Friday, September 27, 2013

Cover Reveal - RecruitZ (Afterworld Series #1) by Karice Bolton

I am loving this cover and the books sound fantastic as well!

 

RecruitZ (Afterworld Series #1)
by Karice Bolton
Expected Pub: October 2013

Blurb:

Scientists are the new rock stars. The infection has been contained for nearly three months, and the world is celebrating. But humans are still dying. Rebekah Taylor has seen it firsthand. Her husband was killed right in front of her by the very creatures that humans were told they no longer had to fear.

Rebekah is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her husband and the obvious cover-up. Fueled with revenge, she begins to find answers that lead to one frightening conclusion. The apocalypse might be over, but the battles are just beginning.


 
Author Bio:
 
Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!

Author Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon


Thursday, September 26, 2013

Wyk's Scavenger Hunt - Dakota Trace


“Whew! I never knew how long a trip could be from the UK back to stateside.” I plopped the heavy hand-wrapped box of chocolates on the table.  “Not trusting Livvy with the sweets this time. I mean she only stole two pieces out of Lucy’s box, but still, if it’s supposed to be part of the ransom, it stands to reason that we’re not eating it beforehand.” 

*CRICKETS*

My hands find my hips. “Aw, that’s right.  You don’t know what’s going on, do you?”  

“Of course not, slave.” Livvy sucked on her lollipop.  “I still don’t know why you didn’t let Wyk handle this stop. We’re heading back to the UK in a couple of days.”

“Talking about me?”

I spun around, a grin lighting up my face.  “Wyk, it’s great to see you. I thought that Venus decided it wasn’t safe for you to be in the same room with Livvy?” 

It was true. After I had to step in between my muse and Venus, Wyk had come sauntering in, and Livvy being Livvy had set about flirting with him in such a manner that Venus had told me it’d be a cold day in hell before she let my muse within ten feet of her man.

He shrugged. “I have my ways of convincing her. This is supposed to be my scavenger hunt! How am I supposed to retrieve Mistress’s toys if I’m stuck in a hotel room?”  A wicked smile crossed his dark face. “Besides it will give her a reason to punish me later.”

“You mean you snuck out without telling her. Bad boy.”  Livvy giggled.  “I knew you were my kinda of guy.” 

I wanted to groan.  I wanted to hit my head on the nearest hard surface. “Unbelievable! You two are going to be the death of me!”

“Well before you die, slave, you need to tell these nice peeps about the contests going on for Wyk’s Surrender, while...”  Livvy hooked her arm through Wyk’s. “…Mr. Sexy and I go pilfer the chocolate.”

Livvy, keep your little paws off that chocolate!  The urge to pull my hair was strong. But I took a deep breath instead. “Sorry, about that.” Behind me I could hear the rustling. “Okay let’s make this quick.  You see the graphic below? Well that’s the word you need to enter into the rafflecopter form to enter to win the grand prize.  Which includes a silk sleep mask like the one Venus used on Wyk, a pair of hand-cuffs, a flogger….aw come on don’t look at me like that…and an e-copy of Wyk’s Surrender–”

Livvy gave a loud moan.  Her OMG it’s to die for chocolate moan.  Shit. 

I spoke quicker. “And for everyone who manages to collect all 8 toys, they are entered for a $10 gift card from Amazon. I’ll be announcing the winners on October 2nd at Wyk’s Wrap-up Party on Facebook, so be sure to show up.”

I spun around. “Drop the chocolate right now, woman! That’s part of the ransom for Sue!” 

Wyk actually chuckled, trying to look innocent, but the smear of chocolate at the corner of his mouth gave him away.

“Un-freakin-believable.  Not you too!”  I placed my hands on my hips, and strove for patience. After taking a few deep breathes, I got myself under control. “Sue, thanks for having us, but I’m going to take these two outta here before I have to kill both of them. Your chocolates – or what’s left of them are on the table and your quote is below.  Have a good rest of the day.”

I pointed to the door. “Out! Both of you!”

Quote:

 “Where do I sign up?” ~ Wyk’s response to Mistress V after she explains in explicit detail about what she wants to do him.  


Now that was interesting and I am sorry to say, not much chocolate was left....oh, well I am trying to diet...

 
 
Blurb:
 
She wants to mark him and make him hers…

Mistress “V” lusts after her boss. She wants him at her mercy, begging for her touch, but he only knows her as his very capable assistant Venus. When an off-hand comment dashes her hopes, the sexy domme turns to Madame Eve at 1Night Stand for help…

 He isn’t sure he can handle the dark pleasure she promises…

Living up to his father’s expectations has driven Wyk Havas to the edge. His curvaceous assistant Venus wants to push him past those limits, and he’s damn near attracted enough to try. But Venus’s preference for men to submit to her threw him for a loop. Can a date from 1Night Stand show him if he’s able to submit to a woman?

