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Ready! Set! Go! July Wolf Pack Run!

Are y’all ready for a heck of a sale? Free and $0.99 books all for you from some awesome authors from The Wolf Pack!

You know what else? There’s a giveaway… A Kindle Fire. Gift Cards. You’ll want to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You’ll want to join The Wolf Pack Readers Facebook Group. It’s a fantastic place for readers and authors to connect over their love of shifter romance!

And you’ll definitely want to try out the books listed below…

 

4430644Felicity Forrest has the perfect job as an investigative blogger for Everyday Supernatural. This curvy girl gets sent to the Aran Islands to find out whether a púca shape shifter is responsible for the strange accidents haunting a construction site.

Niall O’Leary is tall, broody, and totally alpha. His mission is to discover why the veil between the human world and the Realm has lifted. And as the Chieftain’s son he must find a mate or his twin will be promised to a stallion he despises. He has a duty to his family, his clan, and a need for offspring. Otherwise the púca could become nothing more than folklore.

Passion and frustration ignite when a curvy human female tempts his inner stallion like no other. There’s only one problem… She just got out of a relationship that left her broken hearted. Is she ready for a second chance at love?

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4615021Westley Worthington has it all. Piles of money, good looks, a head for business, and a seemingly limitless supply of women who want to please him. And that’s just the way he likes it. Until a brush with death causes him to rethink his priorities, and consider someone besides himself for the first time in his privileged life.

Cordelia Cross has never had it easy. Her duty to her family has her working as an assistant to a man she hates just to pay her sister’s medical bills. When her arrogant boss alienates his last true friend, she finds herself promoted from schedule-managing coffee grabber, to the newest member of West’s inner circle.

Tempers, and passions, ignite as the two start spending time together, until a shocking accident puts their newfound attraction on ice. When West is faced with the toughest trial of his life, Cordelia helps him realize that he has all the tools he needs to be a force for justice.

 Together, they must turn West into the hero no one ever thought he could be.

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PictureCorrine Hart is ready for few days off for rest and relaxation. At the top of her to-do list is spending as much time as possible in tiger form and doing her best to banish all thoughts of the mysterious Hunky Cupcake Guy who spent the last two weeks driving her libido insane.

Jett Montgomery-Murphy just wants to know if the tasty treats that keep showing up at work are the same ones his best friend used to get while they were in college. A trip out to Sweet Confections confirms what he thought and brings him in close contact with the one woman he’s secretly lusted after for years, his best friend’s sister Corrine.

A late night tryst leads to two tigers finding their mates and two humans unsure what to do next. Add in an overbearing brother, a best friend with her own drama, and a crazy ex-girlfriend that has a checkered past and you have a recipe for disaster.

Will Corrine and Jett be able to overcome the unexpected obstacles on their way to falling in love? Or will they throw in the towel before the relationship even gets off the ground?

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PictureA Hunted Novel – Book Two

Tess Monroe is a werecat on the run. Her family is missing, she’s been poisoned, and shot. What else can go wrong?Nate Tucker is a werewolf, and a valuable asset to the shifter haven, Sanctuary. His job is to help wounded and displaced shifters. But wolves have a long-standing feud with werecats. He should turn Tess away, and forget he ever met her, but can he?

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4831365Lana Dixon knows well enough to steer clear of alpha males, but Ty Hawthorne is as impossible to avoid as the sizzling Arizona sun. Her inner wolf just won’t give up on the alpha who’s tall, dark, and more than a little dangerous. One midnight romp under the full moon is enough for Lana to know she’ll risk her life for him — but what about her pride?

Ty puts duty above everything — even the overwhelming instinct that says Lana’s the one. She’s the Juliet to his Romeo: forbidden. And with a pack of poaching rogues closing in, it’s hardly the time to yield to his desires. Or is love just what this lonely alpha needs to set his spirit free?

There’s more than meets the eye on Twin Moon Ranch, home to a pack of shapeshifting wolves willing to battle for life and love.

