Jaxon Jordan has the woman of his dreams in Emily Wilson. She’s all he’s ever wanted, and they’ll be married on Christmas Eve. But dreams don’t always come true and sometimes are set off course. When a woman claiming to be Emily’s real mother comes on the scene and plants doubt in Emily’s mind, it’s up to Jax and the Jordan family to get to the truth.
When she’s not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don’t seem to mind.
When she’s not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school.
She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best.
She left love behind, but he followed his heart…and her.
Paige Havalland left her career as an attorney in her father’s law firm and the older man she loved for small lake-town living. She thinks love is something she can never have because of her new career. Then Ben shows up at her bed and breakfast, throwing all her preconceived notions about love and life topsy-turvy.
Benjamin Beckett has a plan for a future in the small town of Riverbend, Pennsylvania. The possibility of a new law office and being with the woman he loves calls him from the hustle and bustle of big city living. He’s sure he can reignite the fiery passion he and Paige shared two years before but convincing her that they can overcome her notions about their relationship will be a different story.
This is Paige’s one shot at true happiness. Will she push Ben away or follow her heart to have the life of her dreams?
EXCERPT
“You can’t leave,” he objected.
I sighed. “Why does it matter so much?”
“You know you mean a lot to me, Paige.” Benjamin ‘Ben’ Beckett ran his hand through his silver-toned hair.
“My body is important to you, nothing more than that. My father left me their old house in Riverbend. I’m going to turn it into a bed and breakfast. This law shit has never been for me, I’m not lawyer material.” I faced the window.
The sun had begun to hide behind the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink, purple, orange and blue. The end-of-the-workday whiskey I sipped burned a path down my throat into my empty stomach.
Ben grabbed me, spun me around and deposited my ass onto my desk.
“What the fuck?” I sputtered.
He pulled my skirt up my thighs and stepped between my legs.
I opened my mouth to object to the rough handling but stopped when our gazes collided. Heat smoldered deep in the depths of his blue eyes. “Look,” I said finally. “We had a lot of fun with each other, a lot of great sex. But you knew that was all it could ever be…just sex.”
Who was I kidding? I’d been head over heels in love with the man for three years, but we could never be more than what we were. I wasn’t lawyer material. I never would be. Staying on with the company after my father had passed wasn’t in the cards and I’d known for the last two and a half years that I wouldn’t stay here.
The blue of his eyes deepened in color, something I couldn’t read reflecting back at me. Lust pooled low in my belly, sending a wave of liquid heat through my core, dampening my panties. “What?” I finally questioned when I found my voice.
“Is that all I am to you, Paige? A good fuck?” He grasped my hand and placed it over his erection. “See what you do to me?”
“No, Ben. You aren’t just a ‘fuck’, as you so eloquently put it. But it can’t be more than that. It can’t.” I shrugged my shoulders.
He glared at me before crushing my body against his. “Fuck it.” He captured my lips, robbing my mind of sanity. My blood whooshed in my ears as passion flared to life. “Let me have you one last time.”
“Yes. Come to my place tonight,” I murmured between kisses.
Stepping back, he allowed me to slide off the desk and readjust my skirt.
“See you later,” I said over my shoulder.
With that, I walked away, fighting the urge to run. What have I done? I’d just invited the hottest man I’d ever known to my place this evening for what I hoped would be a marathon of sex.
I entered the ladies’ room, moved to the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My doe-round blue gaze stared back, my pupils dilated. Pink flushed my pale cheeks. My chest rose and fell as my breaths came rushed.
I live close to the Maryland border in South Central Pennsylvania. My husband is wonderfully supportive of me in all aspects of my life. I have a son who is currently serving our country in the U.S. Navy. My daughter is still in school. I’m blessed to have the three of them in my life.
From a young age, I remember burying my nose in a book. A love that my mother and father passed onto my brother and myself. From my passion for reading sprang my love of writing. My mind is so often full of story ideas from the wildly paranormal to contemporary. I have notebooks lying about with story outlines and character descriptions. A song or TV show can spark an idea which circles my mind until I put the idea on paper.
When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family, burying my nose in a book, and watching a vast variety of television shows from crime dramas to 1970’s game shows. I’m also a graphic artist. You can see my works of art at www.designsbl.wordpress.com.
Praise for A Changeling For All Seasons 8 (Box Set)
“A bunch of my favorite erotic authors got together & wrote a bunch of red-hot Christmas stories. They are erotic, interesting, different, irreverent, magical & I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to learn more about the characters & the happily ever afters. With this bunch of writers, though, we know were going to keep getting more stories, so we take these little tastes of fun & games, & enjoy them, eager to move on to the next one in the series.”
