’s my best friend’s older brother. My boss. And now my new roommate…
In the hospital, death always comes in threes. Apparently, so do mistakes. Mistake number one? My fiancé, who I just learned is cheating on me. So much for being the strong, in control doctor who’s always on top of her game… Mistake number two? Knocking on the wrong door. The door I thought still belonged to my best friend now belongs to his older brother, my obnoxious, overly cocky, gorgeous-as-sin attending physician, Carter Fritz. The billionaire playboy gives me a place to stay, and a shoulder to cry on. But when he makes me feel seen for the first time in I don’t even know how long, I tell myself I don’t regret what was easily the hottest, most earth-shattering night of my life. That is until mistake number three comes along…and I’m staring down at a stick with two pink lines. Having a baby at this stage of my residency could cost me everything I’ve worked so hard to build. But Carter? He’s undeterred. He doesn’t just want more; he wants it ALL. Including me. But what happens if following my heart turns out to be my biggest mistake of all?
J. Saman is a USA Today bestselling author who is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).
She’s an admitted lover of second chance romances, love triangles, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing contemporary romance filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side–especially for their women.
He needs to go away. Which means someone needs to matchmake him. And I’m just the girl for the job.
Matchmaking Mischief, an all new opposites attract romantic comedy with the perfect grumpy hero from New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank and USA Today bestselling author A.R. Casella is available now!
Willow
There are certain expectations when you’re born into a multigenerational family of matchmakers, which is why I fled my hometown and tried to build a life of my own.
But it turns out matchmaking is hard to quit, and I can’t stop trying to match the customers at the bakery I manage—including my boss and the tea shop owner next door—even though I’m hopeless at love.
So it seriously crimps my style when Alex Hunter starts coming around, working on his book at the bakery. He’s hot, grumpy, and thinks romance is a dirty word. Worse, he keeps distracting our customers.
He needs to go away. Which means someone needs to matchmake him.
And I’m just the girl for the job.
Alex
I’m a writer who can’t write, and lo and behold, I meet a matchmaker who’s allergic to love.
Me being me, I fall for her.
Most of the people in this town seem insane, but I have to turn my frown upside down and show Willow Mayberry that matchmakers deserve love too.
“There’s nothing to thank me for,” I say. “I enjoyed it…”
She gives me a pointed look.
“Well, obviously, except for the part where you had to go to the emergency room, although I won’t deny that I liked looking at your ass.”
If she’d been holding a dish, she would have dropped it. “You looked?!”
“No,” I say, laughing a little at the horror on her face. “Not when she pulled your shorts down to give you the steroid shot. Those are some shorts though.”
She looks embarrassed, and I can’t have that, so I say something stupid. “You know, someone told me you think I’m so sexy, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all day.”
“Who told you that?” she asks, blanching. “Nicole? I barely know her.”
“You did,” I say, reaching for her hand. “When you were high on Benadryl.”
She doesn’t pull away. My heart is pounding now—I can hear it in my ears—and I pull her to me. “You said I should be with someone bold and sexy,” I say into her ear. Her body is against me now, her breasts pressing into my chest, the curve of her hips under my hands, and that delightfully messy hair is in the vicinity of my nose, so I can take in her scent—citrus and vanilla. Sunshine.
“I guess I said a lot of things,” she says, her voice muffled. She’s looking down, and I can’t have that either, so I tip her chin gently so she’s peering up at me. Her eyes…they’re like a storm, but one feeling punches through: lust. She wants me too.
Thank God.
“You’re bold,” I say. “You’re sexy as hell. Talking to you makes me feel like I’m in Narnia.”
“What?” she asks, clearly taken off guard by that. Me and my big mouth.
“It’s just…time changes when we’re together, or even when we’re just talking. It slips by without seeming to. I could talk to you for hours without noticing time is passing. It’s like stepping through that wardrobe door, and—”
And I shut the hell up because she’s lifting up on her toes. With my heart soaring in my chest, I lean down and claim her mouth, gentle at first—a getting-to-know-you kiss—but her lips are so soft yet hungry, and a little sound escapes her throat. I’m suddenly ravenous for her.
About Denise Grover Swank New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in her own mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
About A.R. Casella USA Today bestselling author A.R. CASELLA is a freelance developmental editor by day, writer by night. She lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and a variable number of fish. Her pastimes include chasing around her toddler, baking delicious treats, and occasional bouts of crocheting. Any Luck at All, co-written with New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank, is her debut novel.
Scared to Love, an all-new angst-filled dark mafia romance set from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Siobhan Davis, is available now!
A new dark mafia friends-to-lovers romance from USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Siobhan Davis.
Serena has felt trapped her entire life, living a lie because it was demanded of her.
Years of torture at the hands of her sadistic husband have left her battered and bruised, but not defeated. She needs to stay strong for her children, and she’s determined to reset her future.
The future she has all thanks to Alessandro.
