Introducing Debut Novel Gumshoe Girl by Andi Ramos @andiramosauthor #detective #newrelease

Introducing Debut Novel Gumshoe Girl by Andi Ramos (@andiramosauthor)

Blurb:

Sheagan O’Hare got more than she bargained for when her newly inherited detective agency lands its first case; a missing person, embezzlement, and murder. Sheagan’s out to prove she can hang with the pro's, despite the constant reminder of her amateur status from an annoyingly attractive FBI agent, Colin 'Mac' MacEvine, who’s forced himself into her life.

How does she feel when an old high school friend hopes to ignite a new romance?

Will she be able to discover if detective work and love can mingle before someone gets hurt?

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2I9M30G

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Kxo5um

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/gumeshoe-girl/id1376902448

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/820388?ref=cw1985

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gumeshoe-girl

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gumeshoe-girl-andi-ramos/1128555736

Excerpt

Sheagan blinked back the sting in her eyes as sweat drizzled from her forehead. Her shoulders and forearms cried out as determination inched her body forward through the tin walls that framed her slender figure. The narrow shaft rendered her legs useless as they dragged behind her like dead weight. She made a vow to start working out as she approached her destination, the metal grate that looked down into the sweetheart suite of the Eliot Hotel.

She shimmied her binoculars out of her bag and clutched them in her sweaty palms as she readied herself to delve into the world of private investigating. The friction of her movements caused her mahogany mane to cling to all the surfaces of her temporary confinement. Perched behind the filigree frame, peering like a caged animal, she was a mere 20 feet from her target. Her target? The Rat Bastard, who up until this very moment she’d called boyfriend.

She wasn’t there to kill him, even though the thought had crossed her mind; no, she was there to catch him in the act. She suspected he had been cheating on her for some time, so proof would end her suspicion or the relationship. Spying on her significant other through an air-vent of a swanky hotel room was hardly a promising start to her so-called glamorous career as a private detective. But it snapped her back into the reality that her new chosen profession would often be messy and difficult.

She peered through the grate and envied the spacious room below, but her viewing angle was no good for the task at hand. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rise along with her anger as she scanned the room and soaked in the extravagance–the hardwood tables, the Italian marble fireplace, the opulent sheen of the fabric on the overstuffed furniture that glimmered in the soft candlelight. The Rat Bastard was not known to overindulge on frivolous expenses, unless it was on her dime. Thoughts of killing him resurfaced.

What is wrong with me? Why did I wait so long?

She immediately regretted the fleeting question. She knew why. The answer brought back the pain and significance of her father’s sudden death. He had been the only family she had left, and he was gone. All that was left behind was his detective agency. She had thought about giving it up, but she couldn’t; it was her only connection to him, to her family.

She closed her eyes briefly, realizing that now she was facing more loss–even if he was a lying, cheating Rat Bastard.

No! It’s better this way, stay focused.

She choked in a breath and turned her attention back to the room. His secret love nest was finished with soothing tones on the walls and thick, plush carpeting.

What is that on the end table?

Her gaze was drawn to the bottle label as it bobbed upside down in the melting ice. She sharpened the focus of her binoculars, and her eyes widened in recognition.

Her cheeks flushed. Cristal, she scoffed. Who is this Bimbo, anyway?

As if she had room to criticize this girl’s intelligence, when Sheagan was the one sweating her makeup off in a four-by-four-foot air-duct.

Yeah, who’s the stupid one?

She heard passionate sounds coming from the right of the room and recognized his tone. Leaning sideways, Sheagan pressed her face to the grate, but her limited

view revealed only a portion of the bed and unable to make out major details, like faces.

Crap, I can’t see anything. Damn! She needed to get a better look

As she shifted her weight, the metal walls started to reverberate and Sheagan stifled a gasp, willing the rumbling to cease. Her breathing became labored as the musty air stole the aroma of the sweet perfume wafting up waft from the suite below. She stilled her movements and did the only thing she could think of... nothing. Nothing but stare at the heap of blankets and wait.

Come on, bimbo, come up for air. I know he doesn’t last that long.
Her discomfort increased as the noise from their passion became more intense. Ugh, that’s it, I’ve had it!
She mashed her cheek and upper body against the grate.
I just need a peek to confirm.
She pressed harder, ogling the bed. Finally, she caught a tiny glimpse.
Just a little further.
She pushed and heard a chirring sound, then a scraping. She froze in place, but

the grate gave way with a creaking groan and crashed to the ground. Time stood still as Sheagan realized there was nothing between her and the floor except air.

