Romance Excerpts Only Blog

Maggie Myers returns home to rebuild her life and to escape her stalking ex-husband. To local small town sheriff Matt Dillon she’s more trouble than he needs. But the lady has enough sass and curves to tempt a saint. Well, he never claimed to be a saint, and Maggie is about to find out she’s been teasing the wrong man.


Excerpt-

“I hope you don’t mind, Sheriff, but I was starving.” She popped another, smaller berry into her mouth. “They forgot to give me my ration of bread and water back at the jail.” Her smart mouth was going to land her in trouble some day.

“Your smart mouth is going to land you in trouble some day,” he remarked, guessing her thoughts. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

Hadn’t she just told him why? She just managed to hold back a smile. She dipped a finger in the whipped cream and brought it to her mouth, glancing up at Matt innocently. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about me eating in your bed.”

Without warning Matt moved away from the door and walked further into the room. The look in his eyes was almost wild. He looked hungry. Maggie caught her breath but he ignored it, continuing toward her with purposeful strides. With a growl he reached for her arm and hauled her to her feet, nearly toppling over the chair she’d been sitting in.

“Sheriff…”

“I brought you here with one thought in mind, to prove to myself that I was immune to you. That I could be in the same room, house with you and control my thoughts of wanting to screw the hell out of you. I’ve always prided myself on being strong enough to overcome any temptation.”

“Do I tempt you?” Her hands fell to his chest.

His laugh was a deep grunt. “Day and night. Hell, you’d tempt a saint, honey. I intend to kiss you and nothing is going to stop me.”

He didn’t sound happy, but that didn’t stop him swooping down on her and taking her mouth in a savage, lustful kiss. His powerful arms crushed Maggie to him. He locked her arms behind her back, even though she wasn’t struggling to escape.

She moaned softly, dreamily, welcoming Matt’s powerful embrace and forceful mouth. When his free hand fastened on her breast, wildfire exploded through her blood, threatening to consume her. She arched her back and thrust her aching flesh more fully into his rough caress. Silently pleading for him to do more.

His hand began to move over her, exploring every inch through the thin fabric of the tee shirt she was wearing, taking his time as though she were something to treasure. Breathless whispers escaped Maggie as she eagerly gave in to his silent, hungry demands.She began to squirm beneath his ardent caresses with a need to participate. But Matt refused to release her hands, keeping total control of the situation. Teasing her at his will. Finally she was able to twist her head, breaking their fiery kiss,

“Mathew!” she panted, gulping in mouthfuls of air. “Please, I need to touch you, too.” Maggie was careful to keep her face turned away but his mouth only moved to the soft exposed arch of her throat. She felt his teeth gently rake along her skin, causing a ripple of sharp desire down her spine.

“Sheriff…” she pleaded, shuddering violently against his length. She felt his hard-on pressing against her and a pool of warmth flooded between her legs. She was actually throbbing with arousal.

“Mathew…”

“God, don’t say my name like that, Maggie.” His voice came out hoarse, revealing the highly aroused state he was in. “You’re going to make me come.”

Maggie laughed huskily. “Isn’t that why you brought me here?” She finally tugged free. Before she lost her nerve she reached forward and fondled the hot, pulsing length of him through his thin pajama bottoms. His shaft felt thick and strong in her palm. The breath hissed from between his tightly clenched teeth, his eyes darkened into murky, fathomless pools. His nostrils flared, taking in the raw essence of their combined body heat. Chemistry. Maggie watched as he closed his eyes and groaned. “Isn’t it…Sheriff?” She gave him a little squeeze, reveling in her power when he shuddered.

“Yes! Damn you!” he admitted. “I could have turned you loose at the station but for the first time in my life I’ve forgotten the main objective and said to hell with the rules. Nothing I do concerning you makes any sense.”

Maggie shivered wildly, gently squeezing the bulge in her
hand. It thrilled her that she had that kind of power over Matt.

“Maggie…” He shuddered.


Tory Richards
Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
Romance with an Attitude Blog

A DESPERADO FOR CHRISTMAS
by Vijaya Schartz
From Sapphire Blue Publishing
eBook Novella

Available from Kindle
and in other formats from the publisher at:
http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=25&products_id=50&osCsid=18458beca61512fa4313ce73d10b2e8b

also from
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Rookie Border patrol Agent Kaitlin Harrington hates Christmas and all men since she lost her unborn child on Christmas Eve. This year, as she guards the Mexican border, she encounters more than she can handle in the person of a gorgeous Desperado, a despicable human smuggler of all people! Miguel is fascinated by the green eyes of the feisty auburn-haired beauty bent on impeding his important work. But he is a man of many secrets. And on this dangerous adventure through the Arizona desert, anything can and will happen.

.
REVIEWS:
"A Desperado for Christmas is a love story and an adventure rolled in to one. There is very little "down time" in this fast-paced story, and this reader was glued to it until the very end." Fallen Angel Reviews

EXCERPT:

Did she just see something move? Maybe not.

