Saturday, February 27, 2016

Cover Reveal - Curvy by Alexa Riley


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Release Day is Tuesday March 1st, but you can add it to your goodreads shelf now.


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The first time Flynn Long sees her, she's lying on a bed in lingerie. The picture is soft, just like her curves, and instantly he's obsessed.

Cali Carr is at the end of her full-figure modeling career when she's hired for a new campaign. But when the owner of the company steps out of the shadows and starts calling the shots, a job is the last thing it feels like.

Love at first sight isn't supposed to be real. One touch isn't supposed to ignite so much. A single picture isn't supposed to drive a man insane. But luckily for us it's happening in Curvy!

Warning: Over the top isn't strong enough for what this short story is. It's velvety sweetness coated in insta-love cheese, and it's waiting for you to take a bite.










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Chapter 1 *Flynn*
“You told me you had this under control. That was the only reason I agreed to invest in a women’s lingerie line.”
I look down at the sales charts of Curved Intimates, a company we invested in over six months ago. It’s bleeding money, and I’m close to just scrapping the whole project and be done with the headache. I have enough on my plate as it is.
When you invest in as many things as Breakstone Corp does, you can’t be surprised when not all of them work out. But I had agreed with Mark when he brought this proposal to me. It was supposed to be the next Victoria’s Secret. The pitch was good and the women’s market wasn’t one we had worked our way into yet. Mark said it was something he really wanted to take on, so we went for it.
I know shit about fashion. I pay someone to shop for me and pick out my clothes. I know even less about women’s undergarments. Fuck, I can’t even remember the last time I saw a real woman in her underwear.
I run my hands over my face, trying to relieve some of the tension headache that’s starting to build. It’s already six o’clock and it looks like I’m going to be here another four hours at least.
“Lynn from marketing is waiting outside. She seems to think she’s come up with something.” Mark shifts uncomfortably, probably scared I’m going to fire him. But this is the first time he’s ever missed the mark like this before. He’s eager and good at his job, but if I had a wife and three kids, I’d probably worry if I fucked up, too. You can’t win them all, and I can’t fault him for wanting to try to branch us out to something new. It showed enthusiasm, and it’s the very reason I’d hired him
I flip through the last marketing ads in the folder again. They look standard, but there’s nothing special about the pictures, nothing that draws attention. They look like every other ad for women’s underwear you’ve ever seen. There’s no clear branding and nothing that stands out about this line.
“I hope it’s better than this shit.” I toss the folder back across the desk at him.
“I’ve been working with marketing. They have a few ideas I really like and—”
I cut him off. I want to get this show on the road. “Mark, calm down. I’m not going to fire you over this. We’ll hear marketing’s ideas, and we either do them or we drop the whole fucking thing.”
Mark nods before heading over towards the door, letting Lynn into my office. She shuffles over to my desk clutching a pile of binders so high I can’t even see her face. The stack almost looks bigger than her. I’m not sure how she’s made it all the way up here with them.
“Sir, can I get you or anyone else a drink?” Sally, my assistant, asks as she stands in the doorway to my office. I know the only reason she’s offering is because other people are in here. She stopped getting me my coffee years ago, telling me she didn’t have a degree in business so she could waste it on fetching coffee. She’s an expensive pain in the ass I couldn’t live without. Luckily for me, her kids are off in college and her husband doesn’t seem to mind the long hours I often need her to work. I have a feeling she’s made me dependent on her on purpose. There’s no way I could fire her or her smart mouth.
“I’m good, Sally.” I look to Lynn and Mark, who both say, “No, thanks,” before Lynn goes back to trying to get her binders in the order she likes. One falls off the top, landing open, making my whole body go still at the image.