Can Wyk truly surrender to Mistress V’s pleasure or were they doomed from the start?

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Amazon Buy Link

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Blog Tour and Giveaway - Love Interrupted by A. J. Warner

 
 

 
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Blurb:

Logan Brooks and Andrew Eastin shared a once in a lifetime love. After losing her parents and overcoming many obstacles, she could not handle the possibility of losing him, too. She loved him enough to walk away, for both of their sakes.

As tragedy strikes again, Logan is on a downward spiral. Andrew knows she needs protection from herself, and he needs to love her through it, even if only from a distance.

When fate intervenes and allows them a second chance at love, will Logan and Andrew risk it? The Attraction is undeniable. The sexual tension, relentless. She is everything he has ever wanted. He sweeps her off her feet, renewing all that was lost.

Andrew promised her forever, but can words ever be enough? Can love prevail when life has different plans—bringing on more pain and emotions than imaginable? When lies and deceit corrupt the one thing sacred to them, plans will be ruined, promises will be broken, and hearts will be shattered.

What happens when the unknown threatens all of their dreams? Will Logan and Andrew survive their love, interrupted?
 
 
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Excerpt:
He gently tipped my head back and lightly placed his mouth over mine. I felt a cool rush of liquid flow into my mouth, and drip past my bottom lip. Reflexively, my tongue shot out again, and met with his. He proceeded to slowly lap up the wayward wine, nipping, and kissing his way back up to my mouth. I shivered. Heat was pooling at my center. His lips found mine. As our tongues engaged in a dance, intertwining and caressing, his hand slowly trailed up my thigh, ushering my dress up with it. He placed his other hand at the nape of my neck. Our kiss was slow, and intimate. He was taking his time exploring my mouth. I could hear the sound of running water in the distance, maybe a stream of some sort. I was not sure but it only added to the intense moment. Andrew let out a slight growl, the sexiest sound I had ever heard.
 
In response, I moaned into his mouth, and Andrew lowered us both to the ground. I found myself lying on my back, feeling him hovering over me. Our mouths never parted, his hands never left my body. The kiss grew deep, intensifying with each movement. Gently grazing up the side of my thigh, his hand slowly found the elastic band to my panties and he gently slid a finger along the edge. Instantly my stomach clenched at the tingling sensation blazing across it. My breath caught when he reached the spot just below my navel. Still blind folded, my pulse quickened, and every sense in my body heightened. I needed to see his face, wanted to see him looking at me. Within seconds, I felt the blindfold slip over the top of my forehead. He took his mouth from mine long enough to look at me, another silent understanding. I was lost in him, taken away from everything but us. We were all tongues, and hands, both working in perfect unison. It was a full on make-out session. The kind that you live for when you’re sixteen; the kind that sends butterflies scurrying in your stomach. Intense sensation engulfed my entire being. I could feel his erection pressing into my thigh, and as I lifted my hips beneath him, he slowly pulled himself away from me.  
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Character Interview:
 
I am sitting down today with Andrew Eastin so glad you could join me.
Andrew: Thank you for having me.
Obviously we know your name but tell us who are you, where do you work?
Andrew: I’m just a guy who knows what he wants and goes after it. I am the CEO of Eastin Global in Atlanta Georgia.
 What is your favorite part about your job?
Andrew: The thing I love most about my job is that we are able to work with over seventy five various charities, two of which are very dear to my family. We are able to help children and families across the globe.
Being involved in all those charities, you must spend quite a bit of time in the public eye. As a matter of fact, I have it on good authority that you are Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor.  
Andrew: Too much attention is drawn but I try to remain as private as possible, which in turn only stirs rumors. Labeling me as Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor is flattering, but it isn’t quite accurate. My heart definitely belongs to someone.
Then, do you have a lot of unwanted attention because of that? Like a stalker? Any threatening notes or psycho chicks breaking into your house in the middle of the night?
Andrew: (definitely uncomfortable) There is quite a bit of unwanted attention as well. There is always at least one crazy chick right? Occasionally I have to distance myself from all of it. As I stated before I try to stay out of the limelight as much as possible. Sometimes I just need to go to a remote spot and just be.   
Is there a certain spot?
Andrew: There is. Very remote. We stumbled upon it long ago while hiking. It’s absolutely stunning. Peaceful. Fields of bright flowers, with a small stream. You can’t help but just take it all in.
Who is we?
Andrew: Someone I have known…forever.
Would that be Logan Brookes?
Andrew: No Comment
Or maybe Maya Reed?
(Agitated) Next Question.
Ok, is there a significant other in your life?
Andrew: Technically no. It’s, well it’s complicated to say the least.
Well what do you look for in a woman and what is your ideal date?
Andrew: In a woman I like inner beauty, a little cliché but a woman who puts others before herself is sexy. I look for honesty, and loyalty. As for an ideal date…a romantic dinner along the beach. Star gazing for hours on end, and just being able to focus on the person I’m with.
That sounds like something you have actually experienced before, and something you would do with someone you love. So does that mean Mr. Bachelor does believe in that emotion?
Andrew: It’s one of the emotions that definitely reigns over me.
And another?
Guilt.
I see…in closing are there any words of wisdom you’d like to impart on our followers? Perhaps to help avoid being reigned by guilt?
Andrew: The things you think you are doing in the dark, will come to light. Just keep that in mind. 
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Bio:

