The Problem with Second Chances by Piper Rayne is now live!
For Rylan Greene and me, it was simple. Love only got us so far.
I’ve known him since we were six, long before he became the professional soccer star he is now. We’ve weaved in and out of one another’s lives as rivals, teammates, friends, and lovers. Until three years ago, when my life took a hit and I ran back to my small Alaskan town, Lake Starlight, away from anything or anyone that could hurt me.
He’s never far from my mind, a constant pining ache in my heart, but I’ve convinced myself I’m better off. But now, my best friend announces her engagement and that means Rylan will return home to stand as best man to her fiancé.
He’ll be back in my orbit for three whole weeks… but I can easily keep my distance. Sure, we’ll have to walk arm in arm down the aisle together, he’ll hold me close during the bridal party dance and we’ll stand for pictures next to each other. Nothing I can’t handle.
I’m so naïve though because he’s not in town for more than twenty-four hours before he knocks on my door. I should know by now, that the two of us will never be finished business.
This second chance romance spans sixteen years of a true love match that proves these two will only ever belong to one another.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
A Romance Anthology to Benefit Breast Cancer Research
From sizzle to spice, we’ve got all your romance needs covered! Dive into some amazing romance stories while supporting a very important cause! Included are 25 short stories of various romance genres including: contemporary romance, dark romance, romantic suspense and rom-com. Grab this limited time collection before it’s gone forever!
FIGHT LIKE A GIRLis a romance anthology to benefit Breast Cancer Research in the US and Canada. This collection of short romance stories cannot be read anywhere else. 100% of the royalties will be split equally and donated to the US Breast Cancer Research Foundation & the Canadian Cancer Society-CIBC Run for the Cure, both charitable organizations dedicated to funding breast cancer research.
Authors included in this anthology: Anna B. Doe, B.L Olson, Brighton Walsh, Cassidy London, CM Albert, Crystal St-Clair, Daisy St. James, Dakota Willink, Diana Hicks, E.M Shue, Ellie Masters, Erin Cristofoli, Gabrielle G, Heather Slade, Jami Davenport, Kat Mizura, Lydia Michaels, M.L Broome, Maddy Lowe, Michelle Windsor, Mimi Flood, Patricia D. Eddy, Pepper North, Remy Reigns, Samantha A. Cole, Zoe York.
We are so excited to share not only the stunning cover of Dreams Really Do: A Bomb-Ass Genie Wedding, but the blurb too! Read on for all book and preorder details!
Dreams Really Do: A Bomb-Ass Genie Wedding (Come True #3)
A dream is a wish your heart . . . definitely doesn’t need.
Recent college graduate Dolly Jones just wants to live a nice, quiet life with her ultra-hot, ultra-magical genie boyfriend. Is that too much to ask? Yes, because she’s still stuck tethered to the bad-boy brother, Velis is busy prepping for the coronation that will make him laird of the estate, and there are multiple evil sons of b*tches out there that want her dead. Not to mention she’s plagued with magical dreams now. Of a memory Arrik swears he didn’t take.
Velis and Arrik Reilhander were born to be rivals—one of them not full djinn, the other not a full person, both finding validation in a shared source of light. When Daddy Djinn’s return home to the manor sparks the escape of the oldest, nastiest triplet who wants Dolly’s head more than ever, Velis and Arrik will stop at nothing to make sure Dolly is safe. Forever. Even if for one of them, it means saying goodbye.
DREAMS REALLY DO: A BOMB-ASS GENIE WEDDING is the romantic, fantastic second-coming-of-age story of at least three flawed twenty-somethings from different realms battling their inner demons, and each other, one wish at a time.
★A jaded girl. A persistent genie. A contest of souls.★
Recent college graduate Dolly Jones has spent the last year stubbornly trying to atone for a mistake that cost her everything. She doesn’t go out, she doesn’t make new friends and she sure as hell doesn’t treat herself to things she hasn’t earned, but when her most recent thrift store purchase proves home to a hot, magical genie determined to draw out her darkest desires in exchange for a taste of her soul, Dolly’s restraint, and patience, will be put to the test.
Newbie genie Velis Reilhander will do anything to beat his older half-brothers in a soul-collecting contest that will determine the next heir to their family estate, even if it means coaxing desire out of the least palatable human he’s ever contracted. As a djinn from a ‘polluted’ bloodline, Velis knows what it’s like to work twice as hard as everyone else, and he won’t let anyone—not even Dolly f*cking Jones—stand in the way of his birthright. He just needs to figure out her heart’s greatest desire before his asshole brothers can get to her first.
COME TRUE: A BOMB-ASS GENIE ROMANCE is the romantic, fantastic second-coming-of-age story of two flawed twenty-somethings from different realms battling their inner demons, and each other, one wish at a time.
★Some villains have reasons for sticking to the shadows.★
Recent college graduate Dolly Jones has spent the last week shacked up with her genie boyfriend in a pompous fantasyland manor avoiding the three vengeful brothers determined to sully her relationship with the new Laird. The rest of the world may be against Velis Reilhander taking a human for a mate, but Dolly is committed to being the person on his side, at his side—her own anxieties be damned. But when a trip to the nymph realm doesn’t go as planned, Dolly’s newfound strength will be tested as she quickly learns there are more secrets surrounding the Reilhander legacy than even Velis knows.
Veteran genie Arrik Reilhander will do anything to make himself feel better, anything. Even if it means jumping into someone else’s story. Especially if it means jumping into someone else’s story. And as for Dolly f*cking Jones . . .
GRANTED: A BOMB-ASS GENIE SEQUEL is the romantic, fantastic second-coming-of-age story of three flawed twenty-somethings from different realms battling their inner demons, and each other, one wish at a time.
About the Author
Brindi Quinn is a fangirling fantasy author from Minnesota specializing in world-building and romance. She is an advocate of quirky love and firmly believes that banter makes the heart grow fonder. Her main ingredients for a great read are spice, sparkle, and SWOON.
Since 2011, Brindi has written over a dozen young adult and new adult novels beginning with her debut epic fantasy series, Heart of Farellah. Her works often blur the lines between paranormal romance, science fiction, and fantasy, and her series have been hailed as unique, addictive reads by reviewers.
Brindi is an IT Project Manager by day and has a bachelor’s in communication-based studies from Southern New Hampshire University. She lives in suburban Minnesota where she likes to bike, indulge in video game lore, and spend time with her life partner, Kent, the world’s cutest pup, Burton, and the fluffle of cantankerous rabbits that hop around her house.
Jabel came for the hot Earth girls. So what if they only have two eyes and no tails. Earth girls are easy, right?
Libby did not come looking for love. In fact, she didn’t even come to get laid. Sex can be interesting when you’re a transgendered woman, and the last thing she wanted to do was risk her body or her mind.
A one night stand is just what they both needed, but then there are assassins and sword fights, and kidnappings…
Joklim was a mighty warrior, and it showed in his every word and deed. He now stood overlooking the one egg in the hatchery, his gold eyes keen on the electronic readouts that showed this new egg’s development.
“Sponsor,” Jabel announced, leery of walking up behind the older warrior without making his presence known. He had done that once and, even with his enhanced reflexes, he could not dodge the instinctive blow that nearly knocked him out.
“Ha, Jabel.” Joklim turned, and the scarred visage of his Sponsor made Jabel want to stand at attention as he was taught in academy. “How fare you this glorious day?”
“I do well, Sponsor. My Preserver is more than pleased with my progress and now has several offers of Preservership.”
“Ka.” Joklim snorted, rolling all three of his eyes. It was a strange human concept that he had taken to before his own Corps service and had yet to stop. “Preservership does not make the warrior. It is the combination of lines that create the male, the tutorage of his Advocate and Sponsor that gives him his heart, and the training and knowledge of the Preserver that settles it all into place.”
“Still, my Preserver has a lot of offers.”
“Which he will turn down.” Joklim spoke with confidence. “He has already laid claim to this newest hatching. I think he wants to prove the rearing of you was not a fluke.”
“Indeed.” Jabel chuckled. “If he managed to create more of me, I am not sure if the Imperium would be satisfied or horrified.”
“A little of each.” Joklim laughed, tossing his head back, his long black hair flowing down his back in its warrior braid. “But it is a new tradition that will keep them from growing stagnant.”
Jabel thought of the many punishments he had endured because of his stubborn nature and insubordination, but none of his trainers found fault with his skills. He was nearly undefeated, his one loss coming after several hours of hand-to-hand combat at the hands of his trainers early on in his training.
“I am going to Earth Con,” he informed him, watching as Joklim’s smile grew. “I intend to be there for the week-long event in the town known as Philly.”
“I assume there will be much debauchery?”
“You assume correctly.”
“Sex? Consuming of human spirits? Sex?”
“Yes.”
“Take note that I said sex twice, Jabel. I am quite sure you can do my legacy proud.”
“I intend to.”
“Very good.” Joklim took his pleasure almost as seriously as he took his warfare. “If there are problems, an old ally of mine is stationed on earth. Mikhale Fas-something or the other.” Joklim nibbled on his bottom lip, and Jabel felt a flush of pleasure when he realized how like his Sponsor he looked.
They both possessed the long black hair of the Amiret line as well as the tall, muscular form. The difference was in their complexions. Joklim was paler in skin coloration while Jabel was a creamy light brown, the combination of Advocate and Sponsor showing in his skin. They were both of a build, though Joklim’s handsome visage was marred by several battle scars that proved his experience in battling the Dark Ones.
“He knows of the people of Earth and their ways. If there is a need, he can assist you.”
“I thank you, Sponsor.”
Joklim reached out and pulled his first hatchling into his arms, and Jabel relaxed into the hold. He was no longer a youngling to court affection from his Sponsor, but nevertheless, he felt the love and regard his Sponsor held for him.
“Now off with you.” Joklim released him, holding him at arm’s length as he examined him from head to toe. “Have fun, youngling. All too soon, you will be facing the perils of war.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie is a USA Today Best Selling, multi published, multi award-winning author, Master Costumer, handicapped, wife and mother of two.
From sex-shifting, shape-shifting dragons to undersea worlds, sexually confused elemental Fey and homo-erotic mysteries, all the way to pastel-challenged urban sprites, Stephanie has done it all, and hopes to do more.
Stephanie is an orator on her favorite subjects of writing and world-building, a sometime teacher when you feed her enough tea and donuts, an anime nut, a costumer, and a frequent guest of various sci-fi and writing cons where she can be found leading panel discussions or researching varied legends and theories to improve her writing skills.
Stephanie is known for her love of the outrageous, strong female characters, believable worlds, male characters filled with depth, and multi-cultural stories that make the reader sit up and take notice.
Cadence Cranston needs a date. Not just any date, but a date that won’t mind her penchant for blood on the rocks and bat wings. Oh, and fangs… She has awesome fangs.
So Cadence, nighttime DJ and full figured vampire, decides to give online dating a try, but ParanormalMatesSociety.com isn’t just any old online date site. It’s strictly for the shifting community, which is copasetic with Cadence. So she puts up a profile and a picture of herself and jumps into the dating pool, feet first, to find she’s more bored than she was to begin with. Sticking to her own kind of shifter turns out to be kinda droll. Who said she can’t date a demon or a demi-god, for that matter? Or even a werewolf?
Browsing what the site has to offer in the way of “other” shifters, Cadence comes across a profile of a werewolf who’s to die for. Really, he’s that cute. The cute werewolf is Collin Grayson and his profile specifically states that he only wants to date other werewolves. But he’s soooo delish…
“5 Angels! NO ONE does erotic comedy like Dakota Cassidy… The title is fantastic, the tone of the book never varies, and the characters are perfect for each other, with a few exceptions that you’ll have to read to believe.”— Serena, Fallen Angel Reviews
“4.5 Ribbons! Together fire is an apt description of this couple’s interactions and love scenes. There is comedy throughout the entire plot and the characters never fail to bring out the laughs.”— from Angel at Romance Junkies
“Hey, all you Milwauuuukeeee night dwellers! This is CC, for the Nocturnal Journals, on B 105.5 FMMMMMMMM. Your lifeline to the nighttime. Call in and give me your views. Yep, I wanna hear them. The good and the oh-so-bad. Tonight’s topic — online dating. It’s the hottest thing in hooking up these days. Do ya think you can really find the match of your dreams in just one click? I wanna hear your story! Gimme a holler at CC-in-the-eve — that’s 224-684-3383. Talk to me, Milwaukee. I’ll be waaaaitiiiiing…”
Cadence Cranston clicked off her headset and swung her chair over to her computer while she waited for the commercial break to be over. Her topic tonight was inspired by her real life experiences, and she was curious to know how many people actually might be in the same sinking boat she was in.
The online dating Titanic-like sinking boat, that is.
Yes, Cadence Cranston, night time DJ and vampire, had joined an online date site to troll for guys. Not just any guys though. These men were of the paranormal persuasion and plentiful on Paranormal Mates Society.
Weeeeeeeee doggie — gazoodles of men to be had in every blessed paranormal category.
It was a new cyber haven, where hooking up with the mate of your dreams was finally a reality. Who knew a place like that even existed for her kind? It sure as hell made finding a date much easier on a vamp. There was no explanation involved if you wanted to hit the O negative for a little pick me up. It was refreshing and required far less hassle than dating a human.
However, this dating thing was becoming her favorite pastime as of late. The e-mail alone was enough to keep her amused for centuries on end. Cadence found herself glued to her computer every chance she got.
It couldn’t be healthy.
Nay, it was downright pathetic…
Ooooh, but look! More e-mail.
Yee and haw.
Cheerist, she was sickly addicted to this bullshit e-mail, sadly compelled to check it every free moment she could dredge up.
As if the man of her dreams was going to pop up, and she might miss it because she was fixing her lipstick in the powder room or something.
Clicking on the date site, Cadence perused her inbox and sighed with defeat. It was too bad that most of the men who contacted her were stupidheads.
So many whacktards, so little time.
To: Chunkybuttfunky@paranormalmatessociety.com From: Oncebitten2shy@paranormalmatessociety.com Subject: Dayum!
Dear CBF,
Wow, could I ever sink my teeth into you! Looks like you got plenty to sink into . How about we hook up and nail a herd of cows together?
Dave
Oh-my-God. A herd of cows? What kind of vampire sucked the blood out of cows anymore?
Cadence Cranston shuddered and then, for good measure, she shuddered again.
Fricken’ vampire Neanderthal, knuckle dragging, Angus beef, blood sucking dork… God, what had she been thinking when she’d joined this damn online dating site?
She’d been thinking of sharing her Happy Meal instead of eating it alone…
“Oh, the Internet is the hottest thing in dating,” her friend Pam had said. “You’ll love it. Tons of men to be had,” she’d boasted. “They even have a category for big and beautiful immortals and the like. You’ll get loads of e-mail and have the social life of Paris Hilton. Trust me.”
Cadence stared at the computer screen and flipped it the bird. She’d rather be dead than read one more flippin’ loser’s e-mail.
Oh, wait, she was dead.
Pam had been right. She did get lots of e-mail. It just so happened that for the most part, the e-mail was from psychotic nuts allowed Internet time for good behavior at the wacky farm. However, she was pleased to note that said psychos on the site rather liked her curves. She wasn’t ashamed to call herself big and beautiful, and she was damn proud of the junk in her trunk.
Sighing, she grabbed her mouse and clicked on the reply button. Someone had to tell Dave he was a freak…
To: Oncebitten2shy@paranormalmatessociety.com From: Chunkybuttfunky@paranormalmatessociety.com Subject: Re: Dayum
Dear fucktard,
Cadence shook her head. That was mean. Probably true, but still, really not very good cyber dating etiquette. Backspacing and deleting the “fucktard,” she began again.
Dear Dave,
Thanks for your response to my profile.
However, beef is not what’s for dinner.
Good luck in your search,
CBF
There, Cadence thought, buh-bye now.
Oy.
How could it be that there wasn’t a single vampire on this site that appealed to her? ParanormalMatesSociety.com was specifically designed for paranormals in today’s society. It wasn’t easy to be immortal, and finding someone to share that immortality with was harder still.
Yeah, everyone said her lifemate would pop up when she least expected him. However, Cadence was of the mind that until then, she needed to frost her Wheaties and for that, she had to find the Wheaties and some milk.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Dakota Cassidy lives for a good laugh in life and in her writing. In fact, she almost loves a good giggle as much as she loves hair products and that’s saying something.
Her goals in life are simple, (like really simple): banish the color yellow forever, create world peace via hot rollers and Aqua Net; and finally, nab every tiara in the land by competing in the Miss USA, Miss Universe, and Miss World pageants, then sweeping them in a stunning trifecta of much duct tape and Vaseline usage, all in just under one week. Oh, and write really fun books!
Dakota lives in Oregon with her dogs and has a husband who puts the heroes in her books to shame.
The problem with Wake was that he was understandable. He was the type of villain that literally scared the absolute shit out of you because you knew that under the right circumstances, you could end up exactly like him.
Which, sadly, was the case for me.
I’d done the exact same thing as Wake, and now I was a murderer just like him.
Did I know that I did wrong? Hell yes.
Did I regret that? Hell no.
Did I plan on changing a thing? Also, no.
Was I falling in love with a man that should scare the shit out of me? A resounding hell yes.
My review – 5 stars!
Dutch and Wake were so perfect together!
Strong female lead? Check!
Alpha male who protects the weak? Check!
Suspense? Check!
Sexiness? Check!
This book has it all… If you want a book that will have you cheering for the hero and heroine, wanting to reach into the pages to rip apart the evil villain, and gives you the happy ever after you crave, then you can’t go wrong with Nobody Cares Unless You’re Pretty.
Heart Set on You is the third novel in the steamy and addictive Bennett Family series!
He’s a Hollywood heartthrob – sexy, talented and a total player (I’ve read the tabloids). And me? I’m a small-town girl who knows better than to fall for America’s hottest bachelor.
That is, until an unforgettable chance encounter in the rain makes me re-think everything I thought I knew about Miles Bennett. Maybe he’s worth the risk after all.
It turns out there’s a lot more to Miles than the gossip rags let on. Yes, he’s drop dead gorgeous, but he’s also funny, sweet and thoughtful. And the really crazy part? He could have any A-list actress, but he wants me.
But despite a picture-perfect, whirlwind romance, the truth is our lives are still a world apart. His skyrocketing career means his home is in L.A. while my responsibility to my family is calling me back to the farm where I grew up.
Am I destined to lose the only man I’ve ever really wanted? I soon realize that taking a chance on love is the easy part. Holding on to it is a whole lot harder…
A small town, friends-to-lovers, full length romance featuring a swoon-worthy Hollywood heartthrob, a country girl with a past and a happily-ever-after.
Lily Miller writes sweet, sexy, contemporary romance about relatable couples with heroes and heroines who fall in love, stumble along the way, and ultimately find their HEA in the end. And there’s always steamy and swoon worthy scenes in between. She calls Vancouver, Canada home, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. In her free time, you can find Miller with a book in her hand on her boat in the sun.
Space is the last thing an event planner and an astronaut need in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.
When event planner Hallie Goodman receives party-inspiration material from the bride of her latest wedding project, the last thing she expects to find in the files are digital videos from Darcy’s ex-boyfriend. Hallie knows it’s wrong to keep watching these personal videos, but this guy is cute, funny, and an astronaut on the International Space Station to boot. She’s only human. And it’s not long until she starts sending e-mails and video diaries to his discontinued NASA address. Since they’re bouncing back, there’s no way anyone will ever be able to see them…right?
Christopher Ortiz is readjusting to life on earth and being constantly in the shadow of his deceased older brother. When a friend from NASA’s IT department forwards him the e-mails and video messages Hallie has sent, he can’t help but notice how much her sense of humor and pink hair make his heart race.
Separated by screens, Hallie and Chris are falling in love with each other, one transmission at a time. But can they make their star-crossed romance work when they each learn the other’s baggage?
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo!
Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She’s been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries. She resides in Scotland.
Tropes: Neighbors to Lovers, Alpha, Slow Burn Romance
Release Date: September 10, 2022
“Mr Gray Sweatpants was a romantic comedy that also was packed with emotion and heartfelt moments. This author never disappoints with the heat and the steam with the chemistry between Leo and Casey being like an inferno. These two made me laugh, cry and everything in between. A story that ticks every box and leaves you completely satisfied.”– Wiley Kate (Bookbub Review)
“Another touching, engaging story with many characters from the Single series if you’ve read and become a fan of them, and even if this is your first you’ll be captivated from beginning to end.” – Cheri ~Words Turn Me On (Goodreads Review)
“I opened this book and started with a smile, which turned into a giggle and developed into a laugh! It’s a slow burn romance with so much more in store.”– Sue Hancock (Goodreads Review)
“The storyline was so sweet, emotional and really steamy. I loved they way the author was able to make me care about the characters both the main characters but also the minor characters. I would love to see more stories within this world.”– Sarah Nielson (Bookbub Review)
Secrets, assuming, and an a$$hole cat that gives zero f*cks
A hot boy summer romantic-comedy. The boy next door, the girl with a million secrets and an a$$hole cat that cares about nobody. This book takes passing love notes in class to a whole new level. Guitar music on the beach, plenty of hardcore wooing and way too much assuming. And we all know what assuming does …
Casey Savage is a workaholic. During the summer she works two jobs and nearly seventy hours a week in order to save money for school. She has zero time for dating, boys, or being wooed. However, she’s also no fool and will willingly choose mind-blowing orgasms over sleep any day. Which is where Mr. Gray Sweatpants down the road comes in.
Leo Brandt is spending the summer fixing up his late grandmother’s house with the goal of it selling to turn a profit. The hottie up the block doesn’t seem to know he’s alive, but that doesn’t stop his fantasies from getting wild.
An a$$hole cat brings them together, and Leo’s determination to learn more about Casey than just what makes her reach climax the fastest, has Casey taking a hard step back.
Her past isn’t anybody’s business, least of all an itch-scratcher like Leo.
But try as she might, the sexy contractor is not just getting under her sheets, but he’s also getting under her skin and she finds herself falling for him. Dammit!
When Leo finally learns the truth about Casey and all the dirty secrets that she’s keeping will he still see her as more than just a hookup? Or will he sell the house as-is and not only get out of dodge but the neighborhood and Casey’s life completely?
“Casey,” he panted, breaking their kiss. “I’m trying to be good.”
“You are. Oh boy, you are. You’re sooooo good. You feel so good.” She rocked against him and moaned again.
His mouth fell to her neck, and he scraped his teeth along the side, seeing stars behind his closed eyelids as she slid the V of her legs along his hard shaft. He wasn’t going to last long. He was going to make a mess in his shorts if she kept moving the way she was, kept making those sexy little noises and pressing her tits toward his face.
“I’m willing to wait if it’s what you need, Leo,” she said, all breathless and sounding like she was hanging on by a thread. “But know that it’s not easy. I want nothing more than to feel all of you inside me. I can feel how big you are.” She slid her hand between them, and the heat from her palm felt like a brand against his cock, even through all the layers.
He growled. “Careful.”
“But don’t you just wonder how it would feel?” She ran her fingers up and down along his cock, driving him ever-loving mad with how badly he wanted to punch a hole through the khaki and fill her up properly.
“Every damn minute of the day,” he gritted out.
“How much of me do you need to know before we finally get to … give in to our basest desires?”
“So much more, baby. I want to know it all.” It took every ounce of willpower he had left not to push his hands down the front of her panties—since that was all that was between them, as she was wearing that sexy summer dress—and feel just how wet she was. He knew she was wet. He knew that when she climbed off him, there’d be a wet spot on the front of his shorts from where she was riding him. But he wanted to feel that wet heat on his fingertips, on his tongue, and wrapped around his cock.
“This feels so good.”
“So good,” he echoed.
“I’m close, Leo.”
Oh fuck. Yes.
He hadn’t heard the sweet melody of Casey coming in what felt like forever. Granted, it’d only been a little over a month since that night on his couch, but given the level of self-inflicted torture and sexual deprivation he felt, it could have been thirty years. Every moan, every mewl, every whimper made his dick throb against his khakis and his balls cinch up tight.
“Leo …” she said on a gasp.
“Casey, I want to get to—”
But his words were cut off at the knees when she grabbed him by the hair, lifted his head up and crushed her mouth to his. A second after her tongue surged forward into his mouth, she began to whimper and breathe heavily, the puffs from her nose hitting his upper lip.
She was coming.
Fuck him.
She was coming.
A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn’t end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it’s not quite wine o’clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.
A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, Whitley’s books have all the funny and fabulously filthy words you could hope for.
Lionel and Lucifer are drawn deeper into a murder case, but they are set on solving it together.
Just when Lionel’s love life has gone back to normal — normal meaning the kinky Devil making his ownership known — Lionel’s murder case gets stranger. Lionel’s birth father seems to have his hands in the mystery, and Lionel finds himself in the sights of Eris, goddess of discord.
Lucifer used to be a prime example of a powerful underworld deity with all the knowledge and skill to take care of a lover in the bedroom. But that was before Lucifer fell properly in love and won over his necromantic boyfriend, who also happens to be a demigod. Lionel’s innate magic, magical skill, and stubborn nature make it exceedingly difficult for Lucifer to be the alpha god he wants to be for Lionel.
Lucifer is set on finding a way to provide for the man he loves and to fulfill Lionel’s every desire. But before he can focus entirely on his necromancer, the two of them must solve the case, prevent primordial deities from being raised and destroying the world, and learn to communicate better. It’s what relationships and crime solving are all about.
The Devil’s body in front of mine, protecting me from a threat I didn’t quite understand, that was a new and uncomfortable feeling, and something I didn’t really care for. I tried getting a decent look at the deity that had teleported into Lucifer’s doorless office, but the Devil his own damn self kept pushing me back. It was so annoying when he was trying to be an alpha god.
“Will you cut it out, Beelzebug?” I grumbled, and Trony, in her pink tartan skirt and with her sword in hand, gave me an admiring look.
Nyx, the deity that had Lucifer so riled, chuckled and turned their milky, unseeing eyes on me. “You are a fierce one. Tiamat has said as much.”
And speak of the dragon mother, she appeared in the office as well, which was fine, apart from the fact that she wasn’t wearing any clothes. Awesome.
“What is going on here? Nyx, do you have to scare the children?” the dragon mother said and crossed her arms under her breasts. Not that I was paying any attention to her breasts, but it was sort of hard not to notice they existed. Why did all gods have trouble with clothing? Buttons and zippers really weren’t all that bad.
“Children?” Lucifer said and straightened before pulling me to his side and circling my waist with his arm in a proud <em>look, this is my boyfriend</em> kind of way. Apparently in his mind, the presence of the dragon mother lessened the threat level in his office.
“No one in this room was scared,” Metatron said and flashed her sword.
“What were you saying about Eris?” I asked the blind god… then realized looking at them wouldn’t be enough to cue them in on the fact I was speaking with them. “I mean, Nyx. You were saying about Eris?”
The sightless god turned to face me. “Eager as any human, aren’t you?” They smiled. “Or as the Devil dispensing deals.”
Tiamat clapped her hands. “If you have something to say about Eris, I am interested. I don’t appreciate her harassing poor, lovesick humans around the corner, but I think we can talk while also eating, can’t we?”
Metatron nodded. “I second that. The necromancer has been turning his nose up at my food since his return from Scotland, and he looks worse for wear.”
“I haven’t!” I said. “And I don’t! It’s just been a busy few days, and there were corpses.”
“Humans are quite frail and need regular nourishment, even those who are only partially so,” Nyx said, and they and the dragon mother nodded knowingly.
Lucifer glowered at the other god. “I know best what my boyfriend needs,” he said, but I could tell I was in for eating my breakfast out of the Devil’s hands while sitting in his lap.
* * *
Lucifer was indeed behaving like a total alpha god, and it reminded me that I should call Persephone and give her an update, but that would mean looking at my phone and seeing whatever social media was now making of the sharkomancer incident. Maybe I should still tell her about the minotaur… but what would I even tell her about that? It was confusing, the way I felt or should feel about Minos, and I was actually glad to be dealing with something else right about now.
The dragon mother, Nyx, and Lucifer and I teleported to the already set dining room table, and I tried to grab a chair, but Lucifer wouldn’t let me go. He pulled me close and tilted my chin up.
“How about I take you to Sephy’s and Hades’ place? It’s almost the weekend anyway, and you trained Marc Deacon well. I am sure he can handle things here while you relax a little,” Lucifer said. He was doing his best at looking charming, dashing, someone you didn’t want to say no to. His kitty-cat hair was catching the light just so.
In one word, he was a transparent, overprotective alpha god, and he was trying to lull me into damseling myself, or whatever you’d call it. “You are not benching me,” I said. “I will raise the minotaur, even if it’s –” If it was what? A way for me to get back at him? To make sure he was very and truly dead? I shook my head. “I’ll raise him. I can do my fucking job, whether you believe that or not, Beelzebug.”
Lucifer’s face soured, but then he kissed my forehead. “I know you can, my love, but you don’t have to.”
“What are you saying about raising the minotaur?” Tiamat said. She had put on a bathrobe, just a thin one that hugged her every curve and still revealed a lot, but it was better than nothing. Which was the alternative.
Lucifer hugged me close. “He was apparently murdered in his cell at the human prison not too long ago. Christine just called with the news.”
“The minotaur,” Nyx said, and I wiggled out of Lucifer’s hold and even managed to sit in my own chair instead of the Devil’s lap. My goals had shifted over the past few months, and today, this was an achievement, and I knew it. “He was a powerful human sorcerer,” the blind god went on. They used their cane to find a chair opposite the dragon mother. Lucifer moved his chair at the head of the table to the left, toward my own, until he was sitting right next to me.
“You knew him?” I asked. “How did you know the minotaur?”
Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them. Connect with Alexa on Facebook or Instagram, follow her on Twitter or TikTok, and subscribe to her newsletter!
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Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them. Connect with Alexa on Facebook or Instagram, follow her on Twitter or TikTok, and subscribe to her newsletter!