Romance Excerpts Only Blog

by Nadia Aidan | Jenna Byrnes | Christy Lockhart | Jude Mason | Mima | Tuesday Morrigan |

Sun, Surf and Sex on a Beach by Tuesday Morrigan

Sun, Surf, and a summer affair...she just might experience all three, if he can keep her alive long enough.

Sun, surf, and a summer affair are the three things on Michaela Jameson's list of things to do while on vacation in Sydney, Australia. For years now beakers, Bunsen burners and hypotheses have been Michaela Jameson's whole existence. But her latest experiment just might cost Michaela her life. Determined to keep their star project alive, her employers hire Donovan Kelly to protect its most important asset, Michaela.

One look at Donovan and Michaela knows she's in trouble. With him guarding her twenty four seven she sees little chance of achieving her goals. One glance at what Michaela's hiding underneath her lab coat and Donovan knows he wants in. And judging by the heat between them, Donovan might just get his chance. That is if he can keep the sexy scientist alive long enough to cross everything off her to do list, wicked sex included.

Aloha Kaua by Jenna Byrnes

On her first trip to Hawaii, Michaela Donovan discovers lust and love in the most unusual place.

Aloha Kaua. May there be love between us. Michaela Donovan isn't sure about love, but she's looking for something on her first trip to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Her week-long stay with a group of sales contest winners, real estate agents like herself, starts out as boring as the man from Sheboygan who has eyes for her. Desperate to squeeze some fun from the rest of her vacation, Michaela sets her sights on the handsome surfer she sees every time she turns around.

Kale Mahai hangs out on the beach, surfs, then hangs out on the beach some more. Michaela can't help noticing his silky, shoulder-length black hair and smooth, muscular chest. She can only imagine what's under his colourful board shorts, and spends a lot of time doing exactly that. Kale's blue eyes are enticing, his manner seductive. His style is totally different from anyone Michaela ever met in Chicago.

What happens in Oahu stays in Oahu, right? Michaela might as well enjoy herself. It's not every day she has a vacation from ordinary, and the Hawaiian-speaking hunk who turns her world upside down isn't the type to stick around forever. When Kale predictably disappears, Michaela's reaction, and response, surprise even her.

Honeymoon for Three by Christy Lockhart

Jilted! Left at the altar, Claire Cavanaugh runs away to hide, only to end up with the honeymoon of her life.

Running away had never been so good...

Intending to hide from the embarrassment of being left at the altar, Claire Cavanaugh goes on honeymoon alone, only to find two strappingly handsome Norwegian men, one a Norse god, the other a bear of a Viking, at her beck and call.

Finn Odegaard and Christian Petersen are as wild and rugged as the fjords they call home. The two have been looking for a third to complete their relationship and when Claire arrives alone, they can't believe their luck. This lovely lady is brave, bold, and has a sexily curvy body that makes them dream of a honeymoon, for three.

Reader Advisory: This story contains m/m intimacy as part of a polyamorous relationship.

Selene's Awakening by Jude Mason

Take a gorgeous, Canadian alpha male, who's fled the rat race and moved to the woods, and add an equally gorgeous, but spoiled, British woman with an attitude and buried submissive tendencies and what do you have? World War III? Love? Maybe a little of both?

Disillusioned with the world and all its civilised gadgetry, David Wolf moves to the wilds of Western Canada's forests. Selene Jordan, one of the rich and infamous, is from the UK. She has it all and isn't afraid to show it off, or berate anyone who doesn't have as much.

Selene is vacationing in Canada and manages to run her pretty blue sports car into a ditch, and knock herself out in the process. David finds and rescues her, much to his chagrin later. She tries ordering him around and refuses to do anything to help herself or make his life easier. Yet, David keeps his calm. After all, she's not going anywhere, and he's got a plan.

Will Selene learn to pull her own weight? Or will David have to teach her a lesson in proper guest etiquette? Sparks fly and emotions run hot as these two vie for the alpha position. A position that only one of them really wants.

Reader Advisory: This story contains sensual spankings and mild D/s.

Sex Therapy by Nadia Aidan

The good doctor may be the expert, but he proves himself the master, as he takes her on a sensual journey, filled with steamy, hot nights and plenty of sex therapy.

Dr. Elena Bouchere, an expert in women's sexuality, has just one tiny little secret, she's no expert! It's been two years since she's last had sex, which means most of her advice has nothing to do with personal experience, as she claims, and more to do with her own wild imagination.

And no one knows more about Elena's wild imagination than reporter Julien Bond, who just happens to be in possession of her very naughty, very explicit diary, which reveals all the sordid details of her fantasies, none of which she's ever brought to life. But Julien wants to rectify that, so he's made a list, and over the course of a weekend vacation at an exclusive fantasy resort, he begins each day with the promise of pleasure, and ends it with the fulfilment of one fantasy from Elena's diary, leaving her in anticipation of what he will do next.

The good doctor may be the expert, but Julien proves himself the master, as he takes Elena on a sensual journey, filled with steamy, hot nights and plenty of sex therapy.

Light on the Water by Mima

She sees the beauty of mixing silver with gold, and will fight to make him see it, too.

When Sid was twenty-two, a summer storm took her into the sea. And then a merman brought her back. Not content with his decision, she dedicates herself to finding him again, ruthlessly exploring the waters of Bermuda. He's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen, and every inch of her sings "yes" in his presence.

When she finds him again, her battle has just begun. For matches between their peoples do not often end happily...

Reader Advisory: This story contains anal sex and toy play.

Libby swallowed nervously. If he rejected her now she’d leave the park and never return. However, what she saw on Logan’s expression wasn’t rejection. As he took his fill looking at her, she let her eyes roam down to the prominent bulge in his pants.

My…it was a wonder it didn’t burst right through his zipper! Without realizing what she was doing she reached forward and touched him to see if it was as hard as it appeared, sliding a naughty fingertip down the pulsing length. He was made of steel. And she couldn’t wait to have him inside her.

Can she trust him with her undead heart?

Maxine Twilight runs the hottest fetish club in the Midwest, a place where the rich and famous come to play with vampires. When her employees begin turning to ash, Maxine calls in a ‘consultant’, slayer Zachary Fox.

Zachary Fox slays rogue vampires not other slayers. But when his dead ex-wife, Tessa, calls in a favor to stop a slayer, he agrees to help. However, he didn’t count on losing his heart to Maxine. So when it appears as if she is the intended target of the next wooden stake, he’s forced to put his life, and love, on the line.

Excerpt:

Maxine heard a stifled scream and turned toward the sound. At the front desk, a couple stood staring at the spot where Victoria had been just moments ago. Then the man looked up, took a deep breath, and screamed like a girl.

What a nightmare.

In her mind, Maxine had prepared for this eventuality. She’d envisioned herself closing and locking the doors, calmly instructing the staff to conduct a swift and quiet search for the slayer, then she, personally, would dispose of the slayer, and the party would continue, so to speak.

Well, things didn’t exactly go as planned.

First off, Mitch’s caterwauling at the sight of the pile of ashes attracted everyone’s attention. Then, more people began screaming as they realized what had occurred. Vampires fled into the dark recesses of Temperance, and living patrons fled for the street. Thank the gods no one had been trampled in the pandemonium. Unfortunately, it looked like the slayer, whoever he or she was, had escaped.
Sorrow welled up inside her when she thought about Victoria, but she bit her bottom lip and carried on.

“I’ve called the police.” Jimmy, her brother, walked up behind her.

“And?” Maxine asked, although she knew full well what the answer would be.

“They pretty much said ‘good riddance’,” Jimmy replied.

“You’re surprised?”

“No, I guess not.” Jimmy shrugged and picked up a rag. “I had just hoped that since
Temperance was a Chicago landmark that someone would be concerned.”

“The undead have no rights, Jimmy. But believe me, if one of the living patrons had been murdered here tonight, the place would be crawling with cops.”

“Maxine?” A tall, thin brunette woman interrupted.

