When she's not writing, you can find her chasing after three little boys, ignoring her laundry pile, pretending to work out, drinking large amounts of coffee, and consuming as many cinnamon rolls as possible.
Title: Mr. H.O.A.
Series: Fake It #1
Author: Carina Taylor
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Blurb
Bane Fox knows exactly what he wants in life: financial stability.
He does not want to be homeless.
He does not want to be the president of an HOA.
Itâs rather unfortunate he is both of those things.
Oh, and did I forget to mention he has a fake wife?
Yeah, thatâs me
Purchase Links
$2.99 for a limited time!
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
I started to pull away from Nola, but she stopped me with a hand on my waist. "Carol's still watching."
I didn't bother pointing out her lie. No one stood in Carolâs window, and Nola hadn't bothered to look over her shoulder to check.
I studied the face in front of me. Her fake smile had been replaced with a soft look as she gazed back into my eyes.
"Okay," I said with a smile. I wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her closer, our hips brushing against each other.
"How was the little wife's day at work?"
Nola arched a smooth brow. "Little wife? Hmm, I think you're going to have to pick something different."
"How about Mrs. HOA?"
She scrunched her face up as she thought about it. "No, I don't think so. I think I prefer 'Your Highness.'"
She screeched when I ran my fingers up the side of her ribs. She leapt back, smacking at my reaching hand, laughing loudly. "Stop that!"
I made one more half-hearted grab for her. She glared at me. "If you tickle me, I won't share my pizza!"
I held both hands in the air in surrender. "When you say pizza, you mean..."
She narrowed her eyes at me as she opened the minivan door. "I mean pepperoni and cheese."
I shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying."
She passed the pizza to me, shut the car door, then smacked my butt as she jogged by.
I really wished our relationship was real. Maybe it could be.
Author Bio
Carina Taylor writes zany romantic comedies that make you ugly laugh.
When she's not writing, you can find her chasing after three little boys, ignoring her laundry pile, pretending to work out, drinking large amounts of coffee, and consuming as many cinnamon rolls as possible.
Author Links
0 Comments
Title: Slip Up
Series: Taking Chances #3
Author: TC Matson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Blurb
Book three of Taking Chances, a standalone series.
What was supposed to be a fun birthday trip to Sin City, Ended up being a whole lot more than I bargained for. A night filled with drinks leads to an incredible, unforgettable one-night stand. With. A. Hot. Racecar. Driver. But the morning after, he disappears and I’m forced to leave with nothing but the memory of his kiss on my lips, an ache between my legs, and a friggin’ wedding ring on my finger. For months I try to find him while hoping he contacts me, But nothing but silence follows and I’m left alone and forgotten. Until out of the blue he shows up at my door, insisting what happened in Vegas is worth pursuing. We get lost in each other while his PR team handles everything else. And just when I think things can’t get any better, we get news that rocks us to our core. It promises us a future we never considered. Falling madly in love with my husband has never felt so great. That’s until tragedy hits and it destroys everything we’ve built. It wrecks me and sends me fleeing. But the man I married doesn’t give up so easily. He proves that nothing will stand in the way of us and shows that I’m his forever. Purchase Links $2.99 for a limited time! AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU Only available at the following retailers for a limited time B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS
Also Available
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
TC Matson loves to let her character’s voices be heard. With a head full of stories, she puts her keyboard through a beating daily. Matson sets her sights on writing stores relatable and real. And having an understanding that love isn’t always instant and full of flowers—her writing mirrors it. She isn’t afraid to push the envelope and touch bases of uncomfortable situation.
She’s a romance junkie at heart and an avid reader. Add those two together and she will devour books within hours, getting lost in the world the author creates. Matson resides in the peaceful Piedmont area of NC with her husband and two boys, where staying hopped up on caffeine is the key to her sanity. Chaos is indefinite and a sense of humor is an absolute must.
Author Links
Title: Their Will Be Done
Series: Sinners of Saint Amos #2
Author: Logan Fox
Genre: Dark Reverse Harem Bully Romance
Release Date: June 29, 2020
Blurb
I didn't just make a deal with the devil...I sold my soul to FOUR of them.