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PictureGemi Draglen has been searching for the woman that is destined to become his Wella for hundreds of years. One eventful night while visiting the city of New Orleans, he unexpectedly sees the woman he wants to be his forever. Unfortunately, he has two very serious problems. First, the woman to become his Wella is a witch, an age old enemy to all dragons. Second and most importantly, she has no idea who Gemi truly is and he must convince her they belong together, forever.

Shalisi Narmon is no ordinary young lady. Shalisi is a witch from generations of witches and has known since birth that she is to have the most important role of all her sister witches. She has always accepted her destiny of becoming the Passer. At least that’s what she has always believed until Gemi Draglen suddenly enters her life. She has never experienced love and could never love a dragon, an enemy to witches. It seems Gemi is not so easily deterred and is determined to win her affection and show her the joy that true love can give. Will Shalisi choose her sisters or the love of her life?

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PictureDon’t miss this sensuous paranormal romance:

When Stormy meets rock star Knox, she lets herself dare to fall in love. There’s just one problem — her family curse, which could turn their passion into an all-consuming fire…

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2571018Only a vampire is man enough to teach werewolves how to fight.

Pretty librarian Sugar wants her life to stay quiet. That’s hard enough when friends and neighbors turn into furry werewolves every full moon. But when a hot vampire gets involved, life’s bound to get complicated.

The Omegas have always been the pansies of the paranormal. Now Chicago’s top werewolf pack has issued them a life or death challenge. Their only option: hire a vampire warrior to teach them the moves.

Daedalus has been a powerful vampire for ages. Intrigued by the chance to train the geeks of the underworld, he wasn’t bargaining on losing his heart to a human. Can he make the Omegas a success, fit into Sugar’s quiet life, and avoid being ripped to shreds in the process?

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PictureThey were supposed to be enemies, not lovers. Tanner Lyons is a shifter without a pack, which is just the way he likes it—until he rescues Olivia Bennett, princess of the Lightbearers. Suddenly, he finds himself fighting an attraction that makes no sense, because Lightbearers and shifters have been mortal enemies since the beginning of time. Intrigue, adventure, magic, and passion – you’ll find it all in Into the Light, Book 1 of Tami Lund’s exciting new fantasy series, Lightbearers.

Shifters dominate the human world, while Lightbearers stay hidden away in their magically protected coterie. That is, until Olivia Bennett, princess of the Lightbearers, is captured by the most powerful shifter of them all—Quentin Lyons, who believes that to kill a Lightbearer is to inherit her magic.

The attraction makes no sense. Lightbearers and shifters have been mortal enemies since the dawn of time. He’s supposed to feel the urge to kill her, not… well, you know.

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PictureCameron Sinclair is a successful businessman, with offices all over the world and a multi-billionaire with all the trappings. He is also a Wolf and he vows never to return to Pack life, or his birthright as Alpha.

He is ‘summoned’ back to his Highland Pack by his estranged father and things do not go smoothly, resulting in him leaving to help his Uncle in the USA with several of his friends in tow.

What awaits is heartache, sorrow and the chance for a new life as Alpha of a large Pack. A life with love in it. His first sight of the white She-Wolf affecting him in ways he can’t even understand.

First, he and his Wolves have to take on a deadly threat, the deadliest of all; a corrupt and depraved Alpha with a horde of guards as immoral as their leader.  Will he take his chance at love? Or do as he always does; walk away?

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PictureA pariah among paranormals, Peter can touch the dead and read their last thoughts. Once an angel, now a demon, he is only tolerated by most because of his gift. Cursed with the power of influencing every woman or man he touches, Peter has lost any hope to experience true intimacy and companionship.

Headstrong and sensual as only werewolves can be, Ophelia is desperately in love with her best friend, Samuel, who is in love with someone else. In the middle of her personal crisis, Rome is taken by storm by the latest archeology discovery, and as a forensic anthropologist, Ophelia is called to shed some light on the remains of a young couple embraced for eternity.

Peter is sent to the site to help identify the dead. There he meets the striking werewolf, and Ophelia’s exotic beauty and sharp tongue pique his interest immediately. Ophelia, too, is affected by Peter’s magnetism.  Will they survive a manhunt the likes of which Rome has never seen? Will Peter and Ophelia remain unscathed by the fire of their burning passion?

