Includes: Naughty Balls by Suz deMello
Two college basketball players find themselves alone on V-Day evening. (M/F)
Love Potion #69 by Alexa Silver
When Keith and Jenna accidentally fall under the spell of one of her Valentine’s Day love potions, lust is in the air!
Hybrid Mates: My Valentine Lovers by Nicole Austin
All I want for Valentine’s Day is to get barbed by a feline shifter and act out a few of the naughty twin fantasies getting me hot and bothered.
Valentime by Belle Scarlett
Valerie buys a South Carolina plantation and discovers a Valentine addressed to her from a previous owner who bids her to return to him in 1865.
Delia's Heartthrob (Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 2) by Regina Kammer
Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?
Two Into One Goes Great by Lynne Connolly
A booker at a top model agency learns she’s anything but ordinary when two sexy photographers point their lenses—and more—at her.
Buy Me A Rose by Francesca Hawley
Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat will get it back.
Chocolate-Coated Reunion by Berengaria Brown
Jake refuses to talk to Matt after he was very late on Christmas Eve. Matt’s determined to reconnect with Jake on Valentine’s Day.
Cupid’s Curious Case by Marianne Stephens
Alan’s last job as Cupid 84 involves neighbor Amy and a special box of candy. Both secretly desire the other. Can they find true love?
Fifty Shades of Valentine’s Day by Katherine Kingston
Dumped on Valentine’s Day! Melissa only thinks the day can’t get any worse. Until she damages her hot neighbor’s car, and he demands unexpected compensation.
The Reaper’s Valentine by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Sometimes a Reaper has to do what a Reaper does. It would be wise for a life-mate to remember that!
Wade jumped off his surf board and splashed through the shallow water onto the sand. He stood right on the edge of the ocean shaking the water out of his hair, relishing the burning hot sun on his shoulders, and squinting his eyes against the glare to see along the top of the sand dunes.
Yes. He was right. The big, black-haired bad boy was still standing there, and still staring right at him.
Wade shoved a hand through his hair, scraping the last of it off his face, and using the action to focus even more on Bad Boy. Damn, the man was delicious. Built. Oh, how he was built. Broad shoulders, thickly muscled biceps, and washboard abs clearly visible through his unbuttoned leather vest. Everything Wade liked best all packaged together with so much attitude he could almost taste it across fifty feet of sand. Somehow Bad Boy didn’t strike Wade as the usual kind of person who watched surfers. Apart from the beach bunny women who drooled over toned male bodies, most of the rest of the viewers were fascinated by the surfers’ action on the waves. But Bad Boy seemed different. It was almost as if he was looking right inside Wade, measuring his innermost self.
Despite the scorching sun Wade shivered. Huh. He must be imagining it. Obviously he’d used up too many calories out on the water and his blood sugar was too low. A beer and a couple of hot dogs would solve that problem.
Wade strode up the dune to his truck, ripped open the Velcro ankle tie and hefted his surfboard into the truckbed, laying it on the old blanket he always kept there. His board was the best he could afford and he didn’t want it damaged.
“Niiiice,” rumbled a very sexy deep bass voice right behind his ear.
Wade whipped around. Bad Boy was standing an inch away from him. How had he gotten here so silently? Hastily he took a breath and replied. “It’s a Christenson. Chris shaped it for me personally.”
“I meant you, not the board, although it’s okay I guess.”
“Okay? Just okay? It—” Wade snapped his mouth shut and tried to stem his anger. That damn board had cost him a shitload of money and it was damn-near perfect. In fact, not even damn-near. It was perfect. Wade forced himself to take another breath and that’s when he saw the sparkling light in Bad Boy’s black eyes and realized he was being teased. Also, Bad Boy had complemented him. As if his physique was anything like as awesome as Bad Boy’s.
“My name’s Wade.” He stuck out his hand.
“Killian. Good to meet you, blondie.”