Trinity Who knew within days of arriving at Saint Amos I'd land myself on the Brotherhood's radar? Not me. Not them. Possibly not even the Universe herself. (Of course she's female - I've never met a man as ruthless as her) The Brotherhood tried to get rid of me. It didn't work. They tried to get me on their side. I demanded proof. I should be long gone. Instead, I can't seem to get enough of their black hearts and dark psyches. Now I have to prove them wrong. Settle their fractured souls. And maybe help them find their way back to the light. Except... They seem convinced I'll be the one who'll follow them... Straight into the depths of Hell. An #uncoventional love story with a #whychoose twist Contains strong language, violence, and sexual situations some may find triggering. This is the second book in the Sinners of Saint Amos series. Cannot be read as a standalone and ends in a cliffhanger. No cheating. HEA guaranteed.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Also Available
99c for a limited time!
(US & UK only)
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Coming Soon
Releasing July 20
Author Bio
Logan Fox writes deliciously dark and twisted books.
INGREDIENTS: Possessive, growly alphas. Feisty heroines. Kindle-melting steam
Author Links
Title: Before I Die
Author: Nikki Ash
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: All By Design
Release Date: July 9, 2020
Blurb
Things I want to do before I die:
Go to a club
Get drunk
Kiss a stranger
Iâm drowning. Trapped beneath my motherâs expectations. Suffocated by my religious upbringing.
My life has been full of well-crafted decisionsânone of them made by me.
On the outside I play by the rules, but on the inside... I have dreams. A list. A tattered scrap of paper tucked away from the world, only I know about.
Some items were easy to check off. Others, though, will require me to take a huge leap out of my comfort zone.
One night changes everything. While at the club for my birthday, so I could check off another item on my list, I did something I never imagined I would have the guts to do: I got drunk and kissed a stranger.
What I wasn't prepared for was how that one kiss would change the course of my life, making me realize life is more than a list to be checked off. Itâs about living in the moment so you donât miss the ones not on the listâthe ones you didnât even know you wanted.
Pre-order Links
$2.99 for a limited time!
Author Links
Title: Reverie
An Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone Series: Stonewood Brothers #2
Author: Shain Rose
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2020
Blurb
Vick
Ever austere, billionaire businessman, Jett Stonewood, refuses to even crack a smile while vacationing in paradise. Iâm determined to break him down by introducing some fun into his life.
If we have a bit too much by sleeping together, so be it.
The rude, overly practical man soon reveals that he can also be caringâthoughtful, and before long heâs the one wrecking me.
Heâs drawn me into a complex dream Iâll have to find a way to forget when we return home.
The problem: Jett acquired my company.
Heâs everywhere now, a constant reminder of the unattainable.
Jett
Victory Blakely needs a lesson in safety precautions. Not that she would follow it if our recent tumble in the sheets is any indication.
Sheâs too peppy... so naive itâs dangerous. Someone should break down her fortress of positivity, teach her that warnings arenât meant to be invitations.
The solution: Iâm the man for the job. Iâll Infiltrate myself into her life and let the disassembling begin.
The little pixie flutters around in reverie. Letâs see how well she flies when I reduce her fairytale bubble to dust.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
âOh, well, if the concern is about me screwing my boss on his desk, you can rest assured, Iâm fully capable of not doing that again.â
He narrowed his eyes. âYou know thatâs a lie.â
âIâm not lying. I donât need you between my legs. Especially if your handbook frowns upon it.â
He ran his tongue over his teeth and sucked on them as if sharpening the retort he was about to make. He pressed the privacy button on his desk and stalked toward me to grab my neck with one large hand. âIf my handbook flat out denied you of it, Iâd still be there because itâs where I belong. And you damn well know it.â
âThen, stop talking about it and prove it.â
Also Available
$1.99 for a limited time!
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Shain Rose is an author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She fights for love one word a time. Those happily ever afters can sometimes be a bitch to get to.