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PictureIt’s either the beginning or the end for Sadie James. She came to the small Adirondack town of Andora looking for a fresh start. One that didn’t include the pitying looks of strangers who saw her on the news. Only days into her new life and already she is in trouble. That is, unless the wolf in front of her was salivating at the sight of some other woman in the vast forest around her.

After killing his sister, Tyson searched for oblivion the only way he knew how to. As a wolf he could run from the life he left behind and become the animal he always was. The time between lucidness grows longer each times he surfaces. One day he won’t be able to come back at all. It was the only thing he looked forward to until a lost woman fell at his feet.

Sadie is in danger and she is blind to it. Although, it was never proven, Tyson always believed Jack was behind his sister’s ultimate demise. Now Jack has his sights set on Sadie. Can he fight the pull of the wild or will he let her face the wolves alone?

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PictureBlake doesn’t want a mate. No way. No how. And he certainly doesn’t want her camping on his land, floating down his stretch of river, or looking like she belongs in his bed.

But that’s exactly what he gets when he happens upon a curvy woman with shades of sunset hair named Leah. She’s on vacation and isn’t looking for any complications, especially in the form of a shifter or the possessive MINE signal he gives off.

So, what are two bears to do when they’ve convinced themselves they don’t want, much less need anyone else? They give in to the pull and mate, of course, but in sex only. No life commitment. No cubs. No changing the way they live: Separate and independent of each other.

Except when she leaves his mountain, Blake can’t get her off his mind and Leah can’t stop craving his particular brand of gruffness. Now, the one thing neither wanted, has come full circle, and is ready to bite them both.

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PictureWerewolf relationships are all about influence and offspring, especially as they are becoming extinct. But Carmela Santiago resents that type of life. She dreams of falling in love, not following the example her parents have set.

When sensual vampire Derek Ashmore rescues her from dangerous hunters, she tumbles head over heels for him. Not a wise decision since werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies.

Meeting her caring mate-to-be Brendan Kelly has her further questioning the future. Regardless, her life has forever changed now that she’s met not one, but two men who pull at her heartstrings…

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2152063Mandi finds herself waking from a drug induced sleep, in the arms of the handsome McDougal Pack’s alpha. But Mandi is a human, with no desire to be anything else. Just because the legendary white wolf blood might run through her veins, doesn’t give the werewolf council any say over her life. She may not be able to pick her relatives, but she can certainly choose the man she marries. Can’t she?

Mac doesn’t think the mate the council chose for him is going to work out for him at all. But when he meets her, he begins to wonder if she might not be the one he’s been looking for all along. She wants to fight him and the attraction that flares between them. He has a surprise for her. He’s a fighter and he’s enlisted an unexpected ally from her family. The white wolf herself is on his side and he doesn’t intend to stop until he wins.

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PictureAndrea Slater escaped an underground prison only to be captured by a shifter tribe and forced into a new form of imprisonment. As if, escaping death in 2014 and thrust into a dangerous future where the number one focus is procreation wasn’t enough, now she had six super hot, alpha males competing to the death to have the honor of mating with her. What’s a woman to do?

This is a stand alone romance. It is the second book in the Vanished series (book one, Death Interrupted is also available on Amazon). It is not necessary to read the first book in this series to follow the romance in The Mating Challenge but the first book can help enhance the story and can give readers a better understanding of the dystopia world the characters live in.

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PictureAfter Keira’s husband is brutally murdered, she is more than just alone but vulnerable to threats and tangled in a web of greed. Her decisions lead her into a corner, and safety is jeopardized.

Aiden, Wolf shifter and Council member of the Caedmon Pack, has never failed when it comes to fulfilling the terms of his employment contract. When he is hired to protect an heiress, he doesn’t plan on her being the only woman to bring both challenge and purpose in his life. Without hesitation, he vows to keep the grieving Keira safe—even from himself.

