Grind by Sybil Bartel blitz

Grind
Sybil Bartel
(Thrust, #3)
Publication date: June 27th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Dane

I’m silent. I’m trained. I’m lethal.

My hand skimming down your thigh, my gaze a weapon—I know more ways to kill you than please you.

But you’re not paying for my aim. You’re paying for my control. Bringing you a breath away from ecstasy, watching you beg as I hold back your release, I’ll show you exactly what you’ve been missing. Your hunger is my currency and five thousand is my price. I only have one rule—no repeats, because I’m not for keeps. I’m for sale.

One slow grind and I’ll give you exactly what you paid for.

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—

EXCERPT:

“I don’t have any money to pay you.” He knew I didn’t, but I wasn’t saying it just to remind him.

“I don’t want you to pay me.” He held his hand out. “Come on.”

My heart raced and the whisper of his scent through the rainwater drenching his body filled my head. I ached to touch him. “Where?”

“To bed.”

“I can’t… with you.” I had reasons, but I was rapidly forgetting them.

His hand never wavered. “I need sleep. You need sleep. I’ll rest better if I know where you are. Come.”

Knowing I shouldn’t, knowing I was crossing an invisible line I would never return from, I gave him my hand.

He didn’t hesitate. He pulled me to my feet and took a step.

I panicked. “Wait.” Oh God, don’t say it, don’t say it. “I can’t do this. This will mean something to me that it doesn’t to you.”

Cool gray-brown eyes stared down at me without mercy. “Do not speak for me.”

“I just meant—”

“I know what you meant.”

I gave him the truth because it was all I had left. “You’re taking what I don’t have to give.”

His shoulders dropped, his frame leaned toward me, and he lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. “Trust me.” Rain dripped from his cheek and landed on my arm. “This is what I ask of you, only this. Nothing else.”

If you could fall in love in a single moment with a perfect stranger, I fell in love. “You will break me, Dane Marek,” I whispered.

“You are already broken, Irina Tsarko.”

Author Bio:

Sybil Bartel grew up in Northern California with her head in a book and her feet in the sand. She dreamt of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their shelves full of books drew her into the world of storytelling. She loves the New Adult genre, but any story about a love so desperately wrong and impossibly beautiful makes her swoon.

Sybil now resides in Southern Florida and while she doesn’t get to read as much as she likes, she still buries her toes in the sand. If she isn’t writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in her backyard, you can find her spending time with her handsomely tattooed husband, her brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer…

But Seriously?

Here are ten things you probably really want to know about Sybil.

She grew up a faculty brat. She can swear like a sailor. She loves men in uniform. She hates being told what to do. She can do your taxes (but don’t ask). The Bird Market in Hong Kong freaks her out. Her favorite word is desperate…or dirty, or both—she can’t decide. She has a thing for muscle cars. But never reply on her for driving directions, ever. And she has a new book boyfriend every week—don’t tell her husband.

To find out more about Sybil Bartel, be sure to follow her on Twitter (she loves to hear about your favorite book boyfriend!), visit her website, like her on Facebook or join her Facebook group Book Boyfriend Heroes for exclusive excerpts and giveaways.

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Billionaires on the Beach blitz

Billionaires on the Beach: The Anderson Brothers
Elizabeth Lennox, Gloria Silk, Leslie North, Lizabeth Scott, Noelle Adams
Publication date: June 27th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Fake relationships, secret heirs, friends with benefits, hot nannies, and irresistible rivals… falling in love isn’t easy for five sexy, billionaire brothers.

Enjoy hot days and hotter nights on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina with the billionaire Anderson brothers in this series of five steamy, original novellas from USA Today bestselling authors Elizabeth Lennox and Noelle Adams, as well as Leslie North, Lizabeth Scott, and Gloria Silk.

All profits from Billionaires on the Beach will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Billionaire’s Mistake by Elizabeth Lennox – Marie didn’t have time for a romance, but when Sloan Anderson walked into her coffee shop, all of her friends decided that it was time for her to fall in love. Even her dog was in on the matchmaking! Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell her heart that Sloan Anderson was a lying, horrible, son of a…No way was she going to fall for a man who was going to foreclose on her store!

