Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Short Hiatus

I am behind. I'm sorry. Life has run away with me this month and I know I've missed several posts that I was scheduled for. New jobs, new projects, first day of school for two kids.....and it's throwing me behind.

Reviews will be posted, but they will be late. I know this throws off tours and such and I hate doing that, but family and work have to come first.

Again, I'm sorry. I'll be back shortly. Just need to get the rest of life under control again first.

Renegades by K. Gorman ~ Cover Reveal


Renegades
K. Gorman
Publication date: September 15th 2017
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction
The Shadows have taken over, and she is the only one who can fight back.
Genetically engineered from birth, Karin Makos’s powers have made her the Alliance’s most wanted person. With her sister still missing, and only a cryptic notebook left behind for clues, the mystery of her past is going to take a lot more time and resources than they have to unravel it.
And there’s a bigger problem looming. Keeping their promise to heal Ethan’s stepfather and the rest of the people on the Ozark puts them right past Caishen station and its Alliance allies—and there might be another force on their tail.
After the crew split apart on a wild chase that puts Karin in the hot seat, it’ll take all of their strength and ingenuity to bring them back together. With enemies gathering in the wings, a desperate, heavy-handed station commander hard on their tail, and the Shadows an ever-present threat, they must race against the odds and scramble to fight their way out.

Don’t miss the release day 99¢ flash sale on Sept 30th!


Author Bio:
Originally from the west coast of Canada, K. Gorman has switched to the west coast of Taiwan, where she broadcasts a steady stream of Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. When not writing, she enjoys long rides through Taichung on U-Bikes, marathons Twin Peaks and Battlestar Galactica, and is slowly turning Final Fantasy VIII’s Squall into a card-playing god before she runs through the rest of the game.

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Under the Boardwalk by Felice Stevens ~ Excerpt

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Under the Boardwalk an all-new, heart-warming MM romance by Felice Stevens is available NOW!

Under the Boardwalk by Felice Stevens Publication Date: August 10th, 2017 Genre: Contemporary MM Romance


Beneath the famous Brooklyn landmark, love is hidden but not denied:
All his life, Alexi Kharpov has dreamed of traveling to unknown exciting places instead of working at his family’s frozen custard stand on the famous Coney Island boardwalk. Every year is the same until a gorgeous man picks a spot in front of his stand to sing, captivating him with his beautiful voice. After two summers of listening, it might finally be the time for him to cross that boardwalk and take a chance.
Opera singer Cameron Maxwell has traveled the world, but the sight of the beautiful man serving custard to tourists touches his heart like nothing ever has before. A summer fling might be exactly what he needs to put his problems out of his mind, but the last thing Cam expects is to want the summer to last forever.
It’s a season of discovery for both men who learn to dig deep within their heads and hearts to decide whether secrets old and new should remain buried, or if love is too important to keep hidden under the boardwalk.

Excerpt:

“I didn’t mean to shut you out before.” Cam faced him and held him around the waist. Their bodies meshed perfectly, and Alexi felt the weight of Cam’s chest and thighs press into his body.

 “I hate talking about the past. You can’t change it, so what’s the point of rehashing things? I’m all about the present and the future.”

Cam’s mouth covered his, and Alexi held on to Cam’s hips as their tongues played against each other. He lost touch with the sound of the ocean; all he could hear was the furious pounding of his heart and Cam’s heavy breathing.

“All the time I watched you this summer, thinking you were cute and fun, never once imagining how much I’d like you.”

 “I thought about you all summer too.” No longer shy about admitting it, Alexi nuzzled into the crook of Cam’s neck. “I guess it was a good thing we finally decided to say hello.”

“A good thing?” Cam took his face between the palms of his hands, and Alexi’s heart burst with happiness; he tried not to smile but failed.

“I think so, don’t you?”

 “Yeah. The best.”
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Read Today!

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2hUiFzp

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FeliceStevensLogoAbout Felice:

I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, My characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love, but getting there is oh so fun and oh so sexy. I live in New York City with my husband and two children. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass (or two of red wine). I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.