Keira trusts Aiden unconditionally and finds joy whenever they are together, but can love transcend a tragedy? Aiden’s urge to protect her is just as great as his desire to claim her. Once the passion is unleashed and fueled by the need to have all of her, the wolf will accept nothing less than his mate.

Wolf’s Desire is Book Four of the Caedmon Wolves series. Books One through Six are also available now.

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PictureA SPIN OFF SERIES OF SHIFTERS FOREVER!

This one takes place in Europe, the original home of the Tiero shifters. We start our journey in the Eternal City–Rome.

Vax’s half-brother Rafe has it bad for Callie, Vax’s woman. He thinks that’s the kind of woman he needs. Until he meets Jax–who has a boyfriend and a bit of a chip on her shoulder.
Now what, Rafe?

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PictureMaddie Joplin’s heart was broken by the small-town golden boy who took her virginity and left her behind. Now he’s back with secrets he won’t share and scars she doesn’t remember, and she wants just one chance to show him what he missed.

Kane Villalobos had one choice: abandon Maddie or reveal his dangerous life as a wolf shifter. But with the mating moon on the rise, Kane is bound to take a mate. And this time, Maddie refuses to let him walk away alone.

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PictureBelieved to be kept under guard by his traveling circus’s owner, Fabian Castillo hasn’t been seen or heard from for more than seven months. Astrid Falk has one week to root him out. The private investigators at Shrew & Company always find their men, and Astrid is no exception.

When Astrid pulls the bewitching acrobat from captivity, however, he refuses to cut and run. He’s got a score to settle with his former foster father Jacques, and Astrid can’t leave Fabian on his own. He speaks no English, and she speaks no Spanish, but when they touch, they don’t need words. There are some perks to being psychic.

Solitary Fabian wants Astrid to be more than just his translator, and she just might be on the market for a new partner. But, the last man she gave her heart to left her high and dry when she needed him most. Committing to Fabian would require a leap of faith she’s not sure she can muster, especially if there’s no net below to catch her if she falls.

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PictureJolie’s life is turned upside down after the death of the father she never knew. Someone seems determined to run her over, she’s getting prank phone calls, and her mother is marrying a man Jolie has never met.

As if that wasn’t enough, a brief lust-filled meeting with a smokin’ hot stranger turns into dream filled nights of passion that feel almost too real.

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PictureVictoria Storm faces seemingly insurmountable odds to keep her dwindling pack of werewolves alive and together. She fights hunters- including the brother and father of her deceased lover-and the pack takes another devastating loss.

When they seek sanctuary in a small town near Lake Tahoe, high in the secluded Sierra Nevada Mountains, Victoria discovers they are infringing on the territory of a vastly more powerful Alpha wolf. To save her pack, she uses her feminine wiles to seduce the Alpha. Nothing comes easily for Victoria. Her plans are complicated by the Alpha’s erratic son, a ghostly wife, and a vengeful witch.

Not even her status as a Valkyrie or the favor of the Goddess Freya can change the course of destiny for Victoria or her pack mates.

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We hope you enjoy taking part and find some new to you authors! And again, we’d love to have you join us on The Wolf Pack Facebook Group!

~lissa

Howling Good Hop 2015

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Welcome to the Howling Good Blog Hop! There are a ton of awesome authors and prizes. Follow along and enter the Rafflecopter. We have $200 in grand prizes!

For those of you new to me, my name is Lissa Matthews. I write contemporary romance, but have dabbled in paranormal romance and later this year, I will be doing a lot more paranormal romance. (more…)

New Release and a Two Book Giveaway!

Happy Wednesday and Happy Release Day, y’all! It took quite a while to get Slide Down On Me from submission to published, but it’s finally here and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I had a wonderful time working with a new-to-me editor but who is well known in the industry, Kelli Collins. She taught me so much and I can’t thank her enough.

slidedownonme_msrSmall-town mechanic and tattooed bad boy Travis keeps his profile low, his needs satisfied outside the city limits, and his business running smoothly. He doesn’t cause trouble and he certainly doesn’t want any.

Trouble finds him one scorching afternoon, however, in the form of the equally scorching Arabella Drake. The former heiress owes Travis for car repairs, money she can’t readily pay.