— 5 Stars from Alberta, Manic Reviews
Praise for Santa’s Clause
“I laughed while reading this book but I also loved how I could feel the emotions between these two characters coming off the page. Humor, hot sex, and two characters who are so easy to love because they seem so real.”
— 5 Stars from Barb, Drue’s Random Chatter Reviews
Praise for Shifter’s Challenge
“There was definite chemistry between them… enough to keep me rooting for them until the end. Perfect to enjoy with some hot cocoa. “
— Breann, The Romance Reviews
“…if you’re looking for a short, fun read with some humorous chasing-down followed by hot man-on-man loving, then you might like this short story.”
— Serena Yates, Rainbow Book Reviews
Praise for Oh My Deer
“Set in the snowy wilds of Alaska, this story made me smile… there is more than a touch of magic to this version of Santa and his reindeer. If you like stories with a bit of paranormal magic thrown in, if you enjoy reading about two men who may seem to be an unlikely couple but turn out to be each other’s perfect match, and if you’re looking for a fun, entertaining read in a Christmas setting, then you might like this short story.”
Ten tales of Seasonal Magic from your favorite Changeling authors!
Reindeer Sex Games by Lacey Savage: When a dead-ringer for Santa Claus barges into the room claiming Nikki has ruined Christmas, she’s got a lot of explaining to do…
Ribboned by Megan Slayer: Raven Elf has his sights set on Daria. The hard part is convincing her that their connection is meant to last.
Mistletoe Madness by Mikala Ash: An ancient tradition on a new world. Will it bring love or disaster?
Hearth and Home by Ayla Ruse: Will the sparks between the three be enough to create a happily ever after this Christmas Eve?
Valentine’s Vow by Willa Okati: True love comes where you’re least looking for it… and where it’s been, all along.
Ticket to Ride by Ana Raine: Addison never thought he’d be into kinky sex, but he’d do anything to please Taylor.
Cupid Gone Weird by Stephanie Burke: Cupid only wants a little revenge on Chris Cringle, but no one can really tell what will happen when Cupid Goes Weird.
Special Order by Sean Michael: Brad bakes some special cupcakes to spicing up his and Sandy’s love life. It just might be a very happy Christmas this year.
Ribbons and Lace by Anne Kane: All Leonardo wants for Christmas is a sexy little elf!
A Gift for Wulf by Marteeka Karland: To protect her beloved forest, can Nadia gift herself to Wulf the Feared?
Publisher’s Note: The novellas in A Changeling For All Seasons 7 (Box Set) have been previously published.
“…a seriously a very well written, fun romp for Christmas. Very hot. I wanted to go out and jump in a snow bank. That kind of hot and steamy.”
— 5 Stars from Shandy Jo, Dark Divas Reviews
Praise for Ribboned
“This is a fast-paced story that is filled with several sizzling sexual encounters between the two main characaters. I liked Daria. She is intelligent and very sassy.”
— Janie Esparza, The Romance Studio
Praise for Hearth and Home
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the sexual encounters between Nikki, Kobol and Braun and loved how adventurous Nikki is right from the beginning. There’s no shyness or discomfort in her sexual desires and I think that alone is something enviable.”
— 4.5 Blue Ribbons from Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies
Praise for Valentine’s Vow
“Ms. Okati created a relationship that was so typical of life that I just had to grin… A sensual tale of love, even if the men involved are too stubborn to admit it. Highly recommended.”
— Sara Sawyer, The Romance Studio
“…fun, sinfully erotic, unforgettable…hilarious. Hats off to Willa for getting Valentine’s Day started with a bang!”
— Ayden Delacroix, In the Library Review
Praise for Ticket to Ride
“…a wickedly delightful gay romance that somehow manages to instill a feeling of nervous anticipation for the reader. I know it’s marketed as a Christmas story but in reality it’s a fun title to read any time of year.”
— 4.5 Ribbons from Chrissy Dionne, Romance Junkies
Jackie Vasquez knows he needs to submit to a Dom he can trust—just as much as he needs to manage his own life. He found the right Dom in Brian Harrison, and then romance beckoned them both beyond bindings and safewords. They take the first steps toward a life together in London, where Brian is pursuing his dream career at Scotland Yard, and Jackie is working toward a master’s degree. Their private hours deep in the night brim with both heat and beauty as Brian’s artful vision for bondage makes a masterwork out of Jackie, body and soul.
