COVER REVEAL: Synth by P.J. Marie #UrbanFantasy #DarkSuspense #CoverReveal @RRBookTours1 @AuthorPJMarie

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We’re thrilled to share the cover of Synth, the start of a brand-new series called The Reborn by P.J. Marie! Preorder a copy today!

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Synth (The Reborn #1)

Expected Publication Date: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Dark Suspense/ Urban Fantasy

A rookie detective and a case that could redefine history… Some truths are hard to swallow.

Vampire—a taboo slur from childhood tales, reserved for degenerate Reborn and outcasts of society.

Dedicated officer of the law Valya Gorski strives to be an example of perfection within the Carneth Police Department. Granted the rare opportunity to join the Detective Unit, Gorski is determined to prove her worth. But when she is partnered with a ruthless senior detective known for pushing the limits and ruining his partners’ careers, what Gorski uncovers shakes her to the core.

Her first investigation brings her face to face with a human—and he’s nothing like the ones at the farm. He’s taller. Smarter. Stronger. Angry. And more capable than Gorski could have ever imagined.

Confronted with the horrifying reality of how her society sustains itself, Gorski’s sense of duty and morality collide. As she races to determine who can be trusted, she must make an impossible decision: uphold the law or pursue a truth that leaves her wondering if her own people, the Reborn, are closer to the monsters from childhood folktales than she realized.

Unravel the truth in a world of deception with Synth, the dark detective novel with an imaginative fantasy twist. From the author that brought you the dystopian adventure Veles comes a page-turning tale of crime, romance, and betrayal that will leave you craving more!

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About the Author

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Engineer by trade, P. J. Marie has always been a storyteller at heart. Inspired by the captivating tales that her Ukrainian grandfather used to tell about settling the Canadian prairies, P. J. has always looked at life through a narrative lens.

An avid creator, P. J. loves the design process from start to finish and is always working on projects that meld the structured world of engineering with her creative passions. Whether through world-building, crafting cosplays, or building custom bookshelves for her ever-growing collection of novels, manga, and terrible monster movies, P. J. is always working on something.

In her spare time, she enjoys collecting new skills, drinking copious amounts of tea, and spending time with her family and adorable doggo.

P.J. Marie | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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COVER REVEAL: Jonah (Somnolence) by Ali Lucia Sky #PNR #coverreveal #NewAdult @XpressoTours @AliLuciaSky1

Jonah
Ali Lucia Sky
(Somnolence, #3)
Publication date: February 14th 2023
Genres: Adult, New Adult, Paranormal

The most heartbreaking truth is finding that you aren’t the master of your own destiny.

Lizzy Phillips is healing from an attack that she suffered at a Somnolence concert years ago, and struggling with facts that came to light during the last tour. Feeling like the odd girl out, she can’t find her footing in this world.

The only thing Jonah Creed has ever known is that Lizzy and he are Written in the Stars. They are destined to be, and knowing she’s his Tether only reaffirms that. Until she ran from his arms during the last tour.

Now he has her back, but she’s not what either of them expected and they both have hungers to feed.

Please be advised by the trigger warning inside the book.

It’s recommended that you read the series in order beginning with RAIDEN.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Author Bio:

Ali Lucia Sky is the author of The Powers That Be and Somnolence series. She lives in Southern California with her husband and a house full of kitty cats, a yard full of crows, a backyard of ferals and a possum affectionately named Garcia.

She loves laughing, drinking good coffee, vegan food, and supporting animal rescues.

When she isn’t writing or dreaming of new stories, she can be found planning her next vacation because traveling is life.

If you encounter her in the wild, don’t be offended if she should run away. She’s timid with strangers, but can be plied with shiny things and pictures of your cat or dog.

She’s a weirdo like that.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Pinterest


COVER REVEAL: The Captain’s Woman by Holly Bush #CoverReveal #historicalromance @hollybushbooks

The Captain’s Woman

by Holly Bush

Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by storm…

1870 ~ Muireall Thompson has taken her duties seriously since her parents died on the family’s crossing from Scotland to America in 1854. As the eldest sibling, their death made her responsible for her family and left little time for a life of her own. But now her brothers and sisters are adults; even the youngest is nearly ready to face the world on his own. What will she do when she is alone, other than care for an elderly aunt and volunteer at the Sisters of Charity orphanage? Has the chance for a husband and children of her own passed her by?