Their situation requires a creative solution, and while most of the town rejects Bella, Travis wants to ravish her. He offers a proposal, one that will soften the repair costs—and satisfy Travis’ longstanding wish to have Bella Drake naked, writhing and sliding down on every inch of him.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | All Romance eBooks | Ellora’s Cave

Excerpt:

“Twenty-five hundred dollars?” Bella’s lips barely moved over the words. Her throat closed and nausea rolled through her belly. If she said anything more, her breakfast of toast and coffee from several hours earlier were going to be all over the garage floor. They probably wouldn’t even notice, given the stains of oil, gasoline and what she could only hope were other car fluids dotting the concrete.

She supposed it could be the fumes making her lightheaded. She wasn’t used to such strong, bitter smells.

“Close,” he said, looking down at his clipboard. “Twenty-five hundred, sixty-seven dollars…” He looked up again, giving a benign smile. “And thirty-nine cents.”

Bella met his gaze. Travis. He was as gorgeous as ever. His cobalt eyes held no hint of emotion, no matter the sarcasm that dripped from his lips.

Tattoos covered his arms and disappeared under his short-sleeve shirt and drifted up the sides of his neck. Black hair brushed his collar and was so dark that in the right light, one could swear it shown blue. He was tall, broad yet lean-hipped, and she’d wondered for years what his rough mechanic’s hands would feel like on her skin.

She’d had a secret crush on him when she was growing up. She’d see him around town and out on the lake, but they were from two different worlds and though their paths rarely crossed, when he was near, she was always acutely aware of him.

“I…I don’t have access to that kind of money anymore, Travis,” she said quietly. No thanks to my brother. Humility seemed to be her new best friend, but in front of Travis? That was a new level she wasn’t exactly comfortable with.

Heat bloomed in her cheeks, but she was just stubborn enough not to look away. She wanted to get out of here, run as far as she could, but there was nowhere to go, no place for her to hide. And now, thanks to the transmission in her car, no way for her to get anywhere. She squared her shoulders and swallowed past the queasiness.

“That’s as low as I can go, Bella.”

Bella sighed. “That low or going lower or raising the number doesn’t matter. Not even the sixty-seven thirty-nine. At least not until payday.” Her voice didn’t shake and she was proud of that. He was sexier than a man ought to be, but she wouldn’t let that distract her. “Can you hold the car for a little while? At least a couple of days?”

“I take credit cards.”

“Really?” She didn’t roll her eyes, but the sarcasm in her tone couldn’t be mistaken. “Travis…”  This wasn’t the first time she’d come up against this argument. “I don’t use credit cards anymore.”

“And I don’t generally hold cars for anyone other than friends. The lot is pretty small, you see,” he observed, looking over her shoulder out the bay door. “I don’t want legit customers thinking I can’t take care of them because there’s a fancy piece sittin’ out front.”

She ignored his emphasis on the word “piece” and fought the suddenly strong urge to kick him. She turned her head and followed his line of sight.

The front of the garage had a small parking area, but there was also room out back he used. “It’s a Cadillac. People drive them all the time. Please, Travis. Just a couple of days until I get paid on Friday.”

“Please” had become the most-used word in her vocabulary. She’d always used it, along with thank you, excuse me, yes ma’am and no sir among, other courteous terms, but they had all taken on whole new meanings since she was no longer the heiress who lived in a mansion.

Their gazes locked again and he didn’t seem moved by her plea.

“It was all I could do to get it here this morning. It kept dying anytime I got it over forty. I don’t have any way to get it back to the lake or anywhere else to keep it.”

He heaved a sigh. “Until Friday. Not a day later.”

Relief swamped her and she smiled. “Friday. Yes. Th-thank you, Travis. Thank you.” It was a small battle but she’d won. “I have to get back to the flower shop, but I’ll be in touch Friday when I get off work.” She spun on her heel, heart thumping wildly in her chest at the victory. Of course, her mind whirled with the fact that it would take longer than two days to get the money, but one step at a time.

His voice from behind abruptly stopped her forward progress. She was thankful that she didn’t stumble over herself.

