From bestselling Author Sapna Bhog comes a new romance series of friendship, loyalty and betrayal.
He never expected to run into her…
SHAURYA RAJPOOT is a man of many secrets. A sudden meeting with Myra Gupta changes the course of his life. Bound by a vow to his family, Shaurya keeps her at a distance…until she shatters all the barriers between them. Staying away from her soon becomes impossible, resisting her…unimaginable.
She wasn’t prepared for him…
After losing the only man she ever loved, MYRA GUPTA has gone through life barely living and merely surviving. But all that changes when she meets Shaurya Rajpoot. Fascinated and intrigued by him, Myra is drawn by his loyalty, silent strength and quiet reserve. She yearns to get to know him better. However his past, his family and their bitter history keeps getting in the way of them being together.
But when the past collides with the present and secrets are revealed, will love be enough? Or will one lie—the biggest deception of all—destroy Shaurya and Myra forever?
28 yo Myra Gupta lost the man she loved more than four years ago. Post that traumatic ordeal, she’s focused all her energy into her work as the head legal counsel for a huge company. Her work requires her to move cities and she does so with the single aim to begin her life afresh and to move beyond the past. But a chance meeting with a stranger at the airport, changes her life. Suddenly, Shaurya Rajpoot is everywhere she is.
Very soon, Myra is battling feelings for the only man who can possibly help her overcome her past and fall in love again.
Shaurya Rajpoot
A rising star in Dubai’s construction sector, Shaurya Rajpoot’s main goal in life is to protect his family from an old enemy. After being betrayed by the woman he loves, he never wanted anything permanent with another woman ever, until he bumps into Myra. She makes him feel again and soon Shaurya is fighting his growing attraction for the one woman who works for his family’s enemy.
Including her in his life is hard, keeping her away even harder. But with his family’s history and his past in the way of their happily ever after, Shaurya has to decide if he can take a risk and confide in Myra about everything.
About the Author:
Sapna Bhog is an author from India who writes contemporary and historical romance novels. As a self-proclaimed die-hard romantic, her books are filled with swoon-worthy heroes and feisty heroines who clash all the time, but do get their happy ever after. Sapna has always surrounded herself with books and when she is not writing she is reading. Originally from Dubai, she now lives in Western India with her husband, kids and a Siberian Husky. Sapna gave up a successful IT career and took a foray into writing and has never looked back since. Her favourite pastimes are reading, writing, traveling and shopping—not necessarily in that order. She loves to hear from readers.
Raven — I learned the hard way not to trust anyone. First the men who’d hurt me, and then my mother when she turned her back on me. I had no one. Was it any wonder I didn’t think I had a reason to keep living? A good Samaritan had other ideas, landing me in a psychiatric hospital. Too bad the guards were every bit as evil as those men I’d trusted.
I thought I’d die alone. Unwanted. Unloved. Forgotten. Until the Hades Abyss MC came to take me away. They claim my father sent them, except I’ve never met him. Don’t even know his name. I’d try to run, but what’s the point? Besides, there’s one man who makes me feel safe. Fox. It doesn’t matter that he’s older than me. When he holds me, I know nothing will ever hurt me again. I just didn’t count on losing my heart to him.
Fox — Breaker brought Hatchet’s daughter to the clubhouse, and the moment I looked into those vacant eyes, I knew she’d been badly broken. Some part of me wanted to fix her. Put the pieces back together. Watch her eyes light up and see her smile. She thinks she’s dirty, that no one will ever want her. She’s wrong. I want her. I even want the baby growing inside her.
Never thought I’d find the woman meant to be mine. Now that I’ve had Raven in my arms, chased away her nightmares, kissed her tears away, I know I can’t let her go. I’ll make her mine — the baby too — and I won’t let anyone stand in my way.
WARNING: Fox is part of the Hades Abyss MC series. Be warned there are adult situations and language, violence, darker themes that may trigger some readers like suicide and assault. Guaranteed Happily-Ever-After, no cheating, and no cliffhanger!
