Thursday, 14 May 2015

Release Day Blitz for Blood Rites by Amity Cross. @givemebooksblog @amitycross




Title: Blood Rites
Series: Royal Blood #2.5
Author: Amity Cross
Genre: Erotic Romance
 Release Date: May 14, 2015


Synopsis


A beautiful star, a dark prince with a price and an affair that pushes the limits of sanity...

Sebastian Vaughn has a secret.
Lorelei Lansford is the epitome of perfection.
 
Vaughn has darkness inside of him. Recruited by a criminal organization at a young age, he leads a double life. He deals in women, arms and intelligence, but to the outside world he's just another rich playboy living the lifestyle. That is until he crosses paths with a shining star, a beauty he can’t keep his hands off.
 
Lorelei was born into a wealthy family and has certain responsibilities she is expected to obey without question. One of those is not falling in love with high society bad boy, Sebastian Vaughn. Money, sex, danger... Vaughn exudes it and like a moth to a flame, she can’t stay away. When Vaughn steps into something out of his control there’s only one way he can escape with his life. He has to make a deal that will betray everything he holds dear.

The price?
Lorelei.

Warning: This is a story about pain and retribution. It does not have a happy ending. There is strong language, sex scenes and violence. It is not intended for those of a squeamish disposition. Blood Rites is dark, dangerous and smooth. You have been warned.

18+ due to mature sexual content.





Links to Buy

AMAZON US / UK / AU

Review by Nadia Chief Obsessive Pimpette

~*~ Obsessed by Books arc given in exchange for an honest review ~*~

"Open up the wound and let me stitch it back up."

But as we learned in Bad Blood Vaughn has a wound that just keeps on bleeding...it is his motivation, his driving force and in this novella we explore how that came to be. Sebastian Vaughn is a bad man. Keeping his two lives separate he works in the financial sector successfully by day and has an alter ego in the darker side of life; dealing in hard drugs, women and weapons. He is riding high in both circles, his reputation reknown, whispers and accolades surround him but believes he is untouchable. Striking a deal with Sykes, the leader of The Necromancers MC he quickly changes his mind as Sykes wants more than Vaughn is willing to give.

This is Vaughn's story of how a chance meeting with a beautiful woman alters the course of destiny and shapes the man he is to become, The Hangman. Vaughn becomes infatuated with the stunning woman he accidentally bumps into, the electricity sparking between them. He knows she is different but doesn't realise just how far he will go to win her. They play a cat and mouse game of seduction but ultimately can they resist the pull?

Wrong choices, poor decisions and man's hubris creates the ultimate Romeo and Juliet type love story. We learn what became of the beautiful Lorelei and Vaughn's metamorphosis from a bad man to a very very bad man, he goes somewhere much darker after his dealings with Sykes. We also meet again with The Watchman. He is not someone to bump onto in the dark. Hawkes is another interesting character his loyalty to Vaughn unsupassed. Lorelei is a high society lady, born wealthy but without title and she feels she has never quite fitted in. Successful too in her own right in her chosen career, she is swept up in the storm that is Vaughn. A good girl with an inner bad side, she accepts every dark secret he has to give. Having never felt so passionately before about someone she gives him her all and tragically that also includes her very last breathe. Unfortunately she is just a footnote in my review as she was nothing more than a pawn in Syke's blood soaked game of chess, expendable in his grand scheme.

This is another adrenaline filled, smoking hot, sexy read that has no happy ending or hero's rushing in. Just darkness and things best left in the shadows, my all time favourite flavour of story.

A five star sizzling read.


Review by Mazzy Boss Lady


*********Reviewed on behalf of Obsessed by Books **********

Here we find out more about Vaughn, we previously met him in the previous book, and I for one would love to find out what is behind his façade.

Vaughn is most definitely a bad boy and he is an ultimate one as his dealings include drugs and women. His other interest is Lorelei, the chemistry between these two is sizzling hot.

There are decisions to made by both of them, Vaughn needs to decide what is most important to him and Lorelei needs to decide whether she can forgive, forget to be with the man that she is in love with.

Amity has written a a book where she keeps your attention from page one, this read is dark and dirty and I loved every minute of it.

This series just gets better and better, I will be looking forward to what Amity writes next, as we have one extremely talented author here and she is not one to be missed.