When she isn't writing, she's spending the days with her husband, daughter, son, and terrible cat. She and her husband drink way too much coffee, eat way too much candy, and laugh way too much. Life is good when the kids are behaving.
On the off chance sheâs not writing or spending time with family and friends, sheâs calling them to talk. And if no one answers, then she's reading and watching trashy TV.
Author Links
Title: Like You
Series: Redwood High #2
Author: Rachel Leigh
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2020
Blurb
Knox
Iâve got everything going for meâthe grades, the scholarship, the goals. Iâve had it all planned out for years. Then she came along. On the outside she has it all togetherâon the inside sheâs damaged goods. She needs me. I just have to decide if sheâs worth everything Iâm about to lose.
Claire
I came to this town to escape the claws of my past. A simple life in a small townâI just want to live under the radar and blend in. I was doing just that until Knox caught my eye. They say when you know, you knowâthat we canât help who we fall in love with. The rules are pretty simple, so why am I breaking them all? Iâm a teacher, and heâs my studentâthis canât end well. More than just rules are going to be broken. I just hope his heart can be mended when itâs all said and done.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
My heart is banging on the walls of my chest, as I stand here with my breasts and my ass hanging out of my silk nightgown. Knox watches me like heâs waiting for me to make a move and grab the blanket that lies at my feet. I look down at it, but Iâm frozen in place.
I force myself not to look up. Not to look over at the perfectly sculpted body that stands just a few feet away fromâmore so, the bulge thatâs growing in his boxers. I keep my head down, struggling to speak. âI...Iâm sorry, I thought the house would be empty. If I had known you were staying here...â
âDonât apologize,â he interrupts me. Walking over to my side, he bends over, reaching for the blanket. I can feel the burn of his eyes singe down my body, as he reaches for it, starting with my breasts and ending at my toes. He comes back up, and if my heavy breathing werenât a big enough sign of my pent-up sexual deprivation, my trembling legs are.
With one hand, he swings the blanket over my shoulders and the scent of whiskey and sweet cinnamon rolls off of him. I can tell heâs had enough liquor to intoxicate us both, as he stumbles to the side. I place a helping hand on him to catch his fall, as he slowly lowers down to a sitting position on the all-white sofa. âAre you alright?â
âIâm golden. Feeling pretty damn good right about now.â His bloodshot eyes fight to stay open.
âYou donât look so good. Let me get you some water.â I attempt to walk away, but his hand on my wrist has me frozen once again. I look down at his fingers wrapped around me and feel enamored by his touch.
Heâs a kid, Claire. Stop this.
Iâm not sure why Knox has this effect on me. Itâs like nothing Iâve ever felt before. Itâs so wrong, but everything about being near him feels so right. Heâs like a drug that I want to inhale, just to see how it makes me feel. It could destroy meâor, it can free me from myself.
He uses his grip on me to pull himself up. âKnox,â I mutter into the empty space between us.
He takes a step closer and leans in, his chest pressed against mine, as he whispers in my ear, âDonât go.â
Also Available
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Rachel Leigh resides in West Michigan and has three beautiful children with her husband of eleven years.
Rachel overuses emojis and lol. Coffee is her guilty pleasure, paired with a nice alpha hero romance novel. Writing is her passion. Her goal is to brighten at least one personâs day with the worlds she creates between the pages of her books.
Author Links
Title: Riding Wrong
Series: Steel Titans MC #2
Author: Franca Storm
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2020
Blurb
Cole Taylor is the top enforcer for the Steel Titans MC.
Their most loyal soldier.
Their go-to for dealing out pain, punishment and justice.
A formidable deterrent to enemies far and wide.
Turning rage into power makes him an unstoppable force.
Until heâs sent on a mission to HER.
Natasha âNightshadeâ Ireland.
A well-known troublemaker, hated by the club.
An old flame heâs never been able to forget.
A shocking revelation ups the stakes for them like never before.
Itâs time to take a stand.
Time to risk it all.
Time to put something ahead of the club.
Heâll wage a war to make it happen.
To protect her.
To claim her.
To finally bring her into his world.
Heâs not letting her go this time.
