Stanzie was barely twenty was she fell in love the first time. Her romance with Grey was spiced with rebellion – her pack didn’t like him – and they met in line at the movies and clicked immediately. Even when he asked her to bond with him and she knew she’d have to leave Mayflower, her birth pack, she had no doubts and very little fear.
But twelve years later when she met Liam Murphy at a dinner table at the Paris Great Gathering, there was no immediate connection and tons of doubt and fear.
Life had kicked the crap out her between that afternoon at the movies and that night at the Gathering and Stanzie suspected that happily ever after was a vicious lie. But she still craved it.
When she and Liam were thrown together and forced into bonding, she vowed to make the best of it. He intrigued her even as he confused her. One moment he was warm and inclusive, the next he was out the door. She knew he missed his first bond mate, Sorcha, and gave him room to come to terms with the changes in his life.
Stanzie and Liam began a long, slow process of getting to know each other and, at least in her case, falling in love. Liam was not anything like Grey and all her old beliefs and rituals were torn down and replaced with something fragile, yet compelling and beautiful.
She tried to tell him how she felt, but was rebuffed by the ghost of Sorcha.
Murphy is the typical Alpha male who wants to protect people. He doesn’t believe in delegating much and so he tries to do everything and as a result, maybe spreads himself a little thin. He fell for Sorcha instantly, but with Stanzie, although he’s very attracted, he’s less willing to open himself up to potential heartache.
In the fourth novel in the Wolf Within series, Inside Out, Murphy made a difficult decision to leave Stanzie and return to his birth pack, Mac Tire, without her.
Devastated, Stanzie vowed not to beg him to reconsider. She loved him, but she was pretty sure he didn’t love her. In About Face, the fifth novel, her cousin, Faith, tells her about a dream she had which fills Stanzie with confused dread. Faith’s dreams have a habit of coming true.
Does Murphy need her? Is he in trouble? Does the Mac Tire Alpha male, Paddy, need her help to save Murphy?
When Councilor Allerton sends Stanzie to Dublin to convince Murphy to back off his quest to find Sorcha’s killer, Stanzie decides she’s going to try to reconcile with him. This takes all her courage because she’s so afraid of rejection.
Murphy is a favorite with Mac Tire and they all saw how Sorcha treated him. They remember how Murphy returned to Dublin without Stanzie and for the past four months has been miserable. They blame Stanzie and she has her work cut out not only trying to convince Murphy they should give themselves a second chance, but also to prove herself to her new pack.
Add in the danger of the Great Pack conspiracy and the heartbreak of discovering that people are not who they seem, and even if Stanzie and Murphy get back together, it might still be too late for that happily ever after. Maybe.
About Face (Book #5 of The Wolf Within Series)
Stanzie’s job as Advisor to the Great Council is discovering other people’s secrets. When those secrets are being kept by the ones she loves most, can she find the courage to expose them?
Under orders from a Councilor, Stanzie journeys to Dublin and the MacTire pack. Her mission: warn her estranged bond mate, Liam Murphy, to abandon his overzealous search for the man responsible for the death of his first bond mate. Not only is he endangering himself, but also disrupting the delicate balance between opposing factions in the conspiracy threatening to tear the Great Pack apart.
Liam needs Stanzie’s help to protect their Alpha, who has entangled himself in the conspiracy’s deadly web. But he also desperately wants her back. In a race against time, Stanzie and Liam discover enemies often wear the faces of friends.
CONTENT WARNING: Vulgar language, sexual situations, some violence
A Lyrical Press Paranormal Romance
Excerpt:
Our fingers were still linked when I opened my eyes hours later. The bedroom smelled of sex–of us–and while he wasn’t snoring, Murphy’s breath was slow and heavy, the way I remembered from the nights we’d spent together in America.
For a moment I was filled with such aching happiness I almost expected to levitate off the bed. But then I remembered everything, and black despair bit into me so hard I wondered I didn’t bleed.
He’d rolled off me at some point, but we were still on top of the covers. I let go of his hand and slid off the bed. I found his t-shirt and my panties, put them on and fled to the living room.
The remains of our dinner had congealed on our plates on the table. The lights were still on, and I got as far as the sofas before my legs went out from beneath me and I couldn’t breathe.
Murphy appeared like a ghost in the bedroom doorway. His eyes were very dark.
“Can we talk about it, Stanzie?”
“What’s to talk about?” I drew one of the throw pillows defensively close to my stomach.
I loved him but he didn’t love me. I’d tried so hard not to let that overwhelm me and make peace with it. Of all the people in his life he protected, I was the last on the list and that’s not where I wanted to be. “You chose Paddy and Mac Tire over me, and I guess I get that, but it hurts.”
“I had no idea you loved me.” His tone was raw and desperate. “I thought I was doing the right thing. You didn’t need to be put at risk in this, and I thought I could–”
“What? Don’t lie to me, Liam. You didn’t want me involved because you’re going to do something stupid to save Paddy and your father. Why should you martyr yourself for them?”
“Paddy came to me for help,” Murphy shouted and the muscles in his face strained as he struggled to regain control. “He had nowhere else to turn, don’t you see? It’s not like I could tell him to go screw himself. He’s my best mate.”
“But it’s okay to tell me to go screw myself, I guess. I’m your bond mate. You wouldn’t come to my tribunal. You threw me out like so much garbage when Paddy told you his problems. And you couldn’t even tell me why. You’re so hell-bent on saving everybody, but it’s always on your terms and you have to be the one to give help–you never want it in return. I would have helped you. I would have done anything for Paddy–he’s my Alpha–but you decided what was best for me in your typical high-handed Liam Murphy fashion, and to hell with what I thought, what I wanted.
“And then tonight you take advantage of the fact I love you so you can, what? Have sex?
Haven’t you screwed anyone in four months, or have you just screwed people over?”
His face blanched of all color, and he stared at me, his dark eyes bottomless.
“That wasn’t just sex. Did that feel like just sex to you?”
“No, not to me. I love you. But that’s what it was to you. Will you please leave me alone? I’m tired and I want to go to sleep.”
“Stanzie, I know you’re tired, but we’ve got to talk about this.”
“In the morning. Maybe.” I turned away from him because I couldn’t stand to look at the entreaty in his eyes. In a heartbeat I’d be across the floor to him, and screw that.
He abruptly gave in. “Look, you take the bed, I’ll sleep out here.”
“No, I’ll stay out here.” I was ten seconds from tears, and I wanted him gone so he wouldn’t see.
“Stanzie, take the bed.”
“No,” I shouted, and the damn tears poured down my cheeks. “It smells like us in there, don’t you get it? And us is a lie. Just let me do what I want, goddamn it.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but then, defeated, retreated and did as I asked.
About Amy Lee Burgess
Amy Lee Burgess is a transplanted New Englander living in Houston, Texas with two dogs and lots of DVDs. In an attempt to bond with the city after being forced out of New Orleans post-Katrina, she turned to her writing. Determined to finally finish that novel she’d been hacking away at since high school, Amy managed to come up with a wolf shifter character named Stanzie Newcastle. She and Stanzie have been BFFs ever since.