*****

Author Bio: 

Andi Ramos is a debut author from central Massachusetts where she lives with her family, goat, and Boston Terriers. Her love for reading grew into a passion for writing. She dabbled with pen and paper for a long time and eventually stopped pushing her amusements aside and started developing those stories into novels. One of her favorite things to do is to hop into her motorhome with her family and write while traveling down the road as they journey to various destinations.

Website: http://www.andiramos.com

Blog: http://www.andiramos.com/blog 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andiramosauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/andiramosauthor

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Helldorado Mongrels MC member, Sloth, is a man with secrets. #newrelease #MMromance from @JaceyHolbrand and @evernightpub

Hey folks! Jacey Holbrand here. I'm happy to announce I have another story in my Helldorado Mongrels MC series out now: Enchanted by Him!

~ * ~ ABOUT THE BOOK ~ * ~

The timeline of Enchanted by Him overlaps the one set in the second book Seduced by Him. (The stories in the series can be read as standalones, but as with most series, it's best if they're read in order). In Enchanted by Him, we're reintroduced to the character Sloth—the man Tex, from Seduced by Him, is forced to ride up to Las Vegas with.

We follow Sloth and learn why he splits off from Tex, we learn Sloth's secret, and of course, we go on a journey with Sloth as he discovers his mate and falls in love. We also see what finally happens to Inferno, the leader of the Helldorado Mongrels MC.

Come be enchanted!

~ * ~ BLURB ~ * ~

Helldorado Mongrels MC member, Sloth, is a man with secrets. He’d joined the club with a specific goal in mind, and when three visitors arrive, he fears one of them will turn his world upside down. Especially since that newcomer is a witch and his mate.

Shaman, the medic from the Skinwalkers MC, was hired to find the woman after the Mongrels’s gold and has secrets himself. When he meets Sloth, the man he knows is destined for him, Shaman begins to reconsider his evil, witchy ways, and his internal conflict irritates him.

Despite the constant clashing of their differences, passion ignites between the two men. But will their secrets cause betrayal and hurt? Destroying their relationship before it even has a chance to fully develop? Or will love ultimately triumph?

~ * ~ EXCERPT ~ * ~

As he sputtered and his eyes watered, he spun away from the invisible partition and ran into the tall medic. The cowboy hat was gone, showing that the man sported long, jet black hair, drawn back into a ponytail. Memories of what his imagination had conjured up earlier flooded his mind and sent his cock twitching again. He had to fight an irresistible urge to drop to his knees before the man, unzip his black jeans, and take his shaft into his mouth.

Shaman chuckled, and once Sloth’s gaze connected with the medic’s gray-eyed gaze, Shaman lifted the corner of his mouth in a mischievous grin.

Sloth sucked in a stream of air as the man’s compelling and magnetic gaze held tight to his. Under the intense stare, Sloth’s body crackled and his joints hissed. The tingly sensations and odd sounds made him realize Shaman was stripping away all his cloaking spells. He tried to combat the psychic assault. His own powers weakened as Shaman continued to stare at him. All he had left was the mind block he’d put in place, and even that felt tenuous.

He attempted to step back and found he couldn’t move. Shaman had “frozen” him into place. Sloth thanked the Great Spirit he hadn’t actually been turned into an ice pop. He hated wintery cold temperatures. On top of it all, without the magic that’d been surrounding him for so long, he felt completely bare and exposed.

Again, Shaman offered a short laugh, this time snapping his fingers as well.

Sloth’s clothes disappeared. Not a stitch of fabric remained on him. To his dismay, he truly was naked. And traitor that it was, his hard cock stood at attention.

Who needs mind reading when my erection gives my thoughts away?

The medic strolled around him, seeming to appraise him like a stud at market. The man swept his fingers and hand over Sloth’s arm, buttocks, and the dip created by his spine at the top of his ass crack, making approving murmurs as he did so. Shaman came to stand in front of him and stroked his hand down Sloth’s chest to his cock.

He didn’t know how it was possible he could be rendered into a state of statue-like material, but still be able to perceive each brush of Shaman’s fingers and palm, the nuances of the man’s gentle touches and lingering caresses. Sloth would have sighed and swooned had he been able to.

“You know, perhaps I won’t kill you and consume your powers.” The medic looked up from Sloth’s cock and stared at his face. He raised a brow. “I see the shock in your eyes. Your gaze gives away everything you’re thinking.” His tone dripped of disapproval. “I’m a true skinwalker. Do you think being a mate matters to one of my kind? We crave power. Always need more. Doesn’t matter who, what, where, when, or how we get it as long as we amass as much as possible.”

Dread filled Sloth. His mate had considered killing him? Murdering him for skills he could barely use anymore himself? He wished he could close his eyes, block out the sight of Shaman, and be able to focus on clearing his head.