No matter the cost.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
âGoing somewhere, firecracker?â
I slapped my hand over my heart, trying to catch my breath and curb the wave of adrenaline shooting through me, as I looked up into the mesmerizing slate-gray eyes of Cole Taylor.
âFuck, Cole,â I choked. âCouldnât you have knocked?â
âSo you could hightail it out an alternate exit? I donât fucking think so.â
I went to reach for my bag, but he kicked it away across the carpet.
âCole, stop it!â I cried, rushing over to it.
His large hard grasped my wrist, stopping me. I tried to jerk free, but he was too strong. He leaned down, grasped my hips and dropped me in the middle of my queen-size bed. As I scrambled to right myself amongst the over-abundance of pillows arranged neatly on top of the purple silk sheets, he climbed on, crawling up my body until he straddled me. With barely any effort, he had me incapacitated, his big hands confining my wrists, his thighs trapping my legs.
âI hate you!â I screamed, bucking beneath him in a fit of frustration.
âIf only that was true. Itâd make things easier on both of us.â
I stilled. âIs that want you want?â
He squeezed his eyes shut.
When he opened them again, all I could see was pain. âDonât drag me down that road again, Tasha.â
How could I not? âIâm sick of being stuck in this⦠limbo.â I blew out a breath. âYou either want me, or you donât.â
His free hand slid deep into my thick, raven hair as he leaned in closer, his eyes boring into mine. âYou know how I feel about you. But, you also know that, after what you did, itâs made it impossible for me to bring you into my life, to make an official claim on you.â
âI explained things to you and you accepted it.â
He leaned in closer, his gaze drilling into mine. âSlade wants your help,â he said, blowing past my comment entirely. âThatâs why Iâm here.â
âI canât.â
âI havenât even relayed the details yet.â
I turned my head to the side. âYou made a wasted trip. I canât, no matter what it is.â
âWhat are you so afraid of, Tasha? Iâll protect you. You know that. Fuck, if you cooperate with him, Slade will protect you with everything at his disposal.â
âLike he was able to protect the love of his life?â I snapped vehemently, his comment about protecting me hitting a nerve. Didnât he get that it was the other way around? I was protecting him.
As usual, Cole snapped to Sladeâs defense immediately. âHe was utterly blindsided back then. Way younger and inexperienced. Heâs been through a lot, done a lot, since then. Heâs no fool. The guy knows his shit. No oneâs been able to come at him and live to tell the tale since.â
âToo little, too late,â I muttered.
His eyes narrowed, hating the dig at his almighty president, the disrespect I was demonstrating. Talk about an extreme case of hero worship. Slade Mitchell really could do no wrong in Coleâs eyes. The asshole had him wrapped around his little finger. And, damn, Cole Taylor was a hell of a formidable soldier to have at his side. His reputation was something else. He was as much revered as he was feared. I didnât doubt that Slade had been well aware of that when heâd brought him into the Steel Titans fold.
âFuck,â I groused. âJust get off me and get the hell out.â
He didnât move or give an inch.
âCole!â I cried, thrashing beneath him and trying to break his hold. It was useless. He was an impenetrable force. All power and hard muscle.
âStop moving,â he ground out.
I took him in. His jaw was tight, his body majorly tense. His expressive eyes were flashing in warning.
Oh.
Instead of doing what he asked, I ran with the opportunity he was unwittingly offering up, making the decision to poke the proverbial bear, rather than to sate it. I had to get him off me. I had to get him out of here.
I held his heated gaze as I undulated beneath him. His breath hitched as my pussy rubbed against his dick. His rock-hard dick.
âTasha,â he cautioned.
I grinned.
And then I played to his weakness, sweeping my tongue over my top lip, slow and sensual.
âFuck,â he groused.
My plan to push him far enough so that heâd bolt away backfired spectacularly when his mouth crashed against mine.
I choked from the sheer ferocity of it.
His hands left my arms and sank into the depths of my thick hair, grabbing fistfuls of it.
He tugged it roughly as he ground against me, grunting and rutting like an animal and delivering a hard, punishing kiss.