Widower Anthony Marcus, formerly a captain in the Union Army, is a man scraping the bottom of his dignity and hanging on to his honor by the barest thread. Reduced to doing odd jobs to keep a roof over his dear daughter Ann’s head, he often leaves her with the Sisters of Charity while he is out seeking steady work with a decent salary that will allow him to move from their single-room living quarters.

After an initial meeting that finds Muireall and Anthony at odds, a tentative friendship forms as they bond over their mutual affection for Ann. As friendship leads to passion, can a wealthy spinster and a poor soldier overcome their differences in station to forge a future together? Just as Muireall finds the courage to reach for her own happiness, Anthony’s past rises up between them and an old enemy reemerges to bring the Thompson family down once and for all. Will the divide between them be insurmountable, or can they put aside pride and doubt for a love worth fighting for?

International Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/b6zwwZ

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNC9FB7V/

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BNC9FB7V/

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BNC9FB7V/

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BNC9FB7V/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-captain-s-woman-8

iBooks:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-captains-woman/id6444615763

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-captains-woman-holly-bush/1142747975?ean=2940186645139 

Google Books:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Holly_Bush_The_Captain_s_Woman?id=ePqdEAAAQBAJ

Holly Bush writes historical romance set in the U.S.in the late 1800’s, in Victorian England, and an occasional Women’s Fiction title. Her books are described as emotional, with heartfelt, sexy romance. She makes her home with her husband in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Connect with Holly at www.hollybushbooks.com and on Twitter @hollybushbooks and on Facebook at Holly Bush.

Social Media Links (please provide actual links to your profiles):

Website: https://hollybushbooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hollybushbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holly.r.bush

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/holly-bush

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Holly-Bush/e/B006ZDTQ1A/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3378392.Holly_Bush

COVER REVEAL: Fountain Dead by Theresa Braun #audiobook #coverreveal #youngadult #paranormal @tbraun_author @RRBookTours1

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I am thrilled to share this beautiful new cover of the upcoming audiobook edition of Fountain Dead by Theresa Braun!

FOUNTAIN DEAD AUDIOBOOK copy

Fountain Dead

Expected Publication Date: Fall 2022

Genre: Mature YA/ Paranormal/ Ghost Story

Mark is uprooted from his home and high school in the Twin Cities and forced to move with his family into a Victorian in Nowhere-ville. Busy with the relocation and fitting in, Mark’s parents don’t see what’s unfolding around them—the way rooms and left behind objects seem alive with a haunted past. Of course, Mark keeps his ghostly encounters to himself, all the while sinking deeper into the house’s dark, alluring, and ultimately terrifying history. As romantic entanglements intensify, the paranormal activity escalates. Past and present come together. Everything is connected—from the bricks in the walls to the hearts beating in their chests, all the secrets of Fountain Dead are finally unearthed.

Coming Soon!

About the Author

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Theresa Braun has a Master’s degree in English literature and lives in South Florida where she has been teaching literature and writing for over 20 years. Traveling, ghost hunting, and all things dark are her passions (when she is not coming up with romantic subplots). She has presented at HWA conferences, as well as Utah Quills Conferences. Her published works include both novels and short stories that have appeared in various horror fiction publications. In 2018, she was included in a Best Speculative Fiction anthology.

