When I first saw her, she belonged to another man. She was afraid and desperate. I’ll change all that. I’ll set her free, just long enough, to make her mine.
Nikolai Home after years at war, I saw her, and knew saving her was my life’s purpose. I have no family left, I have no influence. All I have is my name and the strength of my body. I will give it all to protect her, to rescue her. Because Elena Volkov was born to be mine, and as I was made to be hers. Let no man come between us, who wishes to live.
Elena Going to my brother’s wedding was my chance to escape my jailor. My ex had isolated me from everyone I cared about. Everyone who could have freed me. But here, in this new place, there is a man watching me with understanding There is a man here who sees me. To escape a monster, I have to marry this stranger. I have to trust him and give him everything I have, before my past comes back to haunt us.
Warning When this OTT Russian mafia man meets his forever girl, he’ll stop at nothing to make her his. If you like possessive, protective mobsters going after the smart, sassy women they fall for, you’ll love the Bad Boy Bratva series.
Gia Bailey loves to write steamy, sweet, short romances to keep her warm during the cold Scottish nights. All her heroes, from mountain men to billionaires, are possessive, obsessive alpha males, who go OTT for the women they fall for. And the heroines? Shy, sweet, smart, ambitious, and everything in between, these ladies always get their happy endings.
When not writing, she lives with her own burly Russian mountain man and all-knowing four year old, and enjoys baking, reading, jumping in muddle puddles (it’s Scotland, so there are lots), and inventing elaborate dreamworlds to play in. After all, life’s too short for anything other than a HEA.
Rosabella Moore-Davis has just moved her husband halfway across the world, with a spur of the moment purchase–a glorious gothic mansion–while on vacation in France. It was love at first sight, and somehow she knew it was more than just some huge house; it was meant to be her home.
But not all things that are meant to be end happily ever after.
Rosabella soon finds herself waking in the middle of the night from more than just wind and creaking pipes. In the dark she discovers ghostly figures looking up into her windows from outside, rooms and treasures previously hidden for centuries, creeping crawling guests, and too many dark shadows lunging toward her. And still, somehow, instead of screaming and running away she researches, choosing knowledge over fear, and learns more about the house and the history of this place she loves so much.
Only when she stumbles into the past, meeting an aristocrat hiding enough deadly secrets to take down the patriarchy, does Rosabella start to regret her choices. And after having come this far, she worries it’s too late to turn back and save herself from a house that has more skeletons in its vast amount of closet space than anyone expected.
Rosabella isn’t the fleeing type, but she’s not sure she’ll survive the fight. Especially against a place with so many stories buried beneath it, burned into every fiber of the edifice, a house with a portal to dark places and troubles that shouldn’t be stirred up.
Generation of Vipers is a mix of crimson peak and Mike Flanagan’s Haunting of Hill House, with elements of Marisha Pessl’s Night Film mixed throughout.
If you like dark thrillers that border on horror, gothic elements, and deliciously dark twists that will keep you guessing, then Generation of Vipers might be your next favorite book. It’ll keep you reading just one more page all night long, too afraid to turn out the light and go to sleep.
It appeals to lovers of suspenseful plots, all things dark like thrillers and horrors, stories with murder and mayhem, dark romance elements, fans of American Horror Story, Shirley Jackson, Gilian Flynn, Ruth Ware, Tana French, J.A. Konrath, and the Timothy Blake Series by Jack Heath.
*Content Warning: graphic violence, sexual content, and language*
And no matter how many times I move my head, trying to clear my mind and reset my senses, trying to shake the sound away, it doesn’t help. I still hear my name called from somewhere.
I can’t tell where.
“Rosabella,” it calls out, and this time I can hear what I haven’t been able to put my finger on before.
The accent.
It’s French.
Not like how Milo croons my name, or anyone I know, anyone who says it regularly. It’s distinctly rooted in the land that we’ve planted ourselves on.
A French accent calling out to me, in a voice I don’t recognize.
Though…I almost do.
It seems vaguely familiar, but not because I’ve heard it before. More like it’s, oh I don’t know, kindred. That sounds fucking crazy even to me. But still the puzzle pieces click together.
“Rosabella. Rosabella. Rosabella, I need you.”