A.J. was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas. Four years ago, she relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her husband and four wonderful children, Hayden (15), Jacob (13), Riley (11), and Isaiah (10).
 
A.J. is passionate about working with people with disabilities, and has a long time love of working with munchkins. She currently owns and operates a childcare facility in North Central Texas.
 When she is not busy breaking up fights about who is mom’s favorite, or who ate the last bowl of Fruity Pebbles, A.J. enjoys reading and writing. She also likes chatting and laughing with her book club friends. Love Interrupted is her first book and she is currently working on her second and third novels.
 
Author Links
 
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Enter to Win!


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Spotlight Tour - Blood Mate (Project Rebellion 2) by Mina Carter

I am so thrilled that this book was released on September 17th! 
 

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Pub Date: 9/17/2013
Series: The Project Rebellion, #2
Format Available: ePub, Mobi, HTML, Adobe Acrobat, Rocketbook
ISBN: 9781619216556


Blurb:

The only thing they have in common? Really…sharp…teeth.

Major Antonia Fielding has one goal: to escape the clutches of the Project. With the blood-virus infecting her system, though, a body bag is likely her only way out. Until her boss lets slip that he may just have a cure for her—if she brings in an escaped Lycan.

Can she trust him? Now there’s the million-dollar question. Then again, can she afford to take that chance?

Darce Foster was a Special Forces soldier, until the Project got hold of him. Now he’s a Lycan, a lab-created werewolf, this close to escaping his creators—until another of the projects experiments stops him in his tracks. Not because she has the power to hold him, but because he instantly recognizes the impossible. The vampiress is his mate.

Allowing her to bring him in is his only choice—and possibly the last mistake of his life.

Enemies or lovers, it doesn’t matter. When they discover that the Project is hiding yet more secrets, they must work together to bring it down...or die in the attempt.


Buy Links:
Blood Mate (Project Rebellion, Book 2)
eBook Available from Samhain Publishing |Amazon | Amazon.co.uk | Kobo | B&N

Perfect Mate (Project Rebellion, Book 1)
eBook link from Perfect Mate (Project Rebellion, Book 1) Amazon


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Excerpt:

Copyright © 2013 Mina Carter
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication


He held the smile. For once, he and the animal were in perfect accord. She’d locked him down with silver, but it didn’t mean he was going to stay that way. Not with the moon still in the sky and his mate within reach. While they’d talked, he’d worked the silver from his system. The metal beneath him was wet with tainted sweat. A little puddle under his ass like he’d pissed the stuff. Opening the connection to his wolf piece by piece, he let the creature free, using the strength and rage to galvanize his human frame.

“What do you mean, ‘that’s simple’?”

He finished the grin. The movement bared his teeth, revealing the lengthened canines behind his human lips. “Easy. I’m not locked down.”

His words fell into stunned silence. Her eyes widened, her slight intake of breath a soft rasp in the air. Their gazes locked and tension spiraled as each waited for the other to move.

He saw it the moment she made her decision. A red sheen tainted the darkness of her eyes, flowing over the surface like oil over water. Man, that was some freaky crap.

A bellow escaped his lips. He yanked on the cuffs. The silver-laced steel bit deep, slicing through his skin like an acid-dipped razor but he ignored the pain. Couldn’t afford to let it slow him down.

Using momentum to snap the chain, he threw himself across the space between them and reached for her. His arms opened wide to wrap her up in a solid tackle but, like him, she was already moving. With a grunt of surprise and anger, she twisted to the side, then rebounded off the metal interior to come right at him.

They met in the middle in a clash of bodies and tumbled, rolling across the truck-bed in a tangle of limbs. She fought like a wildcat. His vision filled with flying strands of dark hair and the flash of her teeth as she snarled. He winced, blocking like a demon while heavy blows rained down on his head and shoulders. Pain flared all over his body but he ignored it and fought through. Forced to protect his sides, his abdomen and his face, he ducked and turned, weaving before he went on the offensive, trying to trap her arms and pin her down.

The fight was close and fast as hell. Despite her aggression and the sheer power behind her blows, he was tougher and bigger. A long, painful minute later he had her stretched out under him with her hands above her head. Still she fought, snapping at his face and neck with fangs that didn’t look nearly so cute when they were threatening to take chunks out of him.

