Cecilia London is the pen name of a native Illinoisan currently living in San Antonio, Texas. She’s filled several roles over the course of her adult life – licensed attorney, wrangler of small children, and obsessed baseball fan, among others. An extroverted introvert with a serious social media addiction, she is the author of The Bellator Saga, an epic, genre-crossing romance series. You can catch all of her quirky updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or at her website.
In the steamy and suspenseful sequel to Sugar Daddy (“A totally gripping take on romance and revenge!”—Lauren Blakely), a heartbreaking rift threatens to unravel a dangerous alliance . . . and a fragile new love.
After posing as an escort for the Sugar Bowl online dating service, Sela Halstead is looking for one thing: payback. She’s closing in on the site’s heartless founder, Jonathon Townsend, and she needs Beckett North, Townsend’s business partner and her lover, by her side. She’d thought that their intimate nights together had forged an unbreakable bond, but after a shocking betrayal, Sela begins to doubt the brilliant bad boy. When push comes to shove, can she trust Beck to do the right thing?
Now that he understands the truth, Beck will stop at nothing to secure the reckoning Sela deserves. But between his desire for her and his disgust for JT, Beck doesn’t exactly have a lot of control over his emotional state. Left with no other choice, he must summon all his discipline to maintain JT’s trust and pretend that they’re still friends. But how far will Beck go to prove his loyalty to Sela? He nearly lost her once. To keep her, Beck might have to kill for her.
Note: Sugar Rush ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story concludes in Sugar Free!
In the steamy and suspenseful sequel to Sugar Daddy (“A totally gripping take on romance and revenge!”—Lauren Blakely), a heartbreaking rift threatens to unravel a dangerous alliance . . . and a fragile new love.
After posing as an escort for the Sugar Bowl online dating service, Sela Halstead is looking for one thing: payback. She’s closing in on the site’s heartless founder, Jonathon Townsend, and she needs Beckett North, Townsend’s business partner and her lover, by her side. She’d thought that their intimate nights together had forged an unbreakable bond, but after a shocking betrayal, Sela begins to doubt the brilliant bad boy. When push comes to shove, can she trust Beck to do the right thing?
Now that he understands the truth, Beck will stop at nothing to secure the reckoning Sela deserves. But between his desire for her and his disgust for JT, Beck doesn’t exactly have a lot of control over his emotional state. Left with no other choice, he must summon all his discipline to maintain JT’s trust and pretend that they’re still friends. But how far will Beck go to prove his loyalty to Sela? He nearly lost her once. To keep her, Beck might have to kill for her.
Note: Sugar Rush ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story concludes in Sugar Free!
*****Mel’s Review*****
4.5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)
Sugar Rush picks up right where the last book left off. Emotions are running high and betrayal is in the air. Sela & Beck are not in a good place when this story starts, but eventually all their secrets and out in the open with one another & they come out the other side stronger than ever.
After nearly losing Sela, Beck will stop at nothing to prove his loyalty. He’s by her side & will do anything to protect her. They form an alliance and together plan their revenge against JT. As they are closing in on JT, Beck has to act like they are the best of friends.
During their deception & planning to take down JT, Beck & Sela continue to grow closer. They both realize they want a future together and have fallen hard for each other. They decide to move forward with their relationship while executing their removal of JT from their lives.
The passion in this one is just as delicious and intense as in the first book. This couple together is on fire! It’s an emotional roller coaster that I couldn’t get enough of. You will read this book in one sitting. It also has another cliffhanger, so you will be dying for the final book in this series, Sugar Free.
A STANDALONE NOVEL that does *not* need to be read in conjunction with any other book.
From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a friends to lovers story with sexy new characters.
After getting dumped, the last thing I needed was to move next door to someone who reminded me of my ex-boyfriend, Elec.
Damien was a hotter version of my ex.
The neighbor I’d dubbed “Angry Artist” also had two massive dogs that kept me up with their barking.