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Cover Reveal: Brutal Boxer by Naomi Porter #mcromance #coverreveal

Title: Brutal Boxer

Series: Knight’s Legion MC #4
Author: Naomi Porter
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: September 16, 2021
Cover Design: TRC Designs

Aspen. My Snow.
As teenagers, we were always each other’s forever and ever. Until we weren’t.
Today, I am the enforcer for the Knight’s Legion MC. I dole out punishments on soulless criminals with my blade Ricky.
In the MMA cage, I unleash my anger and frustrations. Fighting is my lifeline to living without the only woman I ever loved, my Snow.
My MC life is disrupted when she arrives at the club, nearly frozen to death and battered. I’m shaken to the core. Buried feelings resurface, pissing me off.
Snow needs the club to protect her from her ex.
I need her gone.
After a decade of hating each other, we’re thrust together and it’s about to get brutal. If I can protect her from her lunatic ex, maybe this could be our second chance…
CONTENT WARNING: This book contains dark elements that may be triggering to some readers. Discretion advised.

Savage Storm: “OMG if you like your MC books full of chemistry, danger and totally alpha bikers this is definitely a book for you.” – Goodreads Review

Avenging Angel: “This story is gonna keep you glued to its pages!
You won’t be able to put it down.
The author keeps throwing you twist after twist.” – RomanceReader1

Hellbent Hero: “I love this world and this MC!” – Goodreads Review

Naomi Porter always had a knack for storytelling, and she’s finally putting pen to paper to share with you, the reader. Whether she is trying to stay warm in the freezing winter weather or cool in the sweltering heat, she’s pounding away at the keys of her laptop to bring you the latest gritty motorcycle club romance or decadent billionaire saga, or an outlandish, heart-stopping sexy drama.

No matter what story she’s telling, you can bet it has sexy as sin men, sassy and confident women, and plenty of sizzling passion. Enter Naomi’s naughty world today!
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Cover Reveal: Tabou by Beckett Riley #darkromance #coverreveal

Title: Tabou
Series: Bound in Sin
Author: Beckett Riley
Genre: Dark Romance Novella
Release Date: September 1, 2021

Trapped between societal boundaries, siblings Tom and Theia Edwards thought they knew all about the family business they just inherited from their father. When the true nature of his dealings are revealed, they are thrust into the savage and unforgiving world of drug smuggling for a Mexican cartel.
Forced to continue the work their father once did or suffer the consequences of having their darkest secret exposed, they embark on a journey that will reel them into a nest of vipers full of deceit and betrayal at every turn. But underestimating the forbidden and unbreakable bond between Tom and Theia can prove to be just as deadly to anyone standing in their way.

Beckett loves writing short, erotic stories as much as she enjoys reading them. Happily ever afters and hot, possessive, alpha men bring tears of joy to her eyes so please excuse the alpha males roaming her trashy pages, they can’t help it.
Born somewhere in the United States, Beckett now resides somewhere in the United States where she writes raunchy stories. Hey, a girl’s gotta have some secrets.
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COVER REVEAL: Watch Me Breathe by C.E. Johnson #RomanticSuspense @AuthorCEJohnson @greyspromo

C.E. Johnson has revealed the cover
for Watch Me Breathe!

Releasing July 9, 2021

She’s a widow. And I’m not what I would consider a good role model for her young child. 

It’s been a long road for me. I’ve been plagued with bad decisions and grief. You could say life sucker punched the wind right out of me.

Just like it did to the woman in the car that spun into the ditch right before my eyes. I helped calm her down until the ambulance came, and assumed I’d never see her again.

Judging by her wide eyes and the soda that poured into my lap when Montana Hutchinson delivered the drinks to my table at the town diner, I would guess she believed the same thing.

I thought we could be friends. After all, we have more in common than even she realizes. 

But it seems Tana happens to be a magnet for trouble. 
And I happen to be the kind of guy that can’t sit back and watch the danger unfold around her.  

I’ll do anything to protect her and her daughter.

But every day I spend with her gets harder to push down the feelings growing inside of me.

Being with Tana not only proves I’m capable of love again. 

I can breathe again.

Happiness isn’t something that everyone gets the privilege to have.

And there’s no way I’m about to let anyone take it away from me again.


 
Preorder your copy today on Amazon! 
US: https://amzn.to/34pvTd6
WW: https://mybook.to/WatchMeBreathe

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3cRaK0m

Meet C.E. Johnson

C.E. Johnson writes contemporary romance with a side of suspense. Her stories are full of emotion, heartbreak, collapsing walls, and redeeming love.