Her Reluctant Billionaire by Noelle Adams – Katie has been friends with Logan Anderson for four years. He might be a smart, funny, adorable billionaire, but after her work as a divorce attorney, she’s just not interested in romance. But when she pretends to be his girlfriend for one weekend at the beach, she starts to see him as far more than a friend.

The Billionaire’s Babysitter by Leslie North – After BASE jumping from a NYC skyscraper, billionaire Wyatt Anderson has been sentenced to four weeks’ house arrest in his family’s beach house, but he won’t be there alone…. To get her dream job as a nanny for the wealthy, Laine Maguire will have to complete one last role: babysit a billionaire for a month. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Chased by the Billionaire by Lizabeth Scott – Grey couldn’t believe that the gorgeous woman with the adorable…ponytail, was none other than the girl from high school – the one none of the guys noticed because she was too timid. No longer! Gemma was smokin’ hot, owned a gym and…was one of the toughest women he’d ever charmed. But this time, there was more. Maybe too much more? Gemma intrigued him in ways that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be intrigued.

From Geek to Greek Billionaire by Gloria Silk – Olivia Moore has landed her dream job—to renovate a very special beach house. The last thing she needs is to bump into her teen crush, the geeky yet sexy Alexander Anderson. He needs her to help him with a makeover and an infusion of confidence with women, but getting closer to him means risking he finds out her secret past, which might tear them apart once again.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Elizabeth Lennox – Although she wanted to be a romance novelist since the eighth grade, that dream only became a paid reality for her in 2009 and a full time job in 2012. Along the way, she received a BS in History and held different jobs in the real estate, government consulting, and financial industries. All during that time, though, she was always writing, using her personal experiences, dreams, and travels throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean as backdrops for her stories. Elizabeth lives in Virginia with her husband and two children. Find her at elizabethlennox.com.

Noelle Adams – Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel. She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances. Find her at noelle-adams.com.

Leslie North – Leslie North is the pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women’s contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres. Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie. Find her at leslienorthbooks.com.

Lizabeth Scott – Who is Lizabeth Scott? A voracious reader and a full-time writer for about 4 months! Liz is a wife and mother of two grown children and the proud grandma of the sweetest little baby ever. She is the personal assistant to a terrier terror named Moxie who she occasionally takes to the drive-through for a burger. Liz is a Carolina girl who loves sand between her toes as frequently as possible. At the prompting of a friend, Liz began living her dream of writing in 2013 and is now the author of several series. Find her at lizscottbooks.com.

Gloria Silk – Gloria Silk writes novels of powerful passion without cultural borders. Born in Russia, Gloria Silk has lived in various parts of Europe and the Mediterranean. She loves to travel. Her background in English literature, writing and psychology help her create well-rounded, unique characters for her stories. She’s also an artist (using watercolors and acrylics) and a designer, and is published in non-fiction under Tanya Freedman. Find her at gloriasilk.com.

—

Excerpt From The Billionaire’s Babysitter by Leslie North

“Hey,” she said, but he didn’t turn around, “I’m sorry if I upset you, prying. It’s none of my business. I apologize.”

“I’m not nine, Laine,” he said. “So don’t try to be my understanding babysitter.”

“I know you’re not a kid,” she said softly, “I was having a nice time and I feel like I ruined it.”

Wyatt raked a hand through his hair and crossed his arms, closed off to her again. “I’d like to know you better,” she said, and laid her cheek on his back just for a second.

Laine wasn’t one to rub up against men, but the expanse of his strong back, and the closeness they’d shared moments ago over the basil overwhelmed her. She wanted to reach out to him. She wanted him to reach for her, to find comfort in her body and she longed to wrap her arms around him and open her lips for him. She was breathless, almost humid with the vividness of that desire, so when he turned and swept her around, his arm hooking her waist and hauling her up against him, she gasped.

“How much better would you like to know me?” he said, his voice low and rasping. Her fingers curled into his shirt front.