But time together becomes scarce as a series of horrific gaslight crimes keeps Brian at work and out of reach for Jackie much of the time. Though Jackie is faithful, he isn’t the type to sit and wait for his lover’s attentions. His self-assured ways and his geocaching hobby lead him to a dangerous discovery—all is not as it seems at the University. Trapped in the Gaslighter’s web, he’ll need to use every trick he knows to stay calm and buy time. But will Brian unravel the knot of mystery in time to save the man he loves?
Lou Sylvre loves romance with all its ups and downs, and likes to conjure it into books. The sweethearts on her pages are men who end up loving each other — and usually saving each other from unspeakable danger. It’s all pretty crazy and very, very sexy. As if you’d want to know more, she’ll happily tell you that she is a proudly bisexual woman — a mother, grandmother, lover of languages, and cat-herder — of mixed cultural heritage. She works closely with lead cat and writing assistant, the (male) Queen of Budapest, Boudreau St. Clair. She lives in the rainy part of the Pacific Northwest, and hearing from a reader infallibly brightens the dreary weather. Find her through her links listed here, or drop her a line at lou.sylvre@gmail.com.
Cerys: Blind since birth, I’ve learned the hard way I can’t rely on my father. When he gets in too deep with the wrong sort of people, I find myself the property of Viktor. I’ve heard whispers of the mob and what they’re capable of and know I should be terrified, but it doesn’t take much for me to fall for Viktor. I see a side of him he seems to show only to me. His kisses make my knees weak, and just one touch makes me dream of forever. He makes me feel… special. Precious. Important. But what would a man like him want with collateral damage? He can have any woman he wants, and probably has. I don’t see a happily-ever-after in our future, no matter how much I might want one.
Viktor: Death and destruction cling to me, blood and violence just a way of life. I didn’t climb my way toward the top of the Bratva by being a saint. I may be gruff and dangerous, take what I want when I want, but when it comes to Cerys, I find that I can’t be harsh with her. She’s gentle. Sweet. An angel. My myshka. She’s the light to my darkness. Now that I have her, I know that I can’t let her go. I’ll make her mine in every way possible. Only one problem. Artur Orlov. He wants me to marry his daughter, but I won’t. I didn’t count on him retaliating by taking my myshka from me. I’ll get her back, and if she’s been harmed in any way, I won’t stop until every last man responsible has breathed their last.
WARNING: This story contains adult content, including language and violence that some may find objectionable.
I could hear my heart thundering in my ears as I strained to listen to my father’s conversation. The men had forced their way into our home, and I’d heard the crash of furniture. At first, I’d been terrified because I’d thought we were being robbed. Now I knew different. I’d known my father was in trouble, but I didn’t realize how much. Money had been tight for a while, since Mom died several years ago. Things had been getting better, or so I’d thought. I never realized the reason we suddenly had money, or rather my father suddenly did, was because of some shady dealings he’d had with the wrong men. He’d claimed he’d been working, and I thought things were going well. Had he lied to me? Why did he always have to control me? Everything he did seemed to be designed for the express purpose of keeping me under his rule, and miserable.
“Please, Maksim. I just need more time,” my father begged.
I didn’t know a Maksim. The Russian accent of the men in our living room sent a shiver down my spine. In our neighborhood, the only Russians I knew were an elderly couple, or people who belonged to the mafia. I’d heard it called the Bratva, but it meant the same thing. The men sequestered with my father did horrible, evil things. Every last one of them had blood on their hands. I could only imagine what they’d ask of him, or the ultimatum they would give.
“You’ve had time,” said a deep voice I assumed belonged to Maksim.
“You don’t understand. I’ve moved as much product as I can, but I don’t have enough connections. I can get them! I just need… a month? Yes, give me another month.”
“Nyet.”
I heard the rustle of clothing and it sounded like something was being screwed onto something. I strained, needing to know what was happening. The door I hid behind was cracked open a bit, but it didn’t do my sightless eyes a bit of good. I’d relied on my other senses from birth, but sometimes it wasn’t enough.
“Nikolai, tie up the loose ends,” the man said.
No! I knew what that meant. I now understood the sound I’d heard. A silencer. At least, that’s what they were called in books and movies. They were going to shoot my father. Kill him. He might not be the best dad, but he was all I had. What would happen to me if he were gone? I shoved the door open and stumbled into the room.
“Don’t!” I fell to my knees and pushed myself up, but I’d lost my bearings and as I stood, I stretched my arms out, feeling for any furniture or people. I didn’t know how the room had changed after they’d barged in and started throwing things around. “Please. Don’t kill him.”
“And who is this?” Maksim asked.
“My daughter. Cerys. Don’t hurt her. She’s blind and can’t recognize any of you. I beg of you. Let her go,” my father said.