“Every now and then there comes a story that will rip your heart out and piece it back together. This is that story.” — 5 Stars from DreaFernandez, BookBub Review
“Absolutely gut wrenching. This story will haunt you for days to come.” — 5 Stars from nbenigno, BookBub Review
“Fox and Raven’s journey is a truly beautiful story with tons of love and the devotion they have for each other is second to none.” — 5 Stars from Gpowe, BookBub Review
“Wow, Fox got me all hot and bothered! He’s swoon worthy, sexy, sweet but most of all he’s a silver fox.” — 5 Stars from Fabiola, BookBub Review
Breaker stumbled back, his chest heaving with every breath. Fury etched his features, until he turned and saw me watching. The change happened so suddenly. Instead of being angry, I could only see sorrow in his gaze. Breaker held out a hand to me, blood splattered across his fingers. He moved slowly, as if trying to coax a feral animal closer.
“I’m here to help you, Raven. Your dad sent me.”
I blinked and shook my head. My dad? I had never met him, nor did I even know his name. Mom hadn’t shared it with me. Whenever I’d asked, she’d become tight-lipped and looked like she’d been sucking on lemons. My dad couldn’t have sent this man. Wouldn’t have. Had he known about me, surely he’d have been here sooner. Unless he hadn’t cared.
Breaker stopped and dropped his hand. “I know I’m a stranger. Your dad is with another club. The Reckless Kings MC. He goes by Hatchet. He didn’t know about you until today. The second he found out where you were and that your mom hadn’t aborted you like she claimed, he asked my club to come get you. Will you please come with me?”
I glanced at the guard and saw the hatred in his eyes when he looked at me. If I stayed, things would get worse. Even if I didn’t know Breaker, he couldn’t hurt me more. Unless he killed me, but death would only be a relief at this point. The way he’d attacked the guard led me to believe he wouldn’t force himself on me.
I reached out and took his hand, letting him pull me from the room. The nurse came running down the hall, Guard Larson on her heels. Whatever he saw in Breaker’s face made him pause.
“You can’t just leave with a patient,” Guard Larson said.
“The one your buddy was raping?”
Guard Larson audibly swallowed and glanced at me. I tightened my hold on Breaker’s hand, drawing his attention. I looked from him to the guard and back, hoping he’d understand. He seemed to, since his lips thinned, and he growled as he faced Guard Larson again.
“Or maybe I should say the patient you’ve both been raping?” Breaker asked.
The nurse gasped and stepped away from the guard. At least I knew for certain she hadn’t been in on it. She seemed too horrified for her reaction to be faked.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m walking out of here with Raven, and no one from this hospital and certainly not the law, will come looking for her. If they do, I’ll make sure any guards she fingers as her rapists will get the same treatment in the worst prison possible. Are we fucking clear?” Breaker asked.
The nurse nodded. “I’ll speak with her doctor tomorrow. She’ll need her medication. I swear I didn’t know what was going on.”
“Doesn’t matter. You aren’t exactly helping her out of the goodness of your heart now that you do know. Your ass is on the line, right? Since it happened right under your nose. I have a doctor who will see her. I don’t trust any of you fuckers.” Breaker led me past them, pausing to look back at Larson. “I find out either of you hurt the nurse to keep her quiet, and things won’t go well for you.”
He turned and kept going, out the secured door at the end of the hall. We made our way downstairs and into the night. I breathed deep. It had been so long since I’d been in the fresh air.
He led me over to a truck parked at the curb and opened the passenger door. Breaker took a step back, giving me space, and I hauled myself onto the seat. He reached in and buckled me before shutting the door and walking around to the driver’s side. When he turned the key, the engine rumbled to life and cool air blasted me from the vents.