Raising her infrared binoculars, Kaitlin focused on that particular area. There it was again. A flicker of movement. Then she saw people furtively running from rock to rock. She couldn’t tell how many. Fifteen? Twenty? Did they know she was watching? Had they seen the lights of the visiting Jeep? Heard the engine? The conversation?

Sliding down the slope, she searched the Hummer but couldn’t find the blasted radio. Then she remembered it hanging from Josh’s belt. Now it rode with the nitwit toward a damned titty bar.
She flipped the switch of the car’s com system. Only static. Strange, Josh had used it earlier and it worked then. She shrugged. Electronics could be so unreliable and she wasn’t computer savvy. As a last resort, she pulled out the cell phone at her belt and checked the reception. Out of range.

Damn and triple damn!

Light gravel dribbled down the slope. She dropped the cell phone and reached toward her holster. Drawing the Beretta, she turned around, her back safely to the Hummer. Her heart faltered as she held the firearm toward the sound.

"Sweet Mother of God!" She gasped as her target came into view.

Apollo himself couldn’t have looked more handsome under the full moon. Muscles rippled on the smooth torso, shirtless beneath the open denim jacket.

"Stop right there. Hands on your head," she croaked rather than shouted.

He held up his hands, jostling the backpack on his shoulder.

Glossy black hair fell over his forehead, and the dark gaze of the Latino man burned with intense fire. He pinned her with his stare as if trying to say something important, but no words came out. He appeared to be unarmed, strong, yet she sensed no threat emanating from him.

"On the ground. Face down. Spread ’em."

He didn’t move, maybe he didn’t understand, so she motioned with the Beretta. Would he resist arrest? Somehow the thought conjured appealing images.

He dropped the backpack and laid face down.

She took the four steps separating them, kicked away the back pack then reached for the handcuffs at her back. She spread his legs apart. Long, muscular thighs, calves bulging under his jeans. He turned his head to watch her, a half smile on his lips. His temple glistened with sweat. He must have been running but seemed hardly winded. Unlike her breath which came in quick gasps.

Fascinated by his physique, she could not think. But who other than an illegal would roam the desert on Christmas Eve? He didn’t look afraid. Why? The memory of the group she spotted came to mind, but she heard nothing move in her immediate vicinity.

She straddled the man. He didn’t resist when she cuffed his hands behind his back, then patted him down, looking for a knife or a handgun. Her hand only found the planes of his hard muscles. It had been a while since she’d felt a male body this close. He exuded the musky scent of sage. Astounded by her sensual musings, she rose and stared back at him. She hoped she looked fierce, like a predator hypnotizing her prey.

She slowly moved away and motioned with the Beretta for him to get up and get into the Hummer.

The man smiled as he stood up slowly and stared past her. "Ola!" he said in a deep baritone.

"Ola!" another man answered, disturbingly close behind her.

Kaitlin froze and a shiver ran up her spine. She’d made a mistake by leaving the protection of the Hummer.

Vijaya Schartz
Girls with Guns, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com/

I know the phrase Merry Christmas is considered politically incorrect these days, but I feel strongly this shouldn't be the case. I'm at my son's house this evening celebrating Christmas with my family.

I wanted to take the time to wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukaah. May you all find enjoyment with your loved ones this holiday season.

Pam Champagne
www.pamchampagne.net

Noble Romance Publishing has started a line of free reads, and there are currently two available. Find out more about Steve and Dylan from What Happens in Vegas, and spend New Year's Eve with them.

It's M/M, it's free and it's fun! Find A Vegas New Year here

The other Noble freebie as of now is A Taste of Nox by H. C. Brown, based on characters from the Pride Brother's Series. This one is paranormal, M/M, menage...and it's free! Check out A Taste of Nox here

Cupid's Arrow was my first book published with Whiskey Creek Press and was on their best sellers list for two consecutive months. Here's a never before posted excerpt.

Whiskey Creek Press

Emma watched Mike slowly approach the dugout and immediately began looking around for something to use on his eye. Spying a cooler, she opened it and grabbed a handful of crushed ice before it dawned on her she didn’t have anything to put it in. She looked around for Amanda’s bag, realizing she’d probably have something in there she could use. Finding it beneath the bench, she sat down and opened it with one hand, digging through the contents for the first item of clothing she saw. However, when she held it up, her mouth dropped.

Oh my!

She glanced up just as Mike stepped into the dugout and held her breath with embarrassment on discovering it was definitely not Amanda’s bag she was rifling through. Their eyes locked, well, his one good eye to hers, and a flush spread across Emma’s face that produced a full-fledged grin on his. His gaze lowered to take in what she was holding in her hand. Her confidence to handle the situation lagged considerably by the amusement swimming in his eyes.

“I, ah, usually know a woman a little longer before letting her, ah, handle my underwear,” he had the nerve to say, crossing his arms. He was thoroughly enjoying her dilemma.