Killian’s hand was rough as if from hard physical labor, his grip firm but not bone crushing. And his voice was every bit as sexy as the first time he’d spoken.
“You’re interested in surfing?”
“A little I guess. Mostly I’m interested in you.”
“Me?”
Bad Boy gripped Wade’s hand more firmly and Wade stared at their hands, surprised that the clasp was somehow erotic rather than formal. Killian’s hand was as tanned as his own, but larger, firmer. A vision of that hand spanking his ass shot through Wade’s mind and he almost drooled with lust. Wow. He really needed to get his head on straight before he said or did something stupid.
“It’s too damn hot out here. Let’s go get a beer somewhere air conditioned.”
A beer sounded good to Wade. “I was just about to get some lunch as well. There’s a great hot dog stand just along the bluff. No air conditioning though.”
Killian finally let go of Wade’s hand and slapped him on his shoulder. “As long as I can get out of the sun I’ll survive.”
Wade grabbed a towel and his flip-flops out of the truck, grinning at the horrified look on Killian’s face when he slipped his wet, sandy feet into the plastic footwear. “Normally I go barefoot but sometimes there’re bits of metal or glass up near the road,” he explained.
“Flip-flops? Seriously? Real men don’t wear flip-flops.” The bass rumble was every bit as horrified as the look on Bad Boy’s face.
“Bare feet are my thing. Really.” Wade led the way to the hot dog stand, waving at the owner and holding up two fingers. The kid waved back and handed him two fully loaded hot dogs, then pulled two ice-cold longnecks out from under the counter. Wade carried them across to a table under an umbrella where Killian was sitting in the shade. Wade handed over a hot dog and a beer to Killian, placed his own food on the table, then dropped his towel onto the chair before sitting down.
“It’s plastic. It doesn’t matter if you get it wet.”
“I know, but some of the chairs are metal and I don’t need a burned ass.” Even as he said the words the image of Bad Boy’s big hands spanking him shot into his mind again and he swallowed hard. What the fuck was wrong with him? He didn’t even know this man.
Rushing to change the subject he asked, “Are you just here for the Fourth of July holiday? The fireworks won’t begin until ten tonight. Sunset is close to nine and it’s not really dark for half an hour after that.”
****
Killian stared into Wade’s eyes. They were the dark blue of the ocean near the horizon. A deep, penetrating color that rocked him all the way to his core. He’d started off by watching the way blondie surfed. His body moved on that board like a dancer over the waves. The sea appeared to part to let him though, offering him a smooth, graceful ride all the way into the shore. But the closer the surfer came to him, the more Killian could see the sheer muscular strength that held Wade’s body in pace. Arms outstretched for balance, legs braced to turn the board as the waves rolled by, all in complete balance and harmony. Fuck yes, blondie made it look so easy but Killian knew that was totally deceiving. If he tried to do it he’d fall off the board in ten seconds and likely break half the bones in his body as well. And that was if he didn’t drown. No. Surfing took skill, balance, precision, toughness of body and mind. All characteristics that turned him on, and blondie here turned him on in spades. It took everything in him not to slam Wade face down on the table and fuck him. Or maybe throw him to the ground and suck his cock until he screamed and begged for more.
Killian swallowed hard. “I’m here to watch the fireworks with you, and then we can make some fireworks of our own. Private ones.” He kept his gaze fixed on Wade as he spoke, watching the gleam in those blue eyes, the smile tilting the edges of his mouth up at the corners, the faint blush spreading across blondie’s tanned face.
“Fireworks huh? That sounds like the kind of plan I could agree to.”
“In that case I’d better get us each another hot dog. We’re going to need the extra calories.”
Wade grinned. “Better pick up a couple of apple pies as well for the sugar hit.”
Killian’s breath hitched. Fuck waiting for tonight. He jumped to his feet and pulled Wade against him, lowering his mouth for a kiss. Wade’s lips were soft and salty, then hard and passionate. Absolutely perfect.