“I’m taking you to the clubhouse. It may be loud and rowdy, and I have no idea what we’ll walk in on. I need you to know the women there aren’t forced to do anything. They come to the clubhouse to party, and they can leave whenever they want.” He gazed at me as he put the truck into gear. “No one will hurt you, Raven. Not on my watch.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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!
#aboutHangry: adjective—feeling irritable or irrationally angry as a result of being hungry. Sometimes, Crockett felt that in her soul.
And, of course, the one time that she’s being ‘irrationally angry’ would be the time that the hottest guy on the continent walked into her place of business dressed in prison orange.
She should’ve been afraid.
She should’ve taken one look at him and walked the other way.
But, she didn’t.
Crockett Archer, better known as a doormat extraordinaire, didn’t walk away from the people she knew needed her. She’d never been able to do it with a father that didn’t love her, and she wouldn’t be able to do it with a man that didn’t think he deserved a chance at love.
One look is all it takes for Zach Caruso to know that Crockett could be his.
All he would have to do is snap his fingers, and she’d fall right into the palm of his hand.
Which is why Zach turns around and walks far, far away.
He tries not to look back.
He tries to leave her be.
But then he sees how she’s treated by the people that are supposed to love her, and all cognitive thoughts seem to flee his rational brain.
One second, he’s running in the opposite direction. The next, he’s playing her knight in dingy armor.
Raven — I learned the hard way not to trust anyone. First the men who’d hurt me, and then my mother when she turned her back on me. I had no one. Was it any wonder I didn’t think I had a reason to keep living? A good Samaritan had other ideas, landing me in a psychiatric hospital. Too bad the guards were every bit as evil as those men I’d trusted.
I thought I’d die alone. Unwanted. Unloved. Forgotten. Until the Hades Abyss MC came to take me away. They claim my father sent them, except I’ve never met him. Don’t even know his name. I’d try to run, but what’s the point? Besides, there’s one man who makes me feel safe. Fox. It doesn’t matter that he’s older than me. When he holds me, I know nothing will ever hurt me again. I just didn’t count on losing my heart to him.
Fox — Breaker brought Hatchet’s daughter to the clubhouse, and the moment I looked into those vacant eyes, I knew she’d been badly broken. Some part of me wanted to fix her. Put the pieces back together. Watch her eyes light up and see her smile. She thinks she’s dirty, that no one will ever want her. She’s wrong. I want her. I even want the baby growing inside her.
Never thought I’d find the woman meant to be mine. Now that I’ve had Raven in my arms, chased away her nightmares, kissed her tears away, I know I can’t let her go. I’ll make her mine — the baby too — and I won’t let anyone stand in my way.
WARNING: Fox is part of the Hades Abyss MC series. Be warned there are adult situations and language, violence, darker themes that may trigger some readers like suicide and assault. Guaranteed Happily-Ever-After, no cheating, and no cliffhanger!
I felt the burn of a tear slip down my cheek and before I knew it, I was in Fox’s arms and sobbing. I hadn’t cried in so long. It felt satisfying and horrible at the same time.
“Surge, I need you and any other hackers to look into Balmoral. See what you can find so we can bury those fuckers,” Spider said. “Raven, I don’t have a place for you to live on your own. Breaker brought you here. Do you want to stay with him?”
I sniffled and looked up at Fox. A slight smile kicked up the corner of his lips and he ran his hand over my hair. “She can stay with me. I have an extra room.”
“That what you want, Raven?” Spider asked. “To stay with Fox?”
I nodded, not looking away from the first man to ever make me feel seen. Understood. My heart raced and I trembled, but it wasn’t from fear. Not this time. For once, I felt like things might be okay. I didn’t know the man they claimed was my father, but if they trusted him, I’d at least meet with him. Until then, I’d stay with Fox. I could feel it deep in my gut that he’d keep me safe. Possibly even from myself. I couldn’t promise the dark thoughts wouldn’t return. I might always have days where I wanted to end it all.