Connect with Felice:

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Monday, August 14, 2017

Toying with Her by Prescott Lane ~ Excerpt Reveal

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Toying with Her by Prescott Lane 

Release Date: August 17th 

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Toying with Her, an all-new standalone from Prescott Lane is coming August 17th!!!

No one said finding love was easy, but when you invented the world’s best selling vibrator, it’s near impossible. Yep, that’s right. That little toy hidden in your bedside table is my brain child. It’s aptly named Woman on Top. And you know what they say . . . it’s lonely at the top.
So I’m headed home to my Southern roots. It’s supposed to be an extended Summer vacation — nothing more. But Rorke Weston has other plans for me. Plans that not only involve me being on top, but also underneath him.
It’s been said you never forget your first. For me, that’s definitely true. No night has ever lived up to the one I spent with Rorke.
He’s turned into quite a man. Tan from the Southern sun, and stubborn as the day is long. And there’s nothing sweeter than the swipe of his tongue.
Rorke wants his chance. The one we never had. But that was a long time ago. When I still believed in Prince Charming and Happily Ever Afters. Even ten years later, I feel a pull. And it’s not simply Rorke yanking down my panties.
Do second chances really happen? Or is my heart simply toying with me?

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2wS77zs

Excerpt:

Hammering the nail with one hard pound, I mutter, “Friends?”

That should be a cuss word, especially coming out of her full, pink lips.  I toss the hammer aside, scanning the mostly-converted barn.  Yep, I live in a barn.  Well, not any barn.  The barn where Sterling and I lost our virginity.  I know just the spot.  It’s the spot where my bed is now.

I didn’t plan it that way.  In fact, I didn’t even really think about it until she showed up in town the other day.  I came home, walked in, and realized I’ve designed this place around her.  Crazy, but true.  That woman has burned herself into the deepest parts of my soul.  Deeper than even I realized.  She was my first, a memory.  I thought it was over.  I thought we’d only ever get that one night.  She had her life, and I had mine.  I didn’t see this coming. 

This old barn sits on the edge of my parents’ property.  It sucks to be almost thirty and still living on my parents’ land.  Technically, I’m not living at home, but sometimes it feels like it.  Unfortunately, buying my own house on my teaching salary isn’t in the cards, so a few years ago, I started converting one of the old barns.

Every nail, every piece of wood in here has been touched by me.  And it’s almost done.  It’s wide open, designed that way mostly because it’s less work than putting up a bunch of walls.  The only room with any privacy is the bathroom.  I left the distressed rafters from the ceiling exposed and just refinished them.  The original sliding barn doors have been replaced with new ones.  Almost one whole wall houses my personal library.  The only thing left to finish is the kitchen.  The upper cabinets are in, but my only appliances are a refrigerator and microwave.  So any real meals I eat come from the main house — my parents’ house.  My plan is to use part of my summer vacation to finish it up.

I look over at the bed.  My subconscious must have taken over with that decision.  Sterling is etched into the fiber of this place.  Maybe that’s the reason I haven’t ever brought a woman to see this place before?  Who knows?  The subconscious is a tricky bitch.

But the memories of that day and night are so vivid.  It’s all flooding back now that she’s back.

I remember a buddy of mine had rushed me home my freshman year of college, making the two-and-a-half-hour drive from New Orleans in just under two.  But I was too late.  I wasn’t here when Levi took his last breath.  Those few days are a blur.  Everything is a blur until the moment I stood up at his funeral to speak; her green eyes were the only thing I saw, her whimpers the only ones I heard.  I hadn’t expected her to be there.  I hadn’t expected her to fly home from college to say goodbye to my brother, but she had.  And I didn’t expect her to find me at my parents’ house after the funeral.  I swear, there were hundreds of people there, and it was the loneliest day of my life.  I had to get out of there and started walking.  I’m not sure if it’s just me, but when I need to think, I tend to walk.  That day, Sterling was by my side.  We didn’t talk, roaming around the fields until we ended up at this old barn.  It was the place that Levi and I escaped to.  As little kids, we’d used it as a fort, a clubhouse.  Later, it held our bikes and four wheelers. 

I remember being embarrassed bringing Sterling inside.  It was old and filled with our junk.  The only place to even sit was an old, beat up sofa.  We made good use of it, though.