In addition to Stanzie, Amy has also forged a relationship with several vampires, a witch or two, and other assorted supernatural creatures she hopes will entertain her readers. But she will always have room for coffee and butterscotch squares with Stanzie.
If you’re looking for Cowboys and Lawmen Blog Hopclick here. If you want to check it out….I’m giving away an ARC of Gambling On A Heart and the grand prize is at least a $100 gift card to Amazon/B&N!
Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday for May 5!
Last week, I got great news… Book 2 of my contemporary western romantic suspense series Colton Gamblers, is being released early! Gambling On A Heart comes out July 1 instead of September 2 as it was scheduled orginally.
In Gambling On ASecret (book 1) we meet Tracy Quinn Parker and Sheriff Zack Cartwright. I fell in love with these two characters in Gambling On A Secret and knew I had to write their story…the series was born. Right now I have 6 books planned in the current series, a novela that will be set a few years in the future. And eventually I’d like to write the prequel set in 1865 – 1868… Well, I am a Star Wars fan so it seems fitting I’d write the prequel AFTER the current books…LOL! But I promise to do a better job than George Lucus did with his prequel.
Okay, enough of that… Here’s my six. Set up: Zack and his year old daughter Mandy are at the wedding of Charli and Dylan Quinn. Zack’s the best man, Tracy (Dylan’s sister and the woman Zack once loved) is the maid of honor….
Mandy tilted her head to the side. “Was your wedding like this one?”
“No, not exactly. Your momma and I got married by the minister of your grandma’s church in the living room of her house. The only guests were close family.”
“Then you went to the war as a Marine?”
He forked up a bite of barbecued beef. “Yep.”
Two days after marrying Lisa on her parents’ Wyoming ranch, he’d shipped off for boot camp in San Diego. He’d joined the Marines after Nine-Eleven, giving up the rodeo forever.
“Do you still miss Momma?”
.
Let’s just say–Zack is one confused cowboy right now…..
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Join nearly 50 Western authors as we share why we love Cowboys and Lawmen. Cowboys are known as bad-boys, but what happens when the bad-boy is also the law in town? What is it about these contradictions that make small town sheriffs, Texas Rangers and ex-outlaws-turned-lawmen so irresistible? Whether you write or love to read about the Wild West or modern day Montana, what do you love most about lawmen who are also cowboys? And what makes them so gosh-darn sexy?
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My Prize: A $5.00 Gift Card to Starbucks and an ARC of my next book Gambling On A Heart.
~*~
The Code of the West
Since I write suspense, law enforcement plays a major role in my contempory western romances. Sometimes the lawman is a minor character as Sheriff Zack Cartwright is in book one of my Colton Gamblers series, Gambling On A Secret. Or he can be the hero as Zack Cartwright is in Gambling On A Heart (book 2 releasing July 1) and my current work in progress, Gambling On A Dream (book 3), the heroine is the sheriff and the hero is a Texas Ranger.
Sometimes, the lawman in town is the villain as in Heartstrings, but these types of stories will be rare from me, simply because the lawmen/women in my stories are also cowboys/girls.
What has attracted me to these men and women who keep my western small towns safe? For me it’s their adherence to the Code of the West.
Sometimes called the Cowboy Code, this unwritten code of ethics was born from pioneers who headed into the untamed land. It encapsulated what it meant to live a morally good life and symbolizes the spirit and traditions of the people who risked everything to make a new life in what could, at times, be an unforgiving land. The Code honors a lifestyle that’s true to the land and all that inhabit it.
Living by the code is about transparency, humility, honesty, loyalty, courage and hard work. The Cowboy Code is about being humble and admitting his/her shortcomings and mistakes. It’s about keeping one’s word and promises. But above all else, cowboys care and love the land, their families and their animals. Cowboys despise cruelty and injustice.
Isn’t this truly what we all wish our law enforcers believed? So, who better to be the law keeper in town but a cowboy?
~*~
Gambling On A Heart
Coming July 1!
She once lost his heart on a bluff. Will she risk everything to win it back?
Beautician Tracy Quinn spends her days making the women of Colton, Texas beautiful, while living down the nickname of Olive Oyl, given to her by the only man she has ever loved–Zack Cartwright. She spends her nights alone, despite what her ex husband wants their friends and neighbors to think.
Ex-rodeo cowboy. Ex-bad-boy. Ex-Marine. Widower and single dad Sheriff Zack Cartwright can describe his life in exes. One ex in particular reminds him of what’s missing in his workaholic life: Tracy Quinn. For years since she broke his heart, he’s practically made avoiding her a second job. He still wants her, but can never go after her.
When cattle rustlers target her brother’s ranch, Tracy and Zack are stuck working together. Her son could use a positive male role model, and his daughter is wild for a chance at a “substitute” mom. But Tracy’s ex threatens to sue if she lets Zack near her son, and the Colton grapevine is abuzz with rumors about their past relationship. Is it worth the gamble to see if what they have is more than lust?
CONTENT WARNING: Spicy sex.
Excerpt:
“I was hoping you could keep me company this afternoon.” He skimmed his fingers over her cheek.
Her insides, heating up like lava under the surface of the earth, pooled in her low belly. Her lips parted.
Against her lips, he whispered, “Tracy, I want you.”
She had thought of little else since he’d left her standing on her porch Friday night. He was asking her to enter into a sexual relationship without any hope of a future–without love.
But she was already in love with Zack.
Both of their kids would benefit from them being together. Hadn’t that been what she’d decided while she tossed and turned in her big, empty bed?
With her gaze locked on his, she murmured, “I want you, too, but I have a stipulation.”
He leaned back. “What is it?”
“I’m no one’s fuck-buddy, Zack. I know what my reputation is in this town, but it’s all wrong.” She swallowed her rapidly thumping heart back into place. “I’ll only go through with this, if you promise to treat me as a serious girlfriend. That means we date, we visit with our families and we share our kids.” When his expression hardened, she quickly added, “Mandy likes me. And I adore her. I’d like to bring her here, to the shop, for a few hours and play. And take her shopping. I know your mom tries, but she’s busy with her foundations and charities she does for the Junior League.”
The breath she sucked in was full of Zack’s scent of sage and leather. “Meanwhile, you can teach Bobby how to ride and maybe take him to the sheriff’s department and show him around. Jake won’t like it, but I’ll deal with him.” Having laid her demands out on the proverbial table, she held her breath, waiting for him to tell her what she could do with herself. After all, a man of Zack’s caliber could have any damned woman he wanted. Tracy was just handy, and according to the gossip of her ex-husband and mother-in-law, she was easy.
He studied her for a few moments. “That’s more than one stipulation.”
“Take it or leave it.”
“Tracy, it won’t change what I told you Friday night. I’m never getting married again.”
His words stung as much now as they had the other night, but she didn’t show him how much. She kept her face determined, as if she were haggling over one of his horses, rather than her body and soul.