Naughty Lovers: Love Is In The Air includes the third installment of my Steampunk erotic romance series, the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles. The series focuses on the polyamorous – and bisexual – relationship amongst Professor Edward Ockham, his new assistant Delia Bennett, and laboratory Special Assistant Sebastian Broadchurch, in an alternate-history version of 1879 Newcastle, England.
“Swing Follies” in Naughty Lovers further explores the relationship between Edward and Delia, plus throws in a touch of romantic intrigue with a bit of backstory. Oh, and there’s a hint of a possible future relationship for perennial bad boy Sebastian.
The story is a stand-alone (I’m pretty sure of that) novelette. But in case you’ve not read Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 1 or 2, here’s the rundown and location of each of the independently published stories:
One Cheek Or Two? (Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 1)
Teaser: In an imagined Newcastle, an inventor and his new assistant discover mutual desire while testing a spanking machine.
Blurb: Professor Edward Ockham is trying not to let his attraction for his new assistant Delia get in the way of testing his latest invention, a spanking machine for a girls’ school. Delia hadn’t expected the genius behind Newcastle’s Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory to be so damned handsome. Both turn to bad boy Sebastian and his curious gadgets for release of pent-up desires. Will they ever find passion in each other’s arms?
Teaser: Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?
Blurb: The stress of looming deadlines threatens to thwart Valentine’s Day plans for Professor Edward Ockham and his assistant — and lover — Delia Bennett. Compounding the tension, Edward insists the two maintain scientific restraint once the workday begins at the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory. But testing erotic machines with a professional demeanor proves to be quite challenging for Edward — and terribly frustrating for Delia. Something’s got to give. Will Edward ever find the inspiration to melt his icy reserve?
Teaser: Blimey. Delia’s besotted. With Edward. But when an old flame from Edward’s revolutionary past swings by and steams up the laboratory, has Delia missed her chance at love?
Blurb: It’s Springtime and passions are flaring at the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory. As Delia musters courage to tell Edward she loves him, the gorgeous Professor Euphronia Cogswell, Edward’s comrade — and lover — during Newcastle’s Third-Wave Industrial Revolution, comes calling and takes far too much interest in Edward’s latest erotic device. Meanwhile, in Newcastle’s foggy Roman Quarter...has the notorious Sebastian Broadchurch lost his bad-boy edginess? He’s distracted and subdued. Could there be a special mandrake in his life?
I love writing this series and I hope you enjoy reading it!
About the Author
Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and an award-nominated, best-selling, multi-published writer of erotica and historical erotic romance. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.
This will be a very short post because I'm on deadline for the next Naughty Literati anthology, Naughty Lovers. I'm still not quite sure I'm going to meet that deadline!
But let's just say I do meet that deadline...
The hope and expectation is that my next Naughty Literati story, tentatively titled "Swing Follies", will be the third story in my Steampunk erotic romance series, The Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles. In this installment Delia and Edward move their relationship forward and Sebastian falls in love. Plus we discover a little bit more about Edward's past and Newcastle’s Third-Wave Industrial Revolution.
Want to read Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles numbers 1 and 2 first? Of course you do!
Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory Chronicles 1: One Cheek Or Two?
In an imagined Newcastle, an inventor and his new assistant discover mutual desire while testing a spanking machine.
Appeared in Valves & Vixens: Steampunk Erotica
Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?
Appeared in Naughty Hearts: Eleven Naughty Romance Stories
Wish me luck!!
About the Author
Regina Kammer is a librarian, an art historian, and an award-nominated, best-selling, multi-published writer of erotica and historical erotic romance. Her short stories and novels make history sexier, whether the era is Roman, Byzantine, Viking, American Revolution, or Victorian. She’s even sexed up contemporary settings, Steampunk, and Greco-Roman mythology. She has been published by Cleis Press, Go Deeper Press, Ellora’s Cave, House of Erotica, Story Ink, The Naughty Literati, and her own imprint, Viridium Press. