This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.
New Release - Game On!
Game For Love:
Game On
(a Kindle Worlds Novella)
Cat Johnson
In the
game for love, only the winners walk away with their hearts intact…
Trent
O’Shea is a superstar athlete on the football field, but for one week each year
he escapes into anonymity at an exclusive resort in the Florida Keys that
caters to the rich and famous. Armed with a fake identity, he’s happy to sit by
the pool and do nothing except enjoy some breathtaking scenery—and maybe ask
her if she needs help putting sunscreen on her back.
Laurel
Burnett never met a bad boy she couldn’t catch. Cheating spouses. Deadbeat
dads. Scammers. Once the determined PI sets her sights on them they all fall,
and the next alleged perpetrator in her crosshairs is none other than the San
Francisco Outlaws’ Trent O’Shea. The super-sexy linebacker who Laurel’s client
hired her to track will be her biggest trophy yet. She’ll do anything to bring
him down, even follow him to a resort paradise and use herself as bait.
But things aren’t always as they
appear and Trent and Laurel both learn that sometimes even perfectly planned
plays can go wrong when love and lust are involved. Then it’s game on!
Please enjoy this first chapter of GAME ON
EXCERPT
(rated G)
CHAPTER ONE
“To the end of another season.” Cole raised his beer in a
toast.
Trent would gladly drink to that. He clanked his longneck
bottle against Cole’s and added, “And here’s to having a break from it all for
a little while.”
A cold beer. A corner table in a dark bar. His good friend
and teammate Cole Taylor seated opposite him. That right there had all the
makings of a good evening in Trent O’Shea’s opinion.
Of course, how long it would last was up for debate. It was
only a matter of time before the damned reporters tracked them down. Or one of
the other patrons recognized that two of the San Francisco Outlaws defense were
among them.
Then they’d either come over and ask to take a picture—which
Trent didn’t mind—or they’d start trying to sneak one by holding their cell
phones up and pretending to search for signal. As if he didn’t know they were
really taking a picture to share on whatever the hot new social media site was
this month.
That pissed Trent the hell off. It made him feel as if he
was being hunted like some sort of human prey. Back in Texas, years ago when
he’d been a normal guy, he would have pummeled a guy for less. But that was
before the full-ride football scholarship to the University of Texas put his
face on every television in the country. Before he’d lost all semblance of
privacy and a personal life. Back when he could see a pretty little thing in
the local honkytonk, take her out to his truck and not worry she’d sell the story
to the papers the next day. Or make a play for a wedding ring and his millions.
A hottie with more boobs showing than he’d seen outside of a
strip club sauntered by the table and shot him a heated glance.
Yup, that was just the type he knew would say she wanted to
have his baby. . . and then take all his money.
With a sigh, Trent yanked his gaze back to the safe zone.
God, he missed the old days when he was a poor nobody. And he really, really
missed sex.
A crooked grin tipped up the corner of Cole’s mouth. “You
really do hate it, don’t you?”
“Hate what?”
“The game.”
“The game? No. I love to play football and you know it.
Hell, I’m from Texas. You don’t love football from the time you can walk, they
run you out of town on a rail.” Cole laughed as Trent continued, “The other
bull that comes with it though? Yeah, that I could do without a’ight.”
Just thinking about the paparazzi and the press had Trent
turning to look for the waitress to order another round and see if he could
spot any tabloid photographers who might have snuck in while he wasn’t looking.
He got the server’s attention and raised two fingers, then
turned back to Cole. “You can stay for another round, can’t you?”
“Yeah. Anna’s baby shower should be going on for a couple of
hours and I was warned it was girls only and to steer clear of the house.” Cole
absolutely glowed when he talked about his wife and his impending leap into
fatherhood.
Trent was torn between feeling scared and envious at the
thought. Still, it must be nice to have someone to go home to, especially
during the off season. “You have plans for the time off?”
“Yeah. I’ll be spending twenty-four/seven keeping my very
pregnant wife happy.”
“Is Anna feeling okay?”
He figured she must be nearing the final stages of the
pregnancy. She had to be. She was huge. She was still beautiful, but yeah,
there was no doubt there was the baby of a linebacker growing in that belly.
Poor little thing looked like she’d topple over if her front side got any
heavier.
“She’s doing good.” Cole’s gaze cut to Trent and then away.
“She’s in the stage where she’s, um, more demanding than usual. It’s supposedly
all the hormones.”
“You mean like bossy?” Anna seemed as sweet as usual to
Trent last he’d seen her.