Also Available


AMAZON US / UK / AU



AMAZON US / UK / AU







Author Bio


Amity Cross isn't her real name. That's no secret.

She is the author of wicked stories about rock stars looking for redemption, gritty romances featuring MMA fighters and dark tales of forbidden romance. She loves to write about screwed up relationships and kick ass female leads that don't take s**t lying down.

Amity lives in a leafy country town in southern Australia and can be found chained to her desk, held at ransom by her characters.

Don't send help. She likes it.



Author Links

Giveaway

Moseley's May Madness



Have you be introduced to Zack? 
If not you should, check out "Free Falling" by Kirsty Moseley.
You could be the one of Zach's Roadies. 



Free Falling. 



They say that your school years are supposed to be the best years of your life, and that you should make the most of them because you’ll miss them when you’re all grown up. Up until Maisie Preston’s senior year, she would have totally agreed with that statement. Life was great, she had everything going for her, excellent grades, great parents, an annoying yet caring twin brother, and an impossibly sweet boyfriend.

Everything was perfect - that is until the arrival of Zach Anderson. A misfit delinquent that seemed to bring with him a lot of bad karma. Is it just a coincidence that his arrival marks a significant change in Maisie’s life? Up until senior year, life was perfect, but things seem to be going downhill fast.

***This book is a stand alone companion novel for Always You. You do not need to have read Always You to read this; however, as it is set AFTER the first book it will contain spoilers. ***

You can purchase Free Falling from the following online retailers.




Katy Regnery - Bidding on Brooks @KatyRegnery

TWB - BOB Teaser
Katy Regnery Bidding on Brooks 5/11/2015
KatyRegnery_BiddingOnBrooks

Blurb:
Bidding on Brooks is the first of four books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome Winslow brothers who are all on the look-out for love. (Except Preston. He's been down that road before and still has the scars to prove it. And maybe Cameron, because he's super hot, but too hot-headedto be decent boyfriend material...) Railroaded into a bachelor auction by his sister, Jessica, Brooks Winslow asks his friend, Skye Sorenson, to bid on him to avoid the possibility of any romantic entanglements. Fiercely competitive and protective of those he cares for, Brooks was profoundly affected by the loss of his father at an early age. A witness to his mother’s terrible loneliness and his siblings’ grief, the ex-Olympian has never allowed himself to fall in love. Skye Sorenson, the plucky mechanic at Sorenson Marina, where Brooks moors his three sailboats, is a credible sailor in her own right…and has quietly lusted after Brooks for years. But her longstanding friendship with Brooks has always made romance seem impossible. When Skye agrees to bid on Brooks, the two cast off for a weeklong ocean adventure on Brooks’ sailboat, The Zephyr, where the last thing Skye expects to lose is her heart. Return to the world created in the English Brothers books with this fresh foursome of scorching hot Winslow Brothers!


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  TWB - BOB Teaser2 Excerpt: “Please, Skye. Just listen. You’re the perfect person for this. You’ve got to help me out.” Skye Sorenson rolled her eyes at Brooks Winslow, adjusting the brim of her baseball cap as she swept past him and headed down the dock for her next job. “I mean it, Skye. I’m up a tree…and we’re friends. Can’t you give me a hand?” Dreamy Delight needed a new float switch and bilge pump, which would be difficult to manage with Brooks Winslow standing on the dock, looking casually gorgeous as he yammered at her about some charity event he wanted her to attend. Gazing at her hands, she noted they were still covered with engine grease from the oil change she’d just handled on the outboard motor of a J-24 sailboat. Not wanting to get black fingerprints on the white fiberglass of the motorboat she was about to service, she took a bandana out of the back pocket of her overalls then turned to face Brooks as she wiped her fingers. “Are you going to follow me around all afternoon if I don’t listen?” “Umm…pretty much.” She sighed with feigned annoyance. “Fine. You have my attention. Tell it to me again.” Brooks looked relieved and gave her a small grin that—damn it—made Skye’s stomach flutter. “Knew you wouldn’t let me down.” “Haven’t said yes to anything yet,” she said, shoving the bandana back into her pocket and crossing her arms over her chest. “My sister, Jessica, is back in Philly this summer to get married. To keep busy, she’s organized some big benefit for the Institute of Contemporary Art. She and her girlfriends thought it would be fun to volunteer their single brothers to be auctioned off.” “Auctioned off?” “Yeah…a bachelor auction.” “Some sister,” said Skye, unable to keep the teasing from her voice. “It’s for charity,” he said defensively, running a hand through his waves of jet black hair. “Okay. So you got roped into it.” She thought back to an old movie she’d seen once where women were auctioned off as dates. At each of their feet had been a pretty lunch basket, and the man that was the highest bidder won a homemade lunch with the girl of his choice. “What do you have to do? Have lunch with someone?” “Oh, no,” he said with irritation, pursing his lips. “Nothing that painless. Jess wants to make money. Big money. She had to think bigger than lunch.” Skye stared up at him. “Dinner?” “Nope.” “Two dinners?” “Nuh-uh.” She gestured to the sleek Sportscruiser moored at the end of the dock that she was supposed to be working on. “I’m out of guesses, Brooks…and that pump isn’t going to fix itself, so—” “A sail. She’s auctioning off a sail. With me.” “Well, I don’t know why you’re complaining. You love sailing. You love women. What’s the problem?” Skye tilted her head to the side, looking at Brooks’ way-too-handsome face with a cheeky grin. Long ago Skye had accepted the fact that Brooks would never see her as anything but a great mechanic, a proficient sailor, and a long-time friend. She was—honestly and truly—satisfied with that status quo between them. He was rich and powerful, an ex-Olympian and world-renowned sailor from Philadelphia, while Skye lived a much quieter life, working as a “handyman” at her dad’s marina in Maryland. What they had in common was a deep love of boats and mutual respect for one another’s nautical skills, and that was just enough to keep their friendship intact. The first time Skye had ever seen Brooks Winslow was the day he came down to her father’s marina to claim the fifteen foot Primrose wood-hulled sailboat gifted to him from his parents for his fifteenth birthday. He swaggered into Sorenson Marina, flashing his perfect smile at her, and her ten-year-old heart had grown wings as she’d discreetly followed him down the dock. She was instantly infatuated with Brooks, of course, but much more, Skye harbored a deep devotion to his Primrose, the most beautiful little double-ended Daycruiser she’d ever seen. Her stomach had been in knots as she walked behind him from a discreet distance, hopeful that he would handle the little sailboat with the grace and care she deserved. But Skye’s worries turned out to be unfounded. He’d treated that pretty boat with respect and skill, and Skye had breathed deeply with relief, whispering, “I’m gonna marry you someday,” as he sailed away. Twenty years later, Skye knew two things for certain: One, that Brooks was one of the most talented, natural, organic sailors she’d ever met in her life. Heck, he’d made it all the way to the Olympics and come home with a medal to prove what Skye had always known—that any boat was safe in his hands. She respected him more than most of the sailors she knew. And two, the chances of her ever marrying him were next to none in the approximate area of zero. He was gorgeous and rich and talented and fascinating…and completely out of her league. “Not a one-day sail,” Brooks continued in a terse voice, jettisoning her memories as he prompted her back to their conversation. “Not even two. Jessica signed me up for a cruise. From Baltimore to Charleston.” Skye felt her eyes widen as she stared at him. “That’s a week. Minimum.” “Yeah.” “Crew?” Brooks grabbed the back of his neck with his hand, rubbing. “Nope. It’s supposed to be… romantic.” A romantic cruise. For a week. Alone. With Brooks. Lucky girl, she thought, ignoring the ridiculous spike of jealousy that jabbed a little at her heart and made her feel instantly guilty. She couldn’t help her attraction to him, but the fact that it was totally unreturned made it manageable in a way that didn’t hurt. For heaven’s sake, it wasn’t like she had feelings for Brooks beyond friendship. She just liked looking at him. Her eighty-year-old granny’s heart would flutter at the sight of Brooks’ thick, dark hair, flashing sea-green eyes, square jaw, muscular body, and perennially-tan hands that handled a boat with the same finesse that he probably handled his women. Noticing Brooks’ good looks didn’t make Skye unique or special, and it didn’t mean she wanted more from him than friendship either (she tried to convince herself). It just made her human. “Romantic,” she murmured. Turning away, she looked out at the harbor where sailboats bobbed up and down in afternoon sun. “Yeah.” “But you won’t know who she is,” said Skye, “until she wins you.” “Bingo,” he said. “And then you’ll be trapped at sea for a week.” “Precisely.” “She could be anyone.” “Yep.” “Does your sister really hate you?” Brooks scoffed. “No. But she really loves modern art.” “Okay. Yeah. It’s a pretty sucky situation. But how can I help?” He grinned. “You can bid on me.”