He saved her that fateful night when her husband died, and he continues to save her as she struggles to piece her life back together.
Yet the closer they get, the more it terrifies her because no man has ever made her feel like this.
It can’t work.
She’s too broken.
He’s too young.
And she’ll never trust a made man again.
Women never get under Alesso’s skin—until Serena. They share an intense connection that can’t be ignored, no matter how hard she tries to push him away.
He knows she’s scared. He is too, but she’s worth the risk. Alesso vows to be patient, until danger resurfaces and now all bets are off. Serena needs to understand how much she means to him and he will do everything to protect her.
The situation grows more tense as the DeLucas plot against Bennett Mazzone and the surviving mafia heirs. But Alesso will lay down his life before he lets Serena get hurt again.
Now his walls are lowered, the gloves are off, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Even if it means letting her go.
This is a full-length 105k-word novel with NO cliff-hanger and an HEA, set in the Mazzone Mafia world. This is the third and final book in this series. For readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, second chance, reverse age-gap, dark mafia romance. May contain triggers – please read the note at the start of the book.
She slams to a halt, turning to face me. “I would never deliberately deceive you. That’s not who I am.” Fire underscores her tone, and I like hearing it.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I know who you are.”
The saddest expression washes over her features. “If that was true, you wouldn’t be standing here with me now. You wouldn’t be spending time with me each day. You would run a mile if you realized exactly who I am.”
I risk stepping a little closer. “I have known you long enough to know the kind of woman you are, Serena. I’d like to think you’ve known me long enough to know you could tell me anything, and it wouldn’t scare me away.” Reaching out slowly, I take her gloved hands in my bare ones. “I spend time with you because I enjoy it. I want to get to know you better. I want to support you as you deal with the things you need to deal with.”
“Why me? I’m too old. Too broken. I have kids. I come with so much baggage I’m completely weighted down with it. I—”
I can’t listen to her beat herself up any longer, so I place two fingers over her mouth, quietly shushing her as I prepare to negate each of her concerns. “One. You’re not too old, and I’m not too young. Age is just a number, and I refuse to allow stupid societal norms to dictate who I spend my time with or categorize the nature of that relationship. Two. Broken is subjective, and we all have our broken parts, but guess what?” I move my fingers from her lips to her cheeks, silently rejoicing when she doesn’t flinch or shy away. “Broken parts can be glued back together. Three, I adore your kids, and they are the cherry on top. And four, every single person in the world has some kind of baggage. It’s called life.”
Tears glisten in her eyes, spilling onto her cheeks. “You’re not real,” she whispers. “You can’t be.”
My heart aches for her because I see the mistrust and disbelief in her eyes. “I’m real, Rena.” Taking her hand, I slip it under my coat and over my shirt-covered chest, where my heart is currently jumping cartwheels in honor of her presence. “I’m as real as it gets.”
Siobhan Davis is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Top 10 bestselling romance author. Siobhan writes emotionally intense stories with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She has sold over 1.5 million books and her titles are translated into several languages.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.
She lives in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.
He’s broody, he’s driven, and he’s coming back to claim what’s his.
“First, do no harm…” It’s the start of my oath as a doctor, and breaking that oath is how I began my career. Only I didn’t just do harm, I watched a man die right in front of me. And not just any man—a man I hated.
I thought his death would bring me peace, but it haunts me to this day. Every close call sparks memories of what I did to him, to me, to her. I have to go back and face what I’ve done or end my career.
Seeing her hits me harder than the regret. She’s still so beautiful with long, dark hair, bright amber eyes, luscious curves. She still dominates my heart, my mind, my bed. But she’s different now—stronger, bolder, unafraid.
We’re a mess, tangled up in a web I created. But I’m determined to heal these wounds, to fix this break. One thing is certain, I won’t say goodbye to her again.
(A STAND-ALONE “Bayside Heroes” novel. Small-town, second-chance doctor romance with a touch of suspense. No cheating. No cliffhanger.) The Bayside Heroes series is a set of four interconnected STAND-ALONE medical romance novels that will have you panting, faking an injury for medical attention and begging for more.
Tia Louise is the USA TODAY best-selling, award-winning author of super-hot and sexy romances. All her heroes are alphas with hearts of gold, and all her heroines are the smart, sassy ladies who love them.
Nothing gives me a bigger rush than when I’m responding to an emergency call.
As a firefighter EMT, my mission has always been clear.
Until I arrive at the scene of an accident and a dark-haired vixen, quite literally, trips into my life.
I quickly learn there’s more to the gorgeous photographer than meets the eye.
Meadow Matthews isn’t a woman who needs saving, but she just might save me.
As a single mom to an adorable little boy, she leaves little time for play.
Which is why, when I approach her with a fun opportunity, she instantly declines.
Unfortunately, snapping photos of greased-up firefighters for a calendar isn’t her thing.
Lucky for us, she fires me up just enough to convince her otherwise.