Maxine looked up. It was Tessa, one of her newly hired employees. “Everything is under control, Tessa. No need to be worried.”

Tessa shot her an impatient look. “Could I speak to you…alone?”

“Sure.” Maxine gave her brother an apologetic look, but he just smiled and sauntered away in the direction of his apartment in the back. She turned her attention to Tessa and silently prayed the pretty vampire wasn’t going to turn in her resignation.

“I’m so sorry, we’ve never had a slayer invade Temperance, and I can assure you—”

Tessa held up a hand to interrupt her. “I’m the one who needs to tell you I’m sorry. I made a call tonight after Vickie’s death.”

Maxine stayed silent, waiting for the other wooden stake to fall.

“I called my, well, ex-husband.”

Maxine was running out of patience while Tessa babbled on. Would the woman just come to the point?

“Zachary Fox. I phoned him this evening and called in a favor he owes me. He’ll be arriving sometime tomorrow.”

“Zachary Fox, the slayer?” Maxine shuddered. Was Tessa insane? Did she not think they had enough trouble with a rogue slayer in the club tonight? What was the woman thinking, inviting a professional killer into their midst? If the others found out, the club would be empty of vampires by nightfall, and Temperance would be closed for the first time in over 100 years.

“It’s not what you think. I know slayers, good ones and bad ones., Hell, you probably didn’t know it, but I was one once. There was something off about the hit tonight. I have a really bad feeling. I think someone was sending you a message.”

“Tessa, I get hate mail and threats on a daily basis. If it isn’t the public shouting for me to close down, it’s the mob trying to hone in on the business. I don’t think Victoria’s destruction was anything more than a rogue slayer trying to make a name for himself.”

“Maybe,” Tessa said, but her voice sounded anything but convinced. “But I think we need a professional to investigate. Especially since the police have pretty much washed their hands of all of us. Damn them anyway.”

Maxine looked around her at the gleaming oak tables, colorful Tiffany lamps, and the huge bar her great-grandfather had carved by hand. Temperance was her life. If it were to fail, stand empty, it would be a reinforcement of the existence that had been forced on her. No, she had to make this a success.

Her mother had inherited it after her grandfather’s death ten years ago. It should have come to Maxine. However, she’d lost it all when she died. Thank goodness, Jimmy had no interest in running the bar. After a brief period of ‘remodeling’, she had reopened it as a fetish club and struck it rich. She couldn’t bear to lose it. If the living patrons didn’t come, the vampires would have no other way to support their blood habit but by…

No, she wasn’t going to let that happen.

“We’ll just have to be more careful tomorrow night when we reopen.”

“Careful? How? A metal detector isn’t going to do jack shit against a wooden stake,” Tessa argued. “Or are you going to have everyone frisked at the front door?” She looked around. “Whoever killed Vickie was no amateur slayer, and if we don’t stop them, he or she will kill again.”

“And a professional slayer will do what? Help him kill us all?” Maxine shook her head. “No, we’ll handle the situation ourselves.”

Before Tessa could argue further, Maxine strode off. Her entire body felt numb with dread. Was Tessa right? Could someone be targeting her and her club?

It had to be the mob. When she’d first opened, they’d sent a few muscle-bound ‘gentlemen’ around to talk to her. Threatened her that if she didn’t pay protection money, ‘bad’ things were bound to happen.

She had sent the goons back to their boss with a few broken bones for their trouble. The mob had left her alone to some extent. She still got the occasional visit and letter from Mr. Poulos himself. But nothing like this.

After checking to make sure all her employees were reassured, she headed downstairs. She picked up one last crumpled napkin off the floor and then paused in the foyer. For the first time in six years, she locked the doors to Temperance before dawn. The clatter of the deadbolt left her with the uneasy feeling that she would never open the doors again.

No, she’d been killed, had fought the city for a liquor license, and had been threatened by the toughest man in Chicago. One measly murder was not going to force her to turn tail and run.

