Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter

Beauty of the Beast

by Rachel L. Demeter
Fairy Tale Retellings, #1
Publication Date: March 15, 2017
Genres: Historical Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling, Gothic Romance

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SYNOPSIS: 

Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.

A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST

Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.

A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE

Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle Rose seeks shelter at a castle—unaware that its beastly and disfigured master is much more than he appears to be. When he imprisons her gravely ill and blind father, she bravely offers herself in his place.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Stripped of his emotional defenses, Adam’s humanity reawakens as he encounters a kindred soul in Isabelle. Together they will wade through darkness and discover beauty and passion in the most unlikely of places. But when a monster from Isabelle’s former life threatens their new love, Demrov’s forgotten prince must emerge from his shadows and face the world once more…

Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera,Beauty of the Beast brings a familiar and well-loved fairy tale to life with a rich setting in the kingdom of Demrov and a captivating, Gothic voice.

Content Warning: This is an edgy retelling of the classic fairy tale. Due to strong sexual content, profanity, and dark subject matter, including an instance of sexual assault committed by the villain, Beauty of the Beast is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

BEAUTY OF THE BEAST BOOK TRAILER

ABOUT RACHEL L. DEMETER

Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of fourteen years. She enjoys writing poignant romances that challenge the reader’s emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.

Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been Rachel’s passion for longer than she can remember. Before learning how to read or write, she would dictate stories while her mother would record them for her. She holds a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, she ensures every character is given a soul.

Rachel endeavors to defy conventions by blending elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some themes her stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.

Her dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through her words.

Don’t be a stranger! Rachel loves to connect and interact with her readers:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Profile | Instagram | YouTube Channel | Google+ | Pinterest

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Life is but a Nightmare by Erin Hayes blitz

Life is but a Nightmare
Erin Hayes
(The Elysium Legacies, #2)
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Mythology, Urban Fantasy

The sequel to the genre-bending, hugely imaginative Death is but a Dream.

“There must always be a God of Wealth…”

Former police detective Callie Saunders shouldn’t be alive, but she’s been thriving with her new lease on life away from the machinations of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

Yet there’s always been someone missing from this little piece of paradise.

When a vengeful god kidnaps her son, she travels back to a world she barely understands to find him. A world where she must face humanity’s greatest enemies and her former lover. If she’s not careful, she’ll lose her soul again. And, maybe, even her heart.

Goodreads / Amazon

Sequel to:

—

EXCERPT:

“If I could…” he whispered. “If I could, I’d hold him tight and never let him go.”

A moment passed between us. A reminder of what we couldn’t have.

“Callista,” he said gently. “Tell him I said hi. Please.”

I chewed the inside of my cheek, but I nodded.

“Callista,” he said, his voice low. “Callista, I’m so sorr—”

I awoke with a gasp on the cot. I grimaced, feeling sore in unfamiliar spots. Paul stirred on his bed, and I quietly laid my head on the thin mattress. I stroked a hand along his arm, watching every bit of him.

My son.

I leaned in to whisper into his ear. I might have been angry at Plutus for everything, but I did know that there were things beyond our control. I understood it, but I didn’t have to like it or accept it. I did decide to give Plutus this peace offering, to let him know that I’d be okay, at least for now. And I wanted to assure Paul, even if it was just his subconscious, that somewhere, his father was thinking about him, that he was worried about him.

“Daddy says hi.”

Author Bio:

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books.

She works as an advertising copywriter by day, and she's an award-winning New York Times Bestselling Author by night. She has lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, Texas, Alabama, and now San Francisco with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.

You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

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The Partnership by Charlotte Penn Clark blitz

The Partnership
Charlotte Penn Clark
(Extra Credit, #1)
Publication date: March 1st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

They’re just partners….

Kyle’s got a problem. He needs to pass college composition to graduate but he can’t get words on a page. And it’s landed him in a pilot class called Extra Credit for students in trouble — when all he wants is to be left alone.

Lani’s got a problem too. She doesn’t like making waves and it gets her stuck in that Extra Credit class. When she ends up partnered with Kyle things start getting complicated. Kyle is angry, restless, impatient; Lani is calm, introverted, bookish. But when these opposites attract how will they manage to stay “just partners”?