“Do you need a ride?”

Lust flooded her, but Bella masked her surface reaction before facing him again. Oh yes, she’d love a ride. A long, hard, naked ride. On him. He hadn’t moved closer but heat flared between them. Maybe he wasn’t as indifferent as he’d have her believe. “N-no. I walked here. I can walk back. I don’t want to owe you any more than I already do.”

Travis shrugged. “Suit yourself. Have a good day then.”

I hope you will enjoy reading more about Travis and Bella… And please, whether or not you like and enjoy it, I would appreciate if you’d leave a review at the e-tailer of your purchase.

Now, as a little bit of a special treat, my friend Sabrina York also has an Ellora’s Cave release today. Dark Duke. What an intriguing and sexy title. I’m currently reading the first book in this series, Dark Fancy.

If you’re new to the series, download Sabrina’s free teaser book at http://sabrinayork.com/home-2/sabrina-yorks-teaser-book/ to read blurbs and excerpts for this popular series. Each book in the series is a stand-alone story.

darkduke_9781419947384_msrNoble Passions, Book Three

Edward Wyeth, the Dark Duke of Moncrieff’s life has been turned on its end. His well-ordered home has been invaded. By destitute relatives. From Scotland. How on earth can he write Lord Hedon’s salacious novels with hellions battling in the garden and starting fires in the library? But with the onslaught has come a delicious diversion. His cousin’s companion, the surprisingly intriguing Kaitlin MacAllister. He is determined to seduce her. Using her desperate need for funds and her talents as an artist, he convinces her to draw naughty pictures for his naughtier books…and he draws her into his decadent web.

But Kaitlin has a secret. She’s fled Scotland—and a very determined betrothed. When Edward’s cousin is kidnapped and held in her stead, Kaitlin is honor-bound to return to her homeland and rescue her—much to Edward’s chagrin.
Because suddenly he can’t bear the thought of Kaitlin marrying another man. He can’t bear the thought of losing her at all.

A Romantica® Regency historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links: Amazon | Ellora’s Cave

Excerpt:

Edward skirted the mêlée in the garden and made his way to the far end of the estate, where there was nothing but flowers and trees and a placid little pond. Nothing to attract diminutive fiends bent on mischief. He would sit in the folly until his temperature returned to normal.

Perhaps until spring.

Dear God. He’d had no idea having the Wyeths of Perth take over his house would be such a nightmare. If he had suspected as much, he would have turned them away at the start. They would probably have crawled in under the door. Through the cracks in the flue. Vermin had a way of finding entrance.

But now. Now they were here.

Entrenched.

He had to get rid of them.

Perhaps he could send them back to Scotland.

Scotland would revile him for it, but he had little use for rocky tors, lochs and sheep.

Then he thought of Violet and his heart lurched. It would crush her to be trundled back to what she referred to as “the bleak wilderness.” She was looking forward to a glittering season in London. She was seventeen. She needed a husband. A husband of quality. That might be difficult to find in the wilds of Scotland.

And Ned. Ned was twenty. He was just starting to find his way with the ton. He’d made some friends—decent fellows. He’d even been receiving invitations to game at White’s.

The two of them—the normal two—deserved better than being lumped in with the rest.

He whacked at a rosebud as he passed. It exploded into a flutter of petals. He refused to feel any sympathy.

He couldn’t send them packing.

Then what?

Hell. He was a duke of the realm. He had six houses spread throughout the empire. Why hadn’t he thought to purchase a spare in London?

Aha!

That was brilliant.

He would. He’d buy them their own house. Move them all, lock stock and—well, maybe not the barrels, as the older boys did like to drink. He’d move them all into their own domicile.

With Aunt Hortense. Let her manage them.

His life would once again be orderly. He would be the master of his own abode. Free to pursue the life of a wealthy dilettante.

Perfect.

He rounded the bend with a satisfied smile on his face. The trickle of the fountain in the pond was a balm to his tormented soul. Birds sang in the trees. The sun—well, it almost shone. It was a beautiful day.

Soon, the world would be right again.