Striding down the hall on her way to her office, she passed a small cluster of employees. They looked up at her, and she stopped to talk, hoping to allay their fears. Even as she reassured them, she could see their doubts clearly in their eyes and expressions. If she didn’t do something and do it fast, they would leave. When they did, they would be easy game for anyone with a wooden stake and a Buffy-the-vampire-slayer complex. Here at Temperance, they were safe, they could earn a living, and with luck and Congressional lobbying, perhaps they could finally earn status as citizens again.

“So, what are we going to do, Miss Maxine?” a petite blonde vampire asked, her lips trembling.

“Did you call the police?” Vincent Price, their headliner who’s name really was Vincent, put his hand on her shoulder.

Maxine could almost smell his fear, and she hoped her outwardly calm demeanor would give him some comfort. It was hard enough to have died once and been forced to give up friends and family, many of whom recoiled from vampires in terror and loathing. To die again, soulless, was a terrifying possibility. One that she had every intention of preventing.

Maxine chewed on her lip. She could lie, but they deserved to know the truth. “Yes, the police were called, but they refused to help us.”

“So what are we going to do? I don’t have anywhere else to go. Temperance is my home.” Vincent’s friend and sometimes lover, Marcus, known to his fans as Van Helsing, had tears in his eyes.

“We’re not going to panic, for one. And I’m not going to close the club. But we are going to take some precautions.” Maxine looked around at their worried faces and grasped at the only straw she had. “I’ve called in an, um, consultant. He’ll be here tomorrow to investigate.”

The relief in her employees’ faces was clear. Marcus even smiled.

Damn it all, a consultant? The man was nothing but a cold-blooded killer, a slayer. Instead of relief, Maxine felt a surge of fear. Hopefully she hadn’t invited the wolf right into the fold.

Hope you enjoyed a small taste of Twilight's Embrace. You can purchase your own copy at www.cobblestone-press.com

Have a great weekend!
*****************
Ericka Scott is a multi-published, bestselling author of seductive suspense. She's written stories for as long as she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days, when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not chauffeuring children around, wishing she had a maid, or lurking at the library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. You can find out more about her at www.erickascott.com.

CAGE MATCH available at Loose Id.

A prince of industry, an imprisoned gladiator, fistfights instead of ballrooms -- Cinderella just got hotter.

A master in the arena but a slave when combat is over, Jabez is a cage fighter raised on the streets. Wealthy young Andreas Fortias rescues him from his bleak existence, offering him the chance for a new life. But Andreas will have to break through more than a slave cage to touch Jabez's heart. And Jabez may have to risk his new freedom to save his lover, so together can they expose a truth which may change their world.

Excerpt:

The anticipatory rumble of the crowd made the hair on Andreas’s neck rise. They wanted blood and violence, maybe even death. The thick scent of lust and sweat hung in the air along with a pall of opium smoke. Andreas breathed it in through every pore, let the muttering roar fill his head and the adrenaline tingle through his veins until he was one with the primal vibe that simmered in the cavelike room.

A single thick beam of light sliced through the darkness, illuminating the cage below. The big man in front of Andreas shifted to say something to his neighbor, blocking Andreas’s view. He bobbed his head to the right. The fighters were entering through barred doors that face each other across the circular arena. Both men were practically naked except for briefs, oiled bodies glistening. Tonight’s match was a hand-to-hand fight with no weapons or armor, only muscle and skill.

Andreas fingered the gold chain around his neck as he studied the two opponents, both virile, stunning specimens. He swallowed and his stomach muscles tensed as his erection swelled. Leaning forward, he peered intently at the taller of the two men. He was the more battle-scarred of the two fighters. Red-haired and bearded, his broad chest also boasted a pelt of coppery hair. His muscles were hewn rock and his facial features were blunt and square. He looked like he could tear a man’s arms off and beat him into submission with them.

Andreas looked at the other man and felt as if someone had delivered an unexpected punch to his gut. He exhaled his breath in a gasp. The second warrior was a chiseled and polished work of art compared to his adversary. Andreas’s pulse quickened at the sight of his beautiful, sleek body, the wide shoulders, shining pecs and abs and long, sinewy arms and legs. The man sauntered rather than strode toward his adversary, but despite his casual manner, there was tension and power coiled in his lean body. His fingers clenched lightly making the muscles in his arms ripple all the way up to his shoulders. He was like a snake seemingly asleep in the sun but poised to strike.