He wanted nothing to do with me. Or so I thought until one night I heard laughter coming through an apparent hole in my bedroom wall.
Damien had been listening to all of my phone sessions with my therapist.
The sexy artist next door now knew all of my deepest secrets and insecurities.
We got to talking.
He set me straight with tips to get over my breakup.
He became a good friend, but Damien made it clear that he couldn’t be anything more.
Problem was, I was falling hard for him anyway. And as much as he pushed me away, I knew he felt the same…because his heartbeat didn’t lie.
I thought my heart had been broken by Elec, but it was alive and beating harder than ever for Damien.
I just hoped he wouldn’t shatter it for good.
Author’s note – Neighbor Dearest is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
*****Mel’s Review*****
4.5 “You’re My Unicorn” Stars!
(ARC provided by author)
-“You only get one true love, one soulmate. Not everyone is lucky enough to find that person in a lifetime.”
Chelsea Jameson is a 25 yr. old woman living in San Francisco, & working at the Mission Youth Center. After the guy she thought was her soulmate breaks her heart, Chelsea needs to get away from the apartment with all the memories of her ex Elec.
She finds a fabulous new apartment in the mission district that she loves. The only issue is her gorgeous, unfriendly next door neighbor. He looks like her ex, but even hotter. He is an artist who does spray paint art, & is often working on a mural on the property at the apartments.
Eventually, Chelsea finally meets this hot neighbor when his two huge dogs keep her up with their barking. She learns his name is Damien Hennessey. She continues to run into Damien & they continue to clash. When she discovers there is a hole behind her bed, & Damien has been listening to her private conversations, she worries he knows all her personal business she’s been discussing with her therapist.
She is shocked when Damien gives her great advice & shows her kindness. They develop a friendship & start spending time together. As Chelsea develops a major crush on Damien, the strong connection continues to grow. They both are extremely attracted to one another, but Damien continues to fight his feelings for Chelsea & makes it very clear they can only be friends.
As the sexual tension & chemistry explodes, they both have more trouble not taking things further. Chelsea feels a physical pull towards Damien more than ever. It’s been so long since she felt this closeness with a man, & she really wants to get to know him on an intimate level. She’s falling hard for him, & lines get blurred when they can’t resist each other any longer.
-I was somehow connected to Damien in a way that I didn’t even understand, connected to the way he made me feel, the way I knew he understood me, the way his heart beat for me.
This was a beautiful friends to lovers story. Two people who find their soulmate when they least expect it. They fall deeply, helplessly in love & develop a trust & bond that is unbreakable. I really loved this book & hope we get a book for Tyler & Jade next!
*****Dee’s Review*****
FIVE Unicorn STARS*****
(ARC kindly provided by author)
Two broken hearts destined to fix each other. Just when you think all is lost and you can never love again, you’ll find the most unique and perfect heart, just next door…
Chelsea is a girl we once knew, she got her heart broken by a man who was in love with another, and now she is trying to pick up the pieces of the mess he left behind. Everything reminds her of him, her home, her job, everywhere she looks she sees pieces of the happiness she thought she had with him.
In an effort to get a new beginning Chelsea has decided to move into a new place. A wonderful apartment that is super close to her job. After a few weeks in her new pad, she is feeling content, except for the fact that she can’t sleep due to the constant barking of her neighbor’s dogs.
Oh… the neighbor! Sexy, broody and did I say sexy?
Damien aka “The angry artist”, turns out not to only be Chelsea’s neighbor but her landlord. Even though Chelsea and Damien got off to a rocky start, he gives her very useful advice that will provide the clarity she’s been needing in regards to her break-up. In the midst of all her heartache and confusion Damien’s up front and honest attitude is the only thing helping her to get hope and a new perspective on her life.
Damien, the neighbor turns out is full of charm, he is also very sensitive and a genuine friend, so it won’t be long before the lines between their friendship become blurry. As much as Damien finds himself having strong feelings for his beautiful neighbor, he has to quickly shut that down. He can’t do commitments, that is just not in the cards for him, and he’d rather push her away before breaking her heart again.