So much for the fairy tale euphoria of meeting one’s true love, feeling that instant connection, knowing there’s no one else who would love him unconditionally, and having the insatiable need to be with that someone.

Instead, he had confusion, despair, and panic about being tied to someone who might kill him in his sleep. Yet, he still couldn’t help being super attracted to the witch and wanting to fuck him—hard and fast or slow and easy. Didn’t matter to him how. As long as they got inside each other. And the fact that he craved to be physical with the skinwalker scared him even more.

“But then,” Shaman continued, “the pull I feel toward you is inexplicable. The thought of you no longer walking the earth pains me in a way I’ve never felt before and worsens with the idea of my hand taking you from your mortal coil. No. I won’t kill you. I won’t consume your power. But I will demand having all of you—body, heart, and soul. The two of us will be greater together as a bonded couple rather than just me having all the fun causing havoc everywhere.” Shaman clucked Sloth under the chin.

“I smell your attraction to me,” the medic stated, sneaking a glance at Sloth’s penis. “I see it, too. Yet, I also smell your fear. We can’t have that. Amorcito, you need to trust me … love me. I’m more than happy to give you some time to wrap your head around all of this. Not a lot of time, mind you, but whatever decision you come to, know this, you will be mine.”

~ * ~ BUY BOOKS BY JACEY HOLBRAND ~ * ~

Evernight Publishing ## Amazon ## Barnes & Noble ## BookStrand ## iTunes ## Kobo ## Smashwords

~ * ~ BIO ~ * ~

Jacey Holbrand believes life and love comes in all forms and should be celebrated. She’s committed to her muse and writing so she can share her stories with readers. Hot days. Sexy nights. Come play in her world.

Jacey loves to hear from readers! Click the link to eMail her: JaceyHolbrand@gmail.com

~ * ~ STALK ~ * ~

Blog/Website ## Amazon Author Page ## Twitter ## Facebook ## Facebook Page

Out Now—Shopping for A Billionaire’s Baby (Book 13 in the Shopping series) by Julia Kent

Out Now—Shopping for A Billionaire’s Baby (Book 13 in the Shopping series) by Julia Kent

Release date: April 24, 2018

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Description:

You know what's even better than marrying a billionaire? Having his baby.

We're ready. We've studied and planned, read all the birth and labor books, researched parenting classes, consulted our schedules, and it's time.

And by we I mean me.

Declan's just ready for the "have lots of sex" part. More than ready.

But there's just one problem: my husband and his brother have this little obsession with competition.

And by little, I mean stupid.

That's right.

We're not just about to try to bring a new human being into the world.

We have to do it better, Faster, Stronger.

Harder.

McCormick men don't just have babies.

They engage in competitive billionaire Babythons.

I thought the hardest part about getting pregnant would be dealing with my grandchild-crazed mother, who will go nuts shopping for a billionaire's baby.

Wrong.

Between conception issues, my mother's desire to talk to the baby through a hoo-haw cam, a childbirth class led by a drill sergeant and a father-in-law determined to sign the kid up for prep school before Declan even pulls out, my pregnancy has turned out to be one ordeal after the other.

But it's nothing -- nothing -- compared to the actual birth.

Shopping for a Billionaire's Baby is the newest book in Julia Kent's New York Times bestselling romantic comedy series and is a 400+ page full-length novel.

Excerpt:

“This conception stuff has you thinking. Philosophically, I mean,” Andrew notes, suddenly paying close attention to me.

“Of course. It’s powerful.”

“How? It’s just sex.”

I snort. “I thought so, too. Until I had sex where I tried to get her pregnant on purpose.”

Vince, Gerald, and Andrew all take a step closer to me.

“Bareback,” Vince whispers, like the word itself is holy.

Buy links:

US: http://amzn.to/2DwR2DN
UK: http://amzn.to/2r9yhnB
CA: http://amzn.to/2B0kZJn
AU: http://amzn.to/2mxxEhI
B&N: http://bit.ly/2DcZDh7
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2mBddRQ
iBooks: https://apple.co/2r4cY6K
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2EH54lR

Goodreads➜ http://bit.ly/2ze6PaD

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Fate decided that she needed an even bigger chuckle because the room door opened and Tom Morrison walked in #newrelease #romance from Nicola Cameron

Ever do something really, really dumb?
When too much tequila and an enabling BFF put Lily Nayar's romance novel Feast of Lovers into the hands of its inspiration, sexy British actor Tom Morrison, Lily is horrified. Now she's determined to get her book back, even if that means breaking into Tom's hotel room to do it.
With the help of a strategic lie and a charismatic knight, Lily's screwball plan catapults her into the middle of her very own Cinderella story, Hollywood style. But will a vengeful actress ruin Lily's shot at a real life HEA with Tom?
Excerpt available here.