The woman in the photo is lying on a bed, her legs in the air and crossed at the ankles. She has on fishnet stockings that lead up her legs to her thick thighs. She’s wearing high-waisted black underwear that shows off her wide hips, giving her an old-school pinup feel, and a sexy bra that barely contains her full breasts, the material just covering the essentials. Every part of her is thick and luscious. All the blood in my body flows to my dick. I’ve never had a reaction like this to a woman. I’m too old to get a fucking hard-on from seeing a woman in a picture. She’s not even naked. Just the sight of her in her underwear has me nearly bursting in my slacks.
I see Mark out of the corner of my eye as he takes a step towards my desk to see what’s caught my attention. I slam the binder closed, not wanting him to see her. Possessiveness flows through me, and I look at Lynn, who’s still going through the binders. When I look at Mark, he has his eyebrows raised in question.
I pick the binder up and open it to show Lynn. When Mark takes another step to see what I’m showing her, I can’t hold back.
“Don’t,” I bite out, making him pause, the confusion on his face growing. “Who is this?” I demand, needing more information on her. Anything.
“Oh. Just an idea I was thinking about. Going a little old school with some of the looks and appealing to all body types.”
“Her name?” I push, and she reaches for the binder. I pull it back, not wanting it taken from me. Almost like a toddler with his favorite toy.
“If you flip a few pages, it should be in the front. Before her pictures start,” she says, seeing that I’m not going to give her back the binder.
I turn the book around to me and hurriedly flip through the pages until I get to the front.
Cali Carr.
Measurements: 40”/32”/48” (Bust/Waist/Hips)
Dress size: 14 Shoe Size: 8
I turn the page, hoping there’s another picture of her. The one on the bed made it hard to see her face. I flip to the next page, and I literally have to sit down in my chair. She’s smirking in the picture. Her full lips are just as lush as the rest of her. Her skin is flawless, a creamy white making the little freckles that sprinkle her upturned button nose even more noticeable.
But what really got me are her stunning eyes. They’re a deep green like nothing I’ve never seen before. In contrast with her red hair, they are unmissable.
“Sir,” I hear Lynn say, and I look up at her. I have no idea how long I’ve been staring at the picture.
“I want her.”
“Okay. I’ll put her on the list. I have a few more for you to look at.”
She tries to hand me another binder, but I have no desire to look at pictures of other women. What would be the point? They’d all pale in comparison. I’ve just seen perfection and I know nothing could beat it.
“No. I’ll leave it to you and Mark to handpick the rest of the girls for the shoot.” I stand up from my chair.
“Or course, sir. We’ll get it all worked out.”
“The shoot will be next week,” I tell them. I want to see her as soon as possible.
“I don’t think—”
“It will be next weekend. If the model’s photographer or something can’t make it, book someone else. But she,” I hold up the binder with her picture in it, “better be there. I don’t care what it costs.”
Standing up, I hold the binder in front of my crotch to hide my erection. I click the intercom.
“Sally, can you call my driver? I’m going down,” I inform her.
“Leaving already?” I can hear the shock in her voice.
“Yes.” I release the button. “Feel free to use my office until you’re done. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mark.” I head for the door with the binder still in front of me, hiding my very prominent arousal. I stop before I exit. “Send me any and all information you have on her, Lynn.”
“You’ll have it this evening,” she says, looking at me with big eyes.
I nod before exiting my office. I had better things to do tonight than spend it in my office. I have a binder half-full of pictures of my Cali.








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Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.
They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!
Author Links


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Rendered Speechless by Marilyn Faith


Cover Reveal

Rendered Speechless
by 
Marilyn Faith


 SYNOPSIS  



River Callahan loves sex, never caring who he sleeps with. He's good at it and uses it to his advantage. Women fall into his bed like a moth to a flame and as long as they know the score, he's game. But things have changed. He wants the new barmaid at his usual hunting spot.


Raine Jagger is newly single and not looking to get entangled with the male species. After packing up and moving from her home in Durham to escape her cheating ex, she finally lands herself a job at a local bar in her new hometown. 
Unbeknownst to her, she has landed on the radar of River Callahan and he is 
not about to take ‘No’ for an answer. River is determined to have Raine, and he always gets what he wants…who he wants.