Fired Up is a standalone single parent romance in the Bayside Heroes series!
K.K. Allen is the USA TODAY Bestselling and award-winning contemporary romance author of sweet, sexy, and inspiring stories that evoke emotion at every turn.
K.K.’s debut romance novel, Up in the Treehouse, was named the Best New Adult Book of the Year by RT Book Reviews, an honor beyond belief. And she continues to take reader’s emotions on an epic ride every single time with real, layered, coming of age romance stories that will make you fall in love over and over again.
Born in Hawaii, raised in Washington, and currently residing in Florida, K.K. lives for laughs with her little dude, the great outdoors, watching football, dancing the night away, and her eclectic taste in music.
K.K. also loves connecting with her readers and attends signings when she can! You can find upcoming event dates and other information at:www.kkallen.com.
I’m basically American royalty– daughter to a former Senator and heiress to a fortune.
And princesses marry princes. My father has arranged for me to marry his best friend’s son without my knowledge. Now I’m engaged to someone I don’t even know– a man who was supposed to be my sister’s husband.
I know what’s expected of me. Unfortunately, this princess has fallen for a pauper.
Colton Fisher is a single dad struggling to get by. He runs an art studio and works as a tattoo artist at one of the local shops. Before I know what’s happening, love between us has ignited, and I’m consumed by the flames.
Except that inferno between us has caught fire, and now I’m carrying Colton’s baby.
Pregnant by one man and engaged to another, I’m caught between pleasing the family who raised me and being with my soulmate.
I have a choice– the perfect life, or the perfect love. If I don’t make the right decision, I might end up getting burned.
***
Chasing Fire is a contemporary romance novel that features fiery situations and passionate encounters. This single dad surprise baby romance has all the feel-good moments that readers are looking for.
Emery grew up in Southern Arkansas and has lived most of her adult life in Northern Louisiana. She spends her days working as a Nurse Practitioner in rural health and her nights reading, writing, and occasionally sleeping.
She loves real life romance…lots of angst and heartbreak, but always a happy ending.
Welcome to the underworld of Knight’s Ridge. An empire steeped in history, wealth, secrets, and lies. Where nothing is quite as it seems, and the shadows lingering around every corner are ready to drag you into the darkness.
If you want a white Knight to save you, you’re in the wrong place…
Blurb: USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tracy Lorraine brings you the next installment of her new dark mafia, high school bully romance series. The empire is crumbling… She didn’t believe me. Even now she doesn’t want to. But as sirens ring out in the distance and she stares into my eyes— there is no denying it. No denying her. Or the truth. The threat is closer than we ever imagined and uncovering that truth is more deadly than the lies she grew up believing. We’re at our breaking point, but I’m not going down without a fight. And I’m sure as hell not going to lose her. Not after everything we’ve endured. Stella Doukas might have started out as her father’s little princess. But I’m going to make her my queen.
Dear Readers, Wicked Empire is the third and final in Stella and Sebastian’s trilogy and the first couple’s story in my Knight’s Ridge Empire series. This book is a dark bully romance that contains mature content and demanding alphaholes that some readers may find disturbing. You have been warned.
About the Author: Tracy Lorraine is a new adult and contemporary romance author. Tracy has recently-ish turned thirty and lives in a cute Cotswold village in England with her husband, baby girl and lovable but slightly crazy dog. Having always been a bookaholic with her head stuck in her Kindle Tracy decided to try her hand at a story idea she dreamt up and hasn’t looked back since.
The bestselling Crowned Crows series from Veronica Eden continues with Book II, 𝙇𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨. Ready to go deeper into the shadows of the dark city full of secrets and power? They say crows have a long memory. Never cross a crow.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚.
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑?
𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢
Thorne Point sunk its claws in me at a young age.
I refused to let its harsh truths snuff out my light.
When an attempt to kidnap me is stopped, I know they’ll never give up.
The city’s seedy underbelly won’t let me escape forever.
My only choice is to run into the arms of monsters for safety.
The Crows have a terrifying reputation, and Levi Astor lives up to it.
But my protective monster will never be worse than the ones who buried their ugliness deep in me.
𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘪
𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘪 𝘈𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵.
Our unchallenged rule over this city is crumbling.
We’ll hunt down the ones behind this and make them pay.
𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦.
Guarding the senator’s daughter isn’t on my agenda, yet I couldn’t ignore her if I tried.
Sunshine might break through the shadows, but it will only illuminate what makes me a deadly monster.
Isla Vonn should run in the opposite direction instead of into my arms.
Because everyone fears the Leviathan in Thorne Point.
Veronica Eden is an international bestselling author of dark new adult romances + reverse harem romances with spitfire heroines and irresistible heroes.
She loves exploring complicated feelings, magical worlds, epic adventures, and the bond of characters that embrace us against the world. She has always been drawn to gruff bad boys, clever villains, and the twisty-turns of morally gray decisions. She believes sometimes the villain should get the girl and is a sucker for a deliciously devilish antihero.