The thought of staying with Fox made me feel warmer inside. The shadows were still there, pressing in, but they were held at bay. If latching onto Fox would make things better, even a little, then I knew I needed to hold onto him.
“Oh my !! I’m stunned speechless!! Love displayed was emotional, intense, suspenseful and exciting! Thetta James takes you on an emotional Journey” – Review
“Love Displayed is not just a story about finding love. It’s about connections and friendship. Rebirth and finding yourself. It’s about empowerment and survival. Finding your voice and following your heart….” – Goodreads Reviewer
“Javi and April’s story was a slow burn, but once her fears were confronted, it turned explosive!” – Goodreads Reviewer
“Awestruck!!! Author Thetta James gives us an intense prologue from the beginning. Think Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, with an addicting love story behind the crimes, to include a crazed and obsessed psychopath!” – Goodreads Reviewer
April Young’s dark past makes her want nothing to do with men. Instead, she finds comfort in owning her own pleasure—even in public places.
It’s empowering and helps her forget.
What she didn’t count on was Javier Perez trying to force his way into her heart, claiming her in a way no man has.
Javier Perez is a loner. He’s always thought love is a distraction and makes you weak.
Until her.
April catches his eye, and his walls begin to crumble. Pulling her out of her past is one of the hardest missions he’s ever encountered, but he’s determined to prove to her that love conquers all.
***TRIGGER WARNING*** Love Displayed is an Erotic Suspense Novel with graphic sexual scenes that may offend some readers. This book contains sexually explicit language, adult themes, the use of sex toys/equipment, and descriptions of rape/violence. This book contains content that is not suitable for readers under the age of 18. Please read with caution.
1. Eres Todo en Mi’ (You’re My Everything) by Ana Gabriel
2. Dive by Usher
3. Sweetest Sin by Jessica Simpson
4. I Want to Spend my Lifetime Loving You by Marc Anthony & Tina Arena
5. Vision of Love by Mariah Carey
6. You Put a Move on my Heart by Tamia
7. Take my Breath Away by Berlin
8. Spanish Guitar by Toni Braxton
9. I Could Fall in Love by Selena
10. Any Time, Any Place by Janet Jackson
11. Not Afraid Anymore by Halsey
12. I’m Sure it’s You (The Wedding Song) by Sheléa
I’ve enjoyed books for as long as I can remember. Reading allows you to expand your mind and make you say, what if? Four years ago, I became a part of the Book World as a Blogger and The Erotic Book Review was born.
I love reading and listening to all genres, but I’m very drawn to Romance on the kinky side of things. I believe pursuing your passion brings out your creativity and allows endless possibilities to come forth. Taking a reader on a journey that forces them to crossover into your world is magic. My love for stories has inspired me to write and share my words. I hope readers enjoy them as much as I loved creating them.
I live in North Georgia and I’ve been married to the love of my life for almost 29 years. We’re parents of 5 adults and we have 9 grandchildren. We drive a Big Rig for a living and travel the entire US. When I’m not driving, I love writing, reading, and hanging out in my Private Playroom on FB. I love meeting new people and enjoy learning about other cultures. I love watching football and binge watching TV shows.
One quote I live by..”Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending” https://www.authorthettajames.com
Tired of everything that came with living. Not to the point where he was suicidal or anything, but tired enough that he just didn’t give a crap anymore.
He’d seen all the ugliness this world had to offer due to his job as a police officer for way too many damn years of his less than stellar life. After finding a way to sustain his spending habits that didn’t include having criminals point guns at his face, he quits without a backward glance.
Only, he just can’t step away from old habits.
Old habits that have to do with a beautiful young woman that makes his heart feel like it isn’t nearly as broken as it is.
Fran has experienced more than her fair share of crap. After an attack that nearly took her life, she stays hidden in her house, fearful that stepping out of her comfort zone will be the final nail in her coffin.
Then her sister forces her to face her fears, and she joins Madd CrossFit.