When not writing until all hours of the night, she loves to read books that feature a strong male with a soft spot for his feisty heroine. She prefers stories that rip your heart out completely, then kindly place it back into your chest with a HEA.

She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two kids, and some spoiled rotten animals.
 
Connect with C.E.
Website | https://www.authorcejohnson.com/
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/2SaC4z9
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3gb5Onk
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/authorcejohnson
FB Group | https://www.facebook.com/groups/cesreadingroses
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/authorcejohnson/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@authorcejohnson?lang=en
Twitter | https://twitter.com/AuthorCEJohnson
Bookbub | https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-e-johnson
Newsletter | http://eepurl.com/dwEiUn

COVER REVEAL: Perfectly Wrong by Roxanne Tully #sportsromance #PerfectlyWrong

Perfectly Wrong (a novella) by Roxanne Tully is coming on July 12th. 

It is a steamy billionaire standalone, full of mystery, intrigue and romance. 

Add to TBR: https://geni.us/pwmb3

Blurb:

Madison Drake is out to get me—only she doesn’t know who I am or how to reach me. Most importantly, she doesn’t know where to start.

The newly promoted sports reporter is dying to sink her claws (or mic) into the New York Falcon’s new team owner.

Yours Truly.

You see, I recently purchased my favorite baseball team as a silent anonymous partner. I have no intention of revealing my identity…especially where the media is involved. Everything was going smoothly until someone leaked that the team had a new mystery owner. And now, every reporter in Manhattan wants to be the one with the scoop.

It was by absolute chance that I met Ms. Drake—scout’s honor. It wasn’t until she introduced herself after feeling guilty for insulting my existence at a bar, that I even knew about her new mission. And something about her told me she wouldn’t give up like all the others did.

The only way to ensure she doesn’t expose me, is to get close to her. So close that she would never know that she’s dealing with one and the same man.

Perfectly Wrong is the 3rd book in the heartracing series; The Manhattan Billionaires.

Cover Reveal: Inmate of the Month by Lani Lynn Vale #contemporaryromance

Inmate of the Month

Souls Chapel Revenants MC Book 7

Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: September 21, 2021

About the Book

A porn video changed his life.

One second, he has an ex with an ax to grind, and the next, he’s internet famous—and definitely not in a good way. In an, it’ll ruin your career, kind of way.

Only, Laric didn’t know that he was internet famous.

Not until a black-haired beauty walks into his life, and stumbles over every word that she says because all she can picture is him doing the unthinkable for the world to see.

Sadly, that’s not the only thing wrong in his life. His world is messed up, and he likes it that way.

There’s no room for a woman that wants to fix him.

Because fixing requires intimacy, and intimacy isn’t something that Laric does. Not after the life that he’s lived, and the things he’s done to survive. Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that he’s a felon, and he has no regrets about how he got that title.

The last thing he needs in his life is a woman that has her head in the clouds and thinks this world is made of butterflies and confetti.

However, Catori isn’t who she seems.

The day she meets tall, dark, and handsome, he saves her life. And then never leaves—though not for his lack of trying.

Not that she’s complaining about the way they’re thrown together, time after time. She’s more than willing to have a man like Laric around. Mostly because she’s already seen the good in him that he refuses to admit that’s there.

He may be a biker that does questionable things, but in her heart, she knows that he does those bad things for good reasons. And she’s not about to throw away the chance at happiness just because he thinks he knows what’s best for her.

Plot twist: she knows what’s best for her. And that’s him.

God help her.

Purchase Links

✦ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vNax5u

✦ Apple: https://apple.co/3z1xjs8

✦ Nook: https://bit.ly/3pfCccR

✦ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3uHHcba

✦ Audio: COMING SOON

Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/3wSDNHT

About Lani Lynn Vale

Lani Lynn Vale is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple also meaning over twenty) chickens.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.

Lani is married with three children and lives in the Great State of Texas.