Now he was going to act like a loving parent? Maybe we should have invited these men over sooner. Not that they’d received an invitation now.
A hand grasped mine, rough and large. I was pulled against a firm chest and a tantalizing scent teased my nose. I couldn’t help but lean in a little closer. It was stupid, and maybe the stress of the situation was skewing my logic, but I used my hands to explore the body holding me, inching up toward the man’s face. My fingers scraped across a close-cropped beard and up to a strong nose. I didn’t feel wrinkles, only firm smooth skin. I couldn’t guess his age, other than he was likely under forty and over twenty.
“Who are you?” I asked.
The man gently grasped my hand and pulled it away from his face. I felt an odd sense of loss. Again, I wasn’t reacting like a normal person. Not that I’d ever been considered normal, but this was out of the ordinary even for me.
“Viktor, you seem intrigued by the young woman,” Maksim said. “Perhaps we can make a deal, Mr. Humes? Your daughter in exchange for the debt you owe.”
“What!” I heard my father struggling. “No! You can’t do this! Cerys is blind. Please, don’t hurt her.”
I wanted to snort and roll my eyes. The man had never given a damn whether or not I was hurt. He’d actually enjoyed moving pieces of furniture on occasion just to watch me trip over them. Then the bastard would laugh. I’d had to learn how to fend for myself after my mother died. If it weren’t for the elderly couple down the street, I’d have never gotten as far in school as I did. After my mother died, Mrs. Popov had ensured that I continued with my education. I’d been a few months from graduating, when my father pulled me from school completely. Somehow, he’d gotten forms signed saying I was dropping out of the homeschool program, and out of school all together. He’d heard me tell Mrs. Popov about my excitement over graduation, and had decided to ruin it like everything else in my life.
The fact he was acting like a loving, concerned parent, made me wonder exactly what he was up to because I knew he’d never loved me. Not since he’d discovered I was blind. He wanted them to think I was important to him, and in a way, I was. Without me, the house would be completely trashed and he’d probably starve to death. The man would certainly never go fetch his own beer, that was for damn sure.
“Who said anything about hurting her?” Maksim said. “I doubt very much that Viktor plans to cause her any harm. In fact, he’ll likely have her screaming in pleasure.”
The men chuckled and the breath froze in my lungs. He couldn’t mean what I thought he did. The man holding me tightened his grip around my waist and I felt the evidence of his arousal. My cheeks warmed and I stared at what I assumed was his chest. I’d never been with a man, never been kissed. Truthfully, I’d thought I would die a virgin, alone.
“She’s barely eighteen!” I heard my father struggling again, and assumed they were holding him back.
I knew the only reason he was trying to talk them out of it was due to the fact he’d lose his servant. Me. Even though I couldn’t see, I’d learned how to keep our home clean, and I managed to cook microwave meals. Each box was marked in a way that I knew what it was, and my father had me memorize the heat settings and cook time for each one. The lazy bastard couldn’t even be bothered to pop a frozen lasagna in the microwave.
“Barely?” Maksim asked.
“Yes. She just turned eighteen two days ago. She’s a child, Maksim!”
I felt someone run their hands down the length of my hair, then squeeze my ass. From the direction, I knew it wasn’t Viktor. I squeaked and pressed closer to the man holding me. Someone laughed before harshly grabbing my breast. I whimpered and my hands fisted on the material of Viktor’s shirt.
“Enough, Feliks.” I could feel the rumble under my fingers and knew Viktor had spoken. His voice was deep and rich with a hint of roughness. “Touch her again and I’ll remove your hands.”
“You’ll tire of her. Then I’ll have a turn. We all will.” The man laughed. I assumed it was Feliks and a shiver raked my spine. Was that my fate if I went with them? To be their whore?
“You can’t do this,” my father said. “Surely, you can’t condone this, Maksim. You have daughters. What if someone took one of them?”
“I always pay my debts,” Maksim said. “And no one would dare come for my family, unless they wanted to die. I’m sorry, Mr. Humes, but my terms are simple. Either you give your daughter to Viktor, or I’m afraid we’ll have to use you as an example to others who owe us.”
Someone laughed. “And then we’ll take your daughter anyway.”
Viktor’s arm tightened around me again until I worried I wouldn’t be able to breathe. I felt his body shift, then his lips brushed my ear.
“Do not fear, myshka.”
Praise for Collateral Damage (Owned By the Mob 1)
“Whoa, this one was intense! Cerys is blind but she isn’t weak. I am a total sucker for disabled heroes or heroines in books so I snapped this one right up. I loved that she did speak up, feeling she didn’t have much to lose. [Victor] defends her, caring for her in his way. I couldn’t put this one down… Can’t wait for more mob stories from the amazing Harley Wylde!”