There, she meets the man that saved her life a year ago, and realizes rather quickly that he doesn’t even realize who he is to her.
He’s everything she ever thought a man should be and wants nothing to do with her.
Maybe she’ll have to give him a reason to look her way.
And damned if she doesn’t find a way to do it.
She didn’t plan on nearly getting killed for that to happen, though.
A dusty old journal led me to a forgotten town full of drowned love, sunken promises, and a stranger with familiar eyes and a rumbly voice that made my soul beg for more.
Drew’s dark eyes and warm, soft lips were like a memory of a place I’d never visited. They made me believe that our meeting had been set in the stars, as if Fate had schemed with Destiny and devised this elaborate plot to bring us together.
With each day I spent at Black Bird Resort, I learned more of Drew’s history. And the more I learned, the more I questioned.
Until I realized just how much the past could tear us apart.
I may not have been prepared for the journey fate had led me on, but no one was prepared for the reason why.
At the age of fourteen, Leddy Harper wrote her first book and never stopped. She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters. She published her first book to teach her children to go after what they want, love what they do and do it well, and to show them what it means to overcome their fears.
The devil is in the details, and the Lady of the Lake holds the clue.
Honey Blois is no stranger to pain. The lasting effects of an abusive childhood have made her life challenging, but it’s the ache of unrequited love she can no longer bear. When her confession goes unanswered, she has no choice but to fall out of love with her best friend.
Mathias Jørgensen is living a lie. The billionaire playboy buries the pain of loving the one woman he can’t have with flashy cars and bad decisions—until Honey’s letter comes to light. With renewed hope for the future, he vows to find his way back to the boy she fell in love with if it’s the last thing he does.
And it might be.
As the pair blurs the line between friends and lovers, his unscrupulous past demands a reckoning. To save the woman he loves from a watery grave, Mathias will have to remember every last detail of the life he’s desperate to forget.
I had dreamed of kissing my best friend for as long as I could remember. Now, here I was in the middle of the most romantic place in Plentiful, his lips pressed to mine and my heart pounding in my chest. Who was this man? Why was he kissing me? How had I missed how much he’d changed over the last year? Was my Mattie finely going to rise up and take control? I sighed again.
Mattie was kissing me.
Finally, my soul was connected with what it had needed for twenty years. Its mate.
His lips left mine slowly, and I waited. I waited to open my eyes and find out all of this was a dream. Instead, I opened them to the lake blue of his. I dropped my arms from around his neck and brought one hand to my lips in a haze of shock and lust.
“Why—why did you do that?” My voice shook from the array of emotions coursing through me. I was drowning in the love that swelled inside my heart for this man. I couldn’t catch my breath, and I wasn’t sure I ever would again.
He ran his thumb over my lips with tenderness and wonder. “Because I’ve been pretending that I haven’t wanted to for years.”
“And now you’re done pretending?” I was unsure of myself when I spoke, and I didn’t want to say too much before letting him explain.
“No,” he said with a dazed head shake. “Now I had to know if I was crazy.”
“You had to kiss me to know if you were crazy?” The thrumming of my heart paused in my chest while I waited for his answer.
His gaze darted away from mine while he put his thoughts together. The expression on his face and the stiffness of his spine told me he was looking for the right way to describe what he was feeling. “I guess curiosity is a better word.”
Anger filled me and overpowered the love I’d found just moments ago. I pushed myself up off the bench with purpose. “I’m thrilled to have appeased your curiosity then.” My voice and body shook from the soul-shattering pain of betrayal. “Don’t mistake me for one of your playthings, Mathias Jørgensen. You don’t get to use me to relieve an itch or as a gauge of how well you’re doing in the morality department.”
He opened his mouth, but I held up my hand. “I can’t, Mathias. No, you know what? You can’t. You can’t do this to me when you know how I feel about you. It’s not fair,” I whispered right before I disappeared into the trees, tears on my face and my life with him over.