Day after day, Raine turns River down, determined to not be just another notch in his bedpost.  However, all his advances seem to be wearing her thin. With her mind saying one thing, and her body saying another, she finds herself wanting to know just what makes this sexy male the attraction of every woman in town.


With sexual tension circulating around these two, will they both give in to what their bodies are telling them or will Raine fight it to end? River is up for the challenge. And boy what a challenge she is. She pushes him in all the right ways. But as things start to heat between the two, both of their pasts come back to haunt them, making it all too clear her hesitation to be with someone like him.
Can their affections towards each other survive the storm? Can Raine learn to trust River even though she’s faced with obstacles that suggest she shouldn’t?



 AUTHOR BIO

Marilyn Faith loves to watch movies, and goofing around with her husband, and three girls who keeps her on her toes. She’s never without a pen and paper to jot down her ideas and thoughts. Self-publishing has opened the doors for her lifelong dream of being a published author to become a reality. It helps her to bring life to the characters in her head, turning her passion for writing into a reality. Marilyn is the author of The Prince of Highland Park, and Bliss. Her hope is to captive her audience and continues to bring her stories to life. You can look forward to her upcoming novels.

AUTHOR LINKS 


Email Address: Marilynfaith1@yahoo.com
Goodread: Goodread.com/author/show/8285834.marilyn_faith
Instagram: marilynfaith1
Twitter: @AuthorMFaith

 

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Friday, February 26, 2016

release day blitz of HIS TO GUARD by Elizabeth Reyes.

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We're so excited to be celebrating the release of Elizabeth Reyes' HIS TO GUARD - Isaiah's story is finally here! Fall in love with the forbidden in HIS TO GUARD, available now!

 

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About HIS TO GUARD

Even if you've given up, it doesn't mean your heart ever does. With her life in danger, Raquel Santana had just begun to blend into the sleepy little town she'd escaped to, to start over. Now her father's non-negotiable plan to protect her could ruin everything. After adamantly refusing to have someone watch over her, she finally relents. Only nothing can prepare her for who arrives at her doorstep. Finding out the beautiful woman Isaiah Romero is assigned to guard is someone he has a sizzling past with—someone he's never been able to forget—should've been a good thing. But when that woman is someone who a)he'd never trust with his heart again and b)completely off limits to him forever now, his loyalties are tested. When the forbidden becomes His to Guard . . .restraint becomes a torment. Despite the attraction he's surprised he still feels for her and the inevitable sexual tension he knows he'll have to endure, Isaiah is adamant about one thing: even unwritten rules should never be broken—until they are. Author's note: Welcome to the Fate series! Each book in the bestselling series is a stand-alone love story following a new couple. There is no need to read the others to keep up with any of the stories. But you'll enjoy reading each title and seeing familiar faces make appearances.
Add it to your Goodreads list here!
HIS TO GUARD is available today:
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Get a Peek at HIS TO GUARD