Laine felt lost in his intense hot blue gaze. He touched her cheek and she nestled into his palm. She felt as if every nerve ending was alight with the sizzle of his touch. She tried to answer him, knew somehow in the blur of desire that he had asked her a question and she ought to say something, but she couldn’t look away. She could feel the heat of his breath on her lips, his arms holding her against his hard chest. He tipped her chin up and she parted her lips, ready for him, dying for him to kiss her. She blinked, squinting as the sun came out from behind a cloud and shone right in her eyes so she had to look away from him.

He gave that wicked half grin that made her want to drop her panties. Wyatt turned her so the sun wouldn’t be in her eyes, “I’d rather you be blinded by my charm than the sun, come over here,” he pulled her toward the shadow of the fence and she wrapped both arms around his neck, a smile curving her lips as she reached up for him and his mouth brushed hers.

The loudest screeching sound she’d ever heard shrieked from the spot where they were standing. They broke apart and he swore. “Fucking house arrest.” He muttered, taking a step back into the boundaries of the property, “Might as well put a goddamn shock collar on me like a dog.”

“Wyatt—” she called after him but he was on his way back inside.

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Breaking Roman by Alexis James blitz

Breaking Roman
Alexis James
(The Moran Family #3)
Publication date: June 27th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

They call me Romeo.

I love romancing women, and I’m good at it.

Too bad it is all a ruse.

Roman, the youngest of the three Moran brothers, is the only one who has ever believed in true love. Too bad his one special person barely acknowledges his existence.

Sabrina Morris spends her days running the HR Department of The Moran Group, and her nights corralling her teenage daughter. She doesn’t have time for love. She’s heard the stories, but Roman is not at all what she expects him to be. His gentle nature catches her completely off-guard. She doesn’t expect to be attracted to him, and she certainly doesn’t expect him to be equally drawn to her. But can she see past his Romeo façade and allow the warm, loving man into her life?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

PROLOGUE:

They call me Romeo. It’s not my given name, but that hardly matters.

I earned the moniker when I was a young little shit, maybe twelve. My friends and I were at the beach, like we were most every day during the summer, taking full advantage of the fact that we live near the water in Miami. We were cussing, simply because we thought it sounded cool (it didn’t), strutting around with fake bravado trying to impress all the girls we’ve known since kindergarten. My friend Raul dared me to talk to Missy Evers, the new girl who recently moved here from Idaho. An hour after that first chat with cutie-pie Missy, who by the way still rocks a bikini like nobody’s business, she was holding my hand. Two hours later my tongue was working hard to get into her mouth and I got my first feel of a female breast, even if it belonged to a relatively flat-chested twelve-year-old girl. That little make-out session happened strategically within eyesight of my group of boisterous friends, because at that age only two things matter: getting some action and making sure your friends know about it. And that’s all it took for the nickname to stick. Now, at the ripe old age of twenty-nine, it’s something I despise.

I was a halfway decent guy even back then, so most of my time with Missy was G-rated. When she finally took off with her giggling friends in tow, she was starry eyed, hanging on my every word. My dumb buddies, who knew nothing about who or what the Shakespearian Romeo was really like, pranced around like a bunch of idiots, harping, “Romeo got him some!” Groping a girl with a bunch of onlookers was considered “getting some.” How messed-up is it that?

In all the years that I’ve carried the stupid nickname around, I’ve served it well. Even my sweet mama calls me that, though in her eyes I’ll always be her baby boy. Honestly, I’m a hopeless romantic. I believe in love and all the great things that come with it. I believe in monogamous relationships, unlike my older brothers, who up until a few years ago made bed-hopping an Olympic event. That’s not to say I don’t do my own share of bed-hopping, but mine is more about the … research, part of my daily quest to find my ideal mate. I date frequently, constantly searching for the one woman who stands above all others. The one woman who I have an immediate connection with and see myself standing next to when we’re old and gray. When I date we have some laughs together; I charm and wine and dine. We flop around on the mattress a few times and by week two I’m usually bringing the lucky lady home for Sunday dinner with my entire family.