Extra Credit is a New Adult series that takes place on a college campus and puts three unlikely couples together to see what happens. Each novella is in dual point-of-view with a happy ending that can be read as a standalone, though they’re better together…! The series includes sexy times that are only meant for readers over 18.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

LANI’S READING LIST

Lani Ito, the heroine of THE PARTNERSHIP (Extra Credit #1) by Charlotte Penn Clark, is a voracious reader and a gifted writer of dance criticism…. Here are ten of her favorite books! Enjoy!

• Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God is an amazing coming of age story that meant a lot to Lani.

• Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones offers great strategies for dealing with writer’s block.

• The Pocket Pena Chodron— because Buddhist nuns know how to stay calm.

• Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, where the pushover pushes back!

• F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby for the sheer beauty of the prose, and because the movie is gorgeous too.

• The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer is a classic romance with another irresistible cranky hero… (and it’s even on Kindle Unlimited!).

• To learn the craft of arts criticism you can’t do better than Pauline Kael, who makes it okay to have (and defend) a strong opinion.

• For ballet buffs and New Yorkers, George Balanchine and his New York City Ballet set a high bar(re!).

• Lani is right: Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own is a classic AND a short easy read.

• And finally, spoiler alert! By the end of the series Lani will make use of Molly Bloom’s famous last words in James Joyce’s Ulysses… wait and see!

courtesy of Charlotte Penn Clark

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Author Bio:

Charlotte Penn Clark is a lifelong reader of historical romances and a writer of contemporary and new adult romances. She puts smart women and sexy men in complicated situations while trying to keep them away from Awful Misunderstandings. Her Carmichael series interweaves the lives and loves of five privileged sisters in a political family. Her new series, Extra Credit, tells the stories of three unlikely couples thrown together on a college campus. She lives in New York City with her family.

For updates on new releases and blog posts sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/b4VXN1

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Under The Peaches by Shana Vanterpool blitz

Under The Peaches
Shana Vanterpool
(Teaching Love #1)
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Unwanted. A word eighteen-year-old Kaelyn Jefferies knows better than most. Given up at birth, she knows nothing of love. Now she navigates this world blind, worrying only about her present to survive. And sometimes when you’re the only guide you have, you don’t always do what’s best for yourself.

After another confrontation with her bully, Kaelyn flees to her hiding spot to be alone and nurse her wounds. Instead, she finds Julian Ean, the gorgeous twenty-four-year-old calculus teacher the other girls whisper about, nursing a few of his own. Until that moment, Mr. Ean was simply a man she passed in the halls. Afterwards, he is impossible to ignore … to forget.

Mr. Ean only wanted to help Kaelyn. Patch her up and show her she was worth so much more than she was giving herself. He didn’t mean to fall in love with a student. It’s wrong, he knows it, but he can’t help himself around her. Not when her pain feels like his.

Kaelyn didn’t mean to fall in love with a teacher. It’s wrong, she knows it, but after Mr. Ean shows her what a real smile feels like, there’s no going back after that …

Book one in the Teaching Love Series, comes a poignant coming-of-age novel showcasing the beauty of strength and the delicious lure of forbidden love by Shana Vanterpool …

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

He takes a seat at the bar and stares at me with a myriad of emotions on his face. I can’t place them because I don’t know why they’re there. But I’ve felt a few. Sadness isn’t simply one emotion. It’s too many all at once.

“I’m sorry about that. You just got a front row seat to the end of my relationship and you shouldn’t have.”

I peek at him. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“Since freshman year of college.” He looks at the worn bar top for an uncomfortable second, and then the words seem to fall out of him in one heartbroken whisper. “I don’t know what to do.”

I look down too, not knowing what to say. Having no relationship to speak of, I don’t know what he’s going through.

He exhales deeply and stands. “I’d better get back.” He smiles weakly, leaving me at the bar.

“Who is that?” Tamryn asks, joining me as I watch him leave.

“Mr. Ean. He’s a teacher at my school.”

Her eyes widen. “He’s so young.”

“He’s twenty-four.”

“Huh. He’s so hot,” she murmurs, dumbfounded.

I smile. “He is kind of good-looking.”

“Kind of?” she scoffs. “Who’s he with?”

“His girlfriend.”

“Oh. Of course, he’s taken. Too old for you and taken for me. We can’t catch a break, can we?” She bumps my shoulder. “Get back to work, slacker.”

He wasn’t that much older than me. I do the math, shocked to find maybe six years is a stretch. Coupled with the fact that he’s a teacher, and the man is completely off-limits.