I jump.
Maria, a badass USA Today and international bestselling indie author, lives in Minnesota despite the frozen winters. Actually, she prefers snow drifts and icicles over summer and all that sweat running everywhere. She writes about bitches, breakups, and bloodbaths—not in any particular order. She lives with her husband and little family, which includes a few lazy cats who make great lap warmers. You can usually find her wishing that she lived in a secret cabin in the woods where she could be a hermit, reading and writing all of the time. Instead she lives the suburban life where she pretends that she doesn’t swear like a sailor, have hidden tattoos, and love a good bottle of wine when she’s around her neighbors and the other moms. She absolutely believes in unicorns and ghosts and hopes vampires and monsters are real too. She’s a coffee-in-the-morning and alcohol-in-the-evening kind of person, preferably with a nap in between. Maria prefers cats over dogs, books over people, and late nights over early mornings. She probably shouldn’t talk to anyone until she’s had her first cup of coffee, extra sugar. And if you ever want to hang out with her, you’ll have to be game for a horror movie or just a quick run to Target for two (hundred) little things. Also, you couldn’t pay her to be in her twenties again; thirties is where it’s at. She’s a creative, mouthy, introverted, proud bisexual, miscarriage warrior, highly-sensitive INFJ, chronic-pain spoonie champion, battler of anxiety, Slytherpuff, dork with a sweet-tooth.
Maria devours books, reading mostly in bed or listening to audiobooks in the car. Writing has been one of her passions for pretty much her whole life. So creativity is a necessity for her, always. After working in the mental health field for almost a decade, she’s now living her dream as a stay-at-home writer, kiddo wrangler, professional snuggler, and constantly-tired-person. When it comes to her writing, she specializes in dark and twisted thrillers or gritty, angsty contemporary romances. But no matter the genre, she always prefers writing deeply flawed characters with dysfunctional relationships. She’s pretty sure the whole “unlikable character” thing is a conspiracy because every character she loves have been labeled this way. Ridiculous. And because of this, she’s pretty much found it impossible to write anything without at least a little mayhem.
Maria was once told she painted with her words, and that phrase stuck with her—because writing really is an art, and good stories are true masterpieces. She’s always trying to grow and improve in her craft, shooting for a masterpiece of her own someday. And she plans to write forever because writing gives Maria the ability to disappear into new worlds and create people within twisting plots, all from the comfort of her couch. She will always believe that though not every story is for her, and her stories aren’t for everyone, every story has a reader.
For more from Maria find all of her links, including a link to get more content at her newsletter, here: linktr.ee/mariainmadness
Two men. One is perfect, the other… not so much.
How do you choose between the man that you should be with and the man you want?
What does a marriage proposal, a bout of projectile vomiting and a psychic reading all have in common? Nothing unless your name is Olive Russo.
Olive has always done the right thing at the right time for the right reasons but when a psychic tells her she needs to choose a new path to her true destiny, she drops everything and runs away to the idyllic Mediterranean resort town of Bodrum, Turkey.
Pulled in two very different directions, Olive needs to decide between Luca Oriati, the man that she has loved her entire life and the arrogantly bitter but still gorgeous-as-all-hell, Deniz Yilmaz.
Pomegranates and Olive is the feel-good romantic comedy that will make you root for love, laugh out loud, and reminds you to chase your own destiny.
This is a stand alone, interconnected series. No cliffhangers. HEA guaranteed.
Jane Gündoğan grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia but after years of boring office work threw in the towel and, after a rather dramatic sea-change, now lives in Mersin, Turkey. And in case you’re wondering if her raunchy novels are based on real life, the answer is gawd no, because according to Jane, her love life is about as romantic as sour milk.
As well as being a loudmouth, Jane is also a part-time comedian (in her own mind), self-indulgent blogger and all-round total badass. When not running around being the complete package, Jane can usually be found relaxing on her terrace with her ginger cat, watching the sun go down with a glass (or bottle) of red wine. The red wine also helps her morph into a Madonna-esque power ballad diva although this has never been officially verified.