Emma was speechless, drowning in the deep water of Mike’s eyes. Not only had she been caught going through someone’s bag, but it turned out to be his. She glanced at the underwear in question, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets when a foiled condom packet fell out, landing on her lap. She dropped the boxers as if she’d grabbed a snake, ignoring the condom, too mortified to move. She knew she should say something but the words stuck in her throat. The ice melting in her hand reminded her of what she’d been doing, enabling her to finally act with some amount of normalcy.

Trying for a smile, she was barely able to lift her voice above a whisper. “I, ah, thought this was Amanda’s bag; she has one that’s very similar. I saw you get hit in the eye and was looking for something to put this ice in.” Mike surprised her by reaching forward. The closer he got the further she shrank back. But he only snatched the condom off her lap and tossed it back in his bag, his jaw tight as though trying to hold back a laugh.

“Is that for me?”

Debbie Wallace

GILLIAN’S ISLAND

A beautiful bride, a handsome groom, and a private cruise. What could possibly go wrong--how about a hurricane, one stranded yacht, a few useless, scantily clad bridesmaids and an equal number of horny groomsmen?

In the midst of it all, maid of honor, Gillian Marlboro, wonders if Jamie Foster could be not only the groom’s best man, but also the man for her. Would the universe be so cruel as to hand her the perfect man and then let them both perish on an island that provides no fresh water and only Mother Nature’s aphrodisiacs for sustenance?

EXCERPT (PG13 Contemporary Romance)

His glance dropped to her chest. “I should have woken you sooner.”

Her gaze followed and she gasped. She moved one strap to expose a definite white stripe surrounded by angry, red skin. Her fingertips brushed against her chest and she winced as even that slight touch stung like sandpaper.

“You’re not terribly burned yet, but it’s getting there. I think you should get out of the sun. Or at least put on some stronger sunscreen and a T-shirt.”

“Julie is going to kill me.” The heat radiated off her burn. She looked up at him panicked. “Our dresses for the wedding are strapless.”

Eyes still on the obvious strap lines, he frowned. “Come with me. We’ll take care of it.”

“How?” Instinctively trusting him, she took his extended hand and let him help her out of the chaise. “Where are we going?”

“To the galley.”

“The galley? Why?”

“I’m betting there’s something in there that will cool that burn. Don’t worry. We’ll get that color evened out before the wedding.”

She followed him all the way down the narrow stairs to the yacht’s cooking facilities. Sadly, the galley was nicer than her kitchen at home.

Jamie opened and perused the contents of the beverage fridge before reaching in and coming out with a glass bottle. “This will do.”

She frowned at the beverage in his hand. “Iced tea? Am I supposed to drink it?”

His surprisingly sexy laugh had her staring at his lips.

“No. Black tea applied topically is good for a slight sunburn and the cold liquid will cool your skin. The heat can still do damage even after you’ve gotten out of the sun, so you have to lower the temperature of the skin as soon as possible.” He soaked a kitchen towel with the iced tea and held it clumsily in front of her chest. “Um, maybe you better apply this yourself.”

Suppressing a smile at his obvious shyness, she took the towel and laid it over her hot exposed flesh. It felt cooler immediately. “Wow. How do you know about this stuff?”

“I know a lot of things.” Jamie shrugged.

“You really are a nerd.”

He rolled his eyes. “Thanks.”

“No. I meant it as a compliment. Really.” Gillian tilted her head, sizing him up again now that they were out of the glare of the sun. His glasses had changed to clear, and she could see blue eyes a girl could get lost in. “I happen to like your geekiness. A lot.”

“Really?” He smiled. “So you have a geek fetish, do you? Where were you during my lonely youth?”

She’d been trapped in geekdom herself, the studious introvert hidden in her gorgeous and talented sister’s shadow. Gillian shrugged. “I’m here now.”

“Yes, you are.” His throat worked as he swallowed hard. He glanced nervously at the case of champagne in the glass-front refrigerator, before he looked back at her. “Ah, you know, you should also drink a lot of fluids today, and not champagne either. Water. And take some ibuprofen.”

“Maybe you should stick close by and keep reminding me about that throughout the day. Drinking the water, I mean.” She moved a step closer, took the now hot cloth off her chest and dropped it on the countertop.

“I’d be happy to remind you.” He nodded and the action brought his head down a bit until his face hovered just above hers.

Perhaps it was a combination of the sun and the glass of champagne in her empty stomach, or how she hadn’t been on a date in ages. Either way, Gillian’s libido went from deep hibernation mode to burning up. Then again, maybe it wasn’t the sun, the alcohol or her lack of a sex life at all. Maybe it was Jamie. His concern for her. The way he had no clue how cute he was. How he’d bothered to RSVP, by phone no less instead of email. The way he made her heart pound.

Desire fluttered low in her stomach. “Would you think I was a total slut if I kissed you right now?”

He drew in a sharp breath. “No. Not at all.”

www.catjohnson.net

Read an alternate excerpt or get the eBook available now at

Sapphire Blue Publishing

http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=72&osCsid=57328d8a4304d969512373c9b235d28b

All Romance eBooks

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Unridden

Copyright © 2009 Cat Johnson

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. Publication

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/unridden

When country boys meet a city girl, everyone is in for a wild ride.