Isaiah wasn’t even all the way down the back door steps when he nearly gave himself whiplash doing a double take. For a moment, he had the insane idea that maybe he’d done so much thinking of Kelli in the last month he was beginning to see her face where it wasn’t. It couldn’t be her. Why would she be here? He peered at her, still not a hundred percent sure it was her. Then she smiled as she said something to his sister Emi, who she was sitting next to. It was definitely her and his heartbeat sped up. He’d never forget that smile. It almost made him smile as well, but he still felt too stunned. Was it possible she was a friend of Emi’s? Or was Kelli here for him? Other possibilities raced through his mind as he took a couple more steps down the porch into his uncle’s backyard, where family and friends were gathered. She sat there continuing her chat with his sister. Just like everyone else in attendance, she appeared as laid back without a care in the world. Then their eyes met and locked, and her sitting up straight with a jolt said it all. She hadn’t come here for him. Kelli was as stunned to see him here as he was to see her. “Sai,” Nathan said breaking Isaiah from his thoughts. “I was beginning to wonder where you were.” Isaiah glanced at him, taking the beer Nathan handed him. Before he could ask about Kelli, his brother smiled big, turning in her direction. “Check this out.” He started in Kelli’s direction. “There’s someone here I want you to meet.” Isaiah followed him as the wheels in his head spun wildly. The tiniest of hopes that maybe she was there for him were squashed the moment their eyes had met. Kelli still hadn’t taken her eyes off him and Isaiah could feel in his gut this wasn’t going to be a happy reunion. He turned to his brother, who was smiling a bit too big, even as he brought his beer bottle to his lips. That’s when he noticed it. The twinkle in his brother’s eyes and how overdressed he was for Manny’s backyard shindig. It felt almost as if things slowed and they were walking in slow motion as he turned to back to Kelli. She, too, was a bit overdressed for a backyard gathering. Were they on a date? Overwhelmed with panic, Isaiah gulped. He felt too dazed to come up with even a single excuse why he might need to make a mad dash back into his uncles’ house and back out the front door so he could get the hell out of there. More than anything the pain was back and it was even more brutal now. Emi, who still sat with Kelli, leaned in and said something, motioning in Isaiah and Nathan’s direction. Kelli’s eyes widened in what appeared to be the same horror Isaiah was feeling. Emi very likely had just let Kelli in on who he was—Nathan’s brother. Obviously, she hadn’t had a clue whose brother she was now dating. Was it possible she might’ve been seeing Nathan before the weekend she spent with Isaiah just last month? Was that why, even after the unexpected amazing connection Isaiah thought they’d had, she’d blown him off like she had? Nathan rarely brought girls to meet the family, let alone small intimate gatherings like this one where even more extended family would be . . . unless he was finally serious about one. Fuck. What felt like the longest walk of his life finally came to an end when they reached her. Like a deer caught in headlights, Kelli continued to stare at him, appearing completely stunned. “Sai,” Nathan said with that same twinkle in his eye. “This is my girl, Kelli Santana.”

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About Elizabeth Reyes

Award winning, USA Today Bestselling Author, Elizabeth Reyes continues to answer her calling on a daily basis. Since releasing her debut novel FOREVER MINE (MORENO BROTHERS #1) in 2010 she has since published seven more in that series, FOREVER YOURS, SWEET SOFIE, WHEN YOU WERE MINE, ALWAYS BEEN MINE, ROMERO, MAKING YOU MINE, and TANGLED with more stories about the Moreno family and their friends to come. She's also published a second series, 5th Street which includes, NOAH, GIO, HECTOR, ABEL. FELIX. Her Moreno Brother's spinoff series FATE includes FATE, BREAKING BRANDON, SUSPICIOUS MINDS and AGAIN (Sydney's story). Her debut traditionally published title is DESERT HEAT and her latest release is her first ever three part romance serial DEFINING LOVE.
When she's not writing (which is rare) she spends as much time as she can with her husband of almost twenty-one years, two young adult children, her Great Dane, Dexter and big fat lazy cat named Tyson.

Innkeeper's Daughter by Dormaine G Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL
Inkeepers-Daughter

Book Title: Innkeeper's Daughter 
Author: Dormaine G. 
Genre: Romance 
Release Date: March 22, 2016 
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

book blurb
Sterling wanted to believe in his marriage; he wanted to believe that he had disappointed his wife for the last time. That might've been possible, if he hadn't met the young, beautiful and willing Hanna. This time however, he wasn't the aggressor. Yet as he allowed his heart to be captured, he knew that life would never be the same.

Sterling's trip to the mountains of Colorado leads him straight into the arms of Hanna, the Innkeeper's Daughter.
excerpt
I poured a glass of Samaroli rum and grabbed my dossier. I hadn't glanced at it since my arrival. I decided to relax on the deck and kick back on the lounge chair. As I faced the snow-coated mountains, I could not help but take in the magnificence. The scene was majestic, the sky was a midnight black with stars sprinkled about. The fragrance might've been labeled fresh-new country, if at all possible.