Author Bio:

When I walk into a book store I feel at home. When I smell the pages of a brand new book things make sense. When I read I am who I always wanted to be. I read to escape and I write so others can as well. My family, my actress dog Bella, coffee, and a steamy love story are a few of my most precious things.

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book blitz for Give me Chaos by Jillian Ashe

This is my stop during the book blitz for Give Me Chaos by Jillian Ashe. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 28 February till 6 March, you can view the blitz schedule here.



Give Me Chaos (Wolfegang #5)

By Jillian Ashe

Genre: Science Fiction Adventure

Age category: New Adult

Release Date: 16 March 2017

Blurb:

The fifth book in the Wolfegang series follows Katerina back to the top secret military base, Enzo, where she is Lt. Donnelly’s prisoner. The lieutenant puts her through tests and experiments to find out what makes her so special, and why the genetic enhancements aren’t degrading her brain. He’s looking for his own cure. Katerina might not survive his search for answers until General Ryojin shows up and changes the game completely.

You can find Give Me Chaos on Goodreads



You can pre-order Give Me Chaos on Amazon

Excerpt:

General Ryojin wasn’t particularly fond of the genetic program on the Enzo base, but on occasion it produced some excellent results. Lieutenant Donnelly was one of the few great accomplishments of the Heishi Project and at present he ran the program.

The general had been ordered by his superior to check on Lt. Donnelly’s new pet project. It was a project he’d been promised by the lieutenant would cure some of the less than pleasant side effects of their patented serum. If Lt. Donnelly was correct in his assumptions he would be up for promotion.

The general slid his hands in his pockets and walked through every check point without stopping to present identification. Soldiers saluted as he passed by. Every general was given a certain level of security clearance provided by a chip inserted in their arm. Checkpoints automatically registered the serial number and allowed them to pass.

He flicked his longer than regulation hair out of his face. There weren’t many people above him in rank and no one brave enough to enforce the policy on hair length. He’d lost count how many checkpoints he’d passed as he made his way deeper into the base, through levels of security, a tiny fraction of the population on the base even knew existed.

The Heishi Project was one of the best kept secrets of the Federation. Some of the details leaked to the masses. The enhanced soldiers who came from the project became a type of bogeyman. No one knew the exact extent of the project and so wild tales arose to fill the holes.

Ryojin stopped outside the last checkpoint. The soldier stared and fumbled with his ‘sir’ as he tried to salute at the same time. Ryojin knew the effect he had on his soldiers. He was the youngest general in history at thirty-three but it wasn’t always the reason they stared. Ryojin was almost pure Japanese, and one of the few remaining noble families able to keep their bloodlines pure.

He was a rarity among the mutts of humanity.

Ryojin heard screeching and a crash from the genetic labs. His eyebrow rose at the young soldier. Those were not sounds he wanted to hear. The young man stuttered again and opened the door for him, trying to explain but his words were jumbled. Ryojin sighed. He walked through the door and around the corner.

The general stopped in his tracks as he witnessed something he did not usually see in the labs. A young woman with the whitest skin he’d ever seen screamed at three of his soldiers. All of the soldiers were men and all of them were at least three times her weight. She flipped one over her shoulder and hit the second with enough force to drop him like a rock.

The general frowned. He got a look at her eyes. No, she wasn’t Japanese. Something was not right. He intended to find out what exactly was going on.

Donnelly had some explaining to do.

The general walked forward with purpose as she whipped around to face the third soldier. The soldier gritted his teeth but didn’t back down. It amused Ryojin to see him try to take her on though it was clear how outmatched he was. She feinted a punch and then kicked him in the genitals; a low blow.

When she turned on the general, neither of them hesitated. Her fist flew at him with impressive speed. He caught it easily enough without breaking stride and spun her around. He held her close, incapacitating both her arms without too much effort. The girl was strong, but not stronger than him.

General Ryojin was the shining achievement of the Heishi Project.

She growled low and animalistic, bucking against him but he held her tight as he quickly inspected her. The girl was malnourished which angered him. There were marks and bruises all over her body, some were from the mandatory tests, but there were other marks that shouldn’t have been there.

He sighed as the realization came to him. Donnelly had been slipping again without reporting it. They couldn’t manage the sickness if it wasn’t reported. The lieutenant would need to be dealt with.

A doctor came out casually from her lab with a syringe in hand. He arched an eyebrow at her nonchalance. “Care to explain, Lyn?”