Studs in Spurs, Book 1

Slade Bower and Mustang Jackson are living the high life on the professional bull-riding circuit. The prize money is big, the bulls are rank and the women are willing. But something is missing.

For Slade, waking up in a different city with a different woman each morning is holding less and less appeal. Even Mustang’s creative attempts to shake things up don’t help. Then along comes a big-city author who’s like nothing they’ve ever encountered. Something about her makes Slade sit up and take notice—and Mustang is always up for anything.

Romance writer Jenna Block has a problem—her agent thinks a cowboy book will jump-start her career. A born New Yorker, Jenna doesn’t do cowboys, not on paper, and definitely not in real life. Luckily for her there are two cowboys ready, willing and able to take her out of her comfort zone in every way that counts…and some ways she hadn’t counted on.

Warning: This story contains two hot cowboys, one very lucky woman, hot ménage sex and lots of bull.

EXCERPT (rated G)

Evaluating that night’s possibilities, Mustang’s gaze swept the females in the stands until it landed on one woman who made him stop dead in his perusal.

He jumped up onto the rail of the chute and hissed to Slade, “Second section, fourth row back, reddish-brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, black turtleneck.”

In the process of tugging the rope that stretched beneath the bull and winding it once around his gloved hand, Slade frowned up at Mustang from the animal’s back. “I’m in the middle of taking my wrap and you’re pointing out some woman to me? In a turtleneck, no less? Since when are you interested in women whose chest isn’t hanging out?”

“This woman’s different, Slade. I can tell.” The bull hopped once in the chute and Mustang quickly reached over and grabbed the back of Slade’s vest, steadying him on the animal’s back.


“Dammit, Mustang, quit distracting me.” Slade settled himself again and then gave a nod. The cowboy on the ground swung the gate open to release both bull and rider into the arena.

“Talk to you more when you get off,” Mustang called after him.


As Mustang watched his friend disappear into a cloud of dust, Chase Reese hopped up onto the rail next to him.


“Slade’s amazing. It’s like he’s glued onto that bull. I wish I could do that. I went two for ten last series.” The kid had been favored for Rookie of the Year until he’d hit a dry streak.

That’s because you look at the ground.” Mustang followed Slade’s progress while the bull spun around to the left without deviation, from one end of the arena to the other.


The eight-second buzzer sounded and Slade released the rope wrapped around his hand. He jumped off the bull, hit the ground with his shoulder and then rolled to avoid a hoof to the ribcage before the bullfighters redirected the charging animal away from him.



“I do what?”


Seeing his friend was safe, Mustang took the time to answer Chase’s question. Damn, had he ever been this young? The kid probably didn’t even have to shave once a week.

“You’re looking down at the ground while you ride. If you look there, you’re gonna end up there. It’s a fact. Now, ’scuse me. I gotta talk to Slade.”



Leaving the kid with an amazed expression on his face, as if he’d just been handed all the secrets of the universe, Mustang jumped down to go meet Slade behind the chutes.



“Hey, man. Good ride. That bull was one hell of a spinner, huh?”



Slade laughed and pulled the tape from around his wrist where it held the glove on his riding hand firmly in place. “Hell yeah. They weren’t kidding when they said he came out of the spinner pen. Felt like I was on a ride at the county fair.”



“Now we’re both done riding for the night, we have to formulate a plan,” Mustang began.



“For what?”



“To reel in that woman I told you about.”



Slade dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “Just do whatever it is you usually do.”



Mustang shook his head. “The usual isn’t going to work on her.”



Slade sighed. “Where did you say she’s sitting?”



Ha! Slade had given in and was actually showing some interest. Smiling, Mustang narrowed his eyes and easily found her again in the stands. She was writing feverishly while trying to watch the rider in the arena at the same time. He tilted his head toward the section directly behind them. “Far end of the fourth row.”



“What the hell is she doing?” Slade frowned as he watched her.



“Hell if I know, but I think she’s taking notes. See what I mean? This woman is special. She isn’t going to just fall into our bed.”



Her hair wasn’t huge, she wasn’t made up like a showgirl and her clothes showed curves but not an inch of skin. She was different, which was what had drawn Mustang’s attention to her in the first place.



Since Slade had been in his strange funk lately, Mustang figured he’d try something unusual. Hell, even the two eighteen-year-olds going at each other in front of them barely got a rise out of his friend. Mustang was running out of ideas, but this woman… She was pretty much the opposite of their usual conquest and that might be exactly what they needed. It was worth a shot to cheer Slade up. Besides, never opposed to trying new things, he could use a bit of a change himself once in a while.



“Mustang, she’s probably a damned reporter. That’s all I need, to be featured in some exposé. I can see the headline now. ‘Slade Bower, third-ranking bull rider in the world, propositions reporter for a threesome with former Rookie of the Year, Mustang Jackson.’ That will go over real well with the fans in the Bible Belt.” Slade scowled at Mustang. “Pick someone else. How about the one bouncing up and down over there? She’s about to pop right out of that top. You might want to keep an eye on her.”