I was so overcome by the explosion of intensity, that I lost myself to it for a good few moments, my good sense leaving me when I needed it the most.
Against every protest from my body, I managed to get a hold of myself, pressing my hand to Coleâs chest and easing him back enough to break our kiss. âThis is a bad idea.â
He scoffed. âBad idea?â He licked my neck, making me moan out at the delicious feel of his hot tongue teasing my skin. âThatâs what weâre all about, firecracker.â
God, itâd been weeks since Iâd held him against me, weeks since his talented hands and mouth had tended to my body, weeks since his impressive cock had satiated me in the way only he could. I wanted him so badly. I craved that connection with him. I was desperate to lose myself in him, to forget that it could never really be, that we could never really be. It was a fantasy of another life, for versions of us that werenât caught up in our twisted worlds, worlds that couldnât reconcile one another.
He was right. We were a bad idea. When we came together, when we were wrapped up in one another, consumed by our hunger for each other, it always felt so right. But to the outside world, we were⦠wrong. We didnât belong.
And I didnât want that anymore. I didnât want to be his dirty little secret.
Also Available
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Succumb to a Bad Boy.
Franca writes stories about bad-boy alpha males and the tough women who turn their worlds upside down. She is best known for her motorcycle romance series, BLACK THORNS. When she's not writing, Franca enjoys watching action movies and binging on great TV series. Spending time with her lovable lab, hiking, and listening to hard rock, are her passions.
Title: Color Me Pretty
Author: B. Celeste
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2020
Blurb
For as long as I could remember, Theodore West was in my life as the support system I needed when my parents were too busy building our familyâs future.
He offered me shoes to dance on, a shoulder to absorb my tears, and the harsh reality of where my life was leading when I was at my lowest point.
And when the future my parents planned derailed after a statewide scandal, I had no choice but to fantasize about one for myself that didnât involve them.
But Theo? He was always in it.
My fatherâs best friend.
The man who would undoubtedly end me if I didnât end him first.
Purchase Links
$2.99 for a limited time!
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
âIâm surprised you didnât get sick of me always bugging you to dance then.â Iâd been relentless and he always did as I asked. My father joked Iâd had him wrapped around my finger, a place I wanted him to always remain, even if that was selfish.
âI didnât mind.â
âYou never used toââ I squealed when he lifted me up and guided my feet to his shoes where they rested as soon as he dropped me back down, then started laughing when he kept dancing just like that. Like the old times.
âI enjoyed those days, Della,â he told me honestly, his face drawing back ever so slightly until his breath caressed the side of my face.
âYou did?â
Half his lips quirked up. âI did. Those were simpler times when there was nothing heavy to worry about.â
I licked my lips as his nose grazed mine. My heart sped in my chest as I closed my eyes again and willed him to close the gap between our lips, but it never came. So I said, âThings now are certainly complicated because of my fatherâ¦â
His sigh was felt in my soul, heavy and burdened, and I wanted to know his thoughts. âIt isnât just your father that makes things complicated now.â
âIt isnât?â
A pause. âNo, Della, it isnât.â
Author Bio
B. Celesteâs obsession with all things forbidden and taboo enabled her to pave a path into a new world of raw, real, emotional romance.
Her debut novel is The Truth about Heartbreak.
Author Links
Title: Forgotten Magic
Series: Crimson Cove #1
Author: Eden Butler
Publisher: City Owl Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2020
Blurb
Bane Illes never smiled.
He never spoke. But each day, that brooding wizard gave Janiver Benoit a glance. And when she could not take another quiet stare, or the warmth that look sent over her skin, she took from Bane something heâd never give freelyâone lingering, soul knocking kiss. Ten years later, someone has stolen the one thing that keeps magic hidden from the mortals in Crimson Cove and only Janiver can recover it. But returning to her hometown means sheâll have to face the past and all the secrets she left buried there, including the one person she promised herself sheâd never see again. The dangerous wizard that might make leaving Crimson Cove the last thing she wants to do. *FORGOTTEN MAGIC was previously independently released as CRIMSON COVE. However, Eden has since sold the rights to City Owl Press and the book has been replotted, rewritten, and kicks off the new Crimson Coves trilogy which follows witch Janiver Benoit and her siblings as they try to unravel the well-hidden secrets that have destroyed their family.