Even though Chelsea is feeling stronger and surer of herself, she is missing something she knows she can ever have with Damien.
Their hearts beat faster when they are together, hearts that were lost and are now found inside the colorful walls that hold a beautiful love that can’t be contained.
What was once very painful paved the road to find Damien and Chelsea’s true destiny, their very own unicorn. That is the beautiful idea behind the plot of this book. A story so full of passion and heart, color and hope, something that was truly mesmerizing.
Another beautiful standalone by author Penelope Ward. Five Unicorn stars that took my breath away and made me fall in love with the story of the angry artist and the broken hearted girl. Unforgettable…
*****Patty’s Review*****
*****FIVE+++++++++ STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
I was somehow connected to Damien in a way that I didn’t even understand, connected to the way he made me feel, the way I knew he understood me, the way his heart beat for me.
You know the feelings of euphoria you get after having read a really phenomenal story?!! Well, I am definitely flying high on those feelings even three days after having finishedNeighbor Dearest. This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced such strong emotions from reading a Penelope Ward book and I doubt that it will be the last time for me. I thought that the plot, Hero, Heroine, and some of the secondary characters were all outstanding, which made it impossible for my rating to be any less than 5++++ STARS. Penelope Ward has solidified herself in my “must-read” author category.
It has been a couple of years since I’ve read Stepbrother Dearest. I remember being completely in love with that book, but I forgot all about the girlfriend that Elec broke up with to be with Greta. I’m wondering why I didn’t feel any compassion for the girl who was left behind. When we meet Chelsea Jameson in this one, she is still very much heartbroken and trying to mend the pieces of her life back together after the breakup with Elec. He really spun her world off its axis. Never did she think that the man who professed his love for her would end up putting her through the worst pain she’s ever experienced in her life. Chelsea moves to a new apartment because her previous one holds too many memories of Elec and she’s ready to leave the past behind. She is about to meet the man who will have her heart saying, “Elec, who??!!!”
Damien Hennessy is Chelsea’s new snarky and seriouslyHOT neighbor, who also happens to be her landlord. They don’t get off to the best start but as time passes a fast friendship develops between them. Their friendship helps Chelsea get over her heartache and it even starts to affect Damien more than he’d like to admit. There is no denying that the two have white hot chemistry but as much as Damien would like to give in to the attraction, he holds himself back because he believes that Chelsea deserves someone far better than him. He tries to help her find someone through online dating but his protective and jealous nature end up playing serious games with Chelsea’s mind and heart.
This book was like my own little slice of heaven. I found the first half to be laugh-out-loud funny and the second half had me tied up in horrible knots because of the angst that ensues. There were even times I shed a tear or two.
Neighbor Dearest is currently available. I can’t stress enough that this is a MUST-READ! If you haven’t one-clicked yet, make sure that you do. It’s currently going for $3.99 but will be listed at its normal price of $4.99 starting next week!
Neighbor Dearest is LIVE and on limited-time release sale for $3.99 (Changing to $4.99 after release. This will be the ONLY sale.) A sexy STANDALONE friends-to-lovers story that does NOT have to be read in conjunction with any other book.
A STANDALONE NOVEL that does NOT need to be read in conjunction with any other book.
From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a friends-to-lovers story with sexy new characters.
After getting dumped, the last thing I needed was to move next door to someone who reminded me of my ex-boyfriend, Elec.
Damien was a hotter version of my ex.
The neighbor I’d dubbed “Angry Artist” also had two massive dogs that kept me up with their barking.
He wanted nothing to do with me. Or so I thought until one night I heard laughter coming through an apparent hole in my bedroom wall.
Damien had been listening to all of my phone sessions with my therapist.
The sexy artist next door now knew all of my deepest secrets and insecurities.
We got to talking.
He set me straight with tips to get over my breakup.
He became a good friend, but Damien made it clear that he couldn’t be anything more.