Mustang glanced her way. “Yeah, I saw her already. I’m set on the other one.”



Laughing, Slade shook his head. “Good luck ’cause I can just about see the stick up her ass from here. That one is wound tight, but you go for it, man, and I’ll enjoy watching you get shot down.”



Mustang raised a brow. “Is that a challenge, my friend?”



Slade let out a short laugh. “No, it’s the truth.”



“Well, I think you’re wrong. Sometimes it’s the quiet ones that are the wildest once you get them naked.”



“And you think you can get her naked?”



Mustang nodded. “Yup. I do.”



“Well, I’d like to see that.”



Grinning, Mustang slapped his friend on the back. “Don’t worry. You’ll be there too.”



Slade shook his head. “Maybe, and that is a big maybe, you might be able to get that woman naked, with enough alcohol and bull, but no frigging way will she agree to both of us. Never in a million years.”



Feeling cocky and never one to resist a challenge, Mustang crossed his arms and dug in his heels. “We’ll see. You willing to make a bet on that?”

AVAILABLE NOW AT http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/unridden

COMING FEBRUARY 2010

BUCKED

(Studs in Spurs, Book 2)

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The Huntress By Dorothy McFalls
NOW Available from Kindle (Amazon) for $1.99!

If you missed it the first time, you have another chance to catch the action of The Huntress.

It’s nothing personal...
Blond, beautiful bounty hunter Vega Brookes is on the hunt for her latest skip trace. Her prey, ex-special forces officer Grayson Walker, is accused of brutally murdering his business partner and killing the last bounty hunter to come looking for him. He’s ruthless, a killer. She shouldn’t feel attracted to him. Even so, the closer she gets to finding Grayson, the louder her instincts shout that things are not what they seem.

It’s only murder...
Grayson Walker is dangerous and determined. Someone is killing those closest to him, and he’s desperate to find out why. When a firecracker of a bounty hunter comes close to capturing him, he fights back and ends up shooting her. Yet not even a gunshot wound can cool the sparks that fly between them whenever they’re together. Soon, his life turns into a deadly race to earn Vega’s trust, track down a killer, and avoid falling in love.

EXCERPT:

"I know who you are, Grayson Walker." It wasn't her job to judge him. She just needed to deliver him back to the justice system. "I know what you've done." She raised her gun. She'd do well to remember he'd already killed one bounty hunter. "It's time to return to Atlanta and face responsibility."

She heard him suck in quick a breath. "Tommy said you smelled like a cop. I should've believed him. Since when does a cop look like she belongs on the cover of a fashion magazine?"

He didn't seem to notice the gun in her hand, a weapon that could easily leave several gaping holes in the center of his chest. Or if he did notice, he didn't care. He walked casually toward her, arms spread wide.

"I'm more dangerous to you than the police, Grayson. I'm a bounty hunter. I don't get paid unless you get captured."

He laughed in the darkness, a rather pitiful sound. "The fourth one, I believe. I wonder what makes you think you can succeed where those other brainless goons have failed? Are you planning to seduce me into surrendering?"

Without warning, he lowered his head and rushed her, tackling her, tossing her to the ground as if they were playing a game and she was holding a football not a loaded pistol.

Her breath whooshed out of her lungs. Grayson could remain where he was, straddling her torso, his hands pinning her arms, for the moment. She tightened her hold on the pistol he was working so doggedly to wrench from her grasp.

Pulling in a deep breath to calm her muscles and focus her strength, she visualized her first move. Her first approach, her attack, was crucial since everything that would follow would be born from instinct.

"Hope I didn't hurt you, sweet," he whispered in her ear. "But I couldn't give you the chance to shoot me, either."

His lips curled into that killing smile. "You're really very pretty."

Those eyes of his, eyes she'd memorized from the photo posted in her office, were nearly hypnotic in the darkness. He leaned forward. She heard his breath hitch. "I haven't had a woman like you in..." His lips covered hers. She could taste the raw hunger in the forced kiss.

"Sorry," he said, ripping away.

"Get off me or I'll really hurt you."

He laughed. He actually laughed.

In a fluid move, she twisted to the side, upsetting his balance, and pushed against the asphalt to propel herself up. He tumbled to the ground.

He didn't stay down long. She swung her fist, hitting his jaw as he sprang back to his feet. She didn't need brute strength when he was so obliging in connecting his face to her fist with such force. She stood back and watched as he staggered, tripping over a cypress knee that had grown up through the broken asphalt.

Her fingers produced one of the two pairs of handcuffs she carried in her jacket pocket. Capturing him, a former Special Ops officer, seemed far too easy. He stared up at her, dazed, his eyes hazy and unfocused.

"You've put up a good chase, Grayson." She locked a metal ring over his left wrist.

He let out a light groan as she rolled him over onto his stomach. With her knee pressing onto the center of his back, she reached for his right arm. His hand shot out and captured her wrist as strongly as his left wrist had been ensnared in the trap of the handcuff.

"I don't want to kill you," he said gruffly. Which was really a funny thing for him to say since she still had him on his stomach with his face pressed into the pavement.