Veronica also writes romance as Mara Townsend.
When not writing, she can be found soaking up sunshine at the beach, snuggling in a pile with her untamed pack of animals (her husband, dog and cats), and surrounding herself with as many plants as she can get her hands on.
It began with hearing voices – just another step on my steady descent into madness. It was inevitable, considering the whole town hated me and I was the loneliest person on the planet.
I didn’t really blame them, I guess. Everyone who got close to me ended up in the hospital. I’d be suspicious of me too.
When the three distinct, alluring voices in my head started to appear before my eyes as three distinct, gorgeous men I really started to question everything I thought I knew.
They called themselves Dreamwalkers and told me they were hunting the monster attacking all the people around me.
They won’t leave me alone.
I’m not sure I want them to.
But am I the monster they’re after? Or are we all in worse danger than I ever could’ve imagined?
Kaydence Snow has lived all over the world but ended up settled in Melbourne, Australia. She lives near the beach with her husband. She draws inspiration from her own overthinking, sometimes frightening imagination, and everything that makes life interesting: complicated relationships, new experiences and good food and coffee. Life is not worth living without good food and coffee! She believes sarcasm is the highest form of wit and has the vocabulary of a highly educated, well-read sailor. When she’s not writing, thinking about writing, planning when she can write next, or reading other people’s writing, she loves to travel and learn new things.
The second came when I had to leave behind everything I knew to move across the world to live with my only remaining relative.
But what was life for, if not for living? So I kept moving.
Then the third thing happened, just as I was about to begin my junior year at the prestigious Blackstone University.
I caught the eye of not one, not two, but three of the most infamous guys on campus. The three guys from the wrong side of the tracks.
Saint. Mateo. Callum. Merciless. Vicious. Ruthless. I don’t know what I’ve done wrong, but they have me in their sights. There’s nowhere I can run, nowhere I can hide. No escape from the Boneyard Kings.
Merciless Kings is a reverse harem romance with enemies to lovers and bullying themes. This is book one in the Boneyard Kings series, and cannot be read as a standalone.
Becca Steele is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author. She currently lives in the south of England with a whole horde of characters that reside inside her head.
When she’s not writing, you can find her reading or watching Netflix, usually with a glass of wine in hand. Failing that, she’ll be online hunting for memes, or wasting time making her 500th Spotify playlist.
Claudia lives in the Chicagoland suburbs, and when she’s not busy chasing after her adorable little spawn, she’s fighting with the characters in her head. After not being able to keep up with them, she decided enough was enough and wrote her first novel.
Claudia writes both sweet and dark romances that will give you all the feels. Her other talents include binge watching shows on Netflix and eating all kinds of chips.
Even though she knew I’d always catch her, she still had a bad habit of running. As fun as our little game was, I was getting tired of the chase. Especially when one night of combustible passion proved we found the reward we both deserved.
Once I finally had her right where I wanted, her world was tragically torn apart, and she needed me now more than ever. Honored to be the man to pick up the pieces, I didn’t realize putting her back together would come with a price. Because once she was whole again, she wasn’t the same woman I had fallen in love with.
The first time Anna tried to read a romance novel, her hair caught on fire when she leaned over a candle to sneak a peek at her mom’s Harlequin. She thinks being hit on the head with a shirtless Fabio until the smoke cleared is what sparked the flame for her love of romance.
Anna was born in Wisconsin, but currently lives in Texas with her husband and two boys. She writes sexy romance that always has a happy ending and loves bringing characters back for cameos. Less than six degrees of separation connects any of her novels.
When she’s not writing or reading, she’s watching reruns of her favorite romcoms, talking to her dog and cat like they’re human, eating carbs, or practicing hand lettering.
She loves to hear from readers and can be found on social media as @annabrooksauth everywhere.
Beautiful Surrender, an all-new steamy standalone romance that brings the heat from Ivy Wild is available now!
Xavier: My truth is control. My truth is that good is rewarded and that bad is punished. Aubrey Knight thought she could disrupt my business and get away with it. But, she was sorely mistaken. So, when her father lost the election and came to me begging for money I struck a deal. The little brat would serve as collateral until the loan was repaid. She thinks she can test me. How laughable. She will learn that my house has rules, and she will learn to follow them.
Aubrey: I will never follow his rules.
Beautiful Surrender is a standalone romance that explores the psychological dynamic of BDSM rather than the physical.
His hand wrapped around the nape of my neck, and he pulled back briefly. His intense amber eyes were on me and his breathing was heavy.
He didn’t seem like himself. That perfect composure he always wrapped around himself like a designer suit was gone.
He was shirtless.
Exposed.
Heaving.
Breathless.
And it was beautiful.
Because I knew it was just for me.
Maybe I’d been jealous of what I saw between him and his ballerina. But now I knew. Now I knew that he had his walls up around her, as well.