No one has ever lasted past Sunday dinner.

It’s not that my family isn’t welcoming, because they are. But Mama figured out years ago that in my hunt for Mrs. Right, first I’d have to spend my time with all the Miss Wrongs out there. She’s gracious and kind to whichever woman I bring home, giving me a knowing look at the end of the meal that silently says, “Oh hell no.” Well … without the swearing, but you get what I’m saying. My devout Catholic mother would never, ever swear.

In the past few years I’ve brought upwards of twenty different women home to meet my family. Some don’t last through the entire meal. Some make the grave mistake of seeing dollar signs. While my family’s empire is considerable, I down play it as much as possible. I do well, I make good money, have a cool car and a decent place to live. But I’m not the millionaire my oldest brother Cruz is or the numbers guy that my other brother Marco is. I’m the black sheep brother, different in every way from the other two arrogant dicks I happen to be related to. I enjoy getting my hands dirty, wearing ratty jeans, and romancing women. Cruz and Marco are both suit-wearing hotshots who ooze over-confidence and up until Cruz got hitched to Mia and Marco shackled himself to Amita, they were both serious players. Well, to be fair to my oldest brother, I’m only assuming he was a player before meeting Mia. It’s not like he ever shared any tawdry bedroom happenings with me. That’s cool and all and to each his own, but it’s not my style. I see no point bullshitting my way between a woman’s legs, especially when I can say a few nice things and treat them decently and still get the same result.

I suppose I’ve earned the damned nickname, but that sure as hell doesn’t mean I like it. I have a hard enough time keeping up with my two older brothers without that damn label being tossed around. Maybe I’m being over-sensitive; my actions don’t exactly discourage the name. I just don’t think anyone takes me seriously anymore and who knows, maybe I’ve done that to myself. Maybe I really am Romeo.

What my brothers don’t know is that this Romeo found his Juliet years ago, more than three to be exact. He met her simply by chance, one of those meant-to-be moments that has sadly turned out to be anything but. His Juliet is blind to his advances, businesslike and driven in everything she does. His Juliet is beautiful, ethereal, and totally and completely untouchable. So he continues to wine and dine, romance and sweet talk, all as a ruse to hide what’s really in his heart. It’s nothing more than a lame attempt to somehow figure out what makes Juliet tick and in doing so keeping all the unwanted family questions at bay.

Whether or not I am a true Romeo remains to be seen. What I do know is that I’ll be whomever I have to be to get to know the illusive Juliet.

Author Bio:

Alexis James lives on the beautiful Central California coast. When she’s not spending time with her hubby of almost 30 years or her amazing kids, you can find her tapping away on the computer. She loves reading, spending time with family, reading, camping, reading….and writing too! She enjoys a good date night, an inexpensive glass of wine, and any story that can make her smile and/or cry.

Alexis’s first novel, “Losing Faith”, was released in September 2014. Her second novel, “Loving Emma”, is a standalone, though it does feature some characters from “Losing Faith”.

She invites you to visit her author pages on Facebook and Goodreads, and her website: alexisjamesauthor.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@alexisjames27) or you can email her at: alexisjamesauthor@gmail.com.

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Release Blitz- Hero Undercover Anthology

Title: Hero Undercover 

Author: Anthology 

Genre: Erotic Romance 

Release Date: June 27, 2017 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

SUMMER IS COOLER WHEN YOU STAY UNDERCOVER!

25 New York Times, USA Today, and award-winning best-selling romance authors offer this sizzling compilation of panty-melting undercover bad boys, from swoon-worthy cowboys and alpha military men to deliciously decadent dominants. This smoking-hot collection features a wide array of stories including dark fantasies, seductive sci-fi, and erotic BDSM, all with the sweet happily-ever-afters you crave!

Hundreds of pages for one unbeatable price. Turn up the AC, lie back, and escape into these brand new, red hot riveting reads.