She held his left wrist with her left hand. He held her right wrist in his right hand. She wracked her brain, trying to remember which side he favored.

"I'm left-handed," he said, startling her. He yanked his arm out of her grasp and swung with incredible speed back and up, slapping her in the face with the metal handcuff still hooked to his wrist.

She reared back, unwittingly giving Grayson an opening. Before she realized what he was doing, he'd snagged her pistol and twisted around to point it at her.

"Oh, no you don't!" She wasn't ready to let him win that easily. She lunged for her gun. The barrel flared red in the darkness as it fired.

The force of the bullet's impact at such a close range sent her flying. She hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Great, just great. Braving a backwoods medical facility to be sewn up by a doctor who probably doubled as the local veterinarian was not her idea of a pleasant Christmas.

Her shoulder burned, and her arm had already turned painfully numb. Gulping air, she focused all her energies on Grayson. It took everything she had to hug her throbbing arm to her chest and charge him. She prayed he wouldn't have time to take careful aim and fire again before she could knock the gun from his grasp. She had nothing to lose. He'd already killed one bounty hunter, and she had no doubt she was about to be next.

She staggered--the back wall of the bar must have just collapsed--surely that was a wall that had just fallen on her.

Clutching her splitting head, she sank to her knees.

"Damn," was the last thing she heard.

Buy The Huntress from Amazon.com

“You’re a tease, sweetheart. I didn’t realize how much until now. I only hope you’re prepared to back up your invitation.”

Invitation? Lacey didn’t realize Chase was wading toward the steps at the end of the pool. She was intent on slipping into her mesh robe and escaping. His words stung because she knew they weren’t true. Yet why had she deliberately set out to entice him? She knew why. Because she wanted him as hungry for her as she was for him.

When Lacey reached down to turn off the radio, Chase’s hands suddenly fell on her shoulders and whirled her around. A startled squeak escaped her before her mouth was captured by Chase’s in a hard and forceful kiss. She raised her hands to push him away. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her heart slammed against her chest.

“You won’t need this.” Chase roughly ripped the wrap off her body. “If you’re going to tease a man, Lacey, be prepared for the consequences.”

“I wasn’t…”Chase pulled her sharply against him, his hands digging painfully into her naked buttocks.

“You were!” Their breaths mingled, then he was stealing hers away with the demanding pressure of his lips in another kiss.

Lacey was helpless against Chase. Whimpering noises of pleasure sounded deep in her throat as she responded to his rough possession. When she felt the heavy pounding of his arousal against her, she felt an answering response deep inside her body. Before she knew what she was doing, she rotated her hips against him, moaning at the surge of damp heat between her legs.

“You little witch. Do you know what you’re doing?” His words were hoarse and rough.

Lacey knew what she was doing and was in no condition to answer Chase. She had to save her strength just to breathe, and she leaned into him, letting his rock-hard body support her from falling to the deck. Chase’s hands were no longer squeezing her buttocks in punishment, but were gentle now, caressing over her in tender exploration. The rough calluses of his palms added an extra element of stimulation as his hands smoothed down her thighs and back up to her bottom, lifting her at the same time and holding her against him.

“Damn, you feel good against my cock.” He leaned forward and sank his teeth into the side of Lacey’s neck, then soothed the slight pain he’d inflicted by sucking it tenderly. “Sorry, baby, but you bring out the savage in me.”

Trembling wildly, Lacey’s hands went to the waistband of his boxers and slipped inside. It was a bold act that was so unlike her, yet she couldn’t seem to stop her fingers from encircling his hard length to test her power over him. His shudder revealed more than words what her touch was doing to him.

A low groan vibrated through his chest as Chase thrust his hips toward her caress...

Tory Richards

Autumn has finally arrived here in the high desert of California. Nights are downright nippy (as are mornings), holding a promise of the winter to come. While the afternoon sun warms the back porch and entices all the neighborhood kids outside to play. This is my favorite season of the year, with bonfires, football, and things that go bump in the night. Guess that's why most of the seductive suspense I write involves the paranormal (ghosts, psychics, werewolves, and all manner of beasties, including zombies).

My latest release is no different...except, it is. Set during the Christmas holidays, Crisscross is my first full-length sensual novel. The sexual tension is tighter and the sex scenes are softer than most of my other works. But for my fans who enjoy suspense, this book delivers it in spades.

Crisscross (noun): A web of deceit entangling a bestselling author and her small son, two ex-lovers, and a killer with a knack for cruciverbalism and a thirst for revenge.

A psychic, and skeptic, and serial killer… Lia Morgan has seen portents and signs since she was a teenager; however, few people believed her, including her own family. Although estranged, Lia travels across country to aid in the search for her missing sister, Sylvie. What seems to be a simple case gets complicated fast when Lia discovers her sister had a plethora of secrets, including a small son. Is her sister running from an impending paternity case like the police assume, or is her disappearance the work of a serial killer as her friends suspect?