• Contemporary romance, romantic comedy, MF
• Word Count: 67,000
• Heat Level 2
• Published By: Belaurient Press

---

Excerpt

Giving Theresa a thumbs up, I closed the door and turned my attention to the hotel room. It had already been cleaned and the bed was neatly made. A suitcase sat on the valet stand next to the TV, and the dresser and desk held various pieces of paper, notes, and a couple of plastic shopping bags, all the usual stuff when you’re stuck in a hotel room for a couple of weeks.
Of course, the fangirl part of my brain was screeching like a gibbon at me that I was in Tom Morrison’s hotel room. He’d slept in that very bed last night. Sat at that desk to check his email and Facebook. Took a dump behind the closed door of what I assumed was the bathroom. The prosaic nature of that last bit helped me regain some self-control, and I tiptoed (why, I don’t know, I’m an idiot) over to the desk. There was what looked like a script for GearShifter on it, as well as a MacBook Pro, but no Feast of Lovers. Bad Tom, no leaving your expensive computer equipment out where people can steal it.
I wanted to leaf through the script so badly, but I ignored it and kept looking for Feast. Not on the desk top, not on the dresser, not on the TV. I was starting to worry that he’d taken it with him to the location when I noticed the suitcase. I truly, honestly hated the idea of going through his personal stuff, but he might have stuck it in there. I could just lift the lid, take a peek, maybe it was in plain sight—
I had the lid in hand when the bathroom door swung open and a tall, beautiful blonde in a towel strutted out. “I thought I heard you—” she purred, before she saw me. Both face and tone iced over. “Who the hell are you?”
I let out a noise that could have been used as a sound effect for a creaking vault door. The blonde stalked closer, looming over me. Up close, I could see some fine lines around her eyes, but she was still ridiculously gorgeous. “What are you doing here?” she snapped.
Oh. Oh, shit. My brain informed me that I was currently sharing a room with Claudine Ellery, the actress playing Tom’s antagonist/love interest on the show. What the hell was she doing in his bathroom? Were they dating in real life? Why was I asking stupid questions when I should be turning and running for my freaking life?
And then Fate decided that she needed an even bigger chuckle because the room door opened and Tom Morrison walked in. I caught a glimpse of an apologetic Theresa hovering in the hallway before she was eclipsed by Tom, who was staring at Claudine and me.
Oh, God. He was even better looking in person. Not all actors are, but Tom—he was edible. Curly black hair, eyes the color of dark chocolate, and lips that I’d wanted to kiss since the first time I saw him on screen. With faded jeans that fit him perfectly, a dusty white button-down with rolled up sleeves, just the right amount of chest hair peeping out of his collar, and the cutest smudge of dust across one laser-sharp cheekbone, he was every one of my fantasies come to warm, tall life right in front of me.
And I had broken into his hotel room.
That was it. I was going to jail, assuming that the cops didn’t just see “brown person” and shoot me when they got here. At the very least I’d get fired from Golden State. Mom and Dad would disown me, Dada and Dadi would die of shame, and Derek would probably take out an ad in the LA Times saying that I was adopted. My only hope was that Theresa had gotten the hell out of here. There was no reason for both of us to go down for my stupidity—
“Lilian, darling, what are you doing here?”
My brain skidded to a halt. Words had come out of Tom Morrison’s mouth. Friendly words. While he was staring directly at me. Looking, if I may say so, as if he was talking to someone he knew. Which he didn’t, because I may not have remembered sending him my book but I would definitely remember meeting him.
“Um. Hi?” I waved weakly.
“I thought you decided not to come out this weekend.” He crossed to me, slipping an arm around my shoulders as he stared at Claudine. He squeezed my shoulder once, kind of hard, then did it again.
Even with my brain in fangirl vapor lock I can take a hint. I had no idea how he knew who I was, but he wanted me to play along. Plastering a grin on my face, I slipped my arm around his waist and squeezed back. His torso felt like warm rock, and he smelled so good.
“Well, I figured I needed a road trip,” I extemporized, giving him a bright smile. “And I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“Not at all, angel,” he purred. Up close, I could see a hint of relief in his eyes. It disappeared as he turned to Claudine. “Claud, why are you in my room wearing a towel?” he asked politely.
She planted hands on slim hips, cocking her head to the side. “Seriously? You have to ask why?”
“Yes, because if I remember correctly, I told you that I had no interest in going to bed with you. In fact, I’m quite sure I informed you of this on numerous occasions. And when I walk into my hotel room and see you wearing nothing but terrycloth while my girlfriend,” this time his squeeze was gentle, “is standing there looking gobsmacked, I have to wonder what the actual fuck you’re up to.”