Gabriella dreamed of a wedding in Italy with the guy she had crushed on for years, and it was all coming true. For her step-sister. Faced with the heartbreak, Gabriella silently deals with losing her childhood dream in front of the ones who snatched it from her. While she wades through her sister’s fairy tale, trying to stay afloat in tears, she catches the attention of Mr. Wright. Ashton is forced to attend all the wedding festivities out of familial obligation, but Gabriella changes his perspective. He gets to see her if he shows up, and that’s motive enough. Getting her to fall in love with him is a bonus. It isn’t long until Gabriella realizes she had made the right choice in falling in love, but she had made it with the wrong guy.
This New Adult, Cinderella retelling is full of sweet romance and first-love goosebumps.
Stop My Bleeding Heart by Victoria Anders Release: June 22, 2021
Honor Thy Father by Nancy Chastain Release: June 25, 2021
Pretty Little Pieces by Sonya Jesus Release: June 29, 2021
Author Kristy Gibs is a romance author from New Jersey who writes about strong women and hunky men without skimping on the happily ever after. Kristy began writing when she was in high school, but it wasn’t until she was almost 30 that she published her first book.
She is a wife, mother of 3 crazy kids and spends her days crunching numbers and her nights typing away vigorously on her computer. In her free time, when she isn’t working, writing, or running all of NJ with her kids, you can find Kristy curled up on her couch with her kindle in one hand and a glass of wine in the other getting lost in whatever new romance novel that has captivated her.
Series: Dixie Point Series
Author: AJ Alexander
Release: June 18, 2021
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance (Brother’s best friend)
Cover Designer: Popkitty Designs
Photo Credit: Adobe Stock
Sometimes fantasy can become reality …
Brady Thomas has been the star of my fantasies since I was old enough to have them. As my older brother’s best friend, he never saw me as anything more than a nuisance.
But still, even knowing my feelings for him were unrequited, they persisted. Until one night changed everything.
It’s been almost a year since I last saw him.
A year since he deployed.
A year since he kissed me and then left without a word.
Now he’s home and I’m determined to show him how I feel. Brady may want to pretend nothing happened, that our kiss didn’t mean as much to him as it did to me, but the explosive chemistry between us is too scorching to deny.
Bro code be damned, because I’m not letting anything—or anyone—stand in the way of me getting what I always wanted…
Brady’s heart.
“Hey, Brady.” Her chocolate-brown eyes sparkle as she scans the table before greeting everyone else. “Gentlemen.”
I preen like a peacock at her attention. Her voice glides across my skin as I breathe in the scent of lilacs and honey, two things that will always remind me of her. My heart jumps at the thought that there may still be hope for us yet, but I remember the guy from earlier and the way she let his hands roam all over her body.
My shoulders sink as the reality of my situation sinks in. I broke her heart and she moved on, just as I hoped she would. Now I get to suffer the consequences. Besides, she has her whole life ahead of her. She’s getting ready to graduate from college soon and start her life, probably far away from this small town in the middle of nowhere, Alabama.
We continue to stare at each other as something flashes behind her eyes, but it’s gone in an instant.
“And what are you doing here, little lady?” the man sitting next to Seth says as the others whistle softly.
I growl under my breath, wanting nothing more than to rip out their throats for the impure thoughts I’m sure they are having about her. I grip the chair arms, ready to teach those men a lesson, as Seth shakes his head, warning me against the decision.
“Just came to say hello to a friend,” Emersyn says before turning her attention back toward me.
Gone is the girl I left without a word a little over a year ago. She’s been replaced by the woman standing before me. Yes, her body has changed in the best way possible, but she even carries herself differently, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Not just with her beauty, but her presence alone draws everyone to her, men and women alike.
My eyes catalog every detail of her body, noticing all the small changes that have occurred over the last year as her eyes bore into my soul. Her hair is a little longer, hanging just below the shoulders, and her curves are a little more pronounced, giving her a perfect hourglass figure. I lick my lips, imagining the taste of her skin as I explore each and every part of her, from the swell of her breasts to her apple bottom.
“Emersyn,” I reply tersely before grabbing my beer and turning my attention toward the bar where her brother stands.
Beckett shakes his head, warning me once again to stay away from his sister as he serves her friends drinks. I lift my glass in response, letting him know I’ve received his message loud and clear.