Excerpt
âJaniâ¦â he started, following me, coming to his knees despite his bad ankle, crawling so close that I had nowhere to go. âYouâve been keeping something from me. I see it. Even in the damn dark I can see it. Itâs everywhere.â Bane moved his warm fingers to my bottom lip and let his thumb glide across my cheekbone. âYou refuse to meet my eyes. You avoid me when I stare too long.â
âYou always stare too long.â
âI canât help that.â
He was massive, a sweltering cloud that collected energy, that absorbed emotion so that it became consumingâa vacuous funnel that craved the things it did not need but took what it wanted. That was Bane. He took control, but for the life of me I could not see past letting him take what had always been his.
âTell me my daydream was invented. That dream of being in the classroom with you.â There was a challenge in his voice that reminded me of us as children, huddled and scared, taunting and fearless. But I wouldnât answer, couldnât tell him something that would hurry along his anger. It would be heavy enough when it came.
âJani,â he said, coming so close that I could smell the sweat from his skin and hear the tiny rasp that caught in his throat.
âYouâll hate me.â It was as close to an explanation as I could offer.
Bane pressed his hand against my cheek, the touch warm and soft but with that small red current still working behind his skin, still flirting with me to cry out that he was mine. âNever, little witch.â
Give and take. He wanted, needed, but didnât understand why. He didnât remember, and at that moment, I could not bring myself to remind him. It would hurt too much. But the warmth in his hand, the sweet, honeysuckle scent from his skin weaving like a spell of its own making, intoxicating me, lulling me closer and closer until only Baneâthe sound, feel, and smell of himâtook up all the space in my head. There was only this man. There was only this moment.
Both belonged to me.
Our mouths came close together, our breaths heated and dampened our faces, our lipsâbringing us to the blistering, bated breath before the race begins. A small incline, the minutest stretch of my neck and that mouth, that tongue would belong to me. It was different from the night he spelled me. There was no primeval encouragement from the ley lines egging us on, inching us closer and closer toward our most basic urges. This was more, and somehow with Baneâs face so close to mine, with his fingers tugging on the back of my hair, I knew that one kiss would unhinge me. It would change everything and there would be no stopping us.
âIâ¦thisâ¦â My words got stuck somewhere around the back of my throat, clung tight against the hot breath that fanned out when Bane rested his forehead against mine, when he moved his mouth to kiss between my eyebrows.
âThis isnât normal, Jani. Thisâ¦â He paused, shuddering when that pulsing red light shot across his skin, hovering near his fingertips. âSomeone spelled us.â
Blinking, nodding, it was all I could manage. Bane was too strong, the heat in the room too full, the air too thick. Yes, someone had been spelledâhim. Someone had done the spellingâme. But really I was a coward, scared of what heâd think, say, damn well do if he found out Iâd taken his memories from before. Even if it was for the best, Iâd still lied to himâthe lie of omission. Iâd blocked him and kept for myself something I had no business hiding away.
But Bane seemed content to ignore the past. He seemed mesmerized by the moment, fascinated by the play of reddish light on our skin and that whip of succulent heat that warmed us every time he moved his fingers across my collarbone. âI think I know what this is, Jani, but it makes no sense. Nothing between us, then or now, ever made sense to me.â And it wouldnât, not to him, not with the understanding Iâd taken from him when I blocked his memories. He kept flirting closer to the truth, skating the surface of what that light meant and where heâd seen it before. I couldnât let him find out, not like that. Not just then.
âBane,â I said, pulling him closer, loving the low, deep throttle of his voice vibrating when my nails slid up his neck. âYou watched over me. Protected me.â
âDid I scare you then?â
âAlways,â I said, feeling brave, reckless. I exhaled, staring in his eyes like I wasnât a coward. âBut I loved you for it.â
One swift nod, as though heâd made up some silent decision on his own and Bane picked me up, pulling me closer, his arm around my waist and that busted ankle injury forgotten in his smooth haste to kiss me.