An anthropologist and crossword puzzle fanatic, Jared Trimble is a packrat with a PhD. His world is grounded in the here and now, with no room for paranormal mumbo-jumbo. When Jared's asked to work as a consultant on a missing person's case involving a series of crossword puzzle clues, he's conflicted. One part's thrilled. The other part is suspicious; worried he fits the description of suspect more than investigator. All that is forgotten when he realizes his ex-lover, Lia Morgan, is the missing woman’s sister. While Lia follows signs and portents, Jared uses his wits and experience. When the two collide, nearly forgotten passions flare. As the final clue is revealed, the solution brings them both into the bull’s-eye of the serial killer's target.

Excerpt:

What a nightmare!
Lia Morgan rubbed her temples. Of all the calls she had ever envisioned receiving about her sister, this one was not it.
When the police officer introduced himself and told her her sister, Sylvie, was missing, the words almost didn’t register. Missing? Impossible was the first word that came to Lia’s mind. But instead of opening her mouth to argue, she’d listened.
“Yesterday morning, Sylvie and her two-year old son, Deion, left their home at approximately eight-thirty. According to statements we’ve taken, they had planned to go to Pier 39, have lunch, and return home by five o’clock. When your sister’s friend, Margaret Fletcher, called at five, no one answered.” The officer stated.
He then went on to tell her Margaret had called at five-thirty and then at half an hour intervals until eight o’clock. When there was still no answer, and Sylvie couldn’t be reached on her house or cell phone, Margaret drove to the house. After she’d ascertained no one was home, she’d reported Sylvie missing.
As the story unfolded, Lia’s disbelief increased. Sylvie had a son? And what had happened between her and Margaret that they were no longer living together?
“When did you last see your sister?” The officer asked.
“Seven years ago.”
There was a pregnant silence on the line.
“My sister and I weren’t close.” Lia finally added. Now that was the understatement of the year.
“Then you wouldn’t know if she’d voluntarily left the area? Is it possible that she was coming to see you for a visit with the upcoming holidays?”
“No, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t know anything about her plans. But just up and leaving isn’t something my sister would do. You’re aware that she’s a bestselling author of a personal security book, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.” The officer intoned. “Right now, we’re considering all the scenarios.”
“Of course. Thank you for letting me know.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am. If you do hear from your sister…”
“I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Lia laid the telephone receiver back in its cradle. Her thoughts were so jumbled that the sudden loud ticking of the clock on the kitchen wall made her jump. Had time really stood still? Perhaps. Being as something else infeasible had occurred. Her staid and respectable, older and wiser sister had disappeared.
The thought still felt foreign. For ten years, Sylvie Morgan had worked as a security expert for some top secret government organization. According to the little Sylvie had been able to say, she had kept numerous presidents and foreign dignitaries safe by working behind the scenes. Whatever that meant. She knew the ins and outs, hell, she’d wrote the book on keeping your person and identity safe. Lia had bought it last year and taken it to heart. As a freelance photographer, she traveled a lot, and it was important not only to feel secure but to be safe. Even now, Sylvie’s book was a hot topic of discussion on talk shows and prominently displayed in every bookstore Lia frequented. So, what had happened to her sister?
Margaret? Lia conjured up a vision of her sister’s partner, or were they ex-lovers now? Margaret was as tall as her sister, and at times they resembled black and white bookends. Where Sylvie’s complexion was like ebony, Margaret’s lacked almost any pigmentation. They both wore their hair in short bobs, Sylvie’s black and Margaret’s pale blond. Both had curves and legs that seemed to go all the way up to their necks. Many men admired the women from afar; however, that was close as either of them would allow a man to approach.
There was simply no way she could see Margaret as having anything to do with Sylvie’s disappearance. In fact, according to the police, she was the one who had called in the missing person’s report.
Then, Lia focused on the other tidbit of information the officer had dropped. Sylvie had a son. Wow. That was a shocker. Sylvie had always professed never to want children and often joked that she didn’t have a maternal bone in her body. Well, something had changed.
Lia twirled on the kitchen stool where she’d perched to answer the phone. It was amazing that her small efficiency apartment could be so crowded and cluttered. The sink was overflowing with dirty dishes and, off to left, a pile of laundry mounded up the side of the washer. Luckily, she’d finished a photo shoot and submitted all the shots to her publisher, so she could take off at a moment’s notice. However, she’d probably better clean the place up a bit.
She picked up the receiver again. With her finger poised over the buttons, she was startled to hear a series of beeps, as if someone were already dialing a number. She hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Were the sounds real, or were they a sign she needed to pay attention to? Damn it, she hated when she couldn’t tell reality from a psychic impression. She picked up the receiver and again, the sounds repeated. This time, she left the phone off the hook. The dialing wasn’t real, for the call never connected, the tones simply repeated, two, perhaps three more times. Too bad she’d never memorized what sound went with which number. Perhaps if she hummed the tune, she’d remember it. She tried and then gave up.
Unexpectedly, tears flooded her eyes. Having unique psychic abilities weren’t good for anything if you couldn’t utilize the clues presented to you. “Dammit,” she shouted into her empty apartment. “At least give me something I can use.” She slammed the receiver down and slid off the stool. On one last hope of being able to call the airlines for a reservation, she picked up the handset. The now familiar tune played in her ear.
With a sigh, she put the receiver down. Gently this time. Laundry, dishes, then pack. She’d make reservations for California from the internet.