My face went rigid as it tried to hold onto my smile. Girlfriend? Eeeeeeeee…

---

Where to Buy

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes | Print

---

About the Author

Nicola Cameron is an expatriate Chicagoan who has lived in England, Canada, Holland, and Sweden, and keeps a confusing amalgamation of languages in her head as a result. Currently located in the clavicle of Texas, she has finally mastered the proper use of "y'all," much to her Chicago family's dismay.
Despite a healthy interest in romance and sex since puberty, it wasn't until 2012 that Nicola decided to try writing about it. As it turned out, the skills she picked up during her SF writing career transferred rather nicely to speculative romance. When not writing, she wrangles cats, smooches her husband, makes dolls of dubious and questionable identity, and thanks almighty Cthulhu that she doesn’t have to work for a major telecommunications company any more (because there’s BDSM, and then there’s just plain torture...).
 

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Out Now – Secrets and Spies, Undercover Lovers: Book One by Ellie Barker @sinfulpress @EllieBa3 #LGBT #crimenovella

Out Now – Secrets and Spies, Undercover Lovers: Book One by Ellie Barker (@sinfulpress @EllieBa3)

Released on May 18^th 2018 from Sinful Press, Secrets and Spies is the new LGBT erotic crime novella by Ellie Barker, and is the first novella in the Undercover Lovers trilogy.

Starting life as Miss Blue Hair, a short piece from Sinful Press’s Sinful Pleasures anthology, Secrets and Spies follows the story of Nikolas, a bisexual police mole, and Sky, a transgender thief, as they work to infiltrate the local crime syndicate. Ellie Barker has created a fast paced and highly entertaining trilogy, with a diverse range of characters, various sexual encounters, and unconventional romance. In Bed with the Enemy and For Queen and Country, the remaining books in the trilogy, are due for release on June 15^th and July 13^th respectively.

Secrets and Spies is Amazon exclusive for a limited time before being released across all main platforms. It is available to read through Kindle Unlimited.

Blurb:

When Nikolas Jinsen, police mole, meets an unusual woman named Sky, he thinks he's just in for a night of pleasure. But he's soon pulled into a world of mafia dealings, stolen documents, hacked computers and kidnappings - not to mention a woman with a taste for exhibition, a Queen who demands payment in pleasure, and Sky herself; unusual, intoxicating, and wanting more than Nikolas may be willing to give.

Secrets and Spies is transgender erotica at its best.

Book links:

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/SaSKindle

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38487651-secrets-and-spies

Excerpt:

She’d undressed, and I was admiring her from behind, enjoying the faint curve of her hips and her definitely gropeable buttocks...I might have tested that on the way home. But it was as she stepped back and raised her arms above her head, lifting her bright blue hair, that I realised I’d seen her before.

She’d had shorter hair, then, as black as night. She’d been dressed in practical trousers and a t-shirt, and carrying a bag full of tools; an electrician’s apprentice, fixing lights in an office building. They’d been in and out before anyone had realised some rather valuable documents had been copied and somehow removed from the building despite the security.

I’d idly wondered if the maintenance crew I’d walked past had been involved. After all, it wasn’t a dissimilar cover to one that I’d occasionally employed for jobs...

Sky. Thief, seductress, gambler and heartbreaker. This slim, dark-eyed thing in my bed was that legend.

Well, I can’t refuse a chance to fuck a legend. I’d just have to discuss her previous activities with her when we’d finished this business.

That train of thought came to a very nice conclusion as she turned to me, lifting her arms and stretching, taking my open mouth and caught breath as appreciation. “Lost for words?”

I managed a smile. “I’ve never been one for talking when I could express my appreciation in...other ways.”

She fitted perfectly across my hips, her strong legs pressing on my thighs. I felt her cock slide against my stomach, leaving a wet trail in contrast to the warmth of the smooth skin. Her mouth pressed onto mine as I pulled her closer, and we spent a while like that, chests pushed together and skin sliding as my hands explored her body and her tongue teased mine, her long fingers winding into my hair.

“All right, enough,” I said when it got too distracting, pushing her shoulders back a little to get some distance. “I want in you.”

Author Bio:

Ellie mostly writes short'n'dirty flash fiction and short erotic fiction in any genre going. She prefers vampires over werewolves, and is always hot for a rainy night.

You can find out more about Ellie over at http://elliebarker.co.uk/, or follow her on Twitter as @EllieBa3

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Captured and tortured by shifter hunters, Ryder wakes to the gentle care of Evie Thomas. #midweektease #romance #PNR

#Midweektease is from Siren Publishing

Book three of

The Venn Pack in Love

Captive Wolf

When Ryder Venn sets out to do a favor for his alpha brother, Joshua, he thinks it’s just an ordinary day. Little does he know the horror and adventure that awaits him. Captured and tortured by shifter hunters, Ryder wakes to the gentle care of Evie Thomas.