I was the only one he showed this side of himself to.
“Kiss me back, goddammit,” he growled against my neck, nipping at the skin.
I so wanted to. I wanted to let myself fall into him. I’d been burned by my own flames for so long that I was more than ready to let them go out if I thought someone would come along and keep me warm.
And Xavier seemed like the type of man that would do just that. He seemed like the type of man I could rely on.
I pressed my palms against his firm pectorals.
And then, I pushed him away.
“I’ll never be the other woman,” I said firmly.
“There’s no one else,” he growled.
“She left less than an hour ago,” I reminded him with a huff.
“She’s nothing to me,” he said before moving in again. I pushed against him but his strength overwhelmed me. His body was on me, and I barely had any fight left within me.
“You’re lying,” I whispered, looking away from his intense gaze.
His fingers gripped my chin roughly and turned my head so that I couldn’t help but look at him. “I don’t lie. I’ve never lied a day in my life. And I certainly wouldn’t break that over a woman.”
“Is that all I am? Just some woman?”
“Kiss me back and I’ll make you more than that.”
Did I believe him? Could it really be true that she was nothing to him? I saw the way he was with her. It was nothing like the way he was with me right now. He was all cold detachment with her.
And this?
His ice was gone.
Completely gone.
All I could feel were the scorching bright flames of his heart. The flames that, try as he might, he couldn’t hide. They showed so brilliantly through his eyes.
“I’m not going to fall in love with you,” I whispered, even though I knew it was a lie.
“I don’t believe in love,” was his response.
“Good, then,” I grit out, not allowing myself to feel the disappointment that was welling up inside of me.
“You want this?” he asked, pushing his body into me. I could feel his erection against my stomach. There was no questioning what he wanted. “Tell me you want this.” He moved in closer, his lips hovering just above my ear. “Get down on your knees and beg me for it.”
My sex clenched at his words as shivers wracked my body. I did want him. Even still, I was never going to give into him that way.
“I’ll never beg you for anything,” I forced myself to say.
His face hardened. “I’m not fucking playing around Aubrey. Say you want this, say you want me, or all of this stops.”
“I want all of this,” I whispered. “I’m just never going to beg you for it.”
“You’re such a brat,” he nearly spat but he couldn’t hide his lust for me. I could see it in his eyes and the way he moved his body against me. I could feel it in how firm he was for me.
“Don’t act like you don’t like it,” I replied.
He captured my lips as I spoke and bit down hard on my lower lip. I gasped and he invaded my mouth with his tongue. I moaned as my nails dug into the firm muscles of his shoulders.
He consumed me with this kiss. His presence normally was dominating, consuming, intimidating. But, this kiss was that and more.
His fingers held my chin firmly in place, and I had no way to fight him. No way to refuse him. No way to escape him.
None of that mattered though.
Because I didn’t want to do any of that.
I wanted to be here. I wanted his lips on me. I wanted to erase whatever it was I saw earlier, even if he said it was nothing.
He pulled back and I sucked in breath. Suddenly I found myself being flipped around so that my body was pressed against the wall. He held me there and I knew I wouldn’t escape him if he didn’t want me to.
“I don’t need to pretend for you. I don’t like it. Your attitude, your challenges. You’re a spoiled little brat, Ms. Knight. You deserve to be punished.”
He pulled the lace thong I didn’t remember putting on aside and his fingers danced just beside my folds. My legs were shaking with anticipation. I wanted him to touch me more than I wanted anything, but he seemed determined to make me beg for it.
I bit down on my tongue hard to stop myself from giving in. To stop myself from going back on my word within less than thirty seconds.
“So strong. So fierce. So feisty,” he whispered against my ear before sucking on the lobe.
“Do what you came here to do,” I goaded him. “Or I’m going to think you’ve lost your nerve.”
He smirked against my skin. “You’re lucky I don’t have a paddle, or your ass would be as fiery as your attitude.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I seethed as he continued to tease me, massaging the inside of my thighs gently.
His finger dipped inside my entrance suddenly, and I screamed at the intrusion as he started to work me expertly.
“What was that, Ms. Knight?” he whispered against me as he continued to work me, pressing hard against my G-spot with each stroke. “Were you trying to suggest that I lack the nerve to take you? Was that it?”
I wanted to respond. I wanted to fight back at his comment. But, I could barely breathe with how fast he was working me now. Air seemed to catch in my throat, and I was fairly sure my legs had given out and his strength was the only thing holding me up.
Just as I was about to crest, he pulled his finger out of me and wrapped it around the front of my body. I opened my mouth to protest and instead found his thick fingers shoved inside.
“Taste yourself on me, Ms. Knight. Tell me how good submitting to me tastes.”
I groaned around his fingers before he pulled them out. His body pulled back, and I thought for a minute that he really intended to leave the job unfinished.
But within seconds he was pressing me back against the wall and sheathing himself inside of me.