I’ve never been as unprepared for something as I was that day.  Unprepared to put my brother in the ground, unprepared to lose my virginity, unprepared to let her walk away.

I chuckle remembering exactly how unprepared I was when our naked bodies first touched.  My brain thought “condom.”  But I didn’t have one.  My dick promised it’d pull out.  But I had no idea the kind of willpower that would take.  I swear to God, I had every intention of pulling out.

I thought for sure that she’d kill me, and quickly launched into the lamest apology in the history of the universe.  Just thinking about it makes me cringe.  I was never so thankful for anything in my whole life as when she kissed me to shut me up, whispering she was on the pill. 

Some might think it’s a dick move to be banging a girl the day you bury your twin brother.  But it wasn’t like that at all.  It wasn’t cheap.  I didn’t think of it as a one-night stand, even though technically it was.  It’s impossible to explain.  It was us clinging onto life, onto each other.  Emily Brontë wrote, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”  And after that night, our souls have been forever linked.

Every single second of that night is burned into my mind, my heart, my skin.

After that night, we stayed in touch for a long time — email, phone calls.  But we were thousands of miles apart.  And our paths never crossed again.  If I was at home on break, she wasn’t.  It just seemed like it wasn’t meant to be.  She is the one that got away.  We never got our chance.

Now she’s back, and she thinks we can be friends?  I spent my entire childhood and teenage years being “friends” with her.

She wants to be friends?  That’s fine.  I’ll be her friend.  But I’ll be damned if that’s all I am.

About the Author:

PrescottLanePrescott Lane is the Amazon best-selling author of Stripped Raw. She's got seven other books under her belt including: First Position, Perfectly Broken, Quiet Angel, Wrapped in Lace, Layers of Her, The Reason for Me, and The Sex Bucket List. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and holds a degree in sociology and a MSW from Tulane University. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren't enough happily ever afters in real life.

Connect with the Author:

Twitter: @prescottlane1

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Wolf's Mate by Celia Kyle ~ Excerpt and Giveaway


Title: WOLF’S MATE
Author: Celia Kyle
Series: Shifter Rogues, #1
On Sale: August 1, 2017
Publisher: Forever
eBook: $4.99 USD

Danger shouldn't be this sexy...

Cougar shifter Abby Carter always plays it safe. That's why she's an accountant—no excitement, no danger, and no cocky alpha males. She loves her quiet life, but fate has other plans. When Abby uncovers the shady dealings of an anti-shifter organization, she'll have to trust the too-sexy-for-her-peace-of-mind werewolf Declan Reed... or end up six feet under.


Declan Reed is starting over. After two years with Shifter Operations Command, it's time to put his past behind him. Now Declan is the only thing standing between the gorgeous Abby and an early grave, and if he's going to have any chance of keeping her alive, he'll have to embrace the darkness he's fought to keep at bay. But first he has to convince Abby that there's no safer place in the world than the arms of a big bad werewolf.