Turning up the magnification on his image-viewer, Andreas studied the leaner fighter. His hair was cropped close to his scalp and he was clean-shaven unlike his opponent. His nose would’ve been a long, straight blade but for a kink where it had been broken. A scar bisected his right brow and turned down the corner of his eye, but the damage only added to his handsome features giving them character that the perfection of faces in the stands lacked. There were few in the crowd tonight who hadn’t had some cosmetic surgery and Andreas thought all of them looked like pale imitations of the real man in the arena.

Guilt mingled with his pleasure at examining the attractive fighter. He despised himself for coming to these events, ashamed at the blood-lust and the voyeur aspect of watching two men tear each other apart with weapons or beat each other senseless with their fists. But at the same time, there was an undeniable craving in the pit of his stomach, roiling around like a bad case of food poisoning. He couldn’t look away from the arena and wouldn’t walk out now even if given the opportunity. He had to watch.

“Hey, Andreas,” Timon leaned over and nudged his arm, “want to bet on the match? Blind stakes, I choose Redbeard.”

“Blind stakes? What’s that?” He glanced at his friend, noting that Timon had tinted his hair and eyes to exactly match his blue shirt. The garment was no doubt a top designer label. Timon was a fashion hound who’d rather be dead than underdressed for any occasion.

“New game Rabi and I invented. You place the bet without announcing stakes. They’re revealed at the end of the match.”

Andreas laughed. “That makes no sense at all.”

“No, it makes it more exciting and it’s fresh. Hurry, they’re about to start. Are you in or out?”

“In, I guess.” Andreas looked at his fighter again. Lighter, leaner and younger than the other man, he also looked faster and smarter. “Sure. My guy can beat your guy.” And maybe I’ll win back my boat, he thought. Last time they’d played cards he’d lost the brand new vessel to Timon after only sailing it twice.

The bell rang and the fighters began to circle one another. The crowd suddenly hushed to a low, rumbling murmur. Andreas tuned out the people around him, craned to see around the man in front of him.

He dubbed his fighter “Snake” due to the way he moved, smooth and deadly, circling slowly around his opponent. Andreas couldn’t tell from this distance what color his eyes were, not even with the magnification of his image-viewer, but he could see they glittered as he stared at the other man. A chill went through him at the intensity of the gladiator’s gaze.

For long moments the pair stalked around each other like a pair of cats. Andreas wondered how much of it was for show. Did the men really need to assess one another or was it expected by the audience and so they went through the motions? Were both of them aching to surge toward their opponent?

Viewing at such a high magnification, Andreas almost felt he was with his chosen fighter. He was so intent on watching Snake that when he finally did attack, Andreas started and gasped in surprise. The man was so fast. He darted at his opponent and jabbed a fist into his solar plexis, knocking him backward.

Andreas quickly dialed back on his viewer as the two fighters dodged in and out of his frame of vision. By the time he’d refocused, the pair were punching and flailing, rolling on the sand and kicking up so much dirt it was hard to see who was on top at any given moment.

Their grunts and the soft thumps of their fists were picked up by the cage mics and broadcast through the room. The crowd seemed to hold its collective breath as it listened. The fistfight was quieter than the exaggerated flesh hitting flesh in a vid, but more affecting because it was real and because everyone knew these men wouldn’t stop until one of them was unconscious, possibly even dead. That was the thrill of the experience, the vicarious rush everyone came for.

Redbeard scrambled out of the other man’s grip and pulled himself to his feet with the aid of the cage grille. Snake also retreated, rolling and pushing himself upright in one smooth move. Both men stood panting for a moment then Redbeard let out a roar and ran at Snake. He bent and rammed his big head into the other man’s stomach like a battering ram, driving him back into the bars. Snake grunted as the air was driven from him. He doubled over the other man. Redbeard brought his body up, snapping his head into Snake’s face.