“No, demanding in the bedroom.”
Cole had dropped his voice low for that revelation, but not low enough for
Trent.
“Dude. No, I don’t wanna hear that. TMI.” Trent buried his
head in his hands trying to block his ears from the information he didn’t want.
Cole laughed. “What? It’s no secret. It’s in all the
pregnancy books.”
“Well, I don’t happen to be up on my baby book reading so
keep that shit to yourself, please.”
“Okay, sissy boy.” Cole rolled his eyes. “You’d probably
crawl right under the table if I told you about mucous plugs and afterbirth—”
“Ugh. Cole, I swear to God, don’t make me knock you right
out of that chair.”
Trent had pulled his share of calves during calving season
back on his granddaddy’s ranch. He’d been elbow deep inside some pretty gross
shit that Cole wouldn’t even be able to imagine, but hearing this kind of stuff
about his friend’s wife was too much. He had to look Anna in the face next time
he saw her and when he did he didn’t want to think about any of the things Cole
was putting in his head.
Thank God the waitress appeared with their beers and gave
Trent a reprieve from more talk of birthing horrors.
When the waitress had left them alone again, Cole eyed
Trent. “What are your plans for the break? You headed home to Texas?”
Trent wobbled his head. “Eventually, yeah. But first I’m
taking a week away from everyone, including family and friends. Someplace where
no one knows me.”
It sounded horrible, but he really did need some time
completely alone to decompress from the demands of the season. Especially a
season when the Outlaws hadn’t made the Super Bowl. It seemed the press was
even more vicious and relentless in pursuing the losers of the final playoff
game, than the winners. That he and Cole had made it out of the team meeting
and to the bar without fighting a throng of paparazzi was a miracle.
Cole snorted out a laugh. “Where do you think you can go
that no one knows you? You buy a ticket to the space station? Because I’m
betting the guys at NASA are fans too, so that plan could backfire on you.
You’ll be floating around in zero gravity, running over game plans with a bunch
of astronauts who’d wanted to play pro football when they were a kid.”
“Ha, ha. And no, not the space station. I got a place.”
Miles of sandy beaches. The prettiest water he’d ever seen. Sunsets amazing
enough to make even a jaded man like himself slow down long enough to take
notice. An entire week of nothing but a cold drink in his hand and the warm
breeze at his back.
“Really?” Cole raised his brows. “Do tell. If this paradise
really does exist, I want in.”
Cole was right. It was paradise. Trent’s paradise and he wasn’t sharing.
“Nope.” Trent shook his head. “Sorry, man. It’s secret.”
A furrow creased Cole’s forehead. “What do you mean it’s a
secret? You won’t even tell me?”
“Especially not you.”
“Why the hell not? Don’t you trust me?”
“Hell yeah, I trust you.” It was most everyone else in the
world Trent didn’t trust. “But if you show up people are gonna recognize you.
Once word spreads that the Outlaws vacation at this place, I’ll never be able
to go there again.”
“Come on. You’ve been there and no one recognized you,
right?”
“Because I take extreme precautions to make sure they don’t.
And I go alone, not with a wife who’s been in the press as much as you lately.”
Trent shook his head again, more adamantly this time. “Nope. I can’t risk it.”
When Trent said extreme precautions, he meant it. Fake name.
Adding blonde highlights to his normally brown hair. He was so careful he kept
a tank top on even at the pool to hide the Texas Longhorns tattoo he’d gotten
on his chest senior year.
Two years ago he’d even considered brown contact lenses to
cover his green eyes. That plan had fallen through before it even got off the
ground. Day one in the eye doctor’s office Trent had found that though he could
face the biggest meanest opposition during a game, he was too scared to stick a
piece of plastic in his eye. Luckily, he’d gotten away with sunglasses during
the day and fake eyeglasses at night for two years running with no problem.
Letting Cole in on the deal knowing his fame? Nope.
Including his friend would be the end of Trent’s annual
retreat. Cole’s longtime infamy with the press had only been escalated by the
notorious bad boy’s recent marriage to and pending child with Anna. A superstar
couldn’t marry a completely unknown first grade teacher on a whim in Vegas
without causing some pretty big ripples in the press.
“I can’t believe you.” Cole scowled.
“Sorry, Cole. I love you like a brother, but you’ll have to find
your own hidey-hole. This one is mine.”
“Fine.” Looking pissed, Cole took a swallow of his beer as
Trent laughed at his expression.