It’s not like I have a chance at Emersyn’s heart anyway. It’s time to put the past behind me and move forward.
“Who’s your friend?” Emersyn flashes Seth a smile, leaning her hip against the table, drawing my eyes to her body once again.
“Seth,” he supplies, taking a swig from his beer.
I don’t deny my desire for her. I want—no, I need—her to understand how much I want her. Her eyes drop slightly, betraying her true emotions. She wants me as much as I want her.
“Nice to meet you,” he continues.
“The pleasure is all mine,” she purrs as she stands back to her full height, never breaking eyes contact with me.
We continue having a silent conversation as I attempt to relay all my feelings to her in these few moments.
I want you.
I need you.
I love you.
Tears gather in her eyes as I lean forward, wanting to wrap her in my arms and let her know everything is okay, but one of the jackoffs at the table interrupts our conversation. I narrow my eyes slightly, daring him to say another word and risk my wrath.
“Run along, Emersyn. We have better things to do than play babysitter.” I wince, knowing that once again I’ve let my anger get the best of me.
She has every right to spend time with whoever she wants, even the asshole sitting across from me, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Emersyn doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. She deserves to be treated like the queen she is, but I can’t stop the torrent of emotions raging through my body as the realization of our situation hits me: Emersyn has moved on, just like I wanted her to, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
AJ Alexander is a wannabe psychologist and author of steamy (borderline erotic) contemporary romances with happily ever afters that must be earned by her characters. She lives in the angst capital of the world, Seattle Washington with her own personal knight in shining camouflage and her two beautiful girls.
Want to read more insta-love romance with a twist? Check out all of my books on Amazon #FREE in Kindle Unlimited.
I SHOULD GIVE HER UP—SET HER FREE.
The Russian army made me a killer, but the brotherhood made me what I am.
Ruthless. Deadly. Irredeemable.
Which is why Kayla should stay away.
The innocent young actress has a bright future ahead of her,
so long as someone doesn’t break her first. Someone like me.
Every weekend, she gives herself to me fully. Without question. Without hesitation.
She’s mine to command.
In return, I give her what she craves—pain and pleasure.
But it’s a fantasy that can’t ever become reality.
We’re playing with fire,
but I can’t seem to let her go…
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She’s sold over a million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA’s Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy’s Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and has hit the USA Today list eight times with her Bad Boy Alpha and Wolf Ranch books and various anthologies.
The Bully, an all-new enemies-to-lovers standalone in The Kingmakers Series from bestselling author Sophie Lark, is available now!
Cat is in so much trouble. She did something bad, and I saw.
I’ll keep her secret… for a price.
Poor, sweet, timid Cat should never have come to Kingmakers. It’s a place for monsters and killers. People like me.
She wandered into the lion’s den and now she’s mine.
Mine to play with. Mine to torment. Mine to break…
The Lark Notes:
My very first inspiration for Kingmakers was Dean Yenin. I wanted to write a true anti-hero, with a character arc spanning three books. Dean will make you feel all the things, sometimes against your will. You’ll love him and hate him and love him again, and never get him out of your head. – Sophie
“The Bully” is the third installment in the epic dark mafia Kingmakers series. It’s a bully romance, full of dark, twisted enemies-to-lovers conflict, and some dubious scenes. Reader beware, this one is intense.
Download your copy today!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uX1bTB
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/thebully
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3gfkVOb
Excerpt
I have to return to my own life at Kingmakers. Even if there’s something horrible waiting there for me.
It’s ironic. My father is forbidden to force me into a marriage contract against my will. But I’ve already trapped myself in something far, far worse.
The moment I step foot aboard the ship to Kingmakers, I’m looking around for Dean Yenin. I remember the last words we spoke to each other as though it were three minutes ago, instead of three months.
“I know what you did . . . “I saw you . . . “I won’t tell. But understand this . . . I own you now. When we come back to school, you’re mine. My servant. My slave. For as long as I want you . . .”
I almost spilled my secret to Zoe a hundred times. I almost told her what I did.
But in the end, I stuffed the words down again, into the ball of frozen fear that’s been lodged deep in my guts all this time.
This is my burden to bear, not hers. If I told Zoe the truth, she’d never feel free to go to L.A. with Miles.