His look was feral and possessive, and even though some loud, loud voice in my head told me to stop him, reminded me that it was my job to stop him, I was powerless against the rush of his mouth against my neck and the greedy hold of his massive hand cupping my hip.
âThis isnâtâ¦this wonât lead anywhereâ¦â There was little fight in my protest, my words meant to stop him, only contradicted by how I stretched my neck, giving him greater access to my skin.
âIt already has. It started a long time ago.â
âIt didnâtâ¦â
âYes, Jani,â he said, shutting me up with that wide mouth, with the slip of his tongue along my bottom lip. âEvery look back then to right now, I was saying the same thing. Every single one.â
My body was electrified, stunted by Baneâs confession, crippled by the light heat collecting around us. If I asked and was disappointed, Iâd lose nothing. I had claimed him long ago and had lived with the empty feeling of that for years. If he claimed me now, not remembering a thing and discovered later how badly Iâd betrayed him, could I stand the notion that I was his and he no longer wanted me?
Risk and rules. My life existed around both and just for a moment with Bane watching me, with him waiting for permission he didnât seem familiar with ever having to wait for, I wanted to take something for myself. Just once. âDo I have to ask?â
âNo,â he said, his bottom lip twitching as he watched me, âjust look a little deeper.â
Author Bio
Eden Butler is a writer of contemporary, fantasy and romantic suspense novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.
When she's not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, reads, and spends too much time in her garden perfecting her green thumb while waiting for the next New Orleans Saints Superbowl win. She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. Please send help.
Author Links
Title: Forgotten Magic
Series: Crimson Cove #1
Author: Eden Butler
Publisher: City Owl Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2020
Blurb
Bane Illes never smiled.
He never spoke. But each day, that brooding wizard gave Janiver Benoit a glance. And when she could not take another quiet stare, or the warmth that look sent over her skin, she took from Bane something heâd never give freelyâone lingering, soul knocking kiss. Ten years later, someone has stolen the one thing that keeps magic hidden from the mortals in Crimson Cove and only Janiver can recover it. But returning to her hometown means sheâll have to face the past and all the secrets she left buried there, including the one person she promised herself sheâd never see again. The dangerous wizard that might make leaving Crimson Cove the last thing she wants to do. *FORGOTTEN MAGIC was previously independently released as CRIMSON COVE. However, Eden has since sold the rights to City Owl Press and the book has been replotted, rewritten, and kicks off the new Crimson Coves trilogy which follows witch Janiver Benoit and her siblings as they try to unravel the well-hidden secrets that have destroyed their family.
Excerpt
âJaniâ¦â he started, following me, coming to his knees despite his bad ankle, crawling so close that I had nowhere to go. âYouâve been keeping something from me. I see it. Even in the damn dark I can see it. Itâs everywhere.â Bane moved his warm fingers to my bottom lip and let his thumb glide across my cheekbone. âYou refuse to meet my eyes. You avoid me when I stare too long.â
âYou always stare too long.â
âI canât help that.â
He was massive, a sweltering cloud that collected energy, that absorbed emotion so that it became consumingâa vacuous funnel that craved the things it did not need but took what it wanted. That was Bane. He took control, but for the life of me I could not see past letting him take what had always been his.
âTell me my daydream was invented. That dream of being in the classroom with you.â There was a challenge in his voice that reminded me of us as children, huddled and scared, taunting and fearless. But I wouldnât answer, couldnât tell him something that would hurry along his anger. It would be heavy enough when it came.
âJani,â he said, coming so close that I could smell the sweat from his skin and hear the tiny rasp that caught in his throat.
âYouâll hate me.â It was as close to an explanation as I could offer.
Bane pressed his hand against my cheek, the touch warm and soft but with that small red current still working behind his skin, still flirting with me to cry out that he was mine. âNever, little witch.â
Give and take. He wanted, needed, but didnât understand why. He didnât remember, and at that moment, I could not bring myself to remind him. It would hurt too much. But the warmth in his hand, the sweet, honeysuckle scent from his skin weaving like a spell of its own making, intoxicating me, lulling me closer and closer until only Baneâthe sound, feel, and smell of himâtook up all the space in my head. There was only this man. There was only this moment.