You can buy Crisscross at Write Words, Inc. where it's on sale for $5.50

It's also available at Omnilit, The bookstore on the corner of your digital neighborhood, for the full price of $6.50.

I hope you have a wonderful autumn season and when things go bump in the night, here's hoping they leave chocolate! LOL.

Ericka Scott
www.erickascott.com

Night Shift
Rating: Total e-burning
Genre: M/M contemporary romantic suspense
Length: Short story
Available now!

Tracking a murderer on the streets of Chicago, two strong-willed detectives must work together on the case - as well as they get along in the bedroom.

Homicide Detective Cullen Ryder is worried. Someone is brazenly killing drug pushers on the grimy backstreets of Chicago. When the monthly murders jump to weekly and draw the focus of the chief of police, the Chicago P.D. starts jumping, too. The chief assigns a special task force to the case, much to Ryder's chagrin.

Handsome, dark-skinned Trevor Stone has testosterone and attitude to spare. As the head of the task force, he marches in giving orders right and left. Ryder doesn't like being bossed around, but he does like Stone. Maybe a little too much. When he discovers the feelings are mutual and the men fall into bed, neither is sure where the relationship is headed. Both know one thing - there's a murderer on the loose whom they need to catch, before he catches up with them.

Read an excerpt or purchase here

WANTED: A killer!

HUNTING WITH THE WOLF
Romona Hilliger
Author Romantic Suspense

Filled with stunning twists and surprises, this story
keeps the pulse racing while challenging the emotions...

HUNTING WITH THE WOLF
Rating v. sensual
Never in her wildest dreams did the young beauty, Megan Ducass expect be caught up in a hunt for a killer while on holiday in Australia’s Outback.
As he lived and breathed, the maverick, with fire in his eyes and a physique like mortal sin, has sworn to avenge his wife’s rape and murder. But Buck Daniel, discovers that scouring the Australian Outback with revenge on his mind, isn’t that easy. Hitting dead-ends and false information, keeps him just one step behind his quarry. And then, out of nowhere, he’s confronted with a young woman in distress.
Megan is in desperate need of bush photographs to tie up a contract of a lifetime. But securing a ride through the bush proves difficult, until Buck reluctantly, answers her plea for help.
But travelling with Buck is a dangerous business. Their campsite is invaded by two thugs on motorbikes, out to warn him off, none too gently. Meg teams up with Buck, and her surprising self-defence skills, win Buck’s admiration.
But in the bargain, Meg is hurt, and in his gentle care, she senses the throb of desire running through him, well aware of the answering cry within herself. Dark secrets and stormy passions surrender to love.

Tortured with guilt, Buck believes he’s betrayed his wife’s memory and the quirk of fate that has brought them together now threatens to tear them apart.
With his wife’s murder avenged and Meg armed with her photographs, they are both ready to leave and go their separate ways.

They now, face the fight of their lives – the fight within themselves to acknowledge their love for each other. But will Buck’s past forever, haunt him? Or will the love he sees in Meg’s eyes prove the more powerful…
Available
BLADE PUBLISHING. ORG
www.bladepublishing.org

TRAILER
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UDTnh9FtAg


Author website
www.thewaterfront.net.au/romona
Author YouTube
http://au.youtube.com/user/snowstarZ2
http://twitter.com/snowstars

The Phaze Rocks: Streets of Fire novellas have come to print! Three books, Dancing in the Dark, Born to Run and Hungry Heart are now available in one paperback book.

Here's the scoop on these m/m suspense novellas:

Three friends, who met in the police academy twenty years ago, have drinks every other Friday night. They share a love of Springsteen and an appreciation for guys in tight jeans.

Dancing in the Dark: Detective Nick D'Amato has always been content with his lack-of-commitment love life. William, the new man in his life, has Nick rethinking his priorities. A growing stack of dead bodies has the police running in circles and sends Nick and Will into a nightmare that could change their lives forever.

Born to Run: Detective Sam Nielson is a casual, no-strings guy. He loves his job in the South Bronx, but is caught off guard when handsome detective Bobby Rodriguez transfers in. Their fast brewing passion makes concentrating on work difficult, especially tracking the murderer who's now after them.

Hungry Heart: Captain Gil Gates is a proud, uniformed member of the NYPD. When Gil's spotless record is jeopardized, Channel Nine's Brian Knight steps in to follow the story. Gil sees in Brian something the department can't give him--if only he can clear his name and solve a double homicide while he's at it.

If you'd like to read an excerpt or get more information, you can find the print book and three ebook novellas here.

Talk to you again soon!

~ Jenna Byrnes

Page Scorching Erotic Romance

http://www.jennabyrnes.com/

http://jennabyrnes.blogspot.com/