The audience groaned in sympathy as the lighter man took a beating. The bearded giant kept him pinned against the bars and used him as a punching bag.

Timon leaned toward Andreas. “Doesn’t look too good for your guy.”

Andreas didn’t answer. He winced every time Redbeard’s meaty fists drove into Snake’s body. His fighter tried to keep up his guard but the blows were coming in from every angle.

Then Redbeard made his mistake. He grappled Snake’s body close in a wrestling hold, twisted him around and cast him down. Sand puffed up as he hit the ground. Redbeard took a second to raise his arms and turn in a circle facing the crowd, receiving applause for his prowess then he turned back to his opponent, crawling away across the floor, and ran at him.

“Body slam!” Timon announced.

But as the big man drew himself up for the leap, Snake’s long leg swept out, cutting both his legs from under him. Redbeard toppled rather than leaped and missed his mark. He landed on his face on the ground.

Snake scrambled to his feet and jumped on top of him, driving a knee into his back. He gripped Redbeard’s head by the hair and slammed his face into the ground over and over. Redbeard struggled to knock him off or flip over, but Snake was tenacious. He continued to pound the man’s head into the sand with single-minded ferocity until he stopped struggling.

Andreas felt sick as he looked around him at the cheering crowd, the avid, hungry expressions of the beautiful people. Deep inside the stomach cramp of guilt remained, but at the same time his pulse pounded. He was as entranced and addicted as everyone else. He pumped his fist in the air and shouted until he was hoarse.

Down in the arena, the unconscious fighter was placed on a stretcher and taken away. The promoter raised Snake’s arm high above his head, declaring him the official victor and another roar of approval came from the crowd.

Timon leaned toward Andreas to complain. “You lucky bastard. There was no way he should’ve won over Redbeard. Now for the stakes.”

“My sailboat,” Andreas answered promptly. “I want it back detailed and pristine, the same condition in which you took it.”

“Whoa, boy, you don’t understand how this game works. The winner doesn’t get to say what he’s won. The loser tells you.”

“That’s ridiculous! Who’d give anything valuable?”

“We’re all stinking rich,” Timon pointed out. “None of us is going to be cheap about it. The point is to think up something extraordinary the winner would never have asked for on his own.”

Andreas shook his head, but laughed. Timon was nothing if not inventive. If he ever turned his considerable cleverness to something useful, he could change the world. “All right then, what have I won?”

His friend’s slow, evil grin tipped him off that he might not like his prize. “Rule is you have to accept what you’ve won no matter what.”

“Oh no, Timon, what are you up to?”

“Something good. Something fun and different. Trust me, you’ll love it.” He grabbed Andreas’s arm and pulled him down the row, bumping peoples’ knees as they went.

This was a small venue, nothing like the stadiums where full scale battles were waged for the audience’s entertainment. Still it took a few minutes to get out of the stands and reach the stairs leading to the lobby. Behind them the announcer called out the next pair of warrior’s statistics while the excited murmur of the crowd swelled again.

“Your fighter showed mercy. He could’ve snapped Redbeard’s neck. No holds barred in cage-fighting,” Timon remarked as he led Andreas across the lobby and toward the backstage. “Stay here a second.”

Timon trotted ahead, spoke to the man guarding the off-limits area and handed him some money then gestured Andreas over. “Go with this guy. He’ll take you down to meet your hero.”

“What?” No! I don’t want—”

“Rules of the bet. You take what you’ve won and, my friend, you’ve won one full hour to do anything you like with that hard-bodied beast. These guys have all had their shots so you don’t have to worry about catching anything, just ride him hard and enjoy that sweaty meat.”

My second lesbian CV novel is available today! I can't wait for everyone to meet Addie, Chloe and Mel. Here's the blurb, and there's an excerpt available here

Bottom line- I must admit i liked it, not only for the fact that I made it pass the smut. I liked the opposite attract theme that would eventually gel the main protags together – I liked the fact that despite a compact size story Ms. Byrnes gave us a rounded picture of the characters we met, she didn’t force the book with overly emotional language or even funny moment to fill gaps. She gave us a visit into the live of two women who met at a time when they were not only of importance to each others life, but without even realising it – needed each other at that phase of their lives."