“Fine. But I’m not a floozy. Yes, I’ve made mistakes. But I have my son to consider. And I’d hope you’d feel the same about Mandy. They’re bound to see us together. What do you plan on telling your six-year-old daughter when she asks about me? That I’m your friend with benefits? I know that isn’t what I want to be teaching my son.” Moreover, she didn’t want to give credence to Jake’s claim that she had no sexual morals.
“Okay,” he said at last. “We’ll play the game your way.” He pressed her against him. “Luck would have it I’m off this afternoon, too. I’ve already put in sixteen hours.”
When his lips captured hers, she knew she’d made a pact with the devil, but she couldn’t stop the elation surging through her. There was something he wanted from her. Sex was a big portion of it, but something else kept Zack from walking away and hooking up with any one of the many available women in town.
~*~
Available NOW:
Heartstrings
He’s determined to set things right, no matter the cost.
The last person Abby Crawford wants to face down is country music superstar Seth Kendall. Last time she did, she flat-out lied so he’d go to Nashville without her. She’s never understood why their mutual best friend proposed, but she went with it so her baby wouldn’t be fatherless. Now she’s a divorced mother of a teenager, and secretly Seth’s biggest fan.
Seth is home in McAllister, Texas for his father’s funeral…and a chance to meet the daughter he’s never known. He’s willing to face the music of his own making and admit he’s known about his little girl all along. For fifteen years he’s kept his distance because Abby told him to follow his dreams without her, insisting she didn’t love him. But now he won’t leave until he knows his daughter and she knows him, even if it means facing the woman who broke his heart for good.
Confessing she’s lied about her daughter’s paternity all these years won’t be easy for Abby, especially with her ex blackmailing her to keep the secret. And Seth doesn’t know the hardest truth of all: Every love song he plays on his guitar still plucks her heartstrings.
CONTENT WARNING: Spicy sex.
A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance
Highlight:
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. She bit her bottom lip. God, she wanted to spend time with him. “What do you have planned?”
“Something special.” When she started to shake her head, he added, “All you need to do is say yes. And pack enough for a two-day trip. Although, I doubt you’ll need any of it.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. I have the ranch–”
“You can go willingly or I’ll kidnap you. The choice is yours. I talked to Judd, and he’ll take care of the ranch in your absence,” he countered, referring to her foreman.
“You thought of everything.” Excitement curled in her lower belly at the way he grinned at her. A whole weekend with the one thing she couldn’t have, but wanted beyond all reason. Maybe she could convince herself he only wanted sex and couldn’t possibly feel anything for her.
Ljluka Vargas, immortal prince and the cool-headed enforcer for the Vargas Dynasty,
must go up against his most intriguing enemy, the mysterious Nalini. She intends
to beat him to the secret archaeological site of The Book of Life which contains
the genetic secrets of their ancient ancestors.
In order to escape the cruel domination of her family and gain freedom for her mother, Nalini assumes the role of assassin. In her rival, the sleek and deadly Luc, she finds a different kind of danger. She’s supposed to eliminate him, but that would foil destiny’s plan for them to be together.
It’s a race from power-hungry D.C. cabinet rooms through the secret realms of the Vatican, from cloud forests and desert sands to the caverns of the Underworld as mankind hangs in the balance. For whoever possesses the Book of Life has the potential to rule the
world, offering or denying immortality to the human race.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Why was it always so damn hot whenever he was sent to kill someone?
At least it seemed that way to Luc. The heavy humidity matched his foul mood. It was sweltering and sticky even for D.C. in August. He dug a finger into the collar of his shirt and tugged. The air felt gritty, heavy with pollution and other less tangible remnants of a power base for the largest economy on the planet.
It was the kind of evening bound to produce high crime stats in tomorrow’s news. Sensationalized stories, perhaps his, would trump summer closeout sales and free concerts in Lincoln Square.
His gaze scanned the sooty windows for nosey vagrants or addicts. Those in better neighborhoods sat in their controlled airflow high-rises listening to newscasters warn about a dangerously ignored and ever-growing population of disillusioned has-beens and wannabes whose fired-up tempers couldn’t be cooled with tax breaks that never reached the sweaty tenements where they looked for lost hope in the bottom of a bottle or the end of a needle. What Luc saw was the inevitable decay of yet another civilization.
Which is why he didn’t plan to linger in this back alley. Luc sighed softly, increasingly weary of the unending violence and secrecy.
A final survey confirmed empty brick-framed rows of darkened windows. Despite the filth, they still shimmered with obscured reflections of rising moonlight that might camouflage an unwary onlooker. Habit and a nagging whisper of something not quite right tightened his shoulders expectantly, and Luc again scanned the panes for a hint of rumpled curtain or a partially revealed face leaning curiously toward the glass.
No witnesses.
* * * * *
She knew he couldn’t see her crouched in the shadow of the dumpster behind him. Yet as if his instincts screamed danger, he spun around and looked straight at her with a fierce, predatory stare. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled. He took a step forward and then stopped and shrugged the tenseness from his shoulders. She took a deep, slow breath and relaxed her own.
* * * * *
Instead of approaching the dumpster, Luc reassured himself that a mere ten feet separated him from the sedan he had parked near the rear exit. It was situated to the left of a dangerously neglected fire stairwell. He doubted the rust-welded tiers could still descend but no one lurked in the shadow of the landings and nothing blocked his path to the car. Yet something still made him pause.
Something’s wrong. Where’s the danger? Relax. I need to sense my surroundings. Deep breath. Yes. Better.
Premonition snapped his attention back to the alley. A near-undetectable footfall sounded behind him. As he spun around, a man lunged out of the shadows.
The man’s fist, gloved in one-hundred degree weather, approached his face. Tilting his head aside, Luc barely avoided the blow. He stepped into the attacker’s momentum. His own knuckles smashed into the man’s stomach. The impact was reduced by what Luc assumed must be Kevlar. A quick turn. His arm flexed around the bulky, unprotected throat of his assailant. The brute was taller and outweighed him. Two-hundred and forty, maybe fifty pounds, plunged backward and shoved against his chest, repeatedly, the goal to break Luc’s grip. Struggling to retain his hold, Luc almost missed the weapon.
Shit.
The man’s arm slashed downward. When the assailant’s hand came within reach, Luc snatched hold. He levered the blade it held forward, away from his own mid-section. A jerk of his wrist sent the thrust upward.
A burning sensation was followed by a spreading dampness. It was then he realized he’d been nicked. His shirt stuck to his side.
Extreme physical training and centuries of experience guided Luc’s self defense. Reactive adrenaline added force to his actions. The long, surgical quality hunting weapon pushed through the assassin’s body armor and into the man’s chest. The knife skipped off a rib. Judging by the gurgling sound, it found a lung before protruding from his back. Luc relaxed his taut muscles.
It hit him then, full-strength. The scent of life flowing into death. Tantalizing. Delicious. Pulling at his senses. Hypnotic in its power. His spine stiffened and he froze.