  About Katy Regnery: USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house. She's also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice. She's pursuing a graduate degree in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.
Find Katy Online:
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Release Tour for Balancing Act by Jill Blake @Jill_Blake_ @MoBPromos


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The Barrier Between by Stacey Marie Brown Cover Reveal @S_MarieBrown

 
Release Date: June 2015
Zoey’s life has taken a dramatic turn. Only a few months ago she was a Collector working for the a secret part of the government called the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), tracking and collecting fae. Her life had been changing and improving with a partner she loved and a sister she adored.
Now all that is gone—Daniel murdered by a fae, and Lexi killed when the Seattle area is devastated by a powerful, magical electrical storm. Zoey herself is altered by her association with the Wanderer, Ryker, in life-changing way. Zoey discovered she was an experiment from the very company she worked for. She could die at any moment of a threatening defect—taking Ryker’s magic with her. In a race against time, Ryker and Zoey set out to find a way to transfer his powers back before it’s too late. Their journey takes them to the rainforests of South America, dealing with those who are after something Ryker possesses and who will stop at nothing to obtain it for themselves. What Zoey and Ryker discover can destroy them or tear them a part for good.  
Purchase the first book in the Collector's Series!

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1CuVS00
Purchase on B&N: http://bit.ly/1cLZC3i
Purchase on iBooks: http://apple.co/1zVbgmq
Zoey Daniels has been tossed from foster home to foster home, where she grows up fast and tough. When she is placed in her “last-chance” home, she finds a reason to stay and turn her life around: her foster sister, Lexie, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Zoey will do anything to keep her safe.
After high school, Zoey is hired by a special government agency, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), where she meets the other reason to remain: Daniel, her co-worker. The man she loves. But there is something unique about Zoey. She can see fae. Because of this, the DMG hires her to work as a Collector: catching, researching, testing, and using the fae to save human lives. The work never registers on her sympathy radar. She was raised to think of fae as beasts that feed on humans and want to destroy them. When devastation hits Seattle, Zoey's whole world is turned upside down. The electric storm connects her to a ruthless fae, a Wanderer named Ryker, whose dealings expose them to even more trouble and danger. They embark on a journey, running and hiding from both the government and fae, both of which threaten their lives and those they love.
About Stacey Marie Brown

Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world. She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family's farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly.
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♥Release Day Blitz♥ Fear You (Broken Love #2) by B.B. Reid @authorbbreid



Release Day Blitz
Fear You (Broken Love #2)

Blurb
What happens when she’s had enough?

Lake Monroe has given in to her childhood tormentor too many times. She knows it, he knows it, and even their enemies know it. When he returned after being found guilty of a crime he didn't commit—a crime he thought she set him up for, he returned darker than ever, demanding her body and her submission. To survive him, she knew she had to give in to fear once more or suffer the deadly consequences...

But Lake experienced what it was like to submit to the dark and demanding boy who invaded her dreams. Now she’ll experience what it’s like to fight him.

What happens when he wants more?

Keiran Masters has a past that is both shocking and dark. Once enslaved, he now has demons he can’t escape—demons that have followed him for ten years, demons he blames his beautiful obsession for. He promised to make her pay. He promised to make her break...

But after Keiran had conquered her body and tasted her submission, he found a new addiction instead—one he has no intention of giving up.

As secrets unfold,
Identities are revealed,
Danger closes in,
And they both discover what it really means to fear... 

Purchase Links:

Amazon US ---> http://amzn.to/1PttP4W
Amazon UK ---> http://amzn.to/1JAMZlm
Amazon CA ---> http://amzn.to/1ExZSPe
Kobo ---> http://bit.ly/1GoDNjB

Review by Emma Mistress of all Dark & Twisted

5 of 5 stars
If there was one book I read recently that left me desperate for more it was Fear Me (book 1 in the Broken Love series) by B B Reid. The suspense, angst, conflicting emotions and tangled tale of Lake Monroe and Kieran Masters kept me on the edge throughout reading. The tale of the damaged boy and bullied girl evolving to master manipulator and feisty female with THAT ending that left you reeling with more questions than answers and panting for breath after such dramatic revelations and emotional highs and lows in the final 30 pages!!!