Authors include: Annabel Joseph, Addison Cain, Renee Rose, Maggie Ryan, Maddie Taylor, Emily Tilton, Trent Evans, Jennifer Bene, Sophie Kisker, Megan Michaels, Katherine Deane, Maggie Carpenter, Jane Henry, Maisy Archer, Alyssa Bailey, Claire Conrad, Stevie MacFarlane, Piper Stone, Anya Summers, Lucy Wild, BJ Wane, A.C. Rose, April Hill, Amelia Smarts, Meredith O’Reilly

 

Alyssa Bailey

International Bestselling author Alyssa Bailey is the author of eighteen books including the Chase Abbey historical series and the O’Connors rancher series. As a Texan living in Alaska, she has plenty of material for her spanking and power exchange stories, all complete with happily ever afters that make you feel good.

Amelia Smarts

Amelia Smarts is a #1 Amazon bestselling author of domestic discipline/spanking romances, usually involving a cowboy, always involving a firm hand and a scorched ass.

Maisy Archer

Maisy is a romance-loving book-nerd. She writes bestselling contemporary tales about hot, unapologetically-kinky, alpha heroes and the crazy stuff that happens when they fall in love.

Stevie MacFarlane

Best-Selling author Stevie MacFarlane has been writing in her spare time for more than twenty years. While most of her stories are on the sweet side, she never fails to add just enough kink and humor to keep her loyal fans clamoring for more.

Maddie Taylor

USA Today Bestselling Author Maddie Taylor is a multi-genre author with over 30 published titles, with #1's in the U.S. and Internationally in Erotica, Western, Historical Romance, BDSM, Time Travel, and most recently SciFi. She works with two well-known eBook and print publishers and has had success in self-publishing under her own brand, Breathless Romance.

Sophie Kisker

Sophie Kisker writes erotic romance that sometimes travels a dark and uncomfortable path, before arriving at a happily ever after. She lives in the American Midwest with her husband, son, and the cat, who is really the one in charge.

Emily Tilton

USA Today bestselling author Emily Tilton, whose books have hit number one on Amazon in six different erotica categories, is a married professor who lives in New England and has two wonderful children. Her stories are what she wishes her real sex-life could be.

Katherine Deane

USA Today bestselling author Katherine Deane is a multi-published, top 100 romantic and BDSM author and romantic at heart. She loves cheese, red wine, chocolate, and snuggling up with her daughters’ kittens while reading a good book.

BJ Wane

I live in the Midwest with my hubby of ‘too many years to count’, enjoy spending time with my daughter, love dogs and working any kind of puzzle. I’ve been writing spanking erotic romances for 10 years, the last two with a touch of suspense added.

Lucy Wild

Lucy Wild is a contemporary romance author who specialises in dark romances. She lives on the Yorkshire coast with her partner and their border collie in a house full of books, sweets, and more books.

Maggie Carpenter

Award-winning and best-selling author Maggie Carpenter has published over fifty romance novels spanning a variety of genres. Her readers describe her work as steamy, funny, suspenseful, beyond a five-star read, and exciting unpredictable romance.

Renee Rose

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE is a naughty wordsmith who writes kinky BDSM novels. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and Spanking Romance Reviews' Best Sci-fi, Paranormal, Historical, Erotic, Ageplay and favorite couple and author.

Megan Michaels

#1 Amazon Bestseller in Erotic Western & Erotic Historical, Megan Michaels writes BDSM Romance that is Contemporary, Western Historical, Sci-Fi, and Victorian. Her books delve into Domestic Discipline, Dominance/submission, and all of them have elements of BDSM.

Trent Evans

A USA Today bestselling author, Trent Evans specializes in several flavors of BDSM erotic romance and erotica.

A long-time resident of the Pacific Northwest, he tends to use his long hours cooped up inside spinning yarns about things he’ll never see or experience — such as sunshine.

A.C. Rose

A.C. Rose is a sex and love journalist who also writes very steamy romance books. As a former editor of an iconic women’s magazine, sexy stories and beautiful men have long been her beat.

Jane Henry

Jane is a bestselling erotic romance author in multiple genres, including contemporary, historical, sci-fi, and fantasy. She pens stern but loving alpha heroes, feisty heroines, and emotion-driven happily ever afters.