What’s wrong with me? Why am I having this reaction again? It’s getting more frequent, at least half-a-dozen times now.
He clutched his side and fought to regain control as he released the body.
I can’t let the family find out about this, at least not until I figure out what it is.
It occurred to him as he sprinted toward the car that he should have used the dumpster across the alley with social appropriateness, putting the trash who’d tried to kill him in its rightful place. But there was no time for delicacy. As the would-be killer’s head hit the pavement with an unpleasant thud, Luc’s hand was already jerking open the driver’s side door.
* * * * *
Nalini’s appreciative gaze shifted across the wide breadth of shoulders, and lowered to admire the cut of her target’s highly tailored trousers. His legs were moving quickly, but she could still tell from their length that he was at least six-foot-five. Though lean, even covered in silk there was a sinewy tautness in those movements that hinted of well-honed muscle. She’d been following him for only a dozen hours, but already she had determined that he was much more of a threat than her arrogant brothers had suggested. When he turned to again survey the alley, she pressed herself against the filthy green metal and slid backward a few more inches until she could no longer see him.
Once the car sped forward, Nalini stepped from seclusion and leaned down to examine the fresh corpse. Her head tilted in concentration. She could smell the coppery aroma of blood that spread across his shirt where it had oozed from the confines of the Kevlar. Why had Ljluka Vargas bent toward the frontal wound, if only for a split second? He seemed entranced, almost as though the blood drew him against his will, like a hungry animal.
“Oh, he’s dangerous, all right. Deadly so,” Nalini muttered, as she turned to flee.
* * * * *
As he settled into the sedan, Luc unbuttoned his shirt and viewed his injury. The bleeding had already stopped. He jerked the arm rest compartment open. The small box held what he sought. It took only a moment for him to apply an adhesive bandage to the small cut on his side, just under his ribcage. He closed his shirt, buttoned his jacket and just before he steered the expensively-harnessed horsepower out of the alley glanced in the rear-view mirror.
His attention held.
She was glorious. A vision of beauty and grace.
Where had she come from?
The image lasted only a split-second as he sped away, but he would never forget the haunting impression she made upon him. Flowing fabric of gossamer spun gold caressed sleek, bronze limbs. Her fluid movements caused her layered skirts to float around her like a whispered rumor. The mirage rippled between his fallen victim and the corroded dumpster, as stimulating as any fleeting fantasy, and just as inaccessible. Then she was gone. He shook off his brief enchantment with a cold dash of reason. There wasn’t enough time to look for her now–though he would have liked to see her face.
Ah, I’m too much like father used to be, letting my mind possess whatever pleases my eyes. Was the lissom apparition the presence he’d detected earlier? Could the Usurper’s minions be onto me so soon? Letting out his breath, he sighed. Back to business.
His brow creased with concentration as he braked behind a city bus. A small group of twenty-something males filed out and loudly made their way toward what was, judging by the edgy music that drifted out as a couple exited, a local singles club.
In that moment’s pause, his thoughts returned to the alley and the nagging feeling that the attack on him was a warning of more to come. He reviewed his movements. The sophisticated head of the subcommittee leaving the dingy hotel room, followed by the fulfillment of the first stage of his mission–insuring the Usurper’s minion would be permanently unavailable for future covert meetings with the quick flash of his blade. Then he’d gone out through the back alley where he encountered the would-be assassin. Judging from the shot-filled knuckles of the law enforcement-type glove the thug was wearing, he’d been no ordinary flunky.
So why attack me after the fact ? I already carried out the hit. They never tried to prevent it. Revenge then?
From every angle, Luc arrived at the same conclusion, that the two events were completely unrelated. Either way, going back now just wasn’t an option. It wasn’t protocol. The mission came first.
The mission always came first.
A faint buzz sounded in his right ear. He reached up to tap the receiver. Amusement tugged at the corners of his mouth as Kirin’s melodic voice teased him back to his present task. He was quick to reassure her.
“Just a momentary delay, nothing to concern yourself about.”
“Oh, but I’m always concerned about you, Luc. Always,” she responded playfully, using the affectionate nickname she’d christened him with when they were children. His given name, Ljluka, took too long to say, she’d assured him. He could imagine the teasing sparkle in his sister’s emerald eyes.
“How long?” she questioned, her clipped, more professional tone alerting him that someone had joined her.
Finish it and return, commanded a voice used to instant obedience.
This message was transmitted without benefit of the earpiece. His mother needed only to think its delivery for him to receive it as if he were now standing in the room with them, rather than weaving in and out of late-night traffic. He was just a few cars back from one of several dark limousines ahead of him as he approached Pennsylvania Avenue.
Of course, he responded in like manner. He didn’t bother signing off with Kirin. He knew she had disconnected even before the soft click sounded in his ear.
Pulling out his diplomatic identification, he extended it through the open window and waited for the guard to validate it.
The young Marine handed it back, saying, “Thank you. Have a nice evening, sir.”
Electronics hummed while black wrought-iron gates swung open and an electrical impulse activated retractable bollards that receded into the asphalt before he was once again moving toward the limo now parked behind the White House.
Luc noticed without reaction the meaty secret service agent standing in the lee side shadow of an evergreen. Geared completely in black, starting with his seam-busting tight black t-shirt, Mr. White House Special Ops was packaged for delivery with Kevlar and Velcro, carrying some seriously fun party favors with plenty of popping power. Much had changed since 9-11—yet another reason his mother had no intention of letting up any time soon. She would never rest until the Usurper was destroyed.
The updated Rambo wannabe never moved, but even though all he could possibly see was another vehicle with tinted glass, his alert stare followed Luc’s corporate- rented BMW until it rounded the curve in the driveway.
Pulling to a stop, Luc left the keys in the ignition and stepped onto the walkway. Careful to ensure his jacket was buttoned to hide his bloodstained shirt, he lifted his arms to shoulder-height, suppressing a grimace as the action caused a slight twinge in his side. A waiting agent swept his frame with a slow-beeping wand before signaling him toward yet another agent waiting to escort him to his destination.
Moments later he entered a high-ceilinged office filled with Chippendale period pieces and glanced across the room at the gray-haired, middle-aged cabinet member he had been sent to persuade. Shock, quickly masked, appeared in the man’s watery blue eyes before he sprang up rather quickly for such an out of shape Boomer. Luc distrusted him on sight. The calculating gleam in the man’s eyes disgusted him.
The door swung shut with a soft clack, the agent having remained in the outer office. “I-I was expecting someone else. Forgive me. No one . . . no one said they were sending you. I thought that–” He was already around the desk, motioning toward a more intimate grouping of furniture in the far corner.
The long-cherished gift from Kirin, the modified cufflink that bore the owl, symbol of his name, exquisitely carved in Etruscan gold had been slipped into Luc’s jacket pocket. The cuff of his light blue silk shirt was pushed up just far enough to reveal the tattoo on his forearm. The cabinet member recognized the flaming sphere illuminating the cross within–the symbol identifying him as a member of the Illuminati’s inner circle.