Soon, they would all be gone.

He skipped up the steps of the folly with a lightness of heart he hadn’t felt in ages. A book on the bench snagged his attention and his mood dipped, but only a bit. Someone had been here. But they were gone.

He picked it up and flipped through it and stilled.

Good God.

It was a sketch book.

The first page was an attempt at this scene. The flowers and trees, the pond and the little fountain. Not very good. But the second arrested his attention. It was a simple line drawing of Violet. And it was stunning. The artist had managed to depict her beauty, but also captured that glint in her eye, the particular quirk of her lips. Her soul.

The next sketch was one of Ned, showing a brash young man, standing insouciantly with his hands shoved into his pockets, whistling a silent tune. The next was of the twins—whatever their names were—dark heads together plotting some manner of mayhem.

It was so realistic Edward expected them to leap from the page and whack him with a cricket bat.

But it was the last sketch in the book that stole his breath. It was a portrait, in profile. His own face. But not an Edward he would ever recognize. This man was heroic, tragic, a solitary soldier. It was only a few lines drawn in charcoal, but it revealed so much about him. Things he didn’t want anyone to ever know.

It was horrifying. And remarkable.

“Your Grace.”

He snapped the book shut and spun around.

Of course. What’s her name. The girl. The owl. From last night.

“Oh, you found it.” She stepped into the folly and took the book from his hands. He did not know why he let it go.

“You left it here.” An accusation. Really? He hadn’t intended for it to come out like that.

She chuckled. “I had to go rescue Hamish. I was coming back.”

“What…why did you have to rescue Hamish?” This was her work? She saw him like that? And hell, she was a damn fine hand. How he would love to turn such talent to…darker purposes. What a pity she was such a prude. The kind of work he could offer her would make her rich—rich enough to quit serving as Violet’s companion.

But she would never do it. No decent woman would.

He must be crazed, truly crazed, to even think on it.

The gripping sketch of his wounded countenance lingered in his brain. If she could do that, if she could see through to his soul and bring it to life on paper—

“And then he got stuck. In the tree. So I had to rescue him.”

Lord. She’d been talking. He’d missed the entire explanation. No matter. The question had been purely rhetorical.

“How long have you been drawing?”

She winced, clutched the book to her breast. He recalled what fine breasts they were. “I… What?”

“How long have you been drawing? You’re quite good.”

“You looked at my book?” She squawked as though he’d just admitted to peering up her skirts. The lemony face returned. A beetled brow and pursed lips. It was, upon reflection, rather adorable.

“It was lying here.”

“You shouldn’t look at someone’s sketchbook.”

“You shouldn’t leave it where it can be found.” He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at her. Damn, he loved her accent.

She sputtered. “I told you. Hamish and Tay—”

“Tay?”

“Taylor. Hamish and Taylor were building a fort in a tree—”

“Yes. Yes. I know. You had to rescue him. Tell me, have they always been this much trouble?”

She blew out a breath. “You have no idea.”

They both laughed. It was a nice moment, because it seemed, for that brief flash of time, they were friends, bound in mutual misery.

And then he went and ruined it by letting his lust intrude. “So tell me, what did you think of that book?”

She tipped her head. “What book?”

“The one I gave you last night.”

She blinked several times, as though she had to try very hard to remember. “Oh. That book. I didn’t read it.”

He stepped closer. “Ah. You like to look at the pictures, then?” He knew the sort.

“Look at the… What? No, your Grace—”

“Edward.” He infused his voice with a low thrum.

“Your Grace. I didn’t have a chance to open it.”

Why petulance curled within him, he had no clue. “What do you mean you didn’t have a chance to open it?” She was supposed to have read it. Or at least looked at the pictures. She was supposed to be gazing at him, right now, with a dewy look.

She brushed an invisible speck from her skirt. “There was…a distraction.”

Well hell. “What kind of distraction?”

Her lips pursed. The look she shot him was not dewy in the slightest.

Still, he wanted to kiss her.