Maggie Ryan

USA Today Best Selling and award winning author Maggie Ryan brings you stories that you can disappear into, to experience what might have been or what may be to come. She invites you to curl up in your favorite chair and take a journey and wishes you happy reading.

Annabel Joseph

Annabel Joseph is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of emotionally intense BDSM and erotic romance. She writes mainly contemporary romance, although she’s been known to dabble in the medieval and Regency eras.

Jennifer Bene

Jennifer Bene is the international bestselling author of the Thalia series, and other dark and devious romance and erotica in a variety of genres.

Anya Summers

Anya Summers is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family.

Addison Cain

Pitch black suits Addison Cain’s tastes just right. Driven to push her characters beyond the pale, Addison’s books are not for the faint of heart.

April Hill

April Hill is a best-selling author of women’s romance, known for her wry humor, sensitive character development and of course, the love.

Claire Conrad

Claire Conrad is a full time writer and chocolate enthusiast who writes sexy alpha males, hot aliens, fantasy lovers and anything else her muse thinks might be fun (or a little naughty). She loves a good red wine, traveling just about anywhere, coffee and is absolutely addicted to a hot read with a happily-ever-after.

Piper Stone

Piper Stone writes in several genres including thrillers, erotic romance, dark erotic, Domestic Discipline, spanking, Domination and submission and traditional romance. She has a love of the non-traditional, preferring to create worlds that defy the imagination. Wine and sous vide cooking are only second to her love of golden retrievers and you might find all three nestled in the pages of a book or two.

Meredith O’Reilly

Meredith O’Reilly is an erotic romance author. She’s full of energy, is obsessed with polka dots, and loves writing sweet stories with a sexy twist!

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Book Blitz- Heart of knives By L.V. Lewis

Title: Heart of Knives 

Author: L.V. Lewis 

Genre: ScFi/ Fantasy Romance 

Release Date: June 27, 2017 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

The Complex Book Series.
A Lone Planet. One Complex.
Unlimited Chaos.
When an elf princess is threatened for her activism, who will come to her rescue—her fairy prince fiance’ or the handsome human bodyguard she adores?
Princess Amarie Vanyarin has a reputation for doing what’s right, no matter the cost. When she volunteers to act as Elf ambassador at the Complex—a domed community of Humans and Metas on the planet Lorn—a faceless assassin threatens her life. Soon, the civil rights activist is torn between thwarting another war and concentrating on her betrothal to Fairy Prince Erihstall Habbernock. Their plan to strengthen their mystical bond with a love spell goes awry when the magic inadvertently enchants the wrong person.
Or does it?
Amarie soon discovers that her fiancé and Gary Locke, the human bodyguard who’s captured her heart, both have ulterior motives—neither of which bodes well for her.
With the future ahead uncertain, will the headstrong princess continue to fight for Human-Meta peace, or will she choose to confront the emerging threat targeting the men she loves?

The blinders are already beginning their slow descent when Gary reaches Princess Amarie’s apartment. The moving shadows make him nervous and more alert. His boss’ voice slices through the paranoia already building up inside his mind. She’s going to need you, Sergeant. Right. I’ve got a job to do. Time to get to work.

Until a kit shows up, the only weapons Gary has are the Ama Seldova-issued segif on his gun belt and a pocket knife. The gun only temporarily knocks out an individual, and the knife won’t be useful against most Nighters. Against a single opponent, this won’t prove to be an issue. Two attackers, and Gary will have to take some chances. More than that, and the only real option for guaranteed survival is running. Hoping the attack doesn’t come tonight, or has happened already, Gary runs for the elevators leading to the top floor.

During the day, the Complex is filled with Humans and Metas moving about, each doing their job or living as best they can in what amounts to a giant tube. The same is true at night. The Human population gives way to Nighters, who are inherently quiet, which makes the atmosphere far more stifling to Gary as he passes them in the apartment’s lobby. The stares are worse. In Gary’s mind, each one of them looks hungry and thinks he is a stupid, easy meal.