“Shhh…calm down.”

He held on for grim death, throwing a heavy thigh over both of hers when she contorted and tried to knee him in the balls. Sometimes being the opposite sex in a down and dirty fight had its disadvantages, especially when you were the gender with the dangly bits. He was lucky she didn’t have those sharp little fangs anywhere near his crotch. That was one blow-job he could well do without.

“Screw you.”

She struggled against his hold again. She didn’t…couldn’t break free, not with the firm grip he had on her, but each heave she gave pressed them closer together. The truck aided him, rattling over potholes and jerking them about until she was jammed in the right angle between the floor and the wall. Every inch of her slender but curvy frame pressed tight against him.

“Believe me, doll. I’d love you to.”

She froze again, her eyes widening as her struggles rubbed their lower bodies together and she clocked the erection hard against her stomach. His gaze caught hers, heat flowing between them. She dragged a shaky breath in over parted lips. His attention riveted on the pink temptation scant inches from him and he lowered his head, watching her every step of the way. Waiting for her to turn into a spitting cat again.

She didn’t.

Instead, she watched him as if transfixed, her taut body strangely pliant under his, the soft curves and hollows fitting naturally against the hard musculature of his larger frame. A perfect fit. Like she’d been made to be held in his arms. A sense of familiarity, of coming home, assaulted him and he knew he’d give up everything for a few moments in her embrace.

Her pink tongue darted out, wet her lips in unconscious invitation. He groaned. There was only so much temptation a man could take. He’d wanted to be soft, gentle…prove to her he wasn’t an animal, but need rode him hard. Like a devil on his back, it scoured all softness from him until only lust was left. The driving need to taste her, devour her, consumed him and he swooped down, claiming her lips in a hard kiss almost bruising in its intensity.

Unlike earlier, he didn’t—couldn’t—wait for her to soften.

Instead, he demanded and took, parting her lips with a hard sweep to sample the treasures within. Her taste exploded on his tongue, a heavenly combination of tart and sweet, fascinating his senses and totally indescribable. She tasted sublime. Ambrosia. If he died right now, he’d go having tasted a little piece of heaven itself.

The truck rattled again, rolling him so he completed the movement. Pulling  her into his side, he held both her wrists with one hand and used the other to sweep down the length of her body. She started, a jump of surprise when he cupped her ass and palmed the luscious curve before pulling her leg up over his thigh. He settled against her. His hips cradled in hers, he moved in to deepen the kiss.

She didn’t fight him, just held her body still under his as he stroked his tongue along hers. Enticing her. Teasing her. She moaned, the sexy little sound lost under his lips. He ravaged her mouth, taking and demanding, then giving back in equal measure when she responded. Slowly at first, just the tentative sweep of her tongue, her body rigid as though she fought temptation…then the dam broke. She whimpered against his lips, the sound of her surrender sweet music to his ears, and kissed him back.

Triumph roared through him. All the while his mind screamed at him about operational awareness. That now he had her subdued, he should be doing something about escaping. Wrap the chains around her wrists and imprison her against the cold, hard steel of the truck-side instead. Not kiss her like his life depended on it. Certainly not groan as her tongue slid against his, and roll so she rested on his chest.

Her hands drove into his hair, tugging and pulling at the long locks as she plastered herself over him. Her breasts mashed against him, the soft mounds delicious pressure against the hard muscles of his broad chest. Her nipples were hard bullets under the damp fabric of her T-shirt and his groan joined hers as she rubbed herself, cat-like, over his chest.

Heat arched, little lightning strikes every time her skin slid over his, a storm playing out over and between them. A storm of passion he wanted to wallow in, dancing and screwing in the rain to make the woman under him his at last.

Knees on either side of his hips, she ground down, rocking against him and nipping his lower lip. Arousal shot through him at the pleasure-pain, washing over his scalp in a thousand tiny pinpricks before rolling through his body.

“Tease.”

He broke from the kiss to accuse, then dragged his lips along the sensitive curve of her neck, pausing halfway to breathe in her scent. Arms wrapped around her slender waist, he closed his eyes and held her to him.

Perfection. Utter perfection.

I’m the tease?” She challenged, hands in his hair to drag his head back so she could look in his eyes. The red in hers was gone, replaced by a new darkness that set his blood and body aflame. He surged into movement, sitting up with her in his lap and reached for her lips again. She was his. He had to have her—

The truck braked and turned, the mechanical sounds of a gate and conversation reaching them. Darce stiffened, fingers biting into her hips but once again she was too quick for him. The needle pierced his shoulder before he could push her away. Silver flooded his veins, the fresh hit stealing his ability to move. With a grunt he slid back, his eyes still on her.

“I’m sorry. I have to take you in.”