Luc moved forward with distaste. “I won’t be here that long,” he said softly, extending his hand.
The man gasped, but dutifully put his right hand out to be engulfed and squeezed within Luc’s larger, firmer grip. Secret handshakes were supposedly only rumors, but in this case it confirmed Luc’s superior status.
“As you can see for yourself,” Luc continued more forcefully, “I am the message.” He leaned down, closer, until he could smell the vile stench of stale cigar smoke emanating from the man. Directing the full force of his ice-blue stare at the man, he added, “The cohort from your earlier meeting this evening won’t have any objections if you wish to reconsider doing as you were instructed, I assure you. Don’t forget that not so long ago others had to be reminded of what it means to be humbled. Not even the moneylenders are above our reach. We have toppled civilizations.”
“I-I understand. I will call the committee together at once.”
Luc straightened and flexed his shoulders. The man’s pale face lost whatever color remained.
“It will be done. I swear it.”
Desperation squeezed beads of sweat from the man’s forehead. Luc grimaced and dropped the soggy hand. Without another word, he turned and left the room.
After he washed his hands, Luc had one more mission–somewhat more personal–to attend to before he flew back to Rome.
What People Are Saying About Elizabeth:
“When Elizabeth Alsobrooks holds a mirror up to life you can be sure she catches it all. Poet, novelist, scholar, publisher, professor, literary liaison – how could it be otherwise? This is a writer for all seasons, of all seasons. ILLUMINATI is as good a single word capture as you could get for her eclectic mind and imagination. Follow the implications through these pages and you will travel the crossroads of authentic history as well as a secret past that might have been. But you will scarcely have to leave your own time – or your heart – in order to feel the universal passions of her characters and their intrigues. Savor it all in this intelligent and lyrical tour de force.” –Thomas Sullivan, Pulitzer nominated author of Dust of Eden, Water Wolf, Born Burning…
“Strong, well-drawn characters walk a tight-rope of ancient legends and modern day intrigues, blending action a la Indiana Jones/Lara Croft with the lure of a Dan Brownesque mythology in a smart adventure/romance this talented debut author categorizes as urban fantasy reinvented. Then add feuding family pathos packed with surprises. These folks could have their own reality show: Affairs of the Rich and Immortal! Alsobrooks leads the reader along a daring chase that leaves plenty of teasing openings for series expansion. My personal favorite – the eloquently fawning servant Hassidim. I need a Hassidim. I want a Hassidim. And then, of course, there’s the hunky brother, Andrew . . . but that, I’m told, is another story. I’ll be looking forward to it. –Nancy Gideon, Award-Winning Author of the By Moonlight series…
About Elizabeth:
Now that her children have flown from the nest, Elizabeth lives with her two new babies (AKA Maltese) and husband, Bobby, at the foot of the beautiful Catalina Mountain Range in Oro Valley, AZ. She loves to hike the mountain trails, ride her bike on the miles of walk/bike paths, sit on her patio sipping coffee and reading or brainstorming plots and enjoying the grandeur of her breathtaking mountain views. Elizabeth calls herself a pantser on steroids. The first book of her Illuminati series flowed like a psychic muse channeled it from her fingertips to the keyboard. She wrote 120,000 words in 45 days. “After the first couple of chapters, the characters took over. They knew what they wanted and what they were willing to do to get it.” Her love of mythology and ancient literature and history were the backbone for her series, and the Sigma Force series by James Rollins inspired the fast-paced adventures (He recently told her at a literacy fundraiser that he found that flattering, as no one had ever told him he was inspiring before!). The result was an action packed URBAN FANTASY novel series, with its basis in truth, superstitions, mythology and conspiracy theories.
A friend compared Elizabeth’s series to what it would be like if Ford and Jolie stepped through the Stargate using the Da Vinci code as a compass, tried to kill each other, and ended up colliding with a love as seemingly hopeless as Romeo and Juliet. Elizabeth claims she pictured a blond “The Rock” as the hero when she was writing, but that Jolie, with lavender eyes, would fit her heroine just fine. It was difficult for her to claim a genre (pigeon hole) for this work. There is a love relationship, but it’s all about the family relationships, dysfunctional and otherwise, and the timeless struggle for power. There are very strong female leads in this story, and the men are macho enough to hold their own. In the above picture, Elizabeth was in New Orleans on a tram with author friends Nancy Gideon and Laurie C. Kuna, doing research for book II in the series. Travel, exploring and research have always been her idea of a good time!
Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday for April 21! Today, I return to my contemporary western romance, Heartstringsto share not only a snippet but also the amazing trailer Theresa McClinton of Making It Reel had made (for those who hadn’t seen it yet). In this peek, Seth is visiting his grandfather in the nursing home where Abby works as an RN.
She led him down the wide corridor to a private room at the end of the hall. At the door, he gripped the frame and turned toward her. “I’d like to come over to your place tomorrow. I promised Emily I’d go riding with her.”
She stepped away and looked over her shoulder at him. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. She already idolizes you. I’d hate for her to get hurt when you leave.”
“What if I don’t plan to leave?”
“You will. Emily will be busy tomorrow. ’Bye, Seth.”
* * * *
Abby quick-stepped it down the hall, and Seth followed the swish of her long, glossy braid as it moved with her, brushing the top of the curve of her perfect ass. He wanted to run his fingers through all that luscious hair and caress all those wonderful curves. How could any woman look that sexy in that God-awful pink getup?
He tapped the doorframe with a fist and fought the fire roaring through his veins.
They’d see about him leaving. But not before he got to know his daughter.
How are Seth and Abby ever gonna get past blaming each other for the past?
by Cheryl Yeko
Book Blitz {April 15, 2013}
The battered survivor of an abusive marriage, Angela doesn’t mourn her husband’s death in a drug deal gone bad. But she’s not sure she can survive losing her heart to the handsome detective who believes she’s a criminal, too.
Tasked with Angela’s safety after she’s targeted by an unknown enemy, Jake discovers the beautiful widow is not what she seems. He soon realizes that trusting her goes hand-in-hand with desiring her, and passion and duty collide. Now it’s up to Jake to keep Angela—and their chance at happiness—alive.
Jake walked around and opened Angela’s door. He squatted next to her and shook her gently to wake her. She gave a moan of protest, then her eyes fluttered open.
For a moment, he lost himself in her warm emerald gaze. She smiled at him. “Jake,” she murmured.
He returned her smile, unable to resist the need to cup her sweet face in his hand and brush his lips across hers. “We’re here, babe.”
He knew the moment she recalled the night’s events. The moment she remembered he was an ass. Her gaze turned icy.
Damn.
About Cheryl Yeko
Cheryl Yeko is an award-winning author, and lives in Wisconsin with her husband Patrick. She loves to read, play piano, and spend time with family and friends. She enjoys novels with fast-paced action and steamy romance, protective alpha men and strong heroines.
Cheryl belongs to several writing groups, and is a member of RWA, as well as Pro-Liaison for the Wisconsin Chapter. Cheryl is also an Acquisitions Editor for Soul Mate Publishing. As an Editor, she welcomes Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Contemporary, and Erotica.