I almost collapsed to one knee at the thought. Tears fell down my cheeks, and I wiped them away as I plowed on into a new life. I didn’t know where I was going to go or what I was going to do, but I did know it would no longer be with him. I might need someone to watch over me but allowing Mathias to be that someone was no longer possible. Not after that kiss. It was more than I’d ever dreamed it could be, and now the memory of it would break my heart over and over for the rest of my days.
Author Bio:
Katie Mettner writes small-town romantic tales, filled with epic love stories and happily-ever-afters. She proudly wears the title of ‘the only person to lose her leg after falling down the bunny hill’ and loves decorating her prosthetic with the latest fashion trends. She lives in Northern Wisconsin with her own happily-ever-after and three mini-mes. Katie has a massive addiction to coffee and Twitter, and a lessening aversion to Pinterest— now that she’s quit trying to make the things she pins.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take BDSM lessons? Wonder no more. I’ll tell you.
The Black Widow: All Calder wants when he infiltrates the local BDSM community is a clinical, unprejudiced view of the world of BDSM. He isn’t counting on Kelly.
The infamous Dominatrix, The Black Widow, accepts a passionate challenge from this man who won’t submit. Their journey of discovery will lead into the depths of both their souls where dominance and submission have no meaning. But Calder must keep his assignment secret, or risk the bite of the Black Widow.
Spinnerette: Dante comes to Black Widow for Domination lessons, but that doesn’t mean he only gets to watch.
“Hey, Calder, my man! Glad I caught you. Got a job I know you’re gonna love,” Ruben Grimes proclaimed, as he always did.
With a purely internal sigh, Calder said, “Yeah, yeah, Ruben. That’s what you said about the article I did for that parents’ magazine where I ended up on a Greyhound bus full of thirty screaming kids going to a theme park. My ears still haven’t recovered.” The article might have brought him money, but the cost to his nerves had hardly made it worth his while.
Still, he couldn’t help but like Ruben. The guy worked hard to find Calder steady jobs so he could pay the bills until his first novel sold. Calder had forgiven Ruben the day the check arrived. His disability pension didn’t cover enough, and he didn’t want to use Social Security. His pride wouldn’t let him until he had no other recourse.
“No, this time I’m positive it is right up your alley. That degree of yours is finally going to get some use. You hit the big time, my man! You may have hated that article in Parents Weekly, but your take on how theme parks can be healthy experiences caught the eye of an editor who happens to have kids.”
Ruben drew breath and launched into a spiel that actually had Calder grabbing a pen and notepad in a hurry. Calder couldn’t believe his ears. It was the big time, with a correspondingly huge payoff, if he could deliver. No deadline, and that alone was impressive. There was only one catch.
“No wonder they aren’t giving me a deadline date. Geez, Ruben, I don’t have a clue how to get involved in a BDSM society, much less penetrate its secrets,” Calder protested.
“That’s the trick, buddy. Look, an ex-cop with psych and sociology degrees has the best hope of getting in and writing that article. I sold you to them on this, and they agree. You gotta try. What have you got to lose?”
“My skin?” Calder suggested. “I have dire visions of losing precious flaps of epidermis I’d rather keep intact.”
“Tell you what, Calder. Do some research on the Web, read a couple of books on the subject, and get back to me.” Ruben disconnected, probably because he was afraid Calder would refuse.
Calder sighed, and opened up his browser.
A few hours, and more cups of coffee than his stomach could handle, later, Calder pushed back from his keyboard with a groan. His eyes burned, and his hand hurt from all the notes he’d made. The legal pad was full, and it had only been half-used when he’d started.
“Geeee-zus!” He rubbed his eyes. “This is like learning a whole fucking new language. Safe words, releases, equipment, and that’s just the start. Okay!” Calder pushed to his feet. “First things first. I’m going to make a monster sandwich, then I’m going to the library.”
The pickles had just hit the plate to complete a sandwich worthy of the Tower of Pisa when the cell rang for a second time. Ruben again.