Website: http://www.lanilynnvale.com/

Facebook: https://bit.ly/LLV-fb

Instagram: https://bit.ly/LLV-IG

Twitter: https://bit.ly/LLV-twitter

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/LLVgoodreads

BookBub: http://bit.ly/LLVbb

Cover Reveal: You’re Still the One by Kylie Stewart #contemporaryromance @KylieCStewart

Title: You’re Still the One

Series: Love & Nine Live Series
Author: Kylie Stewart
Genre: Contemporary/2nd Chance Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Cover Design: Amanda Walker PA & Design Services


Four years ago, I walked away from the man who owns my heart.

When he stalks into my rescue clinic with his beloved cat, I’m more than a bit shocked. Elias Galanis is everything a woman could possibly desire in a man. A successful doctor, scorching hot, and oh-so-good between the sheets. He’s also my ex-fiancé.

When he proposes trying us again, I’m hesitant. Second chances aren’t my thing. We didn’t work for a reason. He swears I’m still the one, and the more time we spend together the more I’m convinced I haven’t gotten over him.

Can I let go of the past? Or will old fears and insecurities drive him away forever?

You’re Still the One is a sexy standalone romance featuring a shoe-obsessed veterinarian, an irritably attractive ex-fiancé, and a meddling cat.



Chapter One

Piper

Some say superheroes wore capes. For me, I didn’t get to quick change in a phone booth. Oh no. Instead, I was trotting through a torrential downpour from my car to The Fancy Paws Society & Rescue in nude Molono Blahniks. Sure, I informed my two co-founders that I would be at Texas A&M giving a lecture on small animal anesthesia all day, but apparently, this emergency just couldn’t wait.

The water sloshing inside of my new babies made me whimper, but I didn’t stop. Our on-call vet tech, Stacie Greene, opened the back door for me with a mixed expression on her normally cheerful face. My concern immediately turned off from my annoyance at my potentially ruined heels to focus on the possible furry life in danger.

“I thought I told Ivy I wasn’t available and to send any emergencies to the clinic?” I asked, bustling past her toward my office. Inside, I would find my lab coat along with a secondary pair of low heels made for being on my feet all day. They would also be dry.

“She’s aware of that but told me you’d want to take this case.” Stacie followed me, holding the iPad we used for client charts to her chest. “It’s a possible obstruction from how the owner describes his symptoms over the past two days.”

My heart dropped, and my stomach clenched. Obstruction of anything coupled with a time-lapse of more than twenty-four hours didn’t sit well with me. I kicked off my heels, slipping into the more veterinarian-appropriate ones waiting inside of my office door. After quickly gathering my stethoscope from the top drawer and grabbing the white lab coat with my name embroidered across the left breast pocket, I nodded to Stacie.

“Let’s go see what we are dealing with.”

“Oh, one more thing.” Her freckled cheeks flushed a bright scarlet. “The owner is super-hot.”

I rolled my eyes. It now made perfect sense why Ivy allowed him to come here instead of the clinic, but now wasn’t the time to send her a scolding text. I had a cat with a possible obstruction to save.

“So sorry for the wait,” I announced after giving three quick knocks on the door to the examination room. “I was giving a lecture at A&M and had to fight the traffic to get over here. What seems to be the …?” My voice trailed off while my gaze took him in from head to toe.

Stacie hadn’t been lying. The man before me was drop-dead gorgeous. He was tall, broad, well-muscled underneath his black V-neck T-shirt with slightly disheveled blond hair. His sea-blue gaze widened on mine, making me feel exposed.

Houston, we have a problem.

Not only is Mr. Hot and Sexy eyeing me up the way I’d just ogled him, but we both knew what the other looked like. Naked. Because we’d been together before. And not just together-together, but engaged.

“Elias.” I broke the awkward barrier first, swallowing hard. With one glance at the gorgeous Ragdoll sitting patiently on the steel examination table that looked suspiciously like my own cat at home, I knew I wasn’t dreaming.

“Hey.” He cleared his throat, wiping his palms on his jean-clad thighs. “Ivy told me this would be okay since it’s an emergency.”

Well, Ivy and I would be having a long discussion later about why she should’ve sent my ex-fiancé to the clinic.