The deck was heated but the cool breeze that floated in mingled well, balancing the temperature. Admiring the view, I had to wonder why anyone would ever want to leave this place.

The Caribbean rum had started to take toll on me. I rested my head back and became a fixture in my environment.

There was a knock on the door. My stomach dropped; I knew exactly who it was. I didn’t yell for her to come in; she would anyway. I swiveled my chair around to watch her sashaying in through the moonlit suite.

She wore a simple, black one piece. It fit her impeccably. She didn't wear a bra to support her perky B-cup breasts as they barely bounced with each step. I imagined a thong underneath, barely covering her sacred area. She adorned red, five-inch stilettos with silver tips. Her hair was in a flirty, flyaway bun, looking every bit the runway model. She was stunning.

She stood in front of me, standing in between my legs.

What could I do? What could I say? Common sense told me one thing. My manhood told me another. I opened my mouth to speak, hoping for the right words. “You shouldn’t be here, Hanna.”

From my lips spewed one thing, even though I knew it was bull.
meet the author

Dormaine was born in Long Island, New York where she lived most of her life. As an adult she liked to travel out of the country though her favorite places to explore were her fantasy worlds as an author. She may be a nurse by profession but her heart has always belonged to writing. As a young child she spent many Saturdays in the library nurturing her love for books. There she discovered her fascination for the science fiction genre, through books, movies and graphic novels.

Now she resides in Colorado with her husband and two feisty dogs. After many years of working in hospitals and travel nursing she took time off to pursue a career in writing. Her first novel "Connor" is in one of her favorite genres, young adult urban fantasy. Her second love is for horror of which she created the "Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess" series. This is just the start of her exploration as she stays locked up her office in Colorado spinning more tales.
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Prologue Reveal for Jane Harvey-Berrick


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DANCE. Guns.

MUSIC. Bullets.

RHYTHM. Pain.


Music in my head, dance in my body, the rhythm of my heart.

How far can you fall in just one month? How quickly can the human spirit be broken? Where does evil hide in plain sight?

Ash wants to dance. Needs it. To leave behind a life of expectation and duty, to set his soul free.

But life is never that simple. Every step is a journey on a new road.

For every action, there is a reaction.

Every choice has a consequence.

And when you meet the wrong person, all bets are off.


Laney tolerates her limitations, pushing quietly at boundaries. But when Ash crashes into her world through rage and violence, it sets off a chain reaction that neither of them expected.



♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♫ ♪♫♪
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Prologue
Heat and noise.
The deep bass reverberated through the floor, through the table and chairs, the empty bottles on the table trembling as the music pulsed.
The dry, desert air was humid inside the sealed room, a room that never saw daylight.
The casino was alive 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Men and women with the bloodshot eyes of those who had been at the slot machines for too many hours were replaced with the young and young at heart who wanted to dance the night away, the sweat stains and smudged makeup hidden in the pockets of darkness among the strobing lights.
My friends were on the dance floor, lost in the music, rolling their hips, stroking the air above their heads with languid arms, grinding against each other to the determined, demanding music. I could see the eyes following their movements, the loose jaws, the wet lips.
A part of me envied them—the part that always envied people who could be so free, and if I’d loved them less, envy might have turned to resentment.
The reunion had been planned for eight months, and even though the timing had turned out to be a cosmic joke, I refused to miss out. Despite everything, it was good to see them. Old friends who had seen me at my best and worst.
I stared longingly at the bar, wishing that a Mimosa would materialize in front of me. But none of the scantily dressed waitresses even noticed me sitting by myself.
I was used to being alone. I worked from home and rarely saw the people I called colleagues, and that suited me just fine. But it’s one thing to choose to be by yourself; it’s completely different to be alone in a crowd.
I glanced back to the heaving dance floor, smiling as a cowboy with a large Stetson and no rhythm limbered up behind Vanessa, trying to attract her attention with his awkward but well-meaning gyrations.
My eyes skated away with embarrassment at his lumbering gait, and that’s when my gaze was drawn to another man. And this one caught and held my attention as surely as I caught and held my breath.
He was dressed in black, a snug shirt tucked into dress pants, an easy elegance that made him seem like a thoroughbred among carthorses.
His movements were sinuous with suggestive grace, one fluid action flowing into the next. His hips thrust and rolled, his long legs flexed and straightened, his arms moving rhythmically, fingers extended. He held himself erect, his chin dipping only slightly so his eyes could fix on his much shorter dance partner. Even from this distance I could see that he was focused, like a wild animal stalking his prey. His eyes were feline, too, slanting up slightly at the corners, emphasizing his sharp cheekbones.
His spiky dark hair was gelled at the front, but almost military at the back, showing off his long elegant neck and the broad muscles that writhed beneath his short-sleeved shirt, the shadow of a tattoo peeping out.
He was tall, and the black clothes he wore emphasized his slim silhouette. It was hard to tell his age, his unsmiling face clean shaven and intense, he could have been anything from twenty to thirty.
For a moment, he disappeared into the swirling mass, and I leaned forward to catch another glimpse.
The crowd parted and the illusive dancer reappeared. I saw his partner for the first time: a short, doughy woman with perspiration dripping down her face and too-tight dress.
They didn’t fit, the man and the woman. I sat back in my chair, watching, intrigued.
I suppose I’d spent a lot of time, on the sidelines. Life had made me an observer. So I’d made a study of male beauty in all its forms: the jock, the joker, the emo, the player, the hot and dangerous. I was a connoisseur, you might say, but only from a distance. Perhaps that made me a voyeur.
But this man—he was in a class of his own. I was mesmerized watching the strong, graceful lines he created, the perfect symmetry of his perfect body, his subtle strength and obvious talents. He was beautiful. And that made me sad.
His intense, serious gaze was utterly focused on his partner, and envy bubbled up inside me. I tried to push it away, but I couldn’t drag my eyes from the dancer. He rotated his hips, his body fluent and effortless, always in motion. The thought crossed my mind that if he fucked the way he danced, his partner was in for a night she’d never forget.
But then the woman’s steps faltered, and she edged her way from the dance floor, sucking in lungfuls of air, her fingers sinking into broad hips as she rested her hands.
The man followed, asking a question, and the woman shook her head, half laughing as she nervously backed away from him. When she retreated, he pressed closer, wrapping his long fingers around her wrist, his eyes narrowed.
I leaned forward again, then glanced around, wondering if anyone else had noticed the drama unfolding in front of me.
They seemed to be arguing, and the woman’s sweaty face was red and worried. But then the man held up his hands in surrender, releasing his prey.
I relaxed back into my chair, feeling almost as much relief as the short woman who was retreating in the direction of the bathroom.
The man stood, watching the woman leave, and I was surprised to see frustration on his face. Not disappointment, not annoyance. He wasn’t offended, his ego wasn’t dented. If anything, he seemed angry with himself.