Paige Warren is a contemporary romance author who believes in happily-ever-after for everyone. Sexy, steamy stories about mobsters, cowboys, inked bad boys, and interracial couples… sometimes with a bit of kink. If you like alpha heroes and strong heroines, then you’re in the right place! No matter the odds, in a Paige Warren book, true love conquers all. Watch for Paige’s new MC Romance series Reckless Kings MC with International Bestselling Author Harley Wylde.
When her husband, children, and furbabies aren’t demanding her attention, she’s typically either writing or reading. Paige enjoys reading a variety of genres from young adult books, to general fiction, and of course, romances! But when it comes to movies, she’s a big-time horror fan — especially the ‘80s slasher flicks. That being said, ghostly movies are her favorite regardless of when they were made, like Rose Red or The Amityville Horror.
Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.
When Harley‘s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.
The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing.
You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!
Eight tales of Seasonal Magic from your favorite Changeling authors…
Epiphany by Mychael Black: Ryan’s going to show the gorgeous Elven waiter that Christmas means a whole lot more than crowds and stress.
Aliens Stole the Frozen Turkey by Ashlynn Monroe: Betty Jean never imagined she’d spend her Christmas Eve searching for three tiny alien tumblers with the sexiest ringmaster in the galaxy.
Valentine’s Ghost by Alice Gaines: Agnes claims to be Phyllis’s fairy ghostmother, and she’s going to take Phyllis to Valentines past, present, and future. Will one of the visions turn out to be a keeper?
Zarakion’s Tip by Ayla Ruse: Zarakion gives Taryn, the new delivery Elf, a tip that’ll have her scrambling to return to the drop point again and again.
Mistletoe Mistakes by Jocelyn Michel: MJ’s mistletoe missteps keep piling up, and she begins to wonder if they’re really mistletoe miracles in disguise.
Lupercalian Feast by Silvia Violet: Julianne retreats to her family’s mountain cabin to spend Valentine’s weekend alone, she finds an orgy in full swing.
A Halloween Tale by Stephanie Burke: She’s almost ready to give in to the darkness when an angel of mercy with a body made for sin comes to her aid.
Christmas Elves Are Ringing by Sean Michael: Joey’s having a tantrum of epic proportions. Can Bane work his magic in time to make sure Santa’s sleigh is full this year?
“…a feel-good, sexy, holiday romance that left this reader with a smile and a contented feeling at the end of the story. Lovely and heartfelt, Epiphany really captured the hope and joy of the season. Highly Recommended!”
— 4.25 Kisses from Gabbi, Top 2 Bottom Reviews
Praise for Aliens Stole the Frozen Turkey
“Ms. Monroe gives the reader an interplanetary union with lots of humor. Betty’s Christmas adventure gives new meaning to first contact with an alien race.”
— 4.5 Stars from Candy, Sensual Reads
Praise for Valentine’s Ghost “Valentine’s Ghost is as hot as it is funny… Packed with steamy sex, Alice Gaines writes a story that will entertain and leave you satisfied.”
Special Agent Liam Allen cherishes the peace on his farm between assignments hunting aliens for the military. But when a terrible storm brings destruction, Liam finds the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen at the end of the rainbow.
Eshe speaks a language he’s never heard and hates wearing clothes. Their passion burns hot, but she’s an explorer from another world, and he’s supposed to kill her.
Will she kill him first, or will fated love save them both?
Liam’s peace used to live at the bottom of a vodka bottle. Now, he found that calm during the long days tending his farm. True, he started work before dawn and ended after sunset, but he loved the quiet and working for himself. His hands got dirty and his clothes were always drenched in sweat, but everything he did was something he wanted to do. His drunken stepfather wasn’t around to beat him into anything anymore.
Before his enlistment, he’d wanted nothing to do with the farm, but his experiences in the Army had changed all that. Liam would never be able to un-see the horrific things he’d witnessed when his squad had stumbled upon the unimaginable.
They were no longer fighting other countries. Other humans.
Now tending his farm had become an escape from the relentless stress and danger of his job. If it weren’t for the horrific flashbacks of his baby sister and his mother burning to death in the fire, his existence here would be perfect.
Sighing deeply, Liam walked out on to his porch. The mysterious storm had hit with no warning at all. He’d barely had time to secure his dog, Domino, before all hell broke loose.
The tornado had lasted seconds, but it had left chaos in its wake that had taken hours to clean up. His barn had suffered the brunt of the destruction, but at least the horses, cattle, and pigs were safe. Now the storm had passed.