She’d be compelled to stay with me, to try to protect me from something she simply can’t prevent.
Dean knows what I did. He could tell the Chancellor at any time. Nothing can stop him from doing that. My only chance is to stay on his good side. To trust in his mercy.
The only problem is that I don’t think he has any goddamned mercy.
I’m trying to please a man who can’t be pleased.
Dean is spiteful. Vengeful. Full of rage.
He could destroy me with a single word, just because I looked at him sideways.
The train of his hatred is long and complicated.
He hates Leo Gallo because of the feud between their families.
He hates Miles and Zoe because Miles is Leo’s cousin.
And he hates me because I’m Zoe’s sister.
But that barely scratches the surface of his fury. I’ve thought about this long and hard over the summer, wondering how I truly attracted his ire.
The real reason he hates me is that I saw him in a private, unguarded moment. I saw him sobbing after Ozzy’s mother was executed by the Chancellor.
I saw him hunched over, tears streaming down his face, as he gave in to the storm of pain inside him.
And he will never, never, never forgive me for that.
I saw Dean weak and vulnerable. He’ll have me killed before he’ll chance me telling anybody else.
Like a fool, I handed him the perfect leverage over me.
I murdered Rocco Prince, my sister’s intended fiancé.
And Dean knows it.
The Rule of Recompense is the most iron-clad law of Kingmakers: an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for a life.
If Dean tells anyone what I did, I’ll be executed, just like Ozzy’s mother.
About Sophie
Sophie Lark is an Amazon Bestselling author who writes intense, intelligent romance, with heroines who are strong and capable, and men who will do anything to capture their hearts. She lives with her husband, two boys, and baby girl in the Rocky Mountain West.
She has a slight obsession with hiking, bodybuilding, and live comedy shows. Her perfect day would be taking the kids to Harry Potter World, going dancing with Mr. Lark, then relaxing with a good book and a monster bag of salt and vinegar chips.
Connect with Sophie
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2NO2Gn2
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Website: https://sophielark.com
When looking for a place to nurse my broken heart, Mason Creek is the picture-perfect escape…
I almost made the biggest mistake of my life walking down the aisle. Thankfully, I caught the groom with his pants around his ankles and my bridesmaid around his waist before I said, “I do.”
My best friends kidnap me and take me away to a cabin in the middle of nowhere Montana. They convince me trespassing and skinny dipping are both acceptable remedies for a broken heart. Turns out, the owner of the property found our little excursion unacceptable…and amusing as hell.
After my douche of an ex calls to rain on my non-honeymoon parade, I decide to stick around Mason Creek while I figure things out.
I had no idea accepting a temporary job at Dream Big Realty would land me face to face with none other than Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome, and Not Pressing Charges.
Falling for him and his adorable daughter is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But competing with old flames makes me wonder if this town is big enough for the both of us.
Small town life was supposed to be a brief Band-Aid, then sexy, single dad Grady gives me a reason to stay…and a second chance at happiness.
Fae and vampires never fall in love.
Except when they do.
Vampire Guardian, a deliciously erotic paranormal romance from award-winning author Joey W. Hill is available now!
Joey Kissing young couple on a dark background
Adan has come to Club Atlantis to do a job. The BDSM club is to become part of the portal network for magic users. A born vampire with the blood of a Cherokee shaman and an Irish Seer, Adan is apprenticed to a Light Guardian helping him hone his skills to become a full sorcerer. Perhaps even a Guardian himself one day.
But Club Atlantis is a haven for a Fae female, an unwelcome distraction. His hatred for her kind means even her scent can set off his bloodlust.
Catriona is a Fae unsettled in her own world, and physiologically unable to be in the human one without extraordinary protections in place. She can’t put down roots anywhere. For a tree nymph, that’s a serious problem. One that calls for a solution that will appall the Fae world.
History says a vampire and a Fae who fall in love are destined for tragedy. But love has a way of refusing to be ignored. No matter the consequences…
Grab your copy now!
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Excerpt
Catriona approached the St. Andrew’s cross. Her feet were delicate, lacking the calluses he would have expected from her shoeless preference. If vampires didn’t get gray hairs, it made sense that Fae—at least of her tree nymph variety—didn’t acquire calluses.