Cheryl is thrilled to be able to add author/editor to her resume and would love to hear comments from readers.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been sharing peeks at my most recent contemporary western romance release Heartstrings, which is on sale right now on Amazon. Today, I’d like to switch gears a little and share a peek from Gambling On A Secret, a contemporary western romantic suspense that is a Night Owl Review’s Top Pick.
In this peek from Chapter 4, Charli Monroe, a runaway-turned-heiress with a super dark past, is showing her newly hired ranch manager, ex-Special Forces commander and now town drunk Dylan Quinn, around the dilapidated ranch she’d just bought. He asks her the very appropriate question of what possessed a wealthy woman like herself to buy such a dump….
The sun played on loose coils framing her freckled, heart-shaped face and the deceptive youth of her make-up free profile. The rest of her long hair was pulled back into a snarled ponytail. With the overgrowth of spring green, bluebonnets and daffodils tangled around her feet, she reminded him of one of the fairy statues his mother collected.
Charli peered up at him with an ageless depth showing in her crystalline eyes. She had seen more than she should have for someone so young. He vaguely remembered the kids in the bar last Friday night and their conversation about her not having any friends. What had happened to her to make her so guarded?
He jutted his chin toward the house. “It was a beautiful place once. Built at the end of the eighteen hundreds, after fire destroyed the original place. The house was white and the shutters and trim were dark red–you know, like a brick color. And the gardens were spectacular until Jock’s mother died about fifteen years ago.”
“That’s how I imagine the house.”
The deep intensity of her eyes pulled him in as if he’d walked off the dock into the lake beyond the overgrown yard. He felt things he hadn’t felt for a long, very long, time. Charli Monroe’s appeal went deeper than attraction. What about her intrigued him so damned much?
When she spoke, her soft voice came to him like a whisper on the warm breeze. “I think of it like a caterpillar–a wrinkly, ugly worm with traces of dull colors on it. But when the worm metamorphoses, it becomes something truly beautiful.”
Do you think Charli was just talking about her ranch with her analogy to a butterfly?
1. Sign up in the Linky List at http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.com/. The Linky List will go live 12:01AM Monday and will close at 11:59PM Saturday night every week.
2. Post 6 paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a WIP or a published work. The post must be live by 9:00AM Sunday.
3. Open to both un-published and published authors.
4. Post the link back to Sneak Peek Sunday so that others can hop along.
5. HAVE FUN!!
~*~
I’m sponsoring another western themed blog hop May 2 – 6. Sign-ups are open for one more week only!
Cowboys are known as bad-boys, but what happens when the bad-boy is also the law in town? What is it about these contradictions that make small town sheriffs, Texas Rangers and ex-outlaws-turned-lawmen so irresistible? Whether you write or love to read about the Wild West or modern day Montana, what do you love most about lawmen who are also cowboys? And what makes them so gosh-darn sexy?
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Sign ups are open until April 21. I send out the welcome and instruction email to all participants on April 23. If you would like to take part, sign-up on Cowboy Charm.
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Cowboy Charm Blog Hops now has a Facebook Group. So, even if you don’t want to sign-up for this hop, but want info on future hops, or to follow along with who’s posting what, you can joinhere.
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR *EMAIL ADDRESS* TO BE ENTERED INTO MY DRAWING AND COMMENT TO BE ENTERED INTO THE GRAND PRIZE DRAWING
*Be advised that your email will be added to my mailing (newsletter) list, UNLESS you request otherwise. *
GRAND PRIZE: We are giving away a Kindle Fire or Nook (winner’s choice) along with a $25 gift card for the same.
MY PRIZE: Your choice of any TWO (2) of my four books (Please let me know which ones you would like. Click on cover to read blurbs/excerpts and reviews. Heartstrings is featured below).
It’s no secret that I love to garden, and spring is my favorite season. The past month (March) has been tough here in Central Pennsylvania. We had a lot of snow.
Anyway, that’s past and the other day I bought some of my favorite annuals to plant in pots to set on my porch.
Pansies…
Or as they are known in the botany world–violas
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of species of violets and pansies. They come in almost every color and combinations of colors.
They are so easy to grow that even those professed of having a black thumb can grow these lovelies with little or no care, other than some water when the soil is dry to the touch.
I love to grow these charmers, which were as popular in Victorian England as they are today in our modern world, in containers. But I also have the smaller perennial variety, often called by the botanical name of viola, in my garden. Here’s a photo of them with my antique cabbage rose.
Pansies are so hardy that they can be planted in the fall where winters are mild and add color to the garden until the temperatures begin to rise into the 80s in the spring.
Here in the Mid Atlantic region they are often planted in late February to Mid March and can survive snow falls and freezing temps. Pansies will raise their beautiful faces to the sun until about late June. That’s when the temperatures climb to high for them. But that’s okay, by then the garden is being taken over by summer flowers.
They aren’t as popular in the northern areas of the country, but they are perfect for those cooler summer temperatures.
But believe it or not, one of my very FAVORITE varieties doesn’t grow in the garden at all. I will always love picking wild violets in the fields along the streets of my neignborhood and putting them in a vase on the table….
He’s determined to set things right, no matter the cost.
The last person Abby Crawford wants to face down is country music superstar Seth Kendall. Last time she did, she flat-out lied so he’d go to Nashville without her. She’s never understood why their mutual best friend proposed, but she went with it so her baby wouldn’t be fatherless. Now she’s a divorced mother of a teenager, and secretly Seth’s biggest fan.
Seth is home in McAllister, Texas for his father’s funeral…and a chance to meet the daughter he’s never known. He’s willing to face the music of his own making and admit he’s known about his little girl all along. For fifteen years he’s kept his distance because Abby told him to follow his dreams without her, insisting she didn’t love him. But now he won’t leave until he knows his daughter and she knows him, even if it means facing the woman who broke his heart for good.
Confessing she’s lied about her daughter’s paternity all these years won’t be easy for Abby, especially with her ex blackmailing her to keep the secret. And Seth doesn’t know the hardest truth of all: Every love song he plays on his guitar still plucks her heartstrings.
CONTENT WARNING: Spicy sex.
Excerpt:
Seth leaned in. His lips were close enough to kiss, and his scent of sandalwood and something exotic enveloped her, taking her back to that night on the beach. His eyes flashed with the dangerous fire of his temper. It was similar to the flame of the passion she’d once seen in the green depths. Abby didn’t expect or want the heat curling in her belly, and shivered with a sudden and fierce desire.
“I’m her father, Abigail. I wanted to be her father after she was born. It was you and Mike who insisted I had no business messing things up.”
“I never said any such thing. You never tried. You just left.”
He pounded a fist on the counter top so hard she jumped. “Yes, I left! I wasn’t welcome at home. Dad ran me off with a shotgun. Mike wouldn’t even let me see my daughter. He made it quite clear you and he were happily married, and I had no place in your life. I was under contract to be in Nashville to start recording my first album.”