Lyn Tallis was a woman he knew from childhood, but they had taken separate paths to reach the point in their lives they were at now and it was mere coincidence she worked for him.

The girl in his arms laughed in a manner which concerned him. He frowned down at her and wondered again where she’d come from. Pure Europeans were nearly extinct. At most a few thousand remained in the icy north of Earth and his guess was generous.

“Only a test, cousin,” Lyn said. She stepped over one of the fallen soldiers and approached the girl. “She did amazingly well.”

Suddenly the weight in his arms doubled as the girl collapsed. He almost stumbled forward before he caught himself against the sudden change in balance.

“It’s all right, Lyn,” the girl whispered. “You don’t need to sedate me.”

He watched the exchange closely with narrowed eyes. Clearly there was more going on than had been on the report. This girl was a captive subject and not a willing one. That information changed everything.

“Where is the lieutenant?” Ryojin demanded. He needed to be debriefed. Immediately.

He didn’t let go of the girl. He didn’t trust her.

“I didn’t know you had cousins,” the girl said.

Lyn grimaced, her version of a smile. “Of course, Katerina. Now you can go back to your cell or finish the test.”

“The cell.”

Ryojin propped her up and let her go. When he finally looked into her eyes they were dead and lifeless. None of the fire in them he had seen moments before. He needed answers.

Her eyes snapped to his and the grey flashed like lightning. The sudden light allowed him to witness the raging storm inside before shuttering once more as she followed Lyn.

He was going to like her.

Earlier books in the series

My Delicate Destruction (Wolfegang #1)

by Jillian Ashe

Blurb:

Firefly meets Dark Angel in the YA/NA Sci Fi Adventure series available in Kindle Unlimited. -- Katerina used to be a normal college girl until she wakes up 500 years in the future and finds out her twin Kris, is still alive. Will she be able to survive in the new dark future to find him?

You can buy all the books in the Wolfegang series on amazon

- My Delicate Destruction (Wolfegang #1)

- Riding on Whispers (Wolfegang #2)

- When Elements Collide (Wolfegang #3)

- Far From Safe (Wolfegang #4)

All four books are available in Kindle Unlimited



About the Author:

Jillian Ashe lives and works in San Diego, California with her husband and son. While writing the Wolfegang series she attended University in pursuit of a Master’s degree in English and Creative Writing. She has been writing since age twelve and has written for The La Jolla Light Newspaper. She is part of almost every fandom out there and loves makeup, Steampunk, and geeks out on a regular basis.



Jillian is working on finishing the Wolfegang series.



You can find and contact Jillian here:

- Website

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Goodreads

- Amazon

- Pinterest

- Instagram

- Google+

- Newsletter

B-Boy Series Blitz

     

New Adult/Sports Romance

Date Published: May 31, 2016, June 28, 2016 and Feb 14, 2017

 Publisher: Limitless Publishing

After a devastating accident, Aurora Crane's collegiate gymnastics career comes to an abrupt end… 

Fighting to piece her life back together, Aurora packs up and transfers to California State to start anew. When she arrives, her focus is on schoolwork and choosing a new career. But to her surprise, destiny has other plans… 

Sucked into the world of competitive breakdancing, Aurora comes toe-to-toe with the hottest B-Boy of them all… 

An arrogant hothead, Mitch Adachi—or B-Boy Kickwit as he is more commonly known—has life all figured out. He breakdances all day, practicing for upcoming competitions that are sure to challenge his skills—which means he has no time for distractions. 

When the new girl steps into the scene, he sees an opportunity he can’t pass up… 

Besides finding Aurora devastatingly attractive, he can’t help but notice her skills. He quickly develops high hopes for the ex-gymnast, seeing her as the perfect potential crewmember for the impending high stakes Battle of the Crews competition. All she needs is some fine-tuning. 

When the two commit to a business relationship, a different kind of passion kicks into high gear. There’s no denying they groove well together, but there’s a chance mixing high-stakes competition with a fierce romance might lead to… 

Breaking Promises.

Estelle Donovan knew college would force her out of her wallflower ways—but she never dreamed how far…

Known as shy and insecure, eighteen-year-old Estelle left for college with the hope it would bring an adventure of excitement and discovery, and give her plenty of room to spread her wings. But she couldn't have predicted how many changes she’d face—or that one of them would be named Jacob…

Jacob Silas—or B-Boy Spinja, as he’s called—isn’t just another college heartthrob…

After meeting Jacob, Estelle is determined to win his heart. When she stumbles into his world of breakdance, she falls in love with its culture, music, people, and most of all—the realm of competitive dance. For once in her life, the spotlight shines on her, forcing her out of her introvert ways.