As Ryder Venn falls in love with the mysterious girl who nurses his wounds and feeds him, Evie discloses her reason for being part of the hunter’s group. 

As Evie reveals her identity and plans to Ryder, they fall into a heated and passionate love affair. 

Meanwhile, the shifter hunters plot to force Ryder into cage fighting. The trouble is just who or what will they make him fight?

Deep in love, Ryder marks Evie as his mate.

Gorgeous Ryder will do anything for her.

Lovely Evie will do anything to free him.

A noise brought his head up. It came from behind him. A door opening, bolts sliding, hinges creaking, and then a small gasp and muffled cry. Was some other captive being thrown in to be tortured? Dread flooded his foggy mind. Was he going to be tortured again?

He closed his eyes. Maybe if they think I’m still unconscious they’ll leave me alone.

A dull clunk nearby sounded as if someone put down a plastic container. Something else scraped the floor as it was placed alongside the metal chair.

Ryder pushed down panic. He didn’t know how to withstand more torture.

Gentle fingers traced a path along his cheek, and a soft wet cloth was dabbed onto his forehead. Water from the cloth ran in a swift rivulet down his face and his thirst drove him to try to catch the precious liquid with his swollen tongue. It tasted vaguely of antiseptic, but he desperately licked at it.

A female voice whispered, “You’re awake. You must be in such pain. I want to take care of you, but I can’t free you, not yet, anyway. Here, drink first. Not too quickly or you’ll be sick.”

A plastic cup of some kind was pressed to his mouth. It hurt, but he opened his eyes and drank, gulping the water.

“Slow down, there’s a lot, and I’ll bring more. I’m going to wash you now. I’m sorry if it hurts, but your wounds need dressing or they could become infected.”

The voice belonged to a pretty young woman. In his fog of pain, Ryder registered that and her dark wavy hair pulled back in a thick braid that fell over her shoulder as she bent. She tossed it down her back and dragged a bucket closer after placing the cup on the floor next to a tall bottle of spring water.

Ryder gazed at her almost stupefied with relief he wasn’t going to be tortured.

She brought out a white cloth from the bucket, squeezed a little water from it, and then proceeded to clean him up. From head to toe she worked on him, soothing, calming the injuries, rinsing the cloth, bringing more water in the cup to his lips for him to drink.

She moved around the back of the chair and washed the sticky stuff from his hands and wrists.

“What is that—on my hands?” his voice scratched out.

She moved closer to his mouth, leaning over his shoulder. “Blood, you’re bleeding in lots of places. I have to do something about your genitals. I’m sorry. I have some cold water by the door. You need them cooled.”

Ryder grimaced. “No.” Shame filled him. Bad enough I’m naked, but an unknown girl washing me…down there…

She slipped a cool, delicate, hand around his face. “Yes. I must. I’ll take care. Close your eyes. Think about the ocean, a river, somewhere beautiful you know.”

She moved away.

Ryder jerked as his balls were cradled in cool hands and then surrounded in cool water. She must have been holding a bowl under him. A wet cloth traced the underside of his balls, all the way to his ass and then back again, until it could go no farther as the young woman wielding it reached the edge of the cutaway in the seat. Ryder swallowed a sob. The tender way she washed him made everything worse. Her care made him feel like crying, and he didn’t know why.

She brought her cloth, freshly squeezed of cool water, to his flaccid cock, and washed him. She brought the drinking water and gave him more to drink, and then she used splashes of it on the burns that dotted around his stomach.

She stood back after giving him another drink and searched in the button-down thigh pocket of her cargo pants. She brought out a tube and a bubble pack.

She squeezed the tube, and smeared the white cream that wormed out over his cuts and burns. Then she popped a couple of tablets from the bubble pack, and made him take them.

“They’re pain killers. You need them. Drink more.” She ran a gentle hand over his forehead after he’d swallowed down the tabs.

They scraped his sore throat. He gulped more water, trying to stop the feeling that the tabs had stuck halfway down to his stomach.

The girl put down the cup of water and squeezed out the last of the cream from the tube. She went around to his wrists tied behind him.

Her soft touch on his wretched wrists soothed him anew, and a sigh escaped him. “Thank you for this, for the care and water.”

She murmured softly, “I couldn’t see you in this condition. It broke my heart.” She came to kneel in front of him. “I wish I could do more. I’m going to bring you food later. I have a lot of leeway here. I convinced Steve—that’s the leader of this hunter group—to let me tend you, only because of my association with his new deputy.”