His friend would get over it by the time he finished this
bottle. Trent, on the other hand, might just lose his mind completely without
his annual weeklong escape from the hell of being famous, and that price was
too high to pay even for friendship.
He was heading to Florida and he was going alone.
Want to know when Cat has a
new release?
New Release!
It's out folks. This was originally released with a publisher as The Senator's Daughter, and under my real name, and is a contemporary romance. Available at Amazon!
A senator arranges for his daughter, Sophie to be kidnapped on the eve of her wedding. She turns out to be more trouble than her abductor, Brent, anticipated. Spirited and resourceful, he has his hands full. In the meantime, their intense attraction to each other only adds further complications.
.jpg)
EXCERPT
“I’ll remove my hand, if you promise…”Brent shouldn’t have reminded her about his hand. The next thing he knew she was biting down on it a second time. Adding insult to injury, she shoved him in the chest as hard as she could at the same time, catching him unaware. Before he had a chance to recover she took advantage of the moment by pushing herself away from the wall and taking flight.
“Damn it!” Brent grunted in anger. She managed to descend one step before he tangled a hand in her hair and hauled her back into his arms. A cry escaped her but Brent ignored it. He yanked her roughly against him. “Bite me again and you’ll find out what it feels like,” he muttered between his teeth.
“Who are you?” she asked softly. Brent felt her slight tremble and steeled himself for what he had to do. “What do you want?”
“One question at a time, princess.” Brent realized he had to assert his dominance early on if he wanted to remain in control of the situation. Not giving much thought to the consequences, he pushed Sophie up against the concrete wall and leaned in close, threatening her with his superior strength and size.
His actions had repercussions he wasn’t anticipating though. Like the rush of heat surging through his blood, turning the victim in his arms into a desirable woman. Wrestling with her provided conditions he hadn’t counted on. Appealing circumstances which could easily upset the scheme of things if he let it.
Too much body contact for one.
“I demand you keep your hands to yourself!” she whispered sharply.
“Do you now?” he said softly, amused at her haughty tone. “You’re not in any position to demand anything.” With every breath Brent took, he could smell her. Beyond the light scent of soap and perfume, to the sensuous woman beneath. A sexy combination of innocence and know-how. It was playing havoc with his senses, preventing him from keeping a clear head. He swore beneath his breath. Nothing good was going to come of this.
She was tall like he liked his women but he wasn’t into rich, spoiled, society types who held themselves above others, thinking they were better than everyone else. He’d watched Sophie long enough to know she was used to the best in life and probably demanded it. A woman who let society rule her emotions, not her heart. He recalled her quiet, almost suffering acceptance of Lord touching and kissing her, putting up with it because it was expected of her and not because she’d liked it. That action alone told him a lot about her.
She was probably as cold as a block of ice in bed.
“I demand you tell me who you are and what this is all about,” she said in a frigid tone, confirming his thoughts.
Her snooty tone grated on his nerves. “Demand all you want, princess, it won’t get you anywhere.” He was glad she’d broken his train of thought. He could care less what she was like in bed and would do well to remember that. What’s more, he doubted her father would appreciate his wayward notions. Brent respected and liked Senator Adams. It was because of that reason alone he was doing this in the first place.
This, meaning kidnapping. So far Sophie was more trouble than he’d anticipated which could cause serious problems down the road. He’d have to watch her like a hawk. It hadn’t taken her long to get the drop on Tom. Well, she’d learn soon enough that he wasn’t a pushover. “Come on.” He yanked her away from the wall.
“Let me go!” She tried to pull free. “Ouch! You’re hurting me! I’m not going anywhere with you!”
Brent swung around and pulled her up against him. “You have a choice, lady; you can come with me the easy way, or like a sack of potatoes over my shoulder."
#Shifters, Beasts and Monsters (The Alpha Paranormal Collection)
Buy NOW for only $0.99!