With a tired sigh, Liam dropped onto the farmhouse porch swing, cold beer in hand, and looked around with a certain weary satisfaction. He’d rebuilt the two-story farmhouse following the tragic fire that had killed his mother and sister. He’d tried to recreate the charm of the family’s old home: white siding, navy blue shutters, the large wraparound porch with a wooden swing to the left of the front door. He’d added floor-to-ceiling windows that gave the home the open feel he craved.
Liam took three large gulps of his beer and tossed the bottle in the trash, and then got another out of his cooler on the side of the swing. He loved the crisp evening air.
A startling flash of light made him look up just as a rainbow shimmered into being against the black backdrop of the sky.
Weird. Since when did rainbows appear at night?
The colors came in softly at first, pale pink, blue, lavender. Then, as if hit by lightning, the rainbow exploded.
Excruciating pain stabbed through Liam’s body as the multicolored light blinded him. He toppled off the swing, hitting the porch floor hard. After several long agonizing moments, the crippling pain subsided. He took a few deep breaths and lifted his spinning head.
What he saw wasn’t possible. It was… something from a fairytale.
The rainbow now lay over the ground in a path stretching from Liam’s front steps to the woods that bordered his property. He’d never seen anything like it. The colors shone vividly against the dark landscape.
Something tugged at him, drawing him away into the dark.
He staggered to his feet and took a hesitant step off his porch toward the luminescent path. The smell of damp dirt hung in the air along with rain-soaked livestock, but there was another scent, one that was not familiar. It reminded Liam of copper or metal, with a hint of fresh laundry.
Something about it made his instincts howl. That wasn’t a feeling Liam could ignore. Training had sharpened his senses to a hyper-alert edge, a vigilance that had saved his squad many times over.
So he allowed the delicate odor to lead him down the glowing path.
The rainbow hovered just above the ground like a luminescent mist that swirled around his feet with every step. He looked back to see the colors disappearing behind him, even as they stretched out ahead.
What the hell?
Once under the cover of the trees, the light from the path allowed Liam to see. The shadows that lurked just off the trail moved and distorted into the shapes of animals or humans. Everything about this felt ominous.
All Liam could hear was the cracking of vegetation under his feet. It worried him. Animals only grew this quiet when a predator was near.
The path finally ended just ahead, revealing something dark lying in the leaves. There really is something at the end of the rainbow, he thought. With my luck, it’ll have fangs and claws.
Edging forward, he heard a moan. It sounded… human. Like a woman. Forgetting caution, he began to run.
The woman lay where the rainbow ended — a slender, beautiful figure sprawled on the ground. She had dark, flawless skin the color of mahogany, long midnight black hair, feathery lashes that fringed her closed eyelids, and full, tempting lips. She was also naked save for the tiny gold jewelry affixed to the area just below both eyes. He’d never seen piercings so small.
When Liam turned the woman over to check her pulse, he saw more jewels affixed to her sternum between her breasts.
Liam shrugged off his own shirt and covered her, draping it over her petite frame. He put two fingers to her throat to find her pulse strong, steady.
He pulled out his cell phone, only to realize he had no bars. Then again, even if he could call an ambulance, the closest hospital was fifty miles away. He’d do better to assess her himself and determine if she could be moved. His military training had included first aid treatment of the most common combat injuries. That made him her best hope.
Liam gently used his fingertips to probe her neck, sides, and head for injuries. Nothing seemed broken, but he wouldn’t know for sure until she could talk to him. She could have been drugged. “Miss, can you hear me?” He wanted to at least give the police a name when he could finally call 911. “Miss, are you all right?”
No answer.
Deciding it was safe to move her, Liam picked her up in his arms, then headed back to the farm. On the way, he tried talking to her.
With her eyes closed, she said something in a language Liam didn’t recognize…
Magenta: The day my mom took up with Black Reign was the worst day of my life. She became ol’ lady for their president. I became another whore for the club to push around. I fought them at every turn because death was preferable to living this life. Beaten, downtrodden, I was about to be given to yet another man. The scariest man I’d ever seen. He was intent on having me on his own turf, and I wasn’t sure I would survive.
Sword: The second I saw the slight young thing being beaten by that ogre of a man, something inside me I’d thought leashed broke free. A demon better left in check reared his head, and I knew she would be mine no matter what. I got her, but she came with bigger problems than I was prepared to deal with. Not that it mattered. I’m Bones MC. We don’t give up, and we protect our own. Even against The Devil himself…
***WARNING!*** Bones MC has no pussies. These men are rough around the edges and fight as hard as they love. You can expect violence — some that may have triggers — and smoking hot sex. If either is something you object to, you should pass. Otherwise, expect an HEA and a man who always satisfies his woman.