Buy the book here!

SEDUCING LIGHT
Contemporary gay romance
Now available at Amber Allure
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SeducingLight.html


INTRO

Asher Myles struggled to put his life back together after an identity thief stripped him of everything but his talent for capturing light and shadow with a camera lens. With a new job and a new start, Asher’s on his way to Montana – and a meeting with the man he’s fantasized about since he first saw him on the silver screen.

Nick Light, actor, director, and Hollywood royalty, doesn’t like paparazzi. When he agrees to have his Montana ranch photographed for a style magazine, the unexpected happens – he falls for the man with the camera. Nick’s secret comes out when he realizes Asher is also gay.

If there’s one thing Nick can’t resist, it’s a man with a talent for seducing light.

EXCERPT

Nick stopped on the porch and turned around, putting one large hand in the middle of my chest. No bolt of lightning from the approaching storm could have singed me more. Suddenly he was flesh-and-blood man to me, not a movie star.

“Hold on a minute, Myles. Let’s get one thing straight before you invade my space.”

I nodded. Hell, I’d agree to anything he wanted.

“Your equipment stays in the case until I tell you that you can get it out. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

Nick opened the door to the house, and I followed him inside. He set the case down in the spacious, two-story foyer and motioned for me to tag along behind him. The hallway opened into the grandest kitchen I’d ever seen. Taking up the entire southwest corner of the house, the room was modern, warm, and inviting. Bay windows with red and white gingham covered cushions on the window seats flanked the massive stone fireplace.

My photographer’s eye filled the room with afternoon sunlight. I had a vision of Nick Light sitting at the table in the large bay of windows, in that sunshine, smiling at me. That would be a money shot I’d never share with anyone. His voice, sharp with annoyance, brought me out of my reverie.

“Do you want something to drink, or not?”

I squared my shoulders and replied I’d take a soft drink, cola, if he had it. He nodded and pointed at the oak table in the sunny corner breakfast nook.
“Set your notebook up. I want to see your work.”

Nick placed a full lead crystal tumbler down in front of me as my laptop booted. I thanked him and drank, grateful for the cold, dark liquid fizzing its way down my parched throat. He spun the computer to face him, typed in his access code for his wireless connection, and turned it back to me.
I cleared my throat and typed the URL for my website.

“Okay, Mr. Light, here’s a little—”

“Nick. Call me Nick.”

I nodded, and hoped I didn’t stutter when I tried to say his name for the first time. “Nick. I’ll just point out that all my professional information is on the website and move on to the photos.”

“I see you have references. Are they valid?”

Fuck. He had heard the stories.

I rolled the cursor over the link and the page opened for him to see. He read the names, then nodded. “I don’t know any of them, so you won’t mind if I call them, right?”

“Sure. Call ’em. Just don’t be surprised if they don’t believe you’re Nick Light.”

He snorted again, the corner of his mouth quirking up in what might actually be a little smile. “I get that a lot, boy.”

I didn’t answer, just clicked on the slideshow and leaned back to watch it with him. His focus shifted to the screen. I watched him as the pictures scrolled. Every so often, he’d nod or cock his head, but he didn’t speak. We sat there in silence as the clouds slid past the sun and the rain dribbled down the outside of the windows. Finally, he spoke.

“Okay. You’re good. But with your reputation, how’d you get this job?”

I met his gaze. “Don’t believe everything you hear about me.”

His chin lifted. His eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

“Because it’s not true.”

Nick crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me your version of it then.”
My temper flared. “I was hired to do a job—take a photo shoot of your ranch. I have a copy of the contract in my case, and nowhere in that contract does it say I owe you any explanations.”

His response was unexpected. “You want that sandwich now, boy?”