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Author Bio:

Mina was born and raised in the East Farthing of Middle Earth (otherwise known as the Midlands, England) and spend her childhood learning all the sorts of things generally required of a professional adventurer. Able to ride, box, shoot, make and read maps, make chainmail and use a broadsword (with varying degrees of efficiency) she was disgusted to find that adventuring is not considered a suitable occupation these days.

So, instead of slaying dragons and hunting vampires and the like, Mina spends her days writing about hot shifters, government conspiracies and vampire lords with more than their fair share of RAWR. Turns out wanna-be adventurers have quite the turn of imagination after all...

(But she keeps that sword sharp, just in case the writing career is just a dream and she really *is* an adventurer.)

The boring part: A full time author and cover artist, Mina can usually be found hunched over a keyboard or graphics tablet, frantically trying to get the images and words in her head out and onto the screen before they drive her mad. She's addicted to coffee and would like to be addicted to chocolate, but unfortunately chocolate dislikes her.

Stalking links:
Email: mina@mina-carter.com
twitter:
@minacarter
Facebook:
Profile | Page

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Spotlight and Review - Bet On Ecstasy (Pack of Seduction, Book 3) by Stacey Kennedy

I AM SO EXCITED TO BE SHOWCASING STACEY KENNEDY'S NEWEST RELEASE, "BET ON ECSTASY (PACK OF SEDUCTION, BOOK 3) TODAY!  I LOVE HER BOOKS AND HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE SINCE FINISHING BOOK 2!  I WAS ALSO VERY LUCKY IN RECEIVING AN ARC COPY TO REVIEW AND YOU WILL FIND THAT REVIEW AT THE END OF THIS POST!

 
BET ON ECSTASY
Pact of Seduction, Book 3
Stacey Kennedy
Publisher: Loose Id
ISBN: 978-1-62300-462-0
Release date: September 24, 2013
                                                                                   
 BUY LINKS:
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BOOK DESCRIPTION:
 Business partners, Smith and Brock share their fortune, success, and they share their women. A healthy competitive streak built MDR Software into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, and their on-going bets continuously raise the stakes. The current proposition: an arranged ménage encounter through the sex club, Castle Dolce Vita. The prize: a sexy kitten, Kyra.
While the two wealthy, powerful men are enough to pique Kyra’s interests to fulfill the Pact of Seduction and live out her ultimate fantasy, a bet forged between the men comes with an intriguing promise. Her pleasure is now part of their wager.
Soon, Kyra fights against her desire for the men as she struggles through the complications of a ménage relationship. Of course, the men take their bets seriously and are determined to show Kyra that in this game of seduction no one loses.
 