“Fuck!” I cursed at the feel of him. He’d taken me raw, and I could feel every beautiful inch of his stiff cock pressing deeper and deeper inside of me.
“You’re beautiful when you don’t resist,” he whispered against my back before he started to move.
About Ivy Writer of all things untamed, romantic and free, Ivy Wild never planned on becoming a romance novelist. In fact, she hated romance as a kid and was quite proud of that fact. Basically, life is weird.
Married to her own alpha hero, she currently lives in various places of the world at various times thanks to his military career.
Featured Authors: L. Wilder, Jordan Marie, Sandy Alvarez & Crystal Daniels, K.L. Savage, Cassandra Robbins, Lilly Atlas, Serena Akeroyd, Verlene Landon, Teagan Brooks & India R. Adams Genre: MC Romance
BLURB Tis the season for an MC Christmas. 10 steamy stories sure to make the naughty list this year.
HUNTER’S HOPE by Alyssa Day is out now from Entangled Publishing! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!
Title: Hunter’s Hope
Author: Alyssa Day
Genre: Paranormal Romance
About Hunter’s Hope:
Hunter Evans risked his life again and again as a firefighter until the night he died saving a child…only to be reborn as a vampire. Now the man who lived his life as the quintessential “nice guy” must find a way to conquer the deadly urges that threaten to turn him feral. When his own actions put a beautiful woman in danger, he vows to protect her…even from himself.
Alice Darlington has a secret of her own: she sees ghosts. She thought she’d done a good job of keeping it under wraps—until now. A terrible threat from her past is hunting her down in order to use her power for dark purposes. Now she’s on the run and doesn’t know who to trust or where to go.
When Hunter and Alice team up to battle the dangers coming at them from all sides, they’re forced to rely on each other. But Hunter doesn’t know how long he can keep the beast inside him away from the woman it craves…
Hunter snapped into motion the second Alice swayed. He shot across the space between them and caught her in his arms before she could hit the floor.
She blinked up at him, her brilliant green eyes huge in her pale face, and then she smiled a little. “This is not how I imagined the evening going.”
Something in Hunter’s chest clenched at her courage. She’d faced down vampires and now a ghost—and probably had a demon in her house, if Meara had been right—and she still had a sense of humor. He could feel a part of his heart, the small, icy, closed-off part that had faced one too many rejections, take a small, tentative step toward warmth and hope.
He automatically stepped on the feeling. Hard.
Now was not the time.
“What happened?” he asked.
She blew out a shaky breath and pushed gently away from him to stand on her own. “Well, I guess you’re telling the truth about being vampires, because the ghost just told me that you are, and ghosts never lie.”
“Is that all?” Meara hopped gracefully off the table and stalked toward them. “Seemed like a longer conversation than that.”
Alice shrugged, the casual motion contradicted by the wary look in her eyes. “She also told me you want me to die.”
“We do not want you to die,” Hunter said firmly. “We—”
“I know,” Alice said, smoothing wisps of hair away from her face.
“You do?” He was confused. “You just said ghosts don’t lie.”
“Well, they don’t, as far as I know. It’s not like I’ve met all the ghosts in the world or know the secret ghost rulebook.” She gave them just a hint of a smile. “But they can be wrong. How would a dead flapper from a hundred years ago know what your intent is?”
“Exactly!” He was pleased. “And—”
“And simple logic tells me that you probably didn’t rent out an entire restaurant just to kill me, when you could have murdered me at the rescue and left me bleeding out on the floor. Or, I guess, not bleeding out so much as drained.”
His smile faded, but he couldn’t disagree with her logic.
“Look, I’ve never killed anybody and don’t plan to start now, Alice. In fact, I’ve never even bitten anybody,” he growled. “Maybe you could take that much on faith, while we get to know each other.”
“Are we going to get to know each other?” She wrapped her arms around her waist, her body language pure self-protection combined with a touch of fear, but her flashing eyes and raised chin signaled defiance and courage. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, no matter how beautiful you are.”
Hunter felt a slow, wicked smile spreading across his face. “Beautiful? I can work with that.”
About the Author:
Alyssa Day (aka Alesia Holliday) is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the Warriors of Poseidon and Vampire Motorcycle Club paranormal romance series and the Tiger’s Eye Mysteries paranormal mystery series, with more than a million books sold. A recovering trial lawyer, Alyssa has won many awards for her books, has had her books translated into many languages (but is holding out for Klingon!), and loves all things spooky—and she’s always rescuing dogs. For more info: www.alyssaday.com.
He’s also a liar, a jerk, and a playboy jock.
Sure, I might have thought we had a connection.
I might have thought he was worth breaking my “no dating” rule.
He might have even given me the best orgasm I’ve ever experienced to date.
But it was a farce.
A trick.
Another lie.
And I don’t make mistakes twice.
Now he says he needs me.
One week of my help and I never have to deal with him again.
For ten grand, I can suffer anything for seven days.
Even Riggs Stanton.