Excerpt
There was nothing sexier than a man—half-naked and sexy as hell—in the kitchen.  Declan opened an upper cabinet and grabbed a pan, stretching to reach handle.  The move made his jeans drop just a hint, exposing more of those muscles she wanted to lick and nibble. 
Her center clenched, clit throbbing with a surge of desire, and she bit her lip to keep her whimper in check.  Then… then he made it so much worse—better? He set the pan on the stove and went to the fridge, tugging on the door so it swung open.  It gave her a clear view of his back, of the play of muscles while he moved, the way they slid beneath his skin.  That was when he made it all worse.  He leaned down to peer into the space, attention firmly on the fridge’s interior.
Meanwhile her attention was firmly on his ass.  She wanted to bite and nibble him there, too. Okay, she wanted him everywhere, all of him.  Oh, she wouldn’t destroy herself in that way—Declan was dangerous, heartless—but that didn’t mean she couldn’t ogle. A lot.
“You done staring, yet?” Laughter tinged his words and she wrenched her attention from his ass. He remained bent over and peeked at her from beneath his arm. She met his teasing gaze for a split-second, his twitching lips enough to make her face flush, and then shot her stare to the ground. “Or should I go ahead and strip for you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mumbled.
“Liar.” His chuckle turned deep and dark, like smooth chocolate that lured her forward a step before she realized she’d moved. He straightened and turned away from the fridge, nudging the door closed with his foot.
His bare foot.
Could feet be sexy?
Abby’s cougar purred.  Apparently.
“Come eat.” He placed a carton of eggs and bag of shredded cheese on the counter.
“You keep trying to feed me.” She steeled herself for being so close to Declan without touching him.
“Because you need to eat.”  He didn’t give her a spare glance, just cracked an egg on the edge of the pan, a nice sizzle following the move. He tossed the empty shell in the sink and then focused on her, blue eyes intent. “You need to be prepared for what’s coming.”
“Coming?” Her heartbeat stuttered, her banked fear resurged and threatened to take over.
Declan’s eyes bled amber for a moment, flickered between man and wolf, and he refocused on the stove. “A team is hunting you on behalf of the director.” 
“I don’t know what that means.” Or rather, she didn’t want to know.
He was quiet then, attention wholly on the frying pan as if his cooking decided the fate of the world. The longer he ignored her, the more nervous she became until she simply couldn’t take it anymore.
“Declan?” He didn’t make a sound, just flipped the second egg onto the plate and slid it across the counter
“Sweetheart,” he murmured, blue eyes back and staring deep into her soul. “Until we know more, you’re with me. Once we’re holding all the cards, we’ll figure out our play. For now, it’s just us.”



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Celia Kyle is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, ex-dance teacher, former accountant and erstwhile collectible doll salesperson. She now writes paranormal romances for readers who:

1) Like super hunky heroes (they generally get furry)

2) Dig beautiful women (who have a few more curves than the average lady)

3) Love laughing in (and out of) bed.

It goes without saying that there's always a happily-ever-after for her characters, even if there are a few road bumps along the way. Today she lives in central Florida and writes full-time with the support of her loving husband and two finicky cats.


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Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Die for You by Amy Fellner Dominy ~ Review and Giveaway

Title: Die for You
Author: Amy Fellner Dominy
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: November 8, 2016
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Theirs was the perfect love story.

After Emma Lorde’s parents’ divorce forces her to move halfway across the state of Arizona to live with her father, Emma must face her senior year in a new school knowing absolutely no one. 

Then she meets Dillon Hobbs, and something just clicks.

Dillon introduces Emma to friends she can call her own. He provides a refuge from the chaos of her past, and the security of a commitment that he promises will last forever. And because circumstances of her messy life forced Emma to put aside her dream of pursuing archaeology, Dillon creates a blueprint for a future together.

He saves her, over and over, by loving her more than she thought anyone ever would.

But just when everything seems picture-perfect, Emma is offered an opportunity that will upend the future they’ve planned. Uncertainty grows, and fear spirals into something darker.

Now Dillon is the one who needs saving.

But how much do you sacrifice for the one you love? What if saving Dillon means losing herself?



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Holy cow! Talk about a rollercoaster ride. Emma and Dillon's relationship may seem perfect. They look great together, they are always with each other, and they have plans for the future. But, as we all know, nothing is really perfect. There's a dark side to their relationship that just hasn't had a chance to show itself yet. As Emma and Dillon's plans for the future begin to unravel, Dillon shows a side of himself that disturbs and scares Emma. 

Unsure of what to do, Emma tries to ignore and move past the symptoms of a deeper problem in the works. And when push comes to shove and Dillon begins to snap, the adults that should be there for her choose to manipulate her and cast blame. I'll cut to the chase, Dillon is obsessed and mentally unstable. What is a high school senior supposed to do when her boyfriend snaps and no one around her can see it?

The author's portrayal of this relationship was amazingly spot on. The subtle cues and signs that something was wrong, but most people either didn't see or chose to ignore. But Dillon's problems escalate quickly and start putting lives on the line. His downward spiral was sharp and dramatic and I wanted to reach into the pages and fix him. I could understand why Emma was reluctant to admit anything was wrong. I could see how much she cared for him and wanted to make him better. 