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EXCERPT:
“Prick.” Smith slammed the pool cue down on the table, cursing the game that had cost him a thousand dollars. The muscles in his neck ached, as did the throb in his head from concentrating on winning for the last twenty minutes.
His business partner, Brock, laughed. The black ball spun in the corner pocket, and the white ball swept up the table to hit one of Smith’s two remaining striped balls. “Pay up,” Brock stated.
Smith scowled at the glow in Brock’s blue-gray eyes. He mentally flipped Brock off for his satisfied smirk. With a snort, Smith grabbed his wallet from his back pocket, then tossed the money onto the pool table. “You got lucky.”
“Lucky!” Brock gave a booming laugh. “It’s all skill, buddy.”
He cursed again under his breath, dropping down into the leather seat in the corner of his office. Perhaps he shouldn’t have purchased the new pool table. Then he wouldn’t have had his ass handed to him.
His secretary had thought he’d lost his mind when he asked her to place the order. Smith figured it made total sense. A game in between the long hours he worked kept him sane, which made a thought rise. “Did you go through the last stack of résumés?”
Brock nodded. “Sure did, but no one stood out.”
Smith pointed. “You’re too damn picky.” He’d seen at least four résumés that fit exactly what they were looking for to hire new employees to ease up their workload.
Brock grinned. “Perhaps.” He hesitated, then gave a halfhearted shrug. “Why change something that works.”
Even if the month-long search grated on Smith’s last nerve, he also couldn’t deny the truth behind Brock’s statement.
MDR Software had been built upon years of hard work and sweat, not only from Smith, but from Brock too. When the company had celebrated its five-year anniversary, it had grown into a million-dollar venture in Chicago. After the takeover a year later of fellow software company HighDot, located in the heart of Baltimore, MDR’s worth tripled.
Brock leaned against the pool table, his gaze glowing. “New bet?”
“You emptied my wallet, who says I want another bet?”
While Smith did have money in the bank, he didn't have any other cash on him. It had taken a good year to stop the memories of living paycheck to paycheck and pinching every penny. Though he’d grown more comfortable with money, he’d never forget when they first opened the company, he ate hotdogs for an entire month.
“Not interested in winning your cash back?” Brock asked, stretching his arms.
The sardonic look Brock delivered usually raised the stakes in their bets. A competitive streak had remained healthy between them, and not only in business. For the most part, Smith enjoyed betting on things, except when he lost. “Possibly.”
Smith laced his fingers behind his head, catching a glimpse of the Baltimore skyline out the large panoramic window. The dark night was typical. There wasn’t a day he, or Brock, didn’t put in a ten-hour shift.
Hard work made for a solid company. Yet the long hours had also been the reason why Smith had been pushing for new employees. He wanted a life, not more time in his damned office.
The telephone next to Smith rang once, and Brock’s grin became sinful. Smith’s irritation at the loss of the game morphed into a new type of heat, pooling low in his groin. He reached for the phone on the side table, then held it to his ear. “Smith.”
“Kyra Garner is here to see you,” the security man, Antonio, said. “I realize it’s late, but she said you were expecting her.”
“Send her up.” Smith placed the phone back on the base, spotting Brock’s expression shift in intensity. Smith also sensed the growing impulse to control and conquer. It’d been a long day waiting for Kyra to arrive, and now Brock’s question held a stronger appeal. “I take it she’s the bet?” At Brock’s nod, he added, “What’s the wager?”
Brock smirked. “Ecstasy.”
Smith had always understood why women flocked to Brock; his charisma, handsome features, matched with a lighthearted personality impressed the ladies. Smith witnessed the toughest businesswomen crack under the assault of that smile. “Bet on ecstasy, hmm?” He rubbed his jaw, considering the proposition. “I’m intrigued, but why that one?”
Brock lifted a lazy shoulder. “Any other bet would make us assholes.”
Smith nearly offered a bet on who Kyra would take an interest in, perhaps who she might want to date when the night concluded. It had happened before. Smith had attempted to date two of the women he’d met through ménage adventures with Brock. The last woman had become near obsessive, causing Smith to shut her down when she showed up at his office. The only thing that resulted from any relationship lately was money-hungry women who wanted a certain lifestyle he wouldn’t give them.
Even the women he dated who weren’t into ménage relationships ended up more interested in where he took them for dinner. The social circuit in Baltimore had been disappointing and hadn’t given him anything other than one-night stands.
After consideration, he dismissed the thought of his idea for the bet. Anything too emotional crossed a line neither him, nor Brock, would cross. He preferred no-strings-attached sex, but he wasn’t a coldhearted bastard. “Interesting bet. Indeed.”
Brock ran a hand through his sandy-colored messily styled hair, which amused Smith. No matter if they were surrounded by millionaires, at work, or watching Sunday-night football, his hair always remained disheveled. “Christ, she’ll reap the rewards anyway.”
From what Smith heard out in the hallway, Kyra was nearly at his office, her high heels clicking along the marble floor. “No one loses,” Smith agreed. “Well, except one of us, which will be you.”
“Dream on.” Brock jumped off the pool table as the sound of her heels against the floor drew closer. “You in?”
Smith nodded. “Double it up.”
The clicks of Kyra’s heels sounded right outside the door. One second passed of silence—far longer than he expected. He wondered if she searched for bravery. When she finally entered through the opened door, the sight of her stunned him, and his entire body came to life.
His cock hardened to steel, causing him to groan as raw primal need tensed his muscles. He experienced a pull to her that shocked the wind right out of his lungs—it was more than lust; it was raw chemistry. Kyra was beautiful.