Problem was, I was falling hard for him anyway. And as much as he pushed me away, I knew he felt the same…because his heartbeat didn’t lie.
I thought my heart had been broken by Elec, but it was alive and beating harder than ever for Damien.
I just hoped he wouldn’t shatter it for good.
Author’s note – Neighbor Dearest is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
About the Author:
Penelope Ward
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.
DAX ANDERSON has always been the one to keep it all together.
~ His family~
~ His friends~
~ His band~
His heart is huge, but guarded. He’s the best friend. The protector. The shoulder to cry on. But he’s never been able to protect his own heart or himself. Lies from his not-so-distant past have destroyed his outlook on love – until he meets her.
GISELLE ANDREWS is confident and happy, but cautious. She’s learned to overcome many obstacles despite her past. She’s fiercely loyal and loves beyond measure. When she’s reminded of her past and the pain that she lived through, will her perfect world begin to crumble?
What connects Dax and Giselle, and will the EPIC LIES that they’ve lived through destroy their future?
EPIC LIES is the second book in the EPIC FAIL series and can be read as a STANDALONE novel.
This series is a spinoff of the FOREVER FAMILY series.
My cheeks flush, and I’m not sure if it’s from the wine or his proximity to me. His presence does something to me that I haven’t felt in a very long time. My pulse quickens, and I remember how I felt the night he came to my house, when I thought he was going to kiss me. How much I wanted him to. Now I want it more than ever.
I lick my lips and taste remnants of wine and strawberry Chapstick. “Dax?”
His gaze falls to my lips, and I lick them again, nervously.
“Fuck,” he mutters and exhales harshly.
“What?” I ask. My God, what is he waiting for?
“You–you’re beautiful. And I don’t know why, but I can’t get you out of my head. I haven’t been able to since that day. And I want to say so much, do so much. And I’m restraining myself. But you’re here. Why the fuck are you here?” His rambling is confusing me. He just said so much but nothing at all.
“Why are you mad at me?” The vibe that’s coming off of him is–intense. He’s frustrated and seems angry. “I swear to God I didn’t follow you here.” Tears threaten to spill out of my eyes. Get a grip, Giselle.
“What?” He looks at me and his eyes soften. “No. No, I’m not mad at you at all. And I believe you, I don’t think you followed me. You couldn’t have possibly known I was coming here. I’m not even checked into the hotel under my real name,” he mutters.
“Oh.” I’m still confused. His demeanor is constantly contradicting his mood swings. I can’t tell if he wants to kiss me or strangle me. “Then why are you acting this way?”
“I’m not good at this,” he answers.
“Good at what? Talking to someone?” I press.
“Restraining myself,” he says, and I tense up, my pulse racing.
“Jesus, Dax. Then don’t.”
Trudy Stiles is a USA Today Bestselling Author, writer of New Adult Romance, mom to two beautiful children, and married to the love of her life. She’s the author of the bestselling Forever Family series including Dear Emily,Dear Tabitha, and Dear Juliet. Epic Sins and Epic Lies are the first books in the Epic Fail series and will continue with at least two more standalone novels, Epic Love and Epic Holiday. She plans to write many more stories about some of the characters you’ve already met, and maybe a few new ones. Emily will get her own story, Sincerely, Emily, to be released in 2017.
She’s also a contributing author to the USA Today Bestselling anthology, F*cking Awkward, a hilarious group of short stories sure to make you cringe, laugh and everything in between. All proceeds from this project benefited The Bookworm Box and its charities.
Trudy is a music junkie and you’ll know that she’s writing when you see her plugged into her laptop with her earbuds in. Her playlist is unique and is a must for her writing sprints.
When she’s not writing, she’s carting her children to their various activities while avoiding any kind of laundry or housework. She also loves to run along the boardwalk of the beautiful New Jersey shore.
THE GOAL (Off-Campus #4) by Elle Kennedy
Release Date: September 26, 2016
She’s good at achieving her goals…
College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes, one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.