Safely upon reaching the elevator, Gary smacks the ‘Up’ button hard enough to echo back towards the awakened civilians. Snickers echo around him as he turns with a silly look on his face. Hey fella, we’re all here to be peaceful. Chill out. Those words are etched on every face that turned at the sound. Fuck, Gary thinks. Why do I have to be so damned human?

An eternity of stares and seconds later, the elevator doors open. Gary forces himself to step inside with some semblance of dignity. Not too fast, not so slow as to be cartoonish. Now alone, he heaves a sigh. The doors begin to close, and he thinks, Okay, get your bearings back. Relax. You’re a goddamn soldier. Act like one.  Before the doors can fuse shut, pale blue fingers slip between them, automatically reversing open. A tall, lean man with the pallor of undeath smiles at him.

“I assume you’re going up,” the man asks.

“Yep. Straight to the top,” Gary replies.

“Perfect.”

The man pushes the button for the floor below Princess Amarie’s, then steps back and to the side so he’s flush with Gary. Side by side for the full ride, neither looks at the other. Gary decided early on this was the most uncomfortable elevator ride in man’s history that didn’t lead to someone’s death or dismemberment. So far. They reach the man’s (vampire, Gary) floor and the doors slide open. Before exiting, he looks Gary straight in the eye.

“Come and see me sometime, when being a monster hunter isn’t such a new smell on you. We’ll have more fun then,” the man says.

“Don’t do anything I need to come and see you for. We’ll pretend this didn’t happen,” Gary replies, meaning every word.

“Everybody knows that is not how this experiment will go down, Locke. You don’t have enough to lose yet, so it’s no fun to play with you. And please, feel free to visit me any time.”

The man vanishes into shadow as the doors close. Gary stares at the ceiling of the elevator, wondering why vampires were gifted with mind-reading. Willing the car to move up faster than programmed, he thinks, Just one more floor, dude, and we’ve finished the hard part.

The elevator doors open, and immediately Gary knows he’d been wrong. The hard part wasn’t over at all. A piercing scream is sounding through the thick walls of the princess’ suite on his left. What the fuck is happening to her? No time, gotta move. Gary pulls his segif from its holster and finds the nearest door leading left.

With one swift kick, he splinters the solid oak door. With a second kick, he smashes enough to duck in without his vision being impaired. From the corners of his eyes, he sees a flashing light but has no idea what it might be. To his right, however, is the princess. Naked. Her dark olive skin on display. Her arms and face are tilted up and what looks like purple smoke is weaving its way into her nostrils. Another scream escapes her mouth. Bolting from his crouched position, Gary harpoons himself into the princess in a desperate plea to stop this attempted possession.

With a heaving gasp, she falls underneath him, and the smell of her sweet perspiration invades his nostrils, saturating every pore of his being. Gary barely has time to realize he recognizes this scent before he loses all awareness in the emerald green mirrors of the princess’ eyes.

The vision before him is perfection personified. Her skin is so soft to the touch he could caress it forever. The vulnerability in her eyes slays him, and he feels himself reacting to her in a way that is not very professional, but he can’t help himself.

Perhaps it’s the fact that he hasn’t been with a woman in a while. His job keeps him busy, and fuck paying for sex. He’s old school and would rather hook up the old fashioned way. Princess Vanyarin certainly is his type—exotic brunette. Maybe it’s her Meta powers that’s got him under her spell, but it can’t be that. The device he’s wearing should protect him from that.

The fruity-looking fairy boy says something in a language Gary doesn’t understand, and his body’s reaction to the Princess goes into overdrive.

“What in the absolute fuck!”

Gary tries to turn away from the sleek, lithe body beneath him, away from the enchanting eyes, but he can’t. Within seconds, blackness covers him, the world goes cold, then nothing.

Growing up, L.V. Lewis wanted to be an internationally known rock star, but unfortunately, lived in the wrong part of the country to pursue that career (and neither American Idol nor The Voice were available then). An early love for the written word gave her the plan B she sought. Now she pens romance novels that let her live vicariously through rock stars and other fascinating archetypes.

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