Tired of him referring to me as “boy,” I shot him a look, and froze at the glittering curiosity in his eyes. He studied me, his green gaze a mix of wary caution, grudging respect, and more. I fell into those mystical depths, forgetting to breathe as the blood pooled in my groin.

My heart stuttered, then hammered in my chest. I couldn’t look away, even as my face grew hot under his scrutiny. My cock swelled, rising as the phantom of my nights stared at me with witchy interest.

Nick Light was gay.


SEDUCING LIGHT
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-530-0

Also available:
GIVE ME ONE NIGHT
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-490-7
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/GiveMeOneNight.html

SURRENDERED VICTORY
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/SurrenderedVictory.html
2008 Amber Heat Wave Winner
ISBN 978-1-60272-283-5
PASSION'S VICTORY
2008 CAPA Nominee
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/PassionsVictory.html
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-330-6

SHINING VICTORY
One of the Top Ten Bestsellers at
Amber Allure November and December 2008
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ShiningVictory.html
ISBN 978-1-60272-422-8

A TASTE OF VICTORY (PAPERBACK)
http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/TasteVictory.html


Coming soon - NO ONE BUT YOU
Coming soon - TANGO IN THE NIGHT


KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/kckendricks
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Book One in the Slippery When Wet series is hotter than ever! An ARe, Fictionwise and Phaze bestseller, Wanted Dead or Alive by Jenna Byrnes is available to purchase or read an excerpt here!

Dan Radisson has been released from Corcoran State Prison and never intends to go back. He's working his twelve steps, minding his own business, and trying to resume some degree of normalcy living in the home of his sister and her family.

Trey Wallace knows what he likes and isn't afraid to go after it. When he meets Dan at an AA meeting he sees exactly what he wants, but questions whether the newly freed man is ready to dive into the type of sexual relationship Trey has in mind.

Dan's ready for the sex, but not so sure about life on the outside. When he stumbles upon a homicide and runs from the scene in the same way he did in the past, suddenly he's a wanted man. Dan must either solve the crime or risk returning to the place he dreads the most--the prison that changed his life.

Erotic Horizon reviews says: "There’s a level of humanity to this book that is indescribable, forgiveness, humbleness and even the fact that pushing you does not mean pushing you away is wonderful to see.

I also like the fact that all the lose ends were tied up, you weren’t left wondering what happened to or if that happened, all the important areas were addressed. "

By Jude Mason

The third title in the Phaze Rocks: Slippery When Wet series, created by Jude Mason and myself, is now available in ebook! While these titles do stand alone, they have a fun tie-in which we hope will make you want to read all four!

Never Say Goodbye

Damien Hall has never done an honest day's work in his life. On his own from a young age, his street wiles got him by until he ended up in Corcoran State Prison for theft. Five years later, he's moved in with a man who only wants him for one thing, nightly hot sex. But he's off the streets, and Damien thinks the trade-off is worth it.

Travis Slater wrangles horses for a living, and wants to wrangle Damien in his off hours. He sees potential in the man who suffers from extremely low self esteem, and quickly falls in love with him. He hopes to take Damien and leave, knowing they can make their own way in the world.

Damien isn't so sure, and is terrified at the thought of being homeless again. When his employer admits the real reason Damien was hired, it's decision time. Do what's easy or do what's right? Only Damien can decide.

Lure of the Emerald Peacock
JUST RELEASED
Champagne Books www.champagnebooks.com

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER LURE OF THE EMERALD PEACOCK
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEHkZmI5--c

Historical. Set in India during the dying days of the British Raj.
India, a land of ancient culture, rich and colourful history, where sorcery and magic potions run hand-in-hand with everyday life.

A stunning tale of a war between love and honour. Courage up against prejudice, treachery, and impossible odds.

A Scottish hero, a half-breed princess. Consumed in their love for each other, but will they too, succumb to the
Lure of the Emerald Peacock?

An intriguing story with a surprising finish.
ROMONA HILLIGER Author Romantic Suspense.

AUTHOR WEBSITE www.thewaterfront.net.au/romona
AUTHOR YOUTUBE http://au.youtube.com/user/snowstarZ2