But the game just got a whole lot more complicated
Tucker believes being a team player is as important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of twenty-two, he refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is, Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to accept his help. If he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that some goals can only be made with an assist.
From NYT & USA Today bestselling author comes a new Bleeding Stars stand-alone novel…
She is his strength and he is her weakness. And this time he won’t let her go.
Edie Evans is gorgeous.
Sexy.
Kind.
She’s also the definition of off-limits.
But that didn’t stop me from sneaking into her room to comfort her at night.
But guys like me? We destroy everything, so it should have been no surprise when I destroyed us, too.
The night I sent her running, I thought I’d never see her again.
Until I saw her standing like a vision in the crowd.
Austin Stone is dangerous.
Alluring.
Tempting.
He broke my heart and I refused to give him the chance to do it again.
It’s been years since I’ve seen him, and now I can’t do anything but stare at the gorgeous, tattooed man playing onstage. I should run. I know I should. But like a fool, I run straight back to him.
Our desire is overpowering.
Our need unrelenting.
She is my hope.
He is my weakness.
We should have known a passion this intense would burn us right into the ground.
I gripped the railing as if it might propel me forward. Instead, my footsteps faltered and slowed. I stood facing away, my back heaving as his consuming presence swarmed over me from behind.
“Please.” This time it was a whisper. A plea.
Sincere.
Slowly I turned.
Drawn.
He’d always been my weakness.
Austin stood at the end of the walkway, just outside the reach of the lights, his body obscured in shadows.
Even larger than I’d imagined when I’d first seen him up on stage.
So foreign.
So familiar.
My heart ached. Because I was looking at the boy who’d been my best friend. The one person who I’d thought would completely understand. One who wouldn’t judge or make it hurt more than it already did.
He’d been my safety.
My haven.
Until he’d dragged me right back into hell.
“Why are you here?” My words cracked. “H-h-how…how did you find me?”
I saw the shake of his head, and he took a single step forward, out of the shadows and into the glow of the single lamp attached high on the exterior wall that lit the way.
It hit him like a spotlight.
The boy was so beautiful.
It was a threatening kind of beauty, a whorl of mystery and pain, sharp lines and corded muscle.
It almost dropped me to my knees.
He fisted his hands at his sides. The question was strained, hard as it pressed from his mouth. “You believe in fate, Edie?”
Old grief I’d bottled for so long burst. It came out as some kind of maniacal cry. Incredulous. Oozing disbelief. “After everything that happened…that’s what you’re going to ask me?”
“Edie…I—”
“Do you have any idea how badly you hurt me?” I cut him off, my own hands fisting as I took a single step forward. “The damage you caused? Careless words, Austin. So fucking careless, thrown out there without a single thought to the repercussions, without any consideration of how they would affect me. How they would change my life. You promised.” My brow twisted with the accusation. “And now you have the nerve to stand there and ask me if I believe in fate?”
I swallowed hard, shook my head. “You can go to straight to hell, Austin Stone.”
He laughed, but there was zero humor behind it. “Come on, Edie. You can do better than that, can’t you? Considering you know hell is where I’ve been all along, and you and I both know I deserve so much worse. And yeah…those words were reckless, but you know they weren’t heedless. You couldn’t expect me to just stand there. Not with him. Not with what he was saying. Implying. I couldn’t.” The last cracked on the emphasis.
I felt as if every cell in my body was being crushed. Squeezed so tight there was no chance but for everything to implode.
“And because you lost it, I lost it all. You. My home. My future.”
His big hands fisted. “I know. I…I fucked it up, Edie. Warned you, I always fuck it up.”
But what he failed to say was he’d promised he wouldn’t fuck it up with me.
I couldn’t tell if I was relieved or terrified when Jed suddenly rounded the corner. His sister, Blaire, was hot on his heels.
“Edie,” Jed gushed out in relief when he saw me. He came to a stop a few steps behind Austin.
As if he’d just stepped into the bristling intensity and it tripped up his feet.
The stand-off.