Standing at the doorway, she offered a sweet smile that held a mysterious edge. Her green eyes were a stunning light color he’d never seen before. Her long black hair would drape beautifully over his thighs when her puffy lips pleasured him.
“Hello, Kyra,” he murmured.
She strode into the office with a confidence he favored in women, chin high, gaze fixated directly on him. Once in the center of the office, she licked those lovely glossy pink lips. “Smith.” Her gaze cut to the right. “Brock.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” Brock winked, a playful smile teasing the corners of his mouth. “I mean to say, in person, and not through e-mails and texts.”
Her laughter was as lovely as the women who owned it. “Yes, exactly.”
Smith stood from the chair in the corner, gesturing to the leather couch. “Please take a seat.”
Kyra approached the couch, and her scent carried to him. Smith inhaled the mix of flowers and spice that suited her. Sweet with a slice of fire. He reveled in that combination. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
Her smile was polite. “Yes, thank you.”
Smith chuckled under his breath, unable to stop himself. An outsider would think she arrived tonight for business. Kyra looked all too proper in her rose-colored blouse and black pencil skirt, but her killer legs were anything but appropriate.
The meeting tonight had nothing to do with discussing software.
Brock closed the office door and locked it before he dropped down into the couch across from her, while Smith retrieved her wine from the small bar in the corner.
“Do tell us, Kyra, about this pact of seduction you made with your friends,” Brock said. “I must admit, I found your ad at the Castle Dolce Vita…appealing.”
A personal ad Smith and Brock had stumbled upon late one night on the Web site’s forum. Castle Dolce Vita was located out of Bowleys Quarters, a half-hour drive from Baltimore. The castle catered to everything from ménage encounters to BDSM to just about anything the mind could conjure.
Smith poured her wine and corked the bottle. He turned to hear her reply in a strong voice, “It’s a silly pact between friends to live out our ultimate fantasies. Call it boredom, or maybe insanity, but that’s the gist of it. Two of my friends have already completed the pact, and so, here I am.”
Smith enjoyed the strength Kyra portrayed. Most women wouldn’t voice such thoughts so freely without a stumble in speech or mere hesitation. Impressed by her, he approached, eyeing her silky calf crossed over her knee, envisioning exactly where and how he planned to touch her.
Smith reached her, raised his attention to her face, and she bewitched him with her elegance. He offered her the wineglass. “You all joined the Castle Dolce Vita to fulfill this pact?”
She accepted the glass and as she did, he brushed his fingers over hers. Kyra’s eyes widened, breath hitched. “Yes, we all joined. It seemed like the best place to find others looking for similar ventures.”
The perfect place, Smith thought.
Though that interested him, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, more than pleased he wasn’t the only one affected by the clear heat between them. Tonight would be enjoyable for all, if her reactions were anything like she’d shown from the simple touch.
He and Brock had both been members of Castle Dolce Vita since they relocated to Baltimore. Of course, they also had visited many sex clubs around the country who catered to sexual exploration. He’d reveled in the freedom. No emotions. No needy women. He could have fun, then walk away.
While both of them had numerous relationships throughout the years, some lasting longer than others, all failed miserably. Their tastes included an active sexual appetite. Smith had never met a woman who fulfilled him enough, and none of their ménage relationships had ever worked out. The women they’d been with had thought they could handle two men, but it always turned out two was just a little too much.
“Why are you members?” Kyra asked.
Simple question. Simple answer.
Together, they weren’t only solid partners in business and excelled at their work, but with a woman between them, they shone. They’d shared their fortune, success, and enjoyed sharing their women.
Smith watched as Kyra took a sip of her wine and her eyes fluttered closed, indicating she enjoyed the taste of the wine. At six hundred dollars a bottle, Smith wasn’t surprised. He sat down in the leather chair to her left, gazing over the long lines of her shapely, silky legs.
Images of them wrapped around his waist while he drove into her could be his undoing. He forced his gaze onto her face again, which was currently turning a lovely rose color under his examination.
Smith liked the effect he had on her.
He fought to remember her question and cleared his throat. “Our business is our top priority. This tends to mean our time is limited. The castle has provided a means for us to enjoy sex without involving relationships. Also, it has the highest form of privacy.” Even he heard the cold distance in his voice and saw her eyebrows rise.
Every person who joined the castle signed a waiver swearing to keep things private and not share identities to nonmembers, and everyone went through STD and AIDS testing. Smith preferred knowing his sexual partners were clean rather than having casual sex with strangers from a nightclub, and the privacy of the castle offered a sense of freedom.
Kyra took another mouthful of her wine, then with a twinkle in her eyes, tipped the glass at him. “Understandable. Privacy is something I can appreciate too.”
Woman, you are to be appreciated, and then some.
Brock chuckled at Smith, clearly reading his thoughts. He turned to Kyra. “Tell us a little something of yourself. More than the basic details in the profile we saw when we discovered you, kitten.”
The side of her mouth arched at the nickname indicating she didn’t mind, and why would she? Smith had no doubt Brock lowered his voice to inflict a straight attack on her hormones.
“I’d prefer if we kept the small talk to minimum,” she said.
Smith leaned back in his seat. He’d never met a woman who didn’t want some type of intimate connection before they had sex. Not in any of the encounters that had been arranged through the castle, or relationships out of the castle for that matter.
He lifted his chin. “All business, then?”
She drank a larger sip of her wine before she lowered the glass. “We’re not here to get to know one another, are we? We’re here to fulfill my ménage fantasy.” Her eyebrows rose higher. “That is what we agreed to, yes?”