In the end, we have a resolution. I'm not sure it will be the one you want or expect, but it is the one the story needed. A realistic look at mental disorders and how they can hide beneath the surface, where not even those closest can see them.


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This was such an amazing book that I just need to give it to one of you.
Enter below to win an Amazon gifted copy of your own!

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An Earl by Any Other Name by Lauren Smith ~ Spotlight and Giveaway


AN EARL BY ANY OTHER NAME by Lauren Smith 

(August 1, 2017; Forever Yours eBook; $1.99; Sins and Scandals series Book 1)

An earl in the streets, a rogue in the sheets . . .

Leopold Graham, Lord Hampton, was never a man to let propriety stand in the way of his pursuit of pleasure. Hedonism is his only desire in life---until his father's death saddles him with debts that threaten to bankrupt the entire family. Now the only thing that stands between him and utter ruin is marriage to a proper, and preferably wealthy, young lady.

Ivy Leighton is no sweet English rose. Perhaps it's her gypsy roots, but she would rather make a spectacle of her independent spirit than sit quietly on the sidelines. If that means that the only place she'll ever have in society is firmly on the shelf, then so be it. But when Ivy runs into the handsome, rakish Leo who's looking for a respectable, well-bred wife, she can't stop thinking about the troubles they can get into. Now she just has to convince him that a life with her is really what he needs.




About the Author
LAUREN SMITH, winner of the 2014 Historical International Digital Award, attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned a B.A. in both history and political science. Drawn to paintings and museums, Lauren is obsessed with antiques and satisfies her fascination with history by writing and exploring exotic, ancient lands. She is currently an attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Social Media Links
Add An Earl by Any Other Name to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2r0aWjz
Follow Lauren Smith on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2sHyg6M
Follow Lauren Smith on BookBub: http://bit.ly/2qZE7U0

Giveaway

Enter to win 1 of 15 free ebook downloads of An Earl by Any Other Namehttp://bit.ly/2t56MZl

Amnesty by Cambria Hebert ~ Cover Reveal


Amnesty
Cambria Hebert
(Amnesia, #2)
Publication date: August 18th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
There’s freedom in remembering. 
My past is a double-edged sword.
Damned if I do remember, damned if I don’t. 
Remembering beyond the horrors I already have will change me. Change us. 
But, what if I’m living a lie? What if everything I thought was wrong, what if who I thought I was is wrong? 
If not her, then… 
Who am I? 
Eddie says it doesn’t matter, but deep down I’m terrified it does. 
I’m trapped. Held prisoner by a past I can’t remember and a future that might not belong to me. 
There’s a light though, not at the end of the tunnel… But wavering in the distance, calling to me from Rumor Island. 
That light, it scares me far more than darkness. Am I brave enough to confront it?
So many questions, so few answers. 
I don’t have a choice; the truth always finds a way to the surface. Finally learning who I really am will be a permanent life sentence:
Total punishment or absolute amnesty.

Sequel to:



Author Bio:
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. 

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house). 

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo. 
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC. 

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Sheltered by Jen Colly ~ Cover Reveal


Sheltered
Jen Colly
(The Cities Below, #4)
Published by: Kensington
Publication date: January 9th 2018
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Only love can save her from certain death. Too bad, she doesn’t believe in love…
When Bette Dautry comes to him, seeking his protection, Guardian Rollin Casteel suspects the mysterious beauty has an ulterior motive. Unable to resist her seductive charms, he soon hungers to mark her as his. Only Bette disappears before he can sink his teeth into her tender flesh, leaving Rollin with one mission: to find her—and to claim her. . . .
Bette seduces Rollin intent on conceiving his child, believing the mother-child bond to be the only kind of love she can sustain—the only kind of love that can keep her alive. But she never expects to feel so much for her strong and silent lover. Then she discovers Rollin is none other than the heir to the Balinese throne—a man too noble—too dear—to play a role in her dark scheme. A man she would willingly die for, if only he would set her free. . . .