It was odd. Nothing in their behavior hinted that they were close. It looked like a hookup, but why had he chosen someone who was so far below his own league?
It occurred to me that perhaps he was one of those men you read about in Vegas, a gigolo in all but name. It hurt my heart a little to think that such a beautiful man might use his perfect body in such a way. I didn’t want to be disappointed when everything else about him was just so … perfect.
The man ran his hands over his hair as he searched around the room, his eyes ticking off the women he saw, some internal checklist that remained hidden to all but him.
But then his eyes flickered to me, probably because I was still watching him, and a wide smile stretched his full lips. The smile, so totally unblemished from a distance, didn’t reach his eyes, and when he approached me, I was immediately on guard.
“Hi, I’m Ash. Are you by yourself?”
It was hard to be sure over the pounding music, but it sounded as if he had an accent. Something Eastern European, perhaps Russian? Polish?
I gave him a polite but closed smile, a cool smile that hid all warmth, a smile for slow servers and rude cab drivers. A smile for men I didn’t trust.
“No. I’m here with my friends.”
The man looked around him, then shrugged theatrically. “I don’t see them. Would you like to dance?”
And he held out his hand, obviously assuming that I would say yes.
I laughed.
“No, I’m not dancing.”
He frowned, his hand still suspended between us. “But you like to dance?”
I stopped laughing and stared, my gaze sinking into his, puzzled, annoyed.
“What makes you think I like to dance?”
He shrugged again and his hand fell to his side.
“You’re in a nightclub, and you’re not drinking. So you must be here to dance. Please, dance with me.”
He held out his hand again, but I shook my head impatiently. “Then go find someone who will dance with you.”
His eyes widened with surprise, and then he grinned as he leaned on the table, his perfect face inches from mine. “Maybe I want to dance with you.”
“Then you’ll be waiting a long time.”
He cocked his head to one side and I noticed a small beauty spot, shaped like a teardrop beneath his left eye—a perfect imperfection. Up close I could see that he was younger than I’d thought, younger than me perhaps, maybe early twenties. My eyes dropped to his lips and then to his throat. I could see a thin silver chain around his neck.
“I’m a good dancer,” he said, looking almost wounded at my continued refusal.
He wasn’t lying, but my anger, smoldering beneath the surface, ignited.
“I’m not dancing!”
“But everyone comes here to dance,” he insisted, his intense dark eyes so focused, it was unnerving.
“Not me,” I insisted.
He was making me anxious now and I glanced around for my friends.
“You’ll have a good time.”
“I don’t doubt it,” I snapped, losing patience. “Your last friend seemed to enjoy herself immensely.”
A dull red flooded his cheeks and he looked away.
His reaction surprised me. I’d hurt his feelings, but I wasn’t sure why.
“Maybe I’d like to dance with a pretty girl for a change,” he said softly, glancing up at me from beneath long dark lashes.
His intense stare and pleading eyes were hard to resist. Oh, he was good. Calling me ‘pretty’, pretending to be upset that I wouldn’t dance with him. But then I felt a little guilty, too. You can’t fake flushed cheeks. I would have guessed that it was simply the exertion from dancing, but when I met his gaze, his expression was almost desperate.
“You are missing out.”
My mouth tightened and the gates to my sympathy slammed shut.
“Laney, is this guy bothering you?”
I breathed a sigh of relief as Vanessa and Jo strode toward me, their lips pursed, eyes flashing dangerously.
Ash looked nervous, his glance flicking between my friends and the bouncers by the exit. He started backing away, his hands held out from his sides.
“I just asked her to dance, that’s all. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
Jo threw him a disbelieving look and stood with her hands on her hips.
“Do you want to go back to your room now?” Vanessa asked.
Suddenly feeling emotional and overwhelmed, I nodded silently as Jo continued to glare.
Vanessa walked behind my chair and handed me the pashmina that had been hanging on the back. Then she unlocked the brakes on my wheelchair and pushed me away from the table.
Ash’s mouth dropped open.
“Still think I’m pretty?” I asked, as my eyes filled with tears.






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For as long as I can remember, I wanted to write. Perhaps it was growing up in a village well known for its mystery and folklore, which sparked my imagination as a child.
I enjoy writing in several different genres, and I've just published my first romcom, 'Dazzled'.
All my books have a little me in them, and I'm inspired by the personal stories of those around me. It's often from a simple discussion overheard in the train ('Exposure'), in a café, or in the street, where ideas for characters or scenes come to me.
I fell in love with both Sam ('The New Samurai') and the eponymous Sebastian in 'The Education of Sebastian' and the sequel 'The Education of Caroline', and missed them desperately once I'd finished their stories. I love writing dialogue and always try to include touches of humour in the most poignant stories.
Whether you like adult romance novels, new or young adult writing, thrillers, or fantasy, I hope you'll enjoy the journey through my stories.
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