Ryder gazed at her. She’d switched on a low light that sat on a table in one corner to look at his wounds, and he could see her eyes, the color of harebells, appraising him with a mix of concern and tenderness.

“Where am I?”

Copyright Elodie Parkes, Siren Publishing

http://a-fwd.com/asin=B018RNAV0U

http://www.bookstrand.com/book/captive-wolf

HOP to the next midweek teaser

They call him Bull, and I can see why. The guy is massive, and I do mean everywhere. #newrelease #MCRomance @kitcatjms @changelingpress

ABOUT THE BOOK

Darian:

When the guy I’d been seeing turned out to be a rapist sleezeball, I ran…and it let me straight to him. They call him Bull, and I can see why. The guy is massive, and I do mean everywhere. He’s so much older than me, but I can’t seem to care. The way he holds me, murmurs softly to me, I feel safe. No one’s ever cared what happened to me, but he does. I can tell he wants me, even though he’s fighting himself. But he doesn’t have to…because I’m his. I’ve held onto my virginity all these years, but I want him more than I ever thought I’d want someone. I want his hands on me, his body over mine. And for once, I’m going to get what I want. And I want Bull.

Bull:

Darian’s younger than my damn daughter, but there’s something about the sweet girl that draws me closer. When I look in her eyes, I see that she’s a fighter, but I can also see that she’s been badly broken, and I want to be the one to put the pieces back together. I have nothing to offer her. There’s more than twenty years between us, and I know I need to walk away. I’m just a dirty old man who wants her under me. I’m hard as a damn post anytime she’s nearby, and I have to fight the urge to spread those creamy thighs of hers and drive into her, claiming her body and making her mine…until I have no fight left in me. I wanted to be a better man, to walk away, but I can’t. She begs me so sweetly, and soon I can’t resist anymore. She’s mine. And any fucker who tries to take her from me is going to die a slow and painful death.

GENRES/THEMES: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Bikers, Older Hero, New Adult
PUBLISHER: Changeling Press
COVER ARTIST: Bryan Keller
LENGTH:  119 pages (print length is 146 pages per Amazon)

BUY LINKS:

Changeling Press (available May 11^th): https://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2715

Or you can Pre-Order for May 18^th at online retailers…

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CSD4RZX/

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bull/id1380369171?ls=1&mt=11%20target=

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bull-harley-wylde/1128580387?ean=2940162008743

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bull-15

ADULT EXCERPT

Bull didn’t hesitate when he entered the house, but strode into the living room and eased me down onto the couch. He flicked on a lamp and as the room flooded with light, I was surprised to see that he seemed much older than my twenty-one years. There were lines at the corners of his eyes, but he was a very handsome man. As I took in the details of his face, I felt this intense pull toward him. I’d seen attractive men before. Well, mostly boys. But there was something about him, something different. The look in his eyes said he’d seen shit I couldn’t even fathom, and yet the way he watched me… it made me feel all warm and gooey inside.

He pulled off his leather jacket and tossed it onto a chair, and I felt my eyes widen as I took in his broad chest and large biceps. There was some sort of leather vest over his T-shirt, but I couldn’t read the writing. Even if the lines on his face hadn’t belied his age, there was no mistaking his body for that of a boy. He was definitely all man. The T-shirt he wore was stretched tight across him, and my fingers itched to see if his chest was as hard as it looked. I could understand now why they called him Bull. The man was huge. My gaze dipped down below his belt and my cheeks flushed when I saw his cock straining against his zipper. Yeah, he was big. Everywhere.

“What’s your name?” he asked, drawing my attention away from what was hidden in his jeans.

“Darian. Darian Crosse.”

“You don’t sound like you’re from around here.”

I shook my head. “I’m from Georgia. The guy I was seeing told me about this awesome party and brought me here.”

Bull’s eyebrows rose. “And where is he now?”

“Probably still looking for me.”

Bull rocked back on his heels, shoving his hands into his pockets. I was too busy admiring him again to say anything more. I couldn’t say he was beautiful, but I’d never met anyone like Bull before. I felt like I could look at him all day.

“Is he the one you’re running from?” Bull asked.

“Him and the others,” I murmured, still admiring him.

His eyes narrowed. “What others?”

I tipped my head back and closed my eyes a moment. Their faces flashed in my mind, with their leering smiles. Bile rose in my throat as I thought about the words I’d heard, their intentions toward me, and their complete lack of humanity. Fear and revulsion rolled through me, and I knew I was damn lucky to have gotten away.

I focused on him again, trying to shake free from the horror of what had nearly happened to me. “The party Leo took me to expected me to be the entertainment, even though I hadn’t known that at the time. I’d confessed to Leo a few days ago that I was a virgin and was waiting for the right guy and the right time. I thought he was understanding and might be the one. I didn’t realize he was excited about my virginity for another reason.”