Previous books in the series:


Author Bio:
Jen Colly is the rare case of an author who rebelled against reading assignments throughout her school years. Now she prefers reading books in a series, which has led her to writing her first paranormal romance series: The Cities Below. She will write about anything that catches her fancy, though truth be told, her weaknesses are pirates and vampires. She lives in Ohio with her supportive husband, two kids, one big fluffy dog, and four rescued cats.

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A Little Bit Like Love by Brooke Blaine ~ Excerpt

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A Little Bit Like Love, an all-new sexy STANDALONE MM romance from Brooke Blaine is available NOW!


A Little Bit Like Love by Brooke Blaine

Publication Date: July 27th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance/MM Romance

What if you had everything in the world you wanted…except the man you’d left behind?
Jackson Davenport, the charismatic, strait-laced heir to the Davenport fortune, has a secret. One he’s been hiding since he graduated from South Haven all-boys academy—and that secret’s name is Lucas.
When a work trip takes Jackson back to his old stomping grounds, memories of the year he shared with Lucas come crashing to the surface. With growing pressure from his father to settle down and take over the family business, Jackson knows he’s on borrowed time, and sets out to find the free-spirited daredevil he once knew.
But Lucas isn’t the same man he was eight years ago.
One night. A shattered heart. And an endless parade of nameless faces. Lucas Sullivan is South Haven’s ultimate playboy, a reputation he’s honed since the only boy he ever loved left without a trace. To the world, he’s brash and confident, an in-demand artist who spends his days designing one-of-a-kind pieces and his nights as king of the downtown scene.
Many have tried and failed to get past the barrier he’s carefully constructed, but it’s the shy, studious boy he once coaxed out of his shell who still haunts him.
Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it was lust. Or maybe…it was a little bit like love.

Excerpt:

WITH THE NOTE from Principal Stewart crumpled in my fist, I stalked away from his office, away from the words I knew would haunt me forever. “I’m sorry, Jackson. Your father is quite…insistent you return to Connecticut immediately.” Immediately…immediately… With every echo of that word through my mind, my heart battered my chest, the ache to rip itself free of my body a plea I was helpless to honor. There was only one reason he would’ve demanded I leave South Haven before the end of classes next week. My father had been adamant I receive the best education his money afforded, choosing to ship me down to south Georgia to attend the most prestigious all-boys academy in the country. I’d done him proud, rising to the top of my class, and I’d been practicing my salutatorian speech for days. Skipping out on graduation and the pomp and circumstance and recognition that came with it? Out of the question. Which could only mean one thing. He knew. Somehow he knew. That was the only explanation for the letter in my hand, for the abrupt dismissal this late in the evening and this close to the end of the school year. My father hadn’t gotten to where he was by being stupid or blind, and I’d seriously underestimated how many eyes and ears had been watching me during my four years. Although it would’ve only been the whispers over the last few months that piqued his interest, only the last eight that he would’ve had any reason to give me a second thought. And that reason wasn’t a what—it was a who. The halls of the St. John’s dormitory were silent when I entered, all the students down at the mess hall for dinner, followed by the final bonfire of the year. So there wouldn’t be anyone around to see me sneak down the hall to where I knew I shouldn’t be going but couldn’t help myself. My feet seemed to move of their own accord, the countdown to my utter devastation causing me to pick up the pace. The private plane would arrive in a handful of hours, giving me just enough time to pack my things, but there was no way I could leave without a goodbye. Not going to happen. I wasn’t ready. I was supposed to have more time. As a cold sweat of panic seized me, I balled the letter tighter in my fist and chucked it into one of the trash bins as I passed. Screw my father. Screw the life he’d set out for me, the one I was destined to live and hate with every fiber of my being. I wanted to bottle up every one of his expectations and throw the blasted thing out at an angry sea to swallow up and tear apart instead. I wished it could be as easy as that. I’d been able to fool myself into a sense of freedom, but the cell door was about to smash shut on every dream I’d let myself have these past few months. His private dorm was at the end of the long hall, last one on the right, and I rapped on it twice fast, waited a moment, and then repeated the pattern that we used for each other. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and seeing the sole object of my daily and nightly thoughts standing there in front of me with a mixture of surprise and delight in his eyes made me think that coming here had been a mistake. It was only going to sink the dagger in farther. “Hey…I thought we were meeting la—” Lucas’s words cut off and the smile curling his lips fell as he got a good look at my face. “What’s wrong?” You should tell him. Tell him what’s going on and that it isn’t your fault. Look him in the eye when you tell him you can never see him again. A shooting pain tore through my chest as I realized what this goodbye actually meant. I wasn’t saying I wouldn’t be seeing him for the next couple of days or weeks. When I left South Haven’s campus in the early hours of the morning, I wouldn’t be seeing him again…ever. God, can I do this? Break his heart as well as mine? No…no, I couldn’t tell him. He’d look for me, find me, and there was no telling what my father would do if that happened. The letter had been my old man’s warning. Disobeying his orders would mean consequences neither of us were prepared for. “Jackson?” Lucas’s voice dropped low, and then he looked past me out into the deserted hall. When he didn’t see anyone to blame on my current state, he frowned and waited for an answer. The words didn’t come, though, so I stood there staring at him, taking a mental snapshot that I’d store away in a place no one could find and destroy. His black hair was casually tousled, and I knew him well enough to know he’d worried his hands through it, maybe wondering if I wouldn’t follow through on our plans tonight. He wore a simple grey t-shirt and low-slung jeans on his long and lean frame, and the swirl of black tattoos he’d recently inked on his tanned skin could be seen peeking around his right bicep before disappearing from view behind the thin material of his shirt. He was striking, both in looks and personality, and to say I hadn’t been expecting the force that was Lucas Sullivan when he’d transferred to the academy eight months ago was an understatement. Quite simply, I’d been lost to him the first time I laid eyes on him. Forcing myself to shake off my dread, I said, “I’m okay,” and tried to believe it for his sake. “Well, you look like hell.” He leaned against the doorway, one of those charming half-grins cocking up one side of his lips. “Hell on wheels, anyway. What’d you do, run all the way here?” Not too far off there. I didn’t even remember crossing campus to get to his dorm until I was in front of the building. When I didn’t laugh at his teasing, Lucas’s expression fell again and his brows pulled down, a crease forming between them as his eyes, the color of a stormy sky, gave me a thorough once-over, looking for the source of my pain. He was silent for a long moment, but he must’ve seen something he didn’t like, because he stiffened and his jaw clenched. Then he took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “Tell me.” “Tell you what?” I asked. Lucas shook his head, his arms going over his chest. “I’m not helping you out here. If you came here for a reason, get out with it.” Did he know? He couldn’t. I’d only just found out myself, and… No. There was no way. “It’s…complicated.” “Complicated?” “Yes.” Lucas gave a humorless chuckle. “Jackson Davenport, I knew you were scared, but I never took you for a coward. If you don’t want to do this, you can man the hell up and tell me to my face.” “What are you… I’m not…” I ran my hand over my face, struggling to understand the conclusion he’d come to for why I was standing at his door. My lack of a poker face had put him on the defensive. He thought I was here to reject him. An idea so completely unfathomable to me that it made my stomach turn thinking about it. “Lucas…you’ve got this all wrong.” “Do I?” “Yes. I’m not here to—“ I almost said “end things with you,” but I didn’t want to lie to him. I never had and I never would. Instead, I said, “Fight with you. I don’t want to fight.” “Then why are you here, Jackson?” he asked, and my gaze fell to his lips. I’d tasted those lips only a few times, not nearly enough to quench a starving man’s hunger. All these months I’d wasted, warring with myself in my head, never letting myself have the thing I wanted most. And now I was down to a matter of hours. It wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. But it was all I had, and I wasn’t wasting another second. If I couldn’t tell Lucas how I felt about him, then I’d show him. Finally. Irrevocably.
And starting now.


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Ella FrankAbout Brooke Blaine:

You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas. She is the author of Flash Point, a romantic suspense standalone, as well as the co-author of the erotic series, A Desperate Man, with Ella Frank. The latter has scarred her conservative southern family for life, bless their hearts. Licked, a romantic comedy, will be released November 11th, 2015 and is the first in the L.A. Liaisons series. If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.

Connect with Brooke:

Twitter- @BrookeBlaine1