“All action. No talking.” Brock’s grin widened as he rubbed his jawline. “Damn, kitten, you’re my type of woman.”
While Brock seemed eager and accepting of her response, Smith wasn’t so easily swayed. Women, even if they came in different colors and shapes, were still women rich with emotions. Right now, Kyra acted more like a man, void of any emotional connection. “Are you comfortable with that arrangement, Kyra?”
Her deep swallow displayed her nerves, but she sipped her wine in haste controlling the reaction. “I prefer it.”
Smith grinned at her while she shifted uneasily in her seat. He enjoyed that he unnerved her, since her presence gave him a hefty erection. Plus, she made him far more interested than he’d ever been in any woman.
While he believed she had, in fact, lied to him with her answer, he wouldn’t speculate as to why. He also wouldn’t argue it out with her either. Her emotions belonged to her. “Fair enough.”
He paused while she drank her wine again. Once he had her fixated on him, he leaned forward, resting his arms on his elbows. “It’s important you’re aware of what’s ahead of you tonight. Before you arrived, Brock and I decided to make a bet on you, if you’re agreeable.”
Suspicion darkened her eyes as she lowered her glass onto her lap. “What sort of bet?”
“Your orgasms,” Brock declared.
A blush crept over her face, yet her expression didn’t hold any wrath at such a bet, which Smith would’ve expected. She blinked. “E-excuse me?”
Brock added, “The wager is simple: orgasms for points. Whoever gains the most points from your pleasure by the end of the night wins the money.”
Her pupils dilated, and her lips arched up into a sexy smile. “Might I ask what the value of this bet is?”
“Two thousand dollars,” Smith stated.
All the heated reaction vanished in a millisecond replaced by wide eyes, and her mouth fell open. She glanced around the office as she must’ve realized their wealth. Maybe only now she realized they didn’t just work at MDR Software, but they owned the company.
Smith had seen the reaction many times—fancy things impressed women, sparkly things even more. What he hadn’t ever seen before, once the surprise faded from her eyes, she didn’t seem at all interested in that. “Seriously, a two-thousand-dollar bet on my orgasms?”
“Yes, kitten, we’re quite serious.” Brock grinned. “Are you willing?”
Christ, Smith could only grip the armrests to stop himself from going to her, tossing her legs over his shoulders, and having himself a snack. No woman had ever made him this damn hard.
In a slow, seductive slide of her finger she traced the rim of her glass as she regarded them. “I’m agreeable to join the bet.” Her cheeks flushed a color that wreaked havoc on Smith’s cock, making it ache in need. “But I’m afraid there’s a problem.”
Smith forced his attention away from her slender finger that he hoped would make a similar move on his dick. He also ignored her pinkish cheeks that he prayed burned deeper while she writhed beneath him. “Which is?”
She hesitated, then said on a quick breath, “I don’t orgasm easily.”
Smith smiled. As if that would be a problem. But it was glaringly obvious she pretended to be a sex kitten who was, in fact, more or less, in way over her beautiful head.
He could see himself respecting a woman like Kyra.
He exchanged a look with Brock, who gave him a firm nod, indicating their thoughts ran on the same line. Smith turned to Kyra again, and he noticed how she squirmed in her seat.
Exactly how he wanted her.
Smith appreciated a confident woman who fought to be brave, and he respected the trait, yet without a certain vulnerability to her, the appeal would fade. He loved pink cheeks and a stunned speechless woman under his touch. More to the point, enjoyed when a woman unraveled in his presence. To hold such heady power fed a greedy part in his soul.
In the minutes Kyra had been in his office, she’d given him all these things.
He tilted his head, regarding the treat awaiting him on the couch. “Quite the dilemma, isn’t it?” He stood from his seat and approached her. It delighted him how she sucked in a deep breath, and how ragged it sounded from her parted lips.
Once in front of her, he took the wineglass from her hands. The stunning clarity in her eyes mesmerized him. “Sit on the desk. Do not cross your legs.”
Her eyes blazed with reservations, even as she licked her lips. “Why?”
Smith scanned over her long, beautiful neck, her silky skin stretching over her hammering pulse. “We take our bets seriously and need to know what we’re up against. It’s a lot of money to wager if it’s bound to fail.” He leaned down into her face, his cock pressed against the zipper in his slacks. “Get on the desk, Kyra.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Stacey Kennedy is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Supernatural, True Blood, Lost Girl, and Sons of Anarchy.
 
 
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CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE PACT OF SEDUCTION SERIES:
 


 
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MY REVIEW:
This is the third book in this series and it is Kyra's fantasy which is to participate in a ménage with two men.  Smith and Brock are the lucky men who get to introduce her to this experience.  I found myself really liking Kyra.  She is strong and confident yet uncertain and a little vulnerable.  She has this idea that she can fulfill her desire of a ménage and walk away but she didn't count on her intense attraction to these two workaholics.  Smith and Brock are as strong and confident as Kyra which make them the perfect partners for her.  With a difficult childhood, they have worked hard to be owners of a multi-million dollar company and not that they are financially secure are close to lightening their workload in hopes of searching for that special woman to start a relationship with.  The chemistry between these three are instant and hot.  I enjoyed the determination that Smith and Brock conveyed in their quest to win Kyra's body, heart and mind.  This story starts out fiery and continues to sizzle throughout!  Readers do not have to read the first two books but to fully enjoy and understand this book and secondary characters, I highly recommend you do.  (Trust me, you will love those books just as much as this one!)
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