“This is a bad, fucked-up place if ever I saw one.” Sword glanced at Torpedo, his brother in the Bones MC. They’d made the typically thirteen-hour trip to Lake Worth, Florida in just under twelve hours, riding non-stop as fast as they dared. Cain had sent a group of them to contact a club known as Black Reign. If their information could be believed, Black Reign was moving pills up the “Oxy Highway” from Florida to Kentucky. Cain couldn’t care less what they sold or how they sold it, but he would not tolerate another club moving shit through their territory without the OK from Bones.
Now, he lay on his belly watching the dingy brown clubhouse in the middle of a seaside urban sprawl.
“Yeah,” Torpedo, their vice-president, agreed. He had squatted down just behind Sword but still low to the ground. “I got a real bad feelin’ about this.”
Sword glanced at the other four men with him. Viper, situated in a similar position next to Torpedo, looked coiled with tension, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. Didn’t mean anything, though. The man always looked that way. Trucker was impassive as ever, farther behind them and slightly to the left so he was hidden in the foliage but still able to see their target. He polished a huge wrench with a black rag as if he planned on working on one of their vehicles. The man always carried a gun, but Sword had never seen him use it outside their work with ExFil, a paramilitary mercenary company for hire to anyone wishing extra protection in the most violent areas of the world. He had seen Trucker open a can of whoop-ass more than once with that exact same wrench. Arkham and Torpedo each checked various weapons on their person, readying for what was to come.
Torpedo was the vice-president of the club and would do the talking. Cain had originally intended on coming himself, but Torpedo, Sword, and Bohannon had all three protested vehemently. Cain, ever the ultra-alpha, had gone nose to nose with the trio, and they might have come to blows except for one minor incident.
Angel, Cain’s woman, had put a restraining arm on her man and pulled him away from his brothers. Though Cain routinely gave the woman anything and everything she wanted, he’d looked at her, a warning in his eyes for her not to go against him in front of his brothers.
“I know you need to do this, Cain,” she’d said. At the time Sword thought she was ignoring Cain’s warning. Instead, she’d had a very good reason. “But I need you more than the club needs you to go to Florida and confront these men.” She’d said it softly, and there had been a sheen of tears in her eyes. Sword knew it was an intensely personal moment, but she’d brought it up in front of them. Now, they’d know what the problem was, and they’d all crush it for her.
Cain had known it, too. Any problem his woman had from the outside world, the club would know about it. They’d all band together and make it right, no matter the cost. “I can’t let you tell me in private, Angel. Not now that you’ve brought it up in front of the club during club business. You shouldn’t even be here.” The president had been angry she’d snuck in. They could all tell from the look on her face, though, she had a good reason.
“Cain, I’m pregnant.” There had been instant silence in the room. Cain had sucked in a short inhalation of air before grasping her by the shoulders. “Don’t be mad because you think I was holding something back from you. I just found out today.”
“Woman, you’d better start talking.”
It turned out that Angel had gone to the doctor because she’d been weak and very sick over the last few weeks. Nothing abnormal for a pregnancy there. However, she’d hidden most of the sickness from everyone, and she’d reached a point where she was very dehydrated and, once her doctor figured out she was pregnant, he’d wanted her to be admitted for IV fluids and medication for nausea. She’d initially refused, not wanting to alarm Cain, but the oral meds the doctor had given Angel weren’t working. She was unable to keep anything down and was afraid she’d harm the baby if she didn’t go to the hospital like her doctor recommended. She was terrified of losing the baby and needed Cain at her side.
Bohannon, the club’s main enforcer, had jumped all over that shit. “You can’t leave her, Cain. You’re not the kind of man to leave his woman to deal with this alone.”
Cain had given the big man a withering look, but had readily agreed. He’d pulled Angel into his arms while the woman finally gave in to what had to be a horrible bout of nerves. She’d clung to Cain and silently sobbed into his shirt. They couldn’t hear her, but the shaking of her slight body gave her away.
Naturally, Bohannon, as the main enforcer for Bones, had thought he’d go. If they were going to warn an MC out of their territory, they needed all the muscle they could get.
“You know that shit ain’t happening.” Torpedo had stood from his seat at the table where they’d gathered to hash out what to do in this situation. It was something they always did. Whether it was Bones or in preparing for a mission with ExFil, they talked through the problem and built a plan of attack together with Cain having the last say.