The war.
Austin standing there? I knew that’s exactly what this was going to be.
“What the hell is going on here?” Jed demanded. His voice twisted into a threat. He glared at the back of Austin’s head, worried eyes flicking to me, hardening when they snapped back to Austin.
Blaire tugged at his arm. “Jed…I told you to give her a minute. Sometimes you need to let people sort out their own issues.”
Jed just grunted and shrugged off her arm.
Refusing to budge.
Austin swung his head to look behind him. When he did, his face shifted to the side, all those hard, beautiful lines exposed in profile, his expression winding into a bitter sneer. “Nah, man. All’s good here. Just telling an old friend hi. Isn’t that right, Edie?”
Aggression curled between them.
Alive and raging.
Jed was a burly, beefy, hulk of a man, a full beard covering most of his face, his brown hair cut short at the sides and longer on top.
Had I ever imagined him and Austin going toe to toe, I would have put all my money on Jed.
Now I wasn’t so sure.
Jed lifted his chin, as if for the moment he was standing down, turning to me as his tone softened. “You okay, Edie?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Lie. Lie. Lie.
I was shaken to my core.
“I just want to go home.” It left me on a desperate breath.
Jed pushed around Austin and stalked my way. “All right, let’s get you out of here.”
As she passed by Austin, Blaire cast a searching glance in his direction, before her attention flickered over to me, a ton of worried questions moving across her expression.
Questions I didn’t know if I had the strength to answer.
With an arm wound around my shoulder, Jed spun me, breaking the spell Austin had me under, and tucked me into his side.
Protecting and shielding.
He began to lead me away, down the planks and toward his car waiting in the parking lot out front.
With each step we took, I could feel the heat of Austin’s stare. That burning intensity I wasn’t sure I could ever escape.
The hurt and hatred.
It was a hatred I couldn’t tell who it was directed at.
If it was aimed at him or me or the rest of the world that had threatened to choke the life out of us.
The world we were supposed to take on together.
Just as we started to round the corner, I paused because I just couldn’t stop myself, turned to look back at the man who stood there staring back at me.
Emotion gripped his expression just as tight as the clench of his fists.
Hard and tortured.
As if I was the one inflicting the pain.
I choked down the sorrow that rose like a cyclone, spinning and spinning, whipping up the old affection that longed for that soft, understanding boy to take me in his arms and sing in my ear.
Dangerous.
I searched inside myself for the shelter that secured my heart. The flimsy cover I wore that just barely kept me together. I forced myself to speak the words I knew would drive him away, as much of a lie as they were. “And for the record…no, Austin, I definitely don’t believe in fate.”
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, as well as the newest BLEEDING STARS novels. Watch for the next installments, WAIT and STAY, coming in 2016.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://bit.ly/NewsFromALJackson or text “jackson” to 96000 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
New York Times bestselling author Joanna Wylde returns to the “wild and raw”* world of the Reapers MC with the story of Gage and Tinker…
The club comes first.
I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead.
Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.
I’m coming for you, Tinker.
Soon.
Excerpt
“I can’t believe how late it is,” Tinker said, yawning, and I realized the movie had ended. Now she stretched upward, the blanket falling to her waist as her boobs pushed forward.
God, how much should a man be expected to take?
I should’ve stayed away from her completely—that’d been the plan—but something had snapped when I’d seen her out in the courtyard. Couldn’t remember the last time I’d met a woman like Tinker. She was smart and sexy and funny, and she worked damned hard to take care of her family and business. Sure, I wanted to fuck her—you’d have to be gay not to—but I respected her, too.
“I should probably get going,” she said, offering me a smile so sweet I wanted to bite her lips. “I like to check on Dad before going to sleep, and I’ve got to be up early in the morning. I’ve got to package orders for the courier tomorrow—if they aren’t ready by two p.m., I’m screwed.”
I considered rolling over on top of her. Pushing her down into the couch cushions, shoving my leg between hers, and showing her what a real man feels like.