But just like life, love is unpredictable…

When Estelle’s plan to win over Jacob backfires, even a new, exciting life can’t heal her broken heart. And as the years pass, Estelle lives with heartache of a once in a lifetime love slipping through her fingers.

Will they ever have a second chance at love? Or will Jacob continue with his dangerous trend of…

Breaking Hearts?

A one-night stand that changes her life forever…

Mallory Carmichael is a pianist who just lost out on the biggest solo of her life. To ease the sting, she heads to the club, where she meets Asher Nolan—a sexy dancer with wicked confidence in his eyes. Mallory loses herself in a night of carefree passion. Little did she know that one hookup could turn her world upside down.

A man who knows what he wants, and how to get it…

Asher—or B-boy Hellhound as he is known in the breakdance scene—is a TV and movie star. He’s used to winning…until his breakdancing game spirals out of control.

After an uncharacteristic loss, Asher becomes convinced the mysterious girl from the club jinxed him. Wanting to reverse the hex, he searches for her online, and it’s not long before #Search4Mallory goes viral.

Mallory didn’t think she’d ever see Asher again, but when she discovers he’s searching for her, she agrees to meet…and quickly regrets it.

She soon discovers how crazy a man like Asher can make her…

Asher convinces Mallory to help him find a supernatural cure for the “hookup jinx.” Navigating the world of mysticism may be challenging, but it’s even harder for them to ignore their growing attraction.

Can Asher ignore the temptation to hook up with his ‘jinx’ once again?

Will Mallory find the right balance between her crazy rehearsal schedule and helping Asher?

One thing is for sure, the only way to get over this hex is by Breaking Free. 

About the Author

Thanks to her Mom’s unwavering devotion to read a childhood bedtime story to her every single night, S. BRIONES LIM’s love for books began before she could even speak.

Raised in Southern California, Lim initially dreamt of becoming an artist. After a Psychology Degree (Summa cum Laude), a stint in Art School, and a career in Advertising/Media she is finally diving back into her first love – books. As a self-renowned bookworm, Lim’s love for reading has inspired her to pen her own novels and hopes her readers will fall in love with her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.

Her obsessions include time with family, Cherry Coke, popcorn with jalapeños, watching movies and her dogs, Tobi and Roscoe. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook 

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Pinterest: @sbrioneslim

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Purchase Links

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Breaking Promises

Breaking Hearts

Breaking Free

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The Art of Sage (Cruz Brothers #2) by Melanie Munton Blog Tour

Book Title: The Art of Sage (Cruz Brothers, #2) 

Author: Melanie Munton 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Release Date: December 28, 2016 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

With death came new life.
She was my new life.
And I would never be able to let her go.

Social work was never an easy job but somebody had to do it. Fortunately for kind-hearted and tattooed Sage Tucker, she wanted to do it. Day in and day out she saw kids who reminded her of her past and she needed to do everything in her power to give them the help that she never received when she was young. The more kids she helped, the more layers she thought she could shed of her dark childhood. But nothing ever worked. She was haunted by her memories, consumed by her anger. She slowly felt herself slipping further down into a hole, one she didn’t know if she would ever escape from.

Art made sense to Mason Cruz. Keeping his hands busy was his therapy. Being able to do both at his auto body shop was his sanctuary. Despite everything he had to overcome in his life, he had finally made something of himself and was where he wanted to be professionally. With every car he painted and every motorcycle he restored, he could keep the demons inside his head at bay. He just wished he was as good at repairing his soul as he was at repairing vintage fenders.

Sage had never felt so exposed than when she was around the smooth and charming Mason. Talking to him made her feel like she was under a microscope, but maybe that was exactly what she needed. Nobody had ever wanted to understand her like he did. Nobody had ever cared enough to ask and she had never cared to share.

And now she knew why.

Because she knew that whenever Mason learned everything about her, heard all of her darkest secrets, he would never want to look at her again.

*This is the second installment in the three-part Cruz Brothers contemporary romance series. Each book can be read as a standalone.