Box Set includes the following books:
Love, Lust and Luck By Terry Towers writing as Elixa Everett (NYT/USAT)When called to the aid of a beautiful woman down on her luck, Shamus is surprised to discover that he and Suzanna are destined to be together. Lifetime unions between mystical beings and humans have been unheard of... until now.Moan For Bigfoot by Virginia Wade (NYT/USAT)On a weeklong outing in Mt. Hood National Forest, what begins as a flirty, fun-filled trip soon turns into a nightmare, when an ape-like creature encounters a group of campers.Ravaged by the Rainbow by Skye Eagleday (NYT/USAT)Shakyo’s ceremony has called forth a tentacle monster which seeks those exactly like this innocent virgin. She felt nothing could be worse until her hated enemy suddenly appears--her tribe's head medicine man who has accused her of witchcraft.Bad Wolf by Savannah ReardonNikki has the hots for sexy alpha werewolf, Zane, and she wants him for more than just his body. However, vindictive alpha-female, Sara, stands in her way. Can Nikki win her man, or will she get eaten by the Bad Wolf?Monstrous Obsession by Giselle RenardeArtemis has never relied on a man for anything. When she moves in with her biker boyfriend Budd only to find his creaky old house haunted by a possessive incubus, can she learn to accept help from the man who loves her... before it's too late?The Zrakon's Bride by Linda BarlowAre maidens still sacrificed to sea monsters? Kate discovers a Scottish village where they take the ancient legends seriously. And a modern Highland laird who likes his sacrificial treats bound to a rock.Breeding with the Beast Parts I and II By Jessi BondCaptured by the fearsome beast, Beauty imagines she'll do anything to escape his clutches - until she learns he is an ordinary human, who can only be freed from his terrible curse if she agrees to bear his child. Will Beauty find it in her heart to free the beast?The Demon's Plaything By Natalie DeschainWhen an agent offers to take on Elizabeth as his client, she has no idea what she's in for. He's an incubus, a demonic creature that offers fulfillment of her innermost desires in exchange for her very soul.Wolf Mountain by Aya FukunishiHigh in the mountains above a remote ski resort, Aylen and Emily peer through their binoculars at the distant wolf pack. Why are they not mating? What scent have they caught on the wind? Why do these wolves seem... different? It won't be long before they discover the terrible truth...Mated to the Minotaur by Audrey GraceFossilized remains of the Minotaur have been uncovered in Crete, and journalist Emily Worthington is off to get the scoop, along with handsome intern Jason. She discovers that he is descended from the Minotaur, and Emily is understandably perturbed. But things take a turn for the erotic when Jason starts to shapeshift into one...Bought by the Wolf King by Francis AsheWhen kind, innocent Jovena’s family farm is threatened with bankruptcy, she hatches a plan to sell herself into the harem of King Morzan, ruler of an exotic eastern kingdom who is surrounded with mystery, shadow and rumors so unbelievable they cannot be true – rumors of werewolves.In Her Dreams By J.E. & M. KeepI felt invisible until a dominant incubus offers me sweet surrender and affection like I’ve never known. He makes all of the pain go away. For the first time in so long I feel loved and desired...Sold to the Dragon by Christie Sims & Alara BranwenKara was delighted when her father told her that their family's money troubles were over. However she was upset when he said it was because she'd been sold to a dragon! Will Kara ever be able to come to love this beast?
Excerpt:
Closing her eyes, Artemis rested against the wall, listening to Budd and Vincent’s deep voices somewhere in the house. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was obviously about her. Sometimes she felt like she’d never be wanted anywhere she ended up.
That thought was pushed from her mind by a voice even deeper even than Budd’s. Growling, violently, it said, “You’re mine now.”
Artemis jumped up from the floor, looking all around the room. She felt like somebody was in there with her, but she couldn’t see anyone. Tentatively, she opened the large wooden wardrobe, half expecting one of Vincent’s squirrelly friends to jump out at her. It was empty, except for a little wooden box with strange words carved all around the sides. Curiosity erased the tension of the moment, but as she lifted the lid, shivers ran down her spine. The dread returned, even though the box was empty.
Something was in the room with her, watching her. She was sure of it. Something disturbing and malevolent. The hair stood up all along her arms. She felt like she’d been licked up and down her neck by a dirty old man, and she wiped it with the sleeve of her shirt, again and again, convinced she was removing someone’s saliva from her skin.
The bedroom door squealed open, and she screamed.
Budd chuckled. “Jumpy, jumpy!”
“Sorry, I thought I… heard something.” Artemis shook her head, then pressed the ill-fitting lid back on the wooden box. “I don’t know.”
Buy Now from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1MSLPM?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00L1MSLPM&linkCode=shr&tag=dondes-20&linkId=X255S7M5BLHUPVNE
Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00L1MSLPM
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shifters-beasts-and-monsters-the-alpha-paranormal-collection
ARe - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shiftersbeastsandmonstersthealphaparanormalcollection-1553403-166.html
Bookstrand:http://www.bookstrand.com/shifters-beasts-and-monsters-the-alpha-paranormal-collection
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)