“As vice-president, I have to be there, especially since Cain has more pressing problems.” He looked at Angel then, his eyes softening for the first time. “You make him take care of you and the little man who’ll be the newest member of Bones,” he’d said, serenity in his gaze and his voice. “With Cain focused on Angel, the club will need you here, Bohannon. You’re third in the chain of command. Sword will come with me as enforcer. Trucker, as always, will provide the chase vehicle with the weapons. Viper and Arkham will be the muscle. Data can keep track of us and run communications from his command center here. If anything goes wrong, you can send whoever you see fit after us.”
“It’s thirteen fuckin’ hours away, Torpedo! Any help I could bring would be hopelessly too late.”
“Then we’ll just have to make sure we don’t need you. Besides, Salvation’s Bane is less than half an hour away in Palm Beach. Thorn can send any help we need.”
Luna, Bohannon’s woman, curled her small hands around the enforcer’s biceps. “They’ll be fine, Bohannon. Let them do their jobs.”
“Does every woman in this fuckin’ place think she can take over the fuckin’ show?” Bohannon grumbled, but his large hand enveloped his woman’s smaller one in a loving gesture even as he groused.
“Only when the testosterone overflows. It reduces you to cavemen, and we can’t have that.”
Everyone chuckled, and the tension level dropped. Sword had never seen a club where the patched members let women in on meetings, but the women of Bones didn’t seem to care for conventionality. They simply slipped in when they knew they were needed and directed the flow of churning water in the direction it flowed best. None of them had been with their men long, but Sword could already see the positive impact they were having. Simply keeping a group of alpha males like this one focused on the problem at hand without unnecessarily risking themselves wasn’t an easy job, yet these two small women handled it like pros.
Now, as he lay on his belly watching the abandoned warehouse that served as clubhouse for Black Reign, Sword got the sickening feeling his team was undermanned. If they continued with the meeting as planned, they’d be walking into more muscle than they were prepared for.
“You gonna call in reinforcements?” Trucker’s question was soft and nonchalant, as if the man could care less. It was a simple enough question. The fact Trucker asked it, however, showed he was thinking along the same line Sword was. Which meant that…
“Yeah. I think I am.”
“Get Data to give the heads up to Thorn. He’ll get Salvation’s Bane ready in case we need them.”
“Already on that, bro.” He held up his cell phone. “All you gotta do is say the word. Thorn is less than five minutes away parked and waiting. Apparently, Bohannon jumped the gun and had them on stand-by over an hour ago. Surely to hell and God above we can last five minutes.”
“Be embarrassing otherwise,” Arkham chimed in. Though Sword was looking at the clubhouse through field glasses, Arkham and Viper were tracking the place with sniper rifles.
“Not sure I’ve ever met anyone as bloodthirsty as you and Viper.” Torpedo was only half joking.
“We got movement.” Sword stiffened as he watched as a big, burly man dragged in a woman by her hair. She screamed, clutching her hair to relieve the tension the big man had put on her scalp. The woman tried to back off, planting her feet, but the concrete was slick and unforgiving. She ended up on the ground, the man still dragging her by an abundance of hair. Two more women followed on their own. The latter chatted with each other, ignoring the drama in front of them. When the women passed the struggling couple, disappearing into the clubhouse, the hulking man pulled the woman to her feet and backhanded her across the face so hard she crumpled at his feet.
Sword’s entire being shrieked in outrage. He couldn’t see her face, but her legs and arms were firm and sleek with fine muscle, a testament of her youth. He thought she was an adult, but probably quite young. Protective instincts rose in him like never before, and it was all he could do to keep himself from charging to her rescue.
“Easy there, brother,” Torpedo said, laying a restraining hand on his shoulder. “You know that girl?”
Had he said something out loud? “No.”
“You’re growling and tense like you intend to do some damage.”
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Blitzened by Elizabeth Jewell: Christmas Eve rolls around, Nick gets a yen to kindle some holiday spirit in his human boyfriend’s heart
Emmy’s Wish by Ayla Ruse: Will this little Elf get the huge (male) present she wants?
Santa’s Treat by Camille Anthony: Plum’s been a very good girl, and the treat she wants is Santa.
Christmas Stalkings by Cassidy McKay: What’s a Christmas Elf to do when he wants to sex up the North Pole a bit? Make adult toys, of course!
Wrapped Around by Megan Slayer: Taygan’s going to make Luc’s holiday one he’ll never forget — complete with the real Santa, peppermints, and hot sex.
Stranded by Sean Michael: Can this threesome turn a Christmas disaster into a Christmas delight?
Santa’s Claws by Stephanie Burke: Santa’s going to see to it that his Elf and the naughty human to whom he’s bound have a very Merry Khristmas… or else.