Piercing, light green eyes. Aquiline nose and a steel-like jawline. Light olive skin that spoke to me of mixed ethnicity. And a certain ruggedness to his appearance that said he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. My kind of man. The fact that he was wearing mechanic’s coveralls that were unzipped and pulled down to his waist with a tight white tank top covering his thick upper body didn’t hurt either. His chest was toned and lean, the spots of grease and paint scattered over his arms only adding to his masculine appeal.

Fuck. And he had tattoos.

If I had one weakness when it came to a man’s appearance, it wasn’t muscles or a mouth-watering smile. It was some well-done, artistic, fucking sexy tattoos. I had quite a few myself, so I appreciated good-quality ink. My brother was also a tattoo artist, so the whole practice was engrained in me.

Plus, I liked a man who could stand a little pain. Like me.

“Jackpot.”

I said it without even thinking, though I thought it was whispered low enough that no one else heard it.

No such luck.

“Excuse me?” the tattooed beauty asked, amusement creeping across his ruggedly handsome face. “Did you just say ‘jackpot’?”

Panicked, embarrassed, and admittedly turned on, I adamantly shook my head back and forth. “No, I don’t think so. That doesn’t sound like something I would say.”

How is this happening to me right now?

He took a rag from his back pocket and began wiping off his hands, drawing my attention down to his chest, watching his muscles ripple. “You sure about that?” he asked. Before I looked away, both of his pecs flexed at the same time, as if they were winking at me, taunting me.

For some reason, Joey Tribbiani’s “How you doin’?” catch phrase started playing on a loop in my head.

I eventually pulled my gaze back up to his face, eyes narrowing when I saw his cheeky grin. “You did that on purpose.”

“Did what on purpose?” he innocently asked before flexing his pecs again. Dammit, it’s like they were doing a little dance for me.

I knew better than to look down. But I did it again, anyway. “Stop that.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sexy Smartass replied, nonchalantly. “So, how can I help you, Ms…?”

I stuck my hand out, forcing myself to remain cool despite how flustered and disheveled I was. “Tucker. Sage Tucker.”

He shook my hand, squeezing it politely. His touch was casual enough, but his eye contact was unnerving because it never strayed from me. Very intense. “Mason Cruz. Are you needing some work done, Ms. Tucker?”

I stared at him, unblinking, wondering if I had heard him right. He laughed, apparently reading my thoughts. It was a nice laugh I decided. “I meant automobile work.”

My face flushed. Wow, that was stupid. Two for two, Sage. “I’m so sorry,” I replied, chuckling nervously as I averted my eyes. “It’s been a long day.” I glanced up at him to his smile remained in place, though I didn’t get the feeling that he was laughing at me. “Yes, I’m needing some assistance. My car broke down just down the road from here and I’m not exactly sure what’s wrong with it. I was hoping you might be able to take a look for me?”

He looked at me for another second, then down at his watch, then around his shop, as if he were mulling over a decision. Worried that I was going to screw up his entire day, since I knew how that went, I rushed to say, “I don’t want to put you out. I can call a tow truck—”

“No, it’s fine,” he answered, his voice low and grating. “I can do that.” The corner of his mouth quirked in a half-grin. “What kind of asshole would I be if I didn’t help a woman in distress?”

My eyebrow shot up. I had a feeling he was just joking, trying to get a rise out of me. But I didn’t care. If looks could castrate, the man would have been walking around dick-less. Which would have been unfortunate because his was probably pretty nice-looking.

Of course, he just chuckled. “Sorry, was that sexist of me?”

Fighting to bite back the string of curses I wanted to release on him, I kept my expression neutral. “Little bit. Do I look like a helpless, distressed woman to you?”

Wrong thing to ask. I knew it as soon as the words left my mouth. Because Mason’s eyes immediately traveled the length of my body, taking his sweet ass—and oh, his ass was sweet—time with his perusal.

“No, you sure as hell don’t,” he rasped, those green eyes darkening. “But I’m still willing to help you out with anything you need.”
 

Traveler. Reader. Beach-goer. St. Louis Cardinals fan. Pasta-obsessed. North Carolina resident. Sarcastic. Bit of a nerd.

Author of the Cruz Brothers, Possession and Politics, and Timid Souls series, Melanie loves all things romance, comedies and suspense in particular because it's boring to only stick to one sub-genre. From light-hearted comedies to sexy thrillers, she likes to mix it up, but loves her some strong alpha males and sassy heroines.

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