What did he mean, Mike wouldn’t let him see Emily?
Before she had a chance to voice her question, his eyes darkened as the pupils dilated, obscuring the stormy green. “But I’m no longer nineteen and scared shitless. I could make things very rough for you and this fantasy you’ve got working.”
A cold lump quickly replaced the tangle of heat in her belly. “What-what do you mean?”
He backed off and tapped the countertop. “I’m talking a custody battle. I could have a judge order a paternity test. I think we both know the media hoopla the results would cause.”
Her heart slammed into her chest wall. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me. Now that I’ve met Emily, I want to get to know her.” He walked over to look out the kitchen window. The hard line of his jaw melted, and he swallowed so hard his throat moved up and down. “I was a fool when I let Mike talk me out of being in her life after she was born.”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced at her. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
The strings of guitar music provided a soft counterpoint to the hard tension in the kitchen. Emily was outside on the patio playing around with her guitar, waiting for them to finish with the dishes she and Seth had insisted on doing.
“All I want is to have some time with my daughter. That’s all I’m asking for.” When he looked over his shoulder at her, sadness replaced the anger in his eyes. “I’ll keep your little secret. I’ll just be her favorite singer. The family friend who made it big in Nashville. I don’t want to hurt her. As much as it galls the hell out of me, I see what Mike means to her.”
He moved toward her and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Besides, I don’t want to hurt Carolann or Frank any more than you do.” He glanced outside again, his voice husky as he spoke. “But I’ll sue you if I have to.”
A part of her wanted to give in to him, but a larger part wanted to punish him. Let him take her to court; she’d make sure the world knew what kind of jerk Seth Kendall really was.
She gritted her teeth and fisted her hands by her sides. “I’ll let you have tonight, Seth. But don’t ask for more.”
She turned away and strode through the French doors.
The problem with twins is that they look so much alike…
By day, Claire Robertson is a staff writer for a small publication in Seattle. But when the lights go down, she writes sizzling and oh-so-naughty erotica. She keeps these stories safely tucked away, hiding her secret fantasies of her hero, Dustin Murray. The man who stole her heart six years ago. And then jumped into bed with her twin sister.
Dustin never forgot Claire, or her twin sister’s lies that tricked him into sleeping with her. Nor has he forgotten that her sister’s threats have kept him silent for six years and cost him the woman he loved. Now that Claire’s returned home, Dustin isn’t about to lose her again. But it’ll be another thing to convince Claire he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to win her back.
When Claire accidentally sends the wrong story to her editor, things really heat up. With hot the new black in publishing, her editor thinks he’s struck gold and queues the story for publication. The last thing Claire needs is for everyone to learn that she’s got secrets of her own…
Character Interview: Fran Robertson
What is it like being a twin?
God awful. It couldn’t be worse seeing a double of yourself. Especially one who is so damn perfect. Back as children, living with Claire, I felt we were cast as the good sister and the evil one. No matter what I did, it came out bad. Eventually, I accepted by position and learned to enjoy not having to live up to anyone standards but my own.
Why’d you leave Mill Spring for New York? I wanted to find a life that didn’t expand like warm taffy. I like excitement and never knowing what’s around the corner. It’s bam-bam-bam in New York. Eat or be eaten.
You never came back home to visit, why? Not after what I went through. Really, no one knew what is what like in small town. The power brokers are small group of men who do what they want and their children feed off that power. I can’t talk about what those guys did…what they got away with. No one wanted to listen to my side. All I know is I did what I had to do to survive and the hell with everyone.
How could you do such a heartless thing to your sister? She’s got her head in the clouds. Claire skated through life untainted and she could afford a few tears. Claire’s been given life on a silver platter. Always has been utterly perfect. I’m not making excuses. It forced her to leave and we both were safe. I’m only sorry she’s decided to stay. I tried.
Where do you see yourself in ten years? Opening up another brokerage house perhaps in Boston or Chicago and then franchising. I’m thinking of going into the corporate world. Married to a man who can give me what I need and not step on my toes. A lover or two who satisfy me. On a couple of corporate boards, tightening my investment portfolio, and on the list of Fortune 500 women CEO. That list generally has twelve. And probably ready for nervous breakdown, but hey the ride will have been worth it. Don’t look at me like that.
Short Answers: Fran’s Favorites
TV Program: CSPAN
Accessory: Attaché case
Absolute Necessity: Personal assistant
Drink: Vodka
Vacation Spot: Manhattan, the desk my office
Quote: “The world is my oyster.”
Excerpt:
The man’s gaze fell to her legs still carelessly strewn across her desk. Her heart thundered in her ears. Warmth from his sharp exhale caressed the skin at her ankles.
She bit her lip and decided—no regrets for trying “And?” She returned his mocking raised-brow expression in an eye-for-an-eye stare down.
“I’m Thornton Maxwell…your attorney.” He turned away, but not before she caught his look of displeasure. “God. Woman, do you even know what a mess you’ve got on your hands? We need to talk. A real pressure cooker is about blow.”
Cynthia froze. This wasn’t part of her erotic fantasy. What was he talking about? Should she just come out and admit she had no idea of what was going on or get him to divulge what demanded damage control?
She pretended unconcerned boredom in an attempt to buy some time to think. “Someone’s got his panties in a real twist.”
This wasn’t the first time she’d needed legal. But if he was her new go-to man, she was tempted to screw more things up.
This was a conundrum. He was too damn good-looking. This type of man didn’t appreciate a dumbbell. Did he know how hard she worked or that sometimes contracts needed to be bent? “Explored” is what she liked to call it. Wasn’t that why McGavock Publishing hired a boatload of first-year attorneys anyway? Shoot, he was probably upset because his weekend golf game was about to be rained out.
He paced in front of her desk while raking fingers through his thick, dark hair. Cynthia noticed the way he flexed and moved his arms, his muscles pumping and expanding. He stopped, spun around, and marched back to her desk.
“Lewis, when you cross out clauses and write your own notes into a publishing contract, we don’t have a legal leg to stand on in court when an issue is disputed. The things you’ve included to get an author to sign without consulting legal is tying us in knots. The next time you promise a writer the moon, you better consult me first and NASA second. Not whatever pops into that pretty little head of yours. You need my help with this lawsuit, and I expect your cooperation. You might as well know now that’s going to mean during office hours as well as evenings and weekends.”
His finger was pointed directly in front of her face. She imagined sucking the tip until her sex-crazed brain finally grasped his message.
What? She was floored. Her stomach felt punched, the fist of surprise still lodged in her ribcage. Her mind reeled. It wasn’t possible. She was being threatened with a lawsuit for a couple of silly additions to a contract, and now this man expected her to drop everything. Was he joking? Slowly she inhaled.
“I’m innocent.” She stared back at him. “Sure, I’m not beyond bending the rules, but a lawsuit? No, that’s not possible; it’s impossible. You’ve got to help me.”