He wasn’t sure why. She was certainly not the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. But her face had character and charm—especially when she smiled. Her figure was full—the way he liked them—but she didn’t show it off to its best effect. In fact, if he hadn’t known what lay beneath the thick layers of crinoline and bombazine, he would have been fooled. She was prickly as a hedgehog and smacked him down at every turn.

So why did he want to pull her into his arms and smother her mouth with his?

Perhaps because of all those things.

Then again, perhaps just because.

So he did.

He took the girl—whose name he could not remember, whose face he could not forget—into his arms and kissed her. It was a gentle buss, as kisses went, but extremely sublime. Because he’d surprised her.

Her lips were open, as though poised to speak. He took full advantage, sweeping in his tongue to dab at hers, nibbling and licking and tasting her sweet breath.

The prick at his side was not a surprise. He’d expected it.

He lifted his head and stared down into her eyes. Her expression was dazed and determined and perhaps a little dewy. “Not this time, darling,” he murmured. He took the knife from her hand and tossed it aside and then pulled her more fully against him.

And ah. She was soft. Sweet. Her breasts pressed against his chest. Her hips molded the cradle of his groin. Of course, he was the one doing the molding, but she didn’t fight him.

No. She sighed and tipped her head to the side so he could deepen the kiss. She tasted like ambrosia. A tantalizing flavor of cinnamon and woman and surrender. His ardor rose, and with it, his cock. He rubbed it against her belly.

She stiffened and tried to push away, muttering something into his mouth that sounded like “No.”

He changed his tack, running his lips down her cheek and along the line of her jaw to nestle in the crook of her neck. She shuddered. Some groan-like sound emanated from her throat. She clutched at his hair.

Thusly encouraged, he sucked at the tender skin of her neck. Nipped.

“Oh! Saints preserve us,” she whispered.

“The saints don’t care,” he responded, switching to the other side of her neck. He found a spot that delighted her even more and feasted there. In her distraction, she didn’t stop the palm skimming over her ribs to cup a breast.

He encased her. Ah. Exquisite. Full and round and pliable. He thumbed a nipple, testing its rigidity. She dipped as her knees gave way. He caught her. Swung her up in his arms and carried her to the bench.

From long experience, he knew better than to give a woman a moment to think. So as soon as he had her settled across his lap and firmly braced against the wall of the folly, he kissed her again. With one hand, he stroked her nipples while with the other, he slowly drew up her skirts.

About Sabrina York

Her Royal Hotness, Sabrina York is the award winning author of over 20 hot, humorous stories for smart and sexy readers. Her titles range from sweet & sexy erotic romance to scorching BDSM. Connect with her on twitter @sabrina_york, on Facebook or on Pintrest. Check out Sabrina’s books and read an excerpt on Amazon or wherever e-books are sold. Visit her webpage at www.sabrinayork.com to check out her books, excerpts and contests. Free Teaser Book: http://sabrinayork.com/home-2/sabrina-yorks-teaser-book/ And don’t forget to enter to win the royal tiara!

For one commentor, I’m going to be giving away a copy of Slide Down On Me, and Sabrina’s Dark Duke… Mine is contemporary, her’s is historical, both are scorching hot!

What was the first romance you can remember reading?

 

Birthday Bash for Leah Braemel

Do y’all know Leah? She writes cowboy hotties! She writes a little kink too… And she’s forever clad in boots and a white cowboy hat. How do I know this? I’ve met her and she’s awesome. She’s one of the most down to earth authors I’ve met in the few years I’ve been in this business. And, she remembers my name. That may not mean a lot to you, but to me, damn… We’ve met several times at Lori Foster’s Reader/Author Get Together and her remembering little ole me means the world. She’s well thought of and well respected. She’s passionate about her writing too.

It’s her birthday we’re celebrating and she’s got a giveaway full of goodies and there are 31 of us participating…

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So, what do you have to do to win? Simply enter by the Rafflecopter widget below. Like my Facebook page, and other participants Facebook pages and of course Leah’s… The Rafflecopter widget is also displayed on those Facebook pages.

Here is the blog link to Leah’s blog where she’s listed all the prizes…  http://leahbraemel.com/2013/07/26/leahs-birthday-bash/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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