Fear You ( book 2) is told from mainly Kieran's POV this time and has plenty of detail about his childhood. It opens with Keenan in hospital after the confrontation with Mitch, Lake back at college and Kieran in jail hell bent on revenge AGAIN towards Lake.
Kieran is struggling with feeling emotions; they’re weakness he can't afford. They make him loose focus, have liabilities and possibly even regrets. This cold, calculated male can't seem to let go of his previous mind-set of a ruthless trained killer preyed upon by others for their own gain. He always saw people as dispensable but a certain female, who reminds him of a ghost from past and fights him back could be his light or certain damnation. He thinks a killer is all he can be, but Lake, Keenan and Dash see beyond that facade but he's hell bent on destroying their faith in him for something as simple as revenge. He will lie, cheat, manipulate and kill all for one purpose: making things right. What he doesn't count on is that someone else is out for their revenge too...

Lake Monroe is not going to be manipulated anymore, she's in charge of her own destiny. That means Kieran Masters will pay for his sins, but she can't fight their connection anymore than he can. They want to hate each other, but can't. They each have a need to fight each other but won't tolerate anyone else hurting the other, where does that leave them??? When love and hate teeter on a small divide who are you safer with: the one you hate to love but is always honest or the ones who lie to you?

Kieran's past is circling closer and closer. He plans to protect Keenan and Lake, but both of them hate him for what he's done to them. He understands hate; it's his fuel but this isn't what he wants those two to feel for him: he's starting to feel and it's disturbing for him. What happens to the man who had nothing to loose when he's faced with loosing everything and when faced with the chance to bring about your nemesis' demise can you pull the trigger?

This book has so many tangled tales, intricate plots weaved together and so many revelations I had whip lash!! You need to have read Fear Me first to appreciate these epic moments. You will read, absorb, and think "what the hell!!??" during reading Fear You then go back and reread Fear Me from the start again to marvel at B B Reid's ability to astound, mesmerise and keep you guessing about everything until the very last page. I adore B B's writing style and can't wait for Keenan and Sheldon's book!!!

*** read and reviewed on behalf of Obsessed By Books ***

Review by Mazzy Boss Lady

5 of 5 stars
bookshelves: 5-star 
Read in May, 2015


♥♥♥♥ Reviewed on behalf of Obsessed by Books ♥♥♥♥

After reading book one, I was left with alot of questions and I was so happy that I had this book to had. I couldn't wait to start reading it. I was hooked again.

This is where we follow Kieran and follow him throughout this story, we find out the backstory of the reason why he is the way he is.

With Lake, she has grown up that little more and it would seem that she has developed a backbone, and a fighting spirit. A girl that has decided that she will no longer take all the shit that is thrown at her.

I think there is a very thin line between love and hate, and this is something that Kieran and Lake both have.

Alot more angst, but also twists and turns, when you think that it is going to go one way, you are surprised.

I would love to see which book Bebe writes next, as I will be reading that one.




Blurb
I don't believe in fairy tales and Prince Charming.

I believe in fear.

He taught me how to be afraid.

We first met on a playground on a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wouldn’t be the last. For ten years, he's been my tormentor and I've been his forbidden. But then he went away, and yet I was still afraid.

Now he's back and wants more than just my tears. You see...he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge...and he knows just how to get it.

PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS. This book is a new adult and contains rough elements such as harsh language, mild violence, strong sexual content, alpha male, antihero, blackmail, and dubious consent.

Fear Me, in all, contains sensitive themes many people aren’t able to swallow.

Purchase Links:
Kobo ---> http://bit.ly/1F5t6oB
Amazon US ---> http://amzn.to/1DkG3X8
Amazon UK ---> http://amzn.to/1vKhf4E
Amazon CA ---> http://amzn.to/1vKgWab

Review by Emma Mistress of all Dark & Twisted

4 of 5 stars
I'm not usually a fan of YA but this one was the exception with their being a dark subject matter behind the pretence of the everyday normalcy of college life...