Seeing his cat, though, one I’d lived with and loved on, melted my heart. “What seems to be the issue with Obi?” I walked over and let the male cat sniff my hand. He rewarded me with a gentle rub, giving me the okay to scratch his neck.

“His favorite toy has gone missing.” His low baritone sent goose bumps over my flesh. I had to force my body to behave. “And he hasn’t eaten or really drank anything in two days.”

“What about the litter box?” Instinct moved my hands to Obi’s—short for Obi Meown Kenobi—stomach area, where I felt around gently.

“He’s used it but only to pee.” Elias rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. This side of the usual cool, confident human doctor wasn’t one I’d been privy to much. “I haven’t seen any number twos in twenty-four hours.”

My gut tightened, but I nodded, keeping my face neutral. “What kind of toy is missing?” Stacie moved to Obi’s opposite side to hold him in place while I adjusted the stethoscope in my ears to try to search for any gut sounds.

“It’s a Nerf ball.”

Both Stacie and I exchange a look across the stainless steel table. Nerf guns—and more specifically, their bullets—were notorious for creating bowel or stomach obstructions in cats. Sometimes, they threw them up. Other times, the family would make a sad and startling discovery a few days later. If an owner made it to the vet on time, we could perform surgery to hopefully remove and repair any damage.

“How big?” I ask.

He made a ping-pong-sized shape with his thumb and forefinger. “He’s had it forever, and never once has he tried to eat it.”

“Well, I’m going to suggest we do an ultrasound to find out exactly where this ball, or what remains of it, is located.” I gave the cat another scratch. He purred like nothing dramatic was happening around him. “Once I find whether it’s still in the stomach or has passed through to the bowel, I’ll know if we need to operate or not.”

Elias nodded. “Whatever you have to do, let’s do it.” He stepped closer to me, reaching out to take his cat’s head in his large hands. The smell of sandalwood and lemon wafted over to me, bringing with it a flood of memories. “He’s my little buddy.”

“I know, and we’ll do everything we can for him.”

Instead of letting Stacie go and grab the ultrasound machine, I practically flew out of the room to get it myself. My heart raced, not just because of my attachment to the cat behind the door but also because of the man who’d stolen and subsequently stomped on my heart. Four years hadn’t been enough time to get over him, obviously. Out of sight and out of mind only worked if I couldn’t see him. And now that I had, mixed emotions I’d fought so damn hard to tuck away wanted to come spilling to the surface.

No. You have a patient who needs your entire brain, Piper, I scolded myself, grabbing the machine to wheel it over to the examination room. Focus and you can break down later over a nice glass of merlot. Too bad Elias wouldn’t be joining me for that much-needed glass.

“All right.” I re-entered the room and noticed Stacie already had the fluffy boy turned over on his back. She was laughing as she shaved some of his hair.

“He thinks this is just the greatest.” She chuckled, shutting off the clippers. “What a laid-back cat.”

“He’s the best,” Elias agreed. The pensive, worried expression he wore stabbed at my soul. My gaze moved down to his left hand, noticing the absence of a ring. But he was a doctor, so he may not wear a ring at times due to his line of work.

“Let’s see if he’ll tolerate this without sedation.” I flipped on the ultrasound, and Stacie took her position as the technician while I wielded the wand. “Okay, little Obi, let’s see what kind of mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Starting in the stomach, I waited for the organ to come into view on the black and white screen. Almost instantly, my fears dampened. Just to be on the extra-cautious side, I moved onto the bowels, taking my time to double and then triple check. Obi sat calmly, purring up a storm as Elias rubbed his nose.

“Best patient I’ve ever had.” I smiled, pulling the wand away with a flourish. “Bad news, his favorite toy is no longer, but the good news is it’s still in his stomach.” My gaze met his. “I can give him some medication to induce vomiting, and he should be able to bring it up. However, I will want to keep him overnight to monitor him and make sure he doesn’t have any complications. Since he hasn’t gone to the bathroom in a few days, we need to make sure his back end is working properly.”

Elias breathed out a sigh of relief, and his signature, sexy-as-hell smile lit up his face. “Fantastic.”

Stacie cleared her throat behind me, and I noticed my left hand was clutching the ultrasound cart. She arched one brow at me, pulling the only object away from me that kept my knees from buckling. I hated how he still managed to crawl under my skin. Even as I glowered at her back, she left us alone in the room.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I moved around the exam table and pulled a bottle from the medications cupboard. “You won’t want to put him back in his carrier until we’ve got the pieces up.”

“I think since the tech is now gone, you can drop the professional act, Piper.” He spoke my name like a prayer, and my hands froze. “How’ve you been?”

“Oh, you know.” With trembling fingers, I continued to fill the syringe with the right dosage of medication. “Made partner at a clinic and founded this rescue. Living the dream. How about you?”

“I’ve also made partner in my office and doing much of the same.” Without looking at him, I knew he was running his fingers through his soft hair like he always did when frustrated. “I didn’t mean to make this awkward. I just didn’t trust anyone else with Obi, and Ivy said it wouldn’t be an issue.”

Spinning on my heel, I gently ran a hand over Obi’s back to distract him. “It’s not an issue at all.” My hand carefully rested on Obi’s head, giving him a scratch before scooting closer to aim the needle at his shoulder. “Just a pinch.” Before he could think about bolting away, I rubbed over his opposite shoulder and hugged him to my chest. Glancing down, I smiled. Obi’s bright blue eyes stared up at me in betrayal.

“Sorry, buddy.” I smirked, stroking over his shoulders. “You’ll thank me in a few minutes.”

Sure of my aim, I clicked the timer on my phone to wait for the fruits of my labor. I glanced up to meet Elias’s intense gaze. “No, it’s no trouble at all. After all these years, I’m glad you still trust me with your cat at least.” I didn’t mean for the comment to come out sounding as bitter as it did. The pinching of his brows and tightening of his jaw gave me the impression he hadn’t expected it either.

“It’s been four years, Elias,” I stated with a sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. “What happened between us is done and over with. Ancient history. You’ve gotten your partnership and so have I. We’re both doing exactly what we wanted to do.”

He didn’t speak for a moment as he studied my gaze to try to find the lies buried deep beneath the surface. I silently prayed he didn’t find them because they were there, taunting me. For a moment, I believed our conversation was over. And then he did something so totally and completely him that I almost gasped.

He crossed the few feet between us, stalking me with intentions I couldn’t be sure of. Heat flooded my core, and my palms grew sweaty. Four years apart or not, I knew this man like the back of my hand.

“Elias,” I warned.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Piper,” he retorted, barely raising his voice above a graveled whisper.

One of his hands reached out toward me. My heart jumped, lodging itself in my throat and stealing my speech. If he made a move, I’d be helpless against him. No matter how high the walls I put in place, he knew the exact footholds to take in order to tear me down. He’d always been my kryptonite. Always. He was the one who got away.

The heat radiating off his body warmed me even more. He made me forget about being nearly soaked and irritated in the driveway. And I sure as shit didn’t care about my shoes right now.

Before he opened his mouth to say the words I knew would penetrate through my steel armor, the familiar hurk, hurk, hurk sound of a cat drew both of our attention. There, on the exam table, Obi threw up a strange colored pile of yellow and tan. Multiple pieces of the Nerf ball made its star appearance. The cat licked his lips, swallowing hard, and stared at both of us like he was expecting some kind of applause. Not a few seconds later, he was heaving again. Leave it to a cat to completely and totally ruin the moment.

Kylie Stewart has been writing short stories and books all her life. She was influenced by her Scottish heritage to become an independent British history buff and has a small library dedicated to Tudor history and Arthurian legend. From contemporary, to fantasy, to the historical, she loves to write dangerous, passionate, raw romance that will make you dread to see the pages dwindle.

She works as an audio book narrator and voice actor when she isn’t writing. Kylie lives in Dallas, TX with her husband and fellow voice actor Eric Rolon, her son, and their three cats Asuka, Oliver, and Haru.




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