“That doesn’t explain the others you mentioned. Who were they?”

“Leo tried to drug me earlier, but I didn’t take the pills. When we got into town, we drove to some rundown place. I think it’s a few miles from here, but I honestly don’t know how far I ran. It was a house full of guys. Some looked younger than me and some looked older. Maybe late twenties or early thirties. When we stepped into the house, I realized quickly I was the only girl there. The guys weren’t quiet about their plans. They were going to take turns with me. All twelve of them and one said he was willing to pay Leo to be the one to take my virginity. Thankfully, it looked like they’d already been partying pretty hard, and they were either drunk, stoned, or both.”

A chill entered his eyes and his hands clenched at his sides. Suddenly the protective man who had been so tender with me looked more like a Viking warrior about to go off to battle. With his long blond hair and beard, I could easily see him with a sword, or whatever Vikings had used in times of war.

“They were going to gang rape you?” His voice sounded calmer than he looked. Anger poured off him in waves.

My throat tightened and I swallowed as tears filled my eyes. I hadn’t admitted to myself yet that that’s what they’d planned. Oh, I’d run the moment I’d realized what they were going to do, but I’d pushed it to the back of my mind and not used that word, breaking it down into pieces I could stomach instead of looking at the whole picture.

Bull noticed my distress and sank down onto his haunches in front of me. Some of the anger had faded from his eyes, and the tender guy who had picked me up off the pavement was back. He reached for me slowly, brushing tears off my cheeks that I hadn’t even realized I’d shed. That was enough to make the dam break and I started crying in earnest. Bull gathered me in his arms and sat on the couch, settling me in his lap. Cradled against his broad chest, I felt like nothing could harm me. I clung to him, my hands twisted in the fabric of his shirt, as I soaked him with my tears. He didn’t seem to mind though, murmuring words of comfort to me.

Despite my distress over what had nearly happened to me, I felt completely safe in his arms. Being held by him was almost like coming home. That sense of rightness, of belonging. I’d never had that before, and it startled me that I would feel it now, with a complete stranger. I’d tried to always trust that inner voice though, and mine was saying that Bull was different, special.

“If they come here, will that guy at the gate tell them I’m here?” I asked as I got myself under control again.

“No. Johnny won’t say a word to anyone about you being here. Except maybe to Torch.”

I sniffled. “You all have weird names.”

Bull chuckled. “They’re road names. I’m part of the Dixie Reapers MC. Bull is what they call me.”

“MC. Like in Sons of Anarchy?”

He snorted. “Not exactly. Oh, our hands aren’t clean, but most of that show was strictly drama meant to entertain people.”

“So, if Bull is your road name, what’s your real name?” I asked.

I could see the hesitation in his eyes, and I wondered if it was taboo to ask him that. I didn’t know anything about the way of life in an MC. I hadn’t even been around bikers up close before, except watching them pass by on the freeway. He was the first I’d ever spoken to.

“Michael. My name is Michael, but outside of this house, I’m Bull and only Bull.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

He softly caressed my cheek. “But you can call me Michael if you want. When we’re here, by ourselves. No one’s used that name in a really long time.”

I felt the bulge in his pants pressing against my ass, and I didn’t think it was possible, but it felt like it was growing even larger.  Holy hell! My breath caught in my throat at the unmistakable desire in his eyes. No one had ever looked at me like that. Oh, boys had told me I was pretty and said they wanted to fuck me. But the way Bull -- Michael? -- looked at me… it was like he wanted to devour me. My nipples pebbled and as his hands shifted, I felt a sudden jolt in my core.

This is wrong, Darian. What the hell is the matter with you? You were almost raped and now some stranger is turning you on? Are you just going to give it up to some random guy?

Despite my inner pep talk, my body didn’t seem to be listening. Desire curled through me, heating the blood in my veins. Even if his arms hadn’t been around me, I wouldn’t have gotten up and walked away. I’d waited so long to feel like this. Was the timing all wrong? Oh yeah. But I couldn’t ignore the way I felt, didn’t want to ignore it.

If you missed the first three books in the Dixie Reapers series, you can check them out here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Short. Erotic. Sweet. Harley's other half would probably say those words describe her, but they also describe her books. When Harley is writing, her motto is the hotter the better. Off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can't deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you've come to the right place.

Harley Wylde is the "wilder" side of award-winning author Jessica Coulter Smith. Visit Jessica's website at jessicacoultersmith.com or Harley's website at harleywylde.com. Want to be notified of new releases or special discounts? Sign up for her newsletter!

For fans of Gay Romance, Harley/Jessica also writes as Dulce Dennison.