Fear Me (book 1 in the Broken Love series) by B B Reid is full of suspense, angst, conflicting emotions and the tangled tale of Lake Monroe and Kieran Masters. This book kept me on edge throughout reading. The tale of the damaged boy and bullied girl evolving to master manipulator and feisty female with THAT ending that left you reeling with more questions than answers and panting for breath after such dramatic revelations and emotional highs and lows in the final 30 pages!!!

It has an anti hero you love to hate, a heroine you instantly warm to and a cast of characters you want in your life. It has to be read to be understood as to explain more would spoil the way B B Reid slowly and cryptically reveals truths to you. Thankfully book 2 Fear You is out in a matter of days!! 


Review by Mazzy Boss Lady

4 of 5 stars
Read in May, 2015


This book completely surprised me, I really didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I was told it was a YA read, and they are normally not my kind of reads.

From page one I was hooked, what we have is a story of Keiran and Lake, the bully and the bullied. A story of a love that due to circumstances cannot happen, a forbidden type of love.

We have heartbreak, angst, tragedy love and oh some steamy sizzling scenes.
The way this book is written feels like it is written from the soul. I had to read right through to the end.

I absolutely recommend this read and I cannot wait for Book 2


Author

B.B., also known as Bebe, found her passion for romance when she read her first romance novel by Susan Johnson at a young age and she would sneak into her mother's closet for books and even sometimes the attic. It soon became a hobby and later an addiction that influenced her life in a positive way.

As a person who has always wondered about the existence of her talent, B.B. hopes that the launch of her debut novel, Fear Me, will be the beginning start to the pursuit of her happiness as well as her readers.


Release Week Blitz - Wild Thing by Blair Babylon

Brand-new New Adult Rock Star Romance
from USA Today-Bestselling Author Blair Babylon!
The music calls Georgie.
Every night, she stands offstage, watching rock star Xan Valentine and his band, Killer Valentine, set fire to the crowd with music until they would burn down the city for him. His music wraps her until her fingers dance, desperately wanting the piano, but her terrified legs could never walk onto a stage.
Most nights, when Xan Valentine strides off the stage, his dark eyes shift, blurring, and he becomes Alexandre de Valentinois again.
Sometimes, Xan won’t let go.
Some of the other band members, Rade and Grayson, are caught in a death spiral of booze, drugs, and groupies. The drummer, Tryp, is too infatuated with his new wife to do more than show up to play.
Xan is the only one who can compel them onto the stage. He’s holding Killer Valentine together with the force of his will.
This can’t go on.
Something has to break.
Wild Thing is the second book in the Georgie and Xan series.
Haven’t read the first one yet?
Get Every Breath You Take (Book 1) Here:
Excerpt from Wild Thing
Riding in the back of the limousine on the way to the sound check, Georgie watched Alex, or Xan, or whoever he was.
     He reached over and held her hand. The hard calluses on his fingertips scraped her fingers. The sympathetic interest in Alex’s dark eyes made her feel like the chaos of the world out there had quieted.
     As they neared the venue, gliding through the light traffic hours before the arena began to fill, Alex’s body tensed.
     First, his far leg began to twitch.
     His strong fingers tapped out a complicated rhythm on the armrest on the door.
     As the venue came into view—a huge arts complex like a pile of white boxes surrounded by lonely fields of empty parking lots—Alex tugged her hand toward him, and he leaned over for a kiss.
     At first, his lips caressed hers, drawing out her response, an intimate and tantalizing kiss that promised more. His lips parted, and Georgie opened hers. His strong arms clamped around her waist and the back of her neck, grabbing a fistful of her long hair. He stroked her tongue with his until she felt a moan shudder in her throat, and he chuckled against her skin as he drew away.
     When he lifted his head, his dark eyes held the predatory gleam of a hawk, and his lips were pinker with the blood rushing through him.
     He dragged her across the car seat.
     His burly arms caged her, and he pinned her against the seat and kissed her again, opening her lips with his and bending her to fit against his hard body.
     She flattened her hands against his chest.
     He lifted his head, looking down at her. A smile curved one side of his mouth. “We’re almost to the show, anyway.”
     She couldn’t quite catch her breath. “Yeah.”
     He uncoiled his arms from around her, still keeping one hand resting on her back, and he stared out the window at the arena.
     His posture on the seat was wider, more possessive of the space, and his body nearly vibrated with energy.
     If she hadn’t seen the change for herself, several times, she might not have believed it. It seemed more like black magic than psychology.