Except…
The more time I spend with him, the more I get to know him, the more I question myself. What if what we shared before was real, and it’s everything else that’s fake?
****Better With You is the secondinterconnected standalone in the Better Love series by Brit Benson. This enemies-to-lovers new adult romance is sassy, sexy, and has a guaranteed HEA. It is not necessary to read Love You Better before enjoying Better With You, but Better With You will contain minor spoilers for Love You Better.
A sexy standalone in the fan-favorite Lost Harbor, Alaska series
After a heartbreaking loss, Lulu Spencer-Bennington is on a mission to live her life to the fullest. Dancing her way around the world on a cruise ship is a great start. Hiding in a small Alaska town, staying off a criminal’s radar, probably wasn’t what her beloved mum had in mind. Fortunately, she’s stumbled across a sexy fisherman willing to help. So maybe he doesn’t quite know what he’s in for…but Lulu’s hoping to be out of town before he finds out.
Tristan Del Rey has always been a natural leader—but a recent fishing accident has sent his confidence reeling. He’s no hero, no matter what his fellow Lost Harbor fishermen think. Even so, he can’t turn away the funny, feisty dancer he finds on his boat. He’s determined to protect her no matter what it costs him. As for anything more personal, the best he can offer is some temporary fun. That doesn’t stop the luscious, long-legged Lulu from high-kicking him right in the heart.
Between a dangerous enemy, family drama and the fast-approaching winter, Tristan and Lulu may find their hearts’ desires where they least expect it…starting with a first kiss before frost.
Jennifer Bernard is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have been called “an irresistible reading experience” full of “quick wit and sizzling love scenes.” A graduate of Harvard and former news promo producer, she left big city life in Los Angeles for true love in Alaska, where she now lives with her husband and stepdaughters. She still hasn’t adjusted to the cold, so most often she can be found cuddling with her laptop and a cup of tea.
If you’d like to know when Jennifer’s next book comes out, visit her website at www.JenniferBernard.net to sign up for her mailing list.
The Ritual, an all-new dark college romance by USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Shantel Tessier is available now!
The Chosen One I vow. You vow. We vow. Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one. People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it’s not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had—freedom. I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want. After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death.
Loyalty Freshman year at Barrington University I KNEEL IN the middle of the darkly lit room along with twenty other men. My hands are secured tightly behind my back with a pair of handcuffs. My shirt is torn, and blood drips from my busted lips. I’m panting, still trying to catch my breath while my heart beats like a drum in my chest. It’s hard to hear over the blood rushing in my ears, and I’m sweating profusely.
We were dragged out of our beds in the middle of the night to serve. Our freshman classes at Barrington University start in two weeks, but we already have to show our loyalty to the Lords.
“You will always have to prove yourself,”my father once told me. “You were each given a task,”the man calls out as he paces in front of us. His black combat boots slap against the concrete floor with each step, the sound echoing off the walls. “Kill or be killed. Now how many of you can fulfill it?”
“I can,” I state, lifting my head to stick my chin out in the warm and sticky air. Sweat covers my brow after the fight. It’s rigged. You are supposed to lose. The point is to wear you down. See just how much you have to give. How far you can go. I made sure to win mine. No matter what it took.
He smirks down at me like I’m fucking joking. “Ryat. You seem so confident in yourself.”
“I know what I’m capable of handling,”I say through gritted teeth. I don’t like being second-guessed. We were each raised for this—to be a Lord.
Wealth got us here.
Yet our determination will separate us by the time it’s over.
The man looks at the guy on my left and nods. The guy walks behind me and yanks me to stand by the back of my shirt. He undoes the cuffs, and I rip the shredded material up and over my head before dropping my hands to my sides when what I really want to do is rub my sore wrists.
Never show weakness. A Lord does not feel. He’s a machine.
The man steps up to me with a knife in hand. He holds it out handle first to me, his black eyes almost glowing with excitement. “Show us what you can do.”
Taking it from him, I walk over to the chair bolted to the floor. I yank the bloody sheet off the chair to reveal a man tied to it. His hands are cuffed behind his back, and his feet are spread wide and secured to the chair legs.
I’m not surprised I know him—he’s a Lord. Or was. The fact that he’s restrained tells me he’s not anymore. But that doesn’t change my orders.
Kill without questions.
You want to be powerful? Then you realize you are a threat to those who want your position. In order to succeed, you don’t have to be stronger, just deadlier.
The man shakes his head, his brown eyes pleading with me to spare his life. Multiple layers of duct tape are placed over his mouth—those who spill secrets will be silenced. He thrashes in his chair.
Walking behind him, I look down at his cuffed wrists. He wears a ring on his right hand; it’s a circle with three horizontal lines across the middle. It stands for power.
Not just anyone would know what it means, but I do. Because I wear the same one. Everyone in this room does. But just because you get one doesn’t mean you’ll keep it.