“We definitely need a sit-down. Not your usual brush-off and expectation for legal to jump through a hoop. This one is serious.” His gaze swept over her face and downward. The space between them crackled with static energy. He was more than steamed. But he was ready to step in and help her. A spasm of pleasure trilled in her veins. He was her knight in shining armor. She wasn’t the enemy. Not his at least. With all that pent-up fury of his, it was a shame to let it go to waste. He was handsome beyond belief…another time, over cocktails or at a party, she’d not think twice about what her body wanted. His dark eyes weren’t all anger…passion brewed there, pulling the cords to her attraction, making her skin tingle. Oh, my. He wanted to school her good. But maybe she could teach him a thing.
“Thor…Thornton, sit down.” She recouped her confidence. He was in her dominion. The door was closed. Her assistant always knocked before entering. The glass panels were mirrored. He was so near…all she had to do was reach out to him.
She met his bad-boy stare with excitement screaming in her ears.
“Please.” She was almost purring, beseeching him over the rim of her eyeglasses.
“Fine, I’m all ears.” He pulled up a chair closer to her desk. “Well?”
She studied him. If the man ever smiled, he’d be drop-dead gorgeous. She let the papers slip out of her fingers, and she pushed her glasses up on top of her head. Cynthia rubbed her ankles together, and his eyes fixed onto legs.
Ding, ding. Johnny, she had a winner.
She lifted her legs and stood, acting as if arranging her papers was vital. She felt, rather than saw, that his gaze was upon her.
“Client-attorney privilege?” She rounded the desk, trailing her fingers along the surface.
“Yes, whatever you share. Go on.”
“Where shall I begin?” She stopped and leaned back on her desk, directly in front of him. Eighteen inches of space separated them.
“Haven’t you ever longed for something to the point of breaking a few rules? Just once?”
He held his spine erect. He gripped the armrests. She noticed the fine hairs on his fingers, but no ring. She placed the toe of her shoe on the corner of his chair, her ankle only an inch away from his grasp. Her silk skirt lifted, sliding up her thighs, and his gaze shot to the revealed set of black lace Agent Provocateur garters.
She licked her lips and unbuttoned a pearl button. He flared his nostrils ever so slightly. He stared at her fingers. She undid another button. He became a statue. A rather alluring, attentive one. She continued unbuttoning the rest of buttons. She didn’t open her shirt, hoping he’d notice her breasts were unhampered by a bra. The only sound in the room was their breathing.
“Don’t stop now.”
She opened her shirt, revealing ample cleavage. Her nipples hardened at the thought of his mouth teasing her skin.
She rubbed her leg against his thumb. He touched her ankle, lightly at first, before running his fingers up the back of her calf. She pushed her hips forward, her skirt lifted further up and over her thighs.
He made a low, primal sound, melting a reserve within her.
“Do you like what you see?”
Their eyes locked and she smiled. She traced a finger along the bottom of her lip. She stuck just the tip into her mouth and sucked, playfully removing any doubt of where this was going.
“Hmm,” she whispered. “What do you want?”
He closed his eyes and moved his hand over her knee. She went beyond merely teasing him to wanting to feel him deep inside her body.
About Susan:
“I love the concept of falling in love. The type of romantic journey that is so intense, it’s borders on insanity.”–Susan D. Taylor
After growing up in Miami, she moved to Nashville where she taught biology and special education. No longer a public school teacher, Susan now writes about consuming passion, how attraction plays out, and characters that are either going to incinerate or meld like warm caramel.
Susan lives with her husband, two blue heelers, two cats, a gecko and a snake. An RYT 200 (Yoga Alliance) practicing in vinyasa flow when she’s not writing her next hot romance.
Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday! Today, I’m sharing another six paragraphs from my recently released contemporary western romance,Heartstrings. In this peek, Abby apologizes to her ex for what he sacrificed when he married her and become a father to her baby even though he was in love with someone else. The woman is now his current wife and he’d had an affair with her while still married to Abby…
She straightened and faced him as she pushed her hair from her face. A warm breeze blew across the flat grassland of the pastures. “You know what for. You and Tammy Jo. You were so head over heels crazy for her in high school. I wish I’d have known about your affair sooner. I’d have let you go then. It’s the least I could have done.”
She’d be lying to herself if she said his secret two-year affair with Tammy Jo hadn’t hurt, but she couldn’t be what Mike needed. She loved him, but not as a woman should love her husband. He’d always been more like a big brother to her. Her best friend.
Seth had been the one she’d burned for during those long nights while Mike slept on the far side of their bed. He never felt passion for her either. Soon after their marriage, they stopped trying to find it. Their nearly non-existent sex life had always been damned awkward.
He looked away and leaned his backside against a fence post. “I’ve always loved her. But I couldn’t turn my back on you–or Emily.”
He squinted against the glare of the sun. She’d always known what Mike sacrificed to be with her, to be a father to her baby, giving them a stable home.
The one thing she never understood was why he’d made the sacrifice. But now wasn’t the time to ask. Of course, he wouldn’t have told her anyway. He never had any of the other times she’d asked.
Emmm… Wonder if dear old Mike had some ulterior motives? But what the heck could they have been?
(SEE BELOW HOW YOU CAN GET THE PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER ONE FOR FREE)
1. Sign up in the Linky List at http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.com/. The Linky List will go live 12:01AM Monday and will close at 11:59PM Saturday night every week.
2. Post 6 paragraphs (no more, no less) from either a WIP or a published work. The post must be live by 9:00AM Sunday.
3. Open to both un-published and published authors.
4. Post the link back to Sneak Peek Sunday so that others can hop along.
5. HAVE FUN!!
~*~
I’m sponsoring another western themed blog hop May 2 – 6.
Cowboys are known as bad-boys, but what happens when the bad-boy is also the law in town? What is it about these contradictions that make small town sheriffs, Texas Rangers and ex-outlaws-turned-lawmen so irresistible? Whether you write or love to read about the Wild West or modern day Montana, what do you love most about lawmen who are also cowboys? And what makes them so gosh-darn sexy?
.
Sign ups are open until April 21. I send out the welcome and instruction email to all participants on April 23. If you would like to take part, sign-up on Cowboy Charm.
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Just a treat for my Newsletter subscribers: Sign-up for my newsletter and I’ll send you the Spring issue which has links to both the PROLOGUEand FIRST CHAPTER of Heartstrings and CHAPTER 1 of my paranormal romantic suspenseA Hunter’s Blade for free, plus a really low-fat/low sugar simple dessert recipe that can take the guilty out of cake. HERE’S THE LINK TO SIGN UP
About Face (Book #5 of The Wolf Within Series)
bond with the city after being forced out of New Orleans post-Katrina, she turned to her writing. Determined to finally finish that novel she’d been hacking away at since high school, Amy managed to come up with a wolf shifter character named Stanzie Newcastle. She and Stanzie have been BFFs ever since.
spend time with family and friends. She enjoys novels with fast-paced action and steamy romance, protective alpha men and strong heroines.
He’s determined to set things right, no matter the cost.
The problem with twins is that they look so much alike…