Both belonged to me.
Our mouths came close together, our breaths heated and dampened our faces, our lipsâbringing us to the blistering, bated breath before the race begins. A small incline, the minutest stretch of my neck and that mouth, that tongue would belong to me. It was different from the night he spelled me. There was no primeval encouragement from the ley lines egging us on, inching us closer and closer toward our most basic urges. This was more, and somehow with Baneâs face so close to mine, with his fingers tugging on the back of my hair, I knew that one kiss would unhinge me. It would change everything and there would be no stopping us.
âIâ¦thisâ¦â My words got stuck somewhere around the back of my throat, clung tight against the hot breath that fanned out when Bane rested his forehead against mine, when he moved his mouth to kiss between my eyebrows.
âThis isnât normal, Jani. Thisâ¦â He paused, shuddering when that pulsing red light shot across his skin, hovering near his fingertips. âSomeone spelled us.â
Blinking, nodding, it was all I could manage. Bane was too strong, the heat in the room too full, the air too thick. Yes, someone had been spelledâhim. Someone had done the spellingâme. But really I was a coward, scared of what heâd think, say, damn well do if he found out Iâd taken his memories from before. Even if it was for the best, Iâd still lied to himâthe lie of omission. Iâd blocked him and kept for myself something I had no business hiding away.
But Bane seemed content to ignore the past. He seemed mesmerized by the moment, fascinated by the play of reddish light on our skin and that whip of succulent heat that warmed us every time he moved his fingers across my collarbone. âI think I know what this is, Jani, but it makes no sense. Nothing between us, then or now, ever made sense to me.â And it wouldnât, not to him, not with the understanding Iâd taken from him when I blocked his memories. He kept flirting closer to the truth, skating the surface of what that light meant and where heâd seen it before. I couldnât let him find out, not like that. Not just then.
âBane,â I said, pulling him closer, loving the low, deep throttle of his voice vibrating when my nails slid up his neck. âYou watched over me. Protected me.â
âDid I scare you then?â
âAlways,â I said, feeling brave, reckless. I exhaled, staring in his eyes like I wasnât a coward. âBut I loved you for it.â
One swift nod, as though heâd made up some silent decision on his own and Bane picked me up, pulling me closer, his arm around my waist and that busted ankle injury forgotten in his smooth haste to kiss me.
His look was feral and possessive, and even though some loud, loud voice in my head told me to stop him, reminded me that it was my job to stop him, I was powerless against the rush of his mouth against my neck and the greedy hold of his massive hand cupping my hip.
âThis isnâtâ¦this wonât lead anywhereâ¦â There was little fight in my protest, my words meant to stop him, only contradicted by how I stretched my neck, giving him greater access to my skin.
âIt already has. It started a long time ago.â
âIt didnâtâ¦â
âYes, Jani,â he said, shutting me up with that wide mouth, with the slip of his tongue along my bottom lip. âEvery look back then to right now, I was saying the same thing. Every single one.â
My body was electrified, stunted by Baneâs confession, crippled by the light heat collecting around us. If I asked and was disappointed, Iâd lose nothing. I had claimed him long ago and had lived with the empty feeling of that for years. If he claimed me now, not remembering a thing and discovered later how badly Iâd betrayed him, could I stand the notion that I was his and he no longer wanted me?
Risk and rules. My life existed around both and just for a moment with Bane watching me, with him waiting for permission he didnât seem familiar with ever having to wait for, I wanted to take something for myself. Just once. âDo I have to ask?â
âNo,â he said, his bottom lip twitching as he watched me, âjust look a little deeper.â
Author Bio
Eden Butler is a writer of contemporary, fantasy and romantic suspense novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.
When she's not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, reads, and spends too much time in her garden perfecting her green thumb while waiting for the next New Orleans Saints Superbowl win. She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. Please send help.
Author Links
|
Archives
April 2023
Subscribe HereBlogs We Support |