She laid her cheek on the cross piece between the upper arms. The piece of BDSM equipment was adjusted for a taller person, so she had to stretch to do it. It made her backside tighten and tilt upward. A similar reaction happened in his groin. Was she doing it on purpose?
“What magical abilities do you possess?” Adan asked coolly.
As she turned her head, a light smile touched her lips. “What intelligent being would reveal that to someone who has not decided whether he is friend or foe?”
“Don’t play with me.”
Her smile vanished, her body going rigid as she pivoted back to the cross. “If my company offends you, my lord, you can return to your studies.”
Why the hell was he testing these waters? But he already knew the answer.
Dom, sub. Same room. Dungeon equipment.
Let poor judgment reign.
“Tell me what you’re trying to figure out, about the cross,” he said.
Her shoulders tensed. “How it works,” she said stiffly.
When he closed the distance between them, she flipped around to face him, so fast non-human speed got a checkbox on her list of skills. He logged her rabbiting pulse, her dilated eyes. Flight and defense reactions. But when his gaze dropped to her hands, he saw half-curled fists. Fight reaction.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said gruffly. “I’m going to show you. All right?”
She pressed her lips together, gave him a short nod. He could tell her to step onto the cross’s foot platforms, facing him, but he didn’t. He slid an arm around her waist and lifted her. Her willow lean body was surprisingly resilient, and way too female. All the trigger points went off, designed by the smirking, sadistic gods to make him respond to a woman’s proximity.
Keeping a steadying hand at her waist, he gripped her wrist and lifted it, aligning her right arm with that arm of the cross. “Leave your knuckles pressed to the wood.”
He brought down the adjustable handle, guided her fingers beneath it and did the same to the other hand. “Grip those, and don’t let go of them.”
The Dom woodworker had been inspired by a medieval rack, only for far better purpose. Adan slid both handles back up, bringing her up on her toes again. While his vampire senses could calculate precise reach, his experience as a Master told him where that extra inch was, past which a sub had to strain for him.
It lifted her chest, pressed it against his torso. He spread his hands over her wrists, and noted her knuckles were white where they gripped the handles. That, and the quiver of her breasts, told him she wasn’t calm.
Now she had the confused, little-bit-dazed look a submissive new to it did. He’d scented a hint of her arousal when she approached the cross. That bouquet had gone from fragrant, barely there, to a full-on, heady perfume of want.
He should suggest they play, right here and now. If she wanted to learn, there was nothing like hands-on experience. He dipped his head, intending to test those waters by brushing his lips up along the shell of her ear. Except that shell narrowed to a point, and when he followed that track, he saw her wings, framed inside the V-top of the cross and fluttering in uncertain agitation.
It brought him back to his senses. He’d cut his dick off before he’d put it inside a Fae.
Unfortunately, that part of his body didn’t care. His fingers itched to tease her heated wetness, his mouth wanted to taste. He wanted to slide into her so deep he’d reach all her mysteries, open up whatever magic she was spinning on his senses.
Her waiting on him so obediently, while her need grew, didn’t help. She’d kept her hands where he’d ordered them, her body on display, an unconscious invitation, and it made him angry. But he managed to speak in an even tone.
“The Dom straps your wrists up like this. Your ankles to the bottom pieces. He can choose to keep you facing him, or turn you around, depending on what he wants to access.”
Her breath flitted across his mouth like the brush of a feather. “What does he do, once he restrains me?”
“Whatever he wants.”
Her grey-green eyes became even softer, the color of down. “What would you do to me, my lord?”
He stepped back, releasing her so suddenly one of her feet left the platform. Her hands slipped away from the handles and she gripped the frame to steady herself. Emotions flipped across her face. Surprise. Hurt. Thoughtfulness. She straightened, linking her hands together, knotted fingers pressed to her abdomen.
“One moment, you look at me with desire,” she said. “Interest. Hunger. The next moment, what’s in your eyes becomes hatred. So much it hurts.”
“Hurts who?”
“Me. You. Everything.” The break in her voice betrayed her emotions. “It coats everything around you in reds and oranges, the colors of rage.”
He stared at her. “Put your arms and feet back where I had them.”