“Cooper?” she asked, looking confused. I blinked a couple times, forcing myself to focus on her face.
“I’m going to watch another one,” I told her, because I’m a goddamn masochist. “You sure you’re ready to head out?”
She frowned, and I could almost read her thoughts. Yes, she should leave. But she wanted me as much as I wanted her. And yeah, I realize that makes me sound like an egotistical ass, but this wasn’t my first rodeo. I saw the lust in her eyes, and the way she licked her lips and stared at my mouth. This wasn’t a one-way street, not even close.
“I guess I could stay a little longer,” she whispered. Christ, she was so sweet and soft. I wanted to bite her even more now. Suck that pouty lower lip into my mouth and shove a finger up her ass.
Break her.
You’re one sick fuck.
Why yes. Yes, I am.Thanks for noticing.
I managed to control the urge, catching her hand instead, giving it a friendly squeeze like some kind of pathetic tool. Her fingers tightened on mine, then she pulled away and snuggled back down under the blanket, raising her feet to rest on the coffee table. I grabbed the remote and clicked through the menu.
Tomorrow I’d do my job. I’d fuck Talia and spy on Marsh and look for any kind of weakness that might end this situation, the faster the better. Tonight, though . . . Tonight I’d pretend this wasn’t a waste of time.
Goddamn, but my dick hurt.
The next hour was torture.
Tinker sat next to me, all cute and classy and absolutely refusing to make any kind of eye contact. I don’t know how she felt, but to me the sexual tension hanging in the air was thick and heavy. I kept thinking about her hand in mine—small, but strong. The hand of someone who knew how to work hard. So far as I knew, Talia had never held down a job, let alone supported herself.
The couch shifted, and I glanced over to find Tinker sliding deeper into the cushions, drawing the blanket up to her chin. Our legs were maybe six inches apart. She shifted again, and then her hand bumped mine under the blanket. She jerked it back quickly, and I caught the hint of a flush on her cheeks. That was another thing I liked about her—her skin was so pale that I could see every hint of arousal.
Grabbing her hand, I pulled it over to rest on my thigh. This was a really bad idea, so I pointedly refused to think it through. Her hand tensed at first, then relaxed into my strength. My cock swelled against the fabric of my jeans, just inches from her fingers—it’d be so easy to push her hand toward it, wrap it around my painfully swollen dick, and just go to town.
Tinker’s fingers gave a quick squeeze—almost more of a spasm—and I bit back a groan.
Yeah, okay. Really, really bad idea. I should get off the couch and shut this shit down right now, because I couldn’t afford to blow things with Talia just yet. Instead I found myself leaning toward Tinker, bumping shoulders.
God.
I’d grown a pussy. No other explanation, because I couldn’t figure out why the hell else an adult man would sit holding hands under a damned blanket like a kid.
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Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde has a NEW COVER!
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Author’s Note: This book was originally released through a small publisher in 2013. This independent edition has been lightly edited, and contains a bonus short, “Sticky Sweet” (originally published on the author’s website) and a Q&A with the author.
They’d won the battle and I held up the white flag of defeat…
But the war wasn’t OVER.
I suffered the aching loss of what they had stolen from me.
OVER and OVER again, my heart broke.
The white Queen and the black King had taken OVER the game
and ruled for what seemed like eternity.
Until one day, eternity was finally OVER.
I was the dark knight who would rise again and conquer.
I was the man who would win OVER the most important piece on the board.
A slayer. A protector. A father.
A new king with the blackest of hearts.
And head OVER heels in love with…
The little princess who owned my twisted soul.
Sometimes the villains don’t just want their happy ending…
They demand it.
This isn’t OVER, baby.
This will never be OVER.
Warning: This Isn’t Over, Baby is a dark romance. Strong sexual themes and violence which could trigger emotional distress are found in this story. This story is NOT for everyone.
About K. Webster
K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.
Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.
You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!
From NYT & USA Today bestselling author comes a new Bleeding Stars stand-alone novel…
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
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