“Pushy, aren’t you?” Calder said in lieu of a greeting. But he said it with a grin. “What, Mrs. Grimes wants another diamond or something that you call me twice in one day?” He bit into his sandwich.
Ruben chuckled. “I just figured you had enough time to log on and get intrigued. Was I right?”
Swallowing so he could laugh, Calder let loose a vulgar epithet. “Yeah, you got me. And I’m more than intrigued, you sneaky bastard. Though what the librarian is going to think when I ask for a book titled, Screw the Roses, Give Me the Thorns, I don’t know.” He contemplated the filthy looks he’d get as he swallowed another bite.
The snort over the phone was worthy of a thoroughbred. “You never can tell, bud. She might be a member of one of those clubs. It’s the quiet ones you gotta watch out for.”
“Ruben, you married a Broadway actress. You wouldn’t know quiet if it bit you in the ass.”
“So, can I say you accept?”
Calder finished his sandwich and let Ruben stew a minute. “Yeah, okay. Any way I can get an advance? This one may take some time.”
“Not likely, but I’ll see what I can do.” Ruben sounded thoughtful. “Tell you what. If you think it can happen this way, write me up a proposal and I’ll pitch it as a book as well as an article.”
“Deal.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Someone cursed Lena Austin with “may you have a life so full you’ll have many tales to tell your grandchildren.” Lena’s a “fallen” society wench with a checkered past. She’s been a licensed minister, hairdresser, Realtor, radio DJ, exotic dancer, telephone service tech, live-steel medievalist swordswoman, BDSM Mistress, and investment property manager. Not necessarily in that order. She never finished that degree in marine archaeology, but did learn to scuba — she’s got a lifetime of “Research material!”
Hey, why waste these stories on kids who won’t listen anyway? Writing them down is a nice way to spend her retirement. What? You expected an ex-BDSM Mistress to take up crocheting or something?
Wrath: When El Diablo sends me to infiltrate the DA’s office and find out who’s involved in the corruption there, I’m all over it. Being a lawyer, I’m singularly suited to El Diablo’s purpose, and I know the system inside and out. I am also adept at blending in, even with my muscles and tatts. We’ve known since Justice from Salvation’s Bane took a prison sentence he didn’t deserve that someone from the DA’s office was in the back pocket of the wrong people. Those wrong people are in the form of a rival MC who rule their territory with an iron fist and are trying to encroach on Salvation’s Bane as well as Black Reign.
Then I meet a sexy little platinum-haired escort and all bets are off. I’m attracted to her like I’ve never been to another woman, and it’s messing with the Zen-like calm I’m famous for. If I can’t pull myself together enough to complete this job, I’ll fail my club and, more importantly, my mentor, the club president, El Diablo. That’s something even this unholy attraction can’t cause. But what’s a man to do when all that stands in the way of the happiness of a sexy single mom and her feisty but vulnerable daughter is club business, and a few Saint Bernard puppies?
Celeste: I’m in a financial jam of the worst kind. I need to make enough money to pay for my daughter Holly’s medical bills. The sheer volume of money I need is overwhelming. Working doesn’t touch it, and no one wants to hire me full-time because of the cost of insurance. The only way to finish Holly’s leukemia treatments is for me to keep up the payments to the hospital and clinic. If I can’t, then Holly’s chances of remission may only be a lost dream. Out of options, I accept an offer to be an escort. Not only that, but I soon find myself working for a motorcycle club as a “cam girl,” doing live sex shows. Glamorous? Not at all. But it’s more money than I can make working three jobs. Imagine my surprise when the man who paid for my services as an escort turns up in the control room of my first cam show. He’s sexy as sin, and much more than he appears to be. He’s also got me completely under his spell. Which sucks because he’s quite possibly the rudest jackass I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.