“Why?” She set her jaw, her fingers digging against her stomach. She was having trouble standing against his will. Knowing why only made him sink deeper into trouble.
“Because I told you to.” He touched her chin to bring her eyes from his throat up to his face. “I still won’t hurt you.”
He hadn’t said the words with any kind of gentleness, but he meant them. Even though the volatile reaction boiling in his gut told him he couldn’t do this much longer.
Since the handles were still where he’d moved them, she reached up with a graceful arch of her body, another unconscious sexual offering, especially with her thighs spread along the bottom legs of the cross.
Red and orange were the colors for passion as well. And rage and passion could get along well enough.
He closed the distance, bringing them almost nose to nose. She had a sweet one, small and straight, nostrils flared from her agitation. When he put his hands over her slim wrists, her lips parted. It made him want to unsheathe his fangs.
“I can hate what you are and have you all the same,” he said, low. “Make you beg for more. You’ll cherish my hatred, what I can summon from those fires to turn your body to flame.”
She trembled. Her eyes, so big and filled with the colors of earth, beckoned him to tumble into their depths. Into the heart of the earth itself, which was flame, too. A different kind of flame.
Her head turned, and she started. Her reaction pulled him out of his turmoil, such that he followed her gaze.
Whatever influence he’d had on her mind and emotions had resulted in a resurrection of the wood. The cross now had several cracks in its veneer, tiny shoots coming forth, green leaves unfurling.
“Life doesn’t respond to hate, my lord,” she said softly.
About Joey W. Hill
Joey W. Hill writes about vampires, mermaids, boardroom executives, cops, witches, angels, simple housemaids . . . pretty much wherever inspiration takes her. She’s penned over forty acclaimed titles and six award-winning series, and been awarded the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Erotica. But she’s especially proud and humbled to have won the support and enthusiasm of a wonderful, widely diverse readership.
So why erotic romance? “Writing great erotic romance is all about exploring the true face of who we are – the best and worst – which typically comes out in the most vulnerable moments of sexual intimacy.” She has earned a reputation for writing BDSM romance that not only wins her fans of that genre, but readers who would “never” read BDSM romance. She believes that’s because strong, compelling characters are the most important part of her books.
“Whatever genre you’re writing, if the characters are captivating and sympathetic, the readers are going to want to see what happens to them. That was the defining element of the romances I loved most and which shaped my own writing. Bringing characters together who have numerous emotional obstacles standing in their way, watching them reach a soul-deep understanding of one another through the expression of their darkest sexual needs, and then growing from that understanding into love – that’s the kind of story I love to write.”
Take the plunge with her, and don’t hesitate to let her know what you think of her work, good or bad. She thrives on feedback!
Connect with Joey:
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Stay up to date with Joey by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/35ispHX
Website: https://storywitch.com
Author: P. Roper Release: June 17, 2021 Genre: Dark Romance Cover Design: Dalia Hernandez
Teaser Design: Enticing Journey Designs
My life was anything but ordinary. Being wrapped in taboo secrecy meant being lonely, even in a crowded room.
That was my world. Until I met him. He swooped in, knocking everything I knew off its axis and rearranging things in the most charmed fashion.
But I’ve come to realize that even a dramatic shift in scenery doesn’t change the people around me. It only alters their methods of scrutiny and has the power to open me up to bigger, more startling realities.
However, I guess it’s a good thing that my knight in shining armor plucked me from my tower. Had he not, I may not have known the ugliness of his world. But I also would never have learned what it felt like when my soul caught fire.
** This book contains mature content, not suitable for young readers, included but not limited to strong language, dark themes, and sexual scenes that may be triggers to some readers.**
P. Roper is a word junkie & caffeine enthusiast, born and raised in Western Canada. When she’s not writing (or reading) you’ll usually find her with her husband, chasing their hurricane of a daughter. Or she may be grabbing a coffee with her best friend. She has been half of the book review team Just Living a Thousand Lives since 2019, focused on NA romance; but don’t ask because there is no way she could actually choose a favourite trope. Ask anyone who knows her to confirm, she’s been known to be kind of a big deal. She is releasing her debut novel, Showcase, summer 2021.
Joey 