I reach down and grab his hand. He begins to shout behind the tape as he tries to fight me, but I remove the ring easily and walk back around to stand in front of him. “You don’t deserve this,”I say to him, placing it in my pocket. “You betrayed us, your brothers, yourself. The payment for that is death.”
When he throws his head back and screams into the tape, I press the knife to his neck, right below his jawline. His breathing fills the room, and his body strains, waiting for the first cut.
A Lord does not show mercy. Blood and tears are what we demand from those who betray us.
Savage Hearts, the highly-anticipated third standalone in the Queens & Monsters mafia romance series by JT Geissinger is available now!
Savage (adjective): 1) Not domesticated; wild and untamed 2) A brutal or vicious person 3) Malek Antonov
When my older sister calls out of the blue to announce she’s getting married, it’s a shock. She’s not the settling-down kind, and we haven’t spoken in almost three years. Even more of a shock? Sloane wants me to visit her and meet her new fiancé. Curious, I decide to take her up on the offer. I should’ve known something was wrong when she wouldn’t tell me where I’d be going. I should’ve known things were odd when she sent a private jet to pick me up. But there’s no way in hell I could’ve ever guessed what would happen when I finally meet her fiancé. Declan O’Donnell. Head of the Irish Mob. Target of a savage Bratva assassin who wants revenge for the murder of his brother. Now, I’m thousands of miles from home, I’m smack in the middle of a mafia war, and I’ve got a Russian assassin who’s decided he likes the looks of me. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. They never met Malek Antonov.
“Yeah. Oh—can I ask you a favor? Will you please not hurt him? Kieran, either. He’s the other bodyguard. The bigger one. They’re both really nice.” Malek stares at me in disbelief. “Sorry. Is that asking too much? It’s just that I’d never get over it if they got hurt because of me. They’re only trying to do their jobs.” After a moment, he says angrily, “You know who I am. You know what I do. Correct?” “Yes. I’ve been filled in on the particulars.” “And you’re lying there with my hand around your neck asking me not to hurt your bodyguards.” He says it like my sanity is in question. “I know it’s maybe a little unorthodox.” “No,” he says flatly. “Please?” He growls, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” “There’s no need to get testy.” “Testy?” “I’m just saying. You don’t have to get all mad about it.” Furious again, he glares at me, grinding his jaw and probably calculating how much pressure it will take to snap the brittle bird bones in my neck. Before he does, I say, “I also want to thank you for the rose you left me. That was really nice. I’ve never had a man bring me flowers before. I know it was only the one, and also you thought I was a captive prostitute at the time, but still. It was thoughtful. So thank you.” He stares at me with an expression somewhere between confusion and amazement, with a healthy dose of disgust on the side. “Now is probably a good time to remind you that I’m still the same person you left the rose for. So if you did kill me, you’d be killing her, too. Just a thought.” “Are you on drugs?” “Not at the moment, no. Why, do you have any?” “There’s something wrong with you. Mentally. Right?” That makes me laugh. “Oh, totally. I’ve got more than a few screws loose. At least that’s what my dad tells me. But he’s super uptight, zero imagination, so his opinion doesn’t really count. Not that he’s wrong, because he isn’t, but normies shouldn’t judge creatives. They just have no idea how we’re wired. Why are you looking at me like that?” “I’ve never had a conversation with an insane person before.” “Very funny.” “It wasn’t a joke.” “Ouch.” We stare at each other in silence. His hostile, mine hopeful. He still hasn’t murdered me, so things are looking up. “Malek?” “What.” He says it flatly. With dread. “Thank you for not killing me.” He says emphatically, “Don’t thank me yet.” “You’re still deciding?” “If only to get you to shut up, yes.” “In that case…” I make a zipper motion across my lips. He watches with outrage, astonishment, and absolute disbelief. “Actually, before I shut up, I also want to say that it was really sweet that you tried to save me from being a sex worker. I mean, what a gentleman! A gentleman killer who gives strangers big wads of cash in restrooms. You’re quite the puzzle, Mr. Ghost. Or is it just Ghost? I’m never sure how the nickname thing works, except between me and my sister, but that doesn’t count because my whole family is a little weird. I’ll just call you Malek, if that’s all right. Or Mal for short, since we’re such buds now, what with you breaking into my various bedrooms for midnight visits and all. Okay, I’m shutting up now. Here I go.” I press my lips together and gaze up at him, watching him struggle with dueling urges to cut off my air supply or break something over my head. Maybe he’s right about me being insane, because rather than terrifying, I find his indecision understandable. He’s not the first man I’ve driven to the brink of murder. He’s just the most capable of actually going through with it. “Oh, one more thing—” “I know a way to keep that mouth quiet,” he snaps. Then he kisses me.
J.T. Geissinger is a #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty-seven novels. Ranging from funny, feisty rom coms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold over five million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages. She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book and the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy. She’s a Southern California native currently living in Nevada with her husband and rescue kitty, Zoe.
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