“I think you’ll like corporate law, Vincent.” The man currently schmoozing up to me was a weasel. If I could have my way, I’d’ve tossed the fucker off the balcony of the huge suite the firm of Lawson, Hughsman, and Gray had procured. The firm was having a little romancing session at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Springs for several lawyers they were considering bringing into their fold. Including me. I was supposed to be scoping out Nathaniel Lawson, the son of the founding member of the firm. He was the personal attorney of the new District Attorney in the city. He was the man responsible for keeping away lawsuits and criminal investigations into anything Harold Collins might be threatened with so the DA’s office at looked clean and untarnished. This guy, Stewart Gray, was a pompous windbag and as big a scumbag as everyone else in that fucking firm. And the fucking DA’s office. I hated all of them. But I couldn’t show it.
“Perhaps,” I replied vaguely. “As long as it makes me money.”
“Oh, there’s plenty of money to be had,” Gray chuckled. “Join us. We heard about your work taking down the former DA, William Barrison. Who knew the son of a bitch was so corrupt? Hid it for more than a decade, but you brought him out into the open. Thanks to you, the city is a much safer place.”
“I live to serve.” I grinned slightly. “As long as it makes me money.”
We both laughed.
This was a bust. Nathaniel Lawson was on his best behavior, other than the high-end call girls and even higher-end drugs at the party. They were considering five other prospective partners. Only one of them would get the spot in the firm, and I was beginning to think this whole angle was a bust. I just wanted to get out, get with Black Reign, and rethink this whole setup. We needed a different approach.
“Well, my friend,” Gray continued. “If you want to make money, I guarantee you, you’ve come to the right place. Lawson, Hughsman, and Gray can make you a lot of money.” He emphasized “a lot” and gave me a knowing look. “With money comes power. With power comes perks.” He gestured toward a long table with pretty much any kind of quality drug or liquor a man could want. There were Cuban cigars, Legacy rum, some kind of expensive absinthe, and, of course, heroin, cocaine, and various other mind-altering substances.
As if that whole line had been a setup, a door opened just beyond the well-stocked table and several very beautiful, very sophisticated women entered. “See what I mean?” Gray looked positively gleeful, actually rubbing his hands together as he eyed each woman like a kid in a candy store. “Yours to enjoy, Vincent. Take your pick. There’s nothing they won’t do. Live out your nastiest fantasies with as many of them as you like for as long as you like.” He clapped my shoulder. “These are just a very few of the perks you can enjoy as one of us.”
Normally, I’d have smiled politely and passed, but one woman caught my eye in a huge way. She was ethereal in her beauty. Long, platinum-blonde hair, flawlessly pale skin. She’d dressed in red, naturally. Some skimpy little number I couldn’t even register. All I saw was the woman. Short and slight, she had rounded hips but was very slender. Her legs were perfectly formed. Just the right amount of muscle to grip a man tight during sex. She looked out of place among the other women. It wasn’t something I could put my finger on, but she just didn’t fit.
Nervous. She looked nervous. Where the other women smiled and sought out a partner, this girl seemed unsure of herself. She smiled politely when she had to, but she didn’t have that shark-like quality the others did. If she was looking for the wealthiest man of the bunch — and when did an escort not do that? — she wasn’t doing a good job. In fact, she seemed to avoid eye contact whenever she could. Lord knew more than one of the men in the room tried to get her attention. She was easily the most beautiful woman in that room. Instead, she wandered around, looking at the artwork on the walls. She avoided the table with the alcohol and drugs.
My very first thought the second I could see her from head to toe was that if I fucked her the way I wanted, I might break her delicate frame. My next thought was, “I can be gentle.” It was a Goddamned lie, but I told myself that anyway.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erotic romance author by night, emergency room tech/clerk by day, Marteeka Karland works really hard to drive everyone in her life completely and totally nuts. She has been creating stories from her warped imagination since she was in the third grade. Her love of writing blossomed throughout her teenage years until it developed into the totally unorthodox and irreverent style her English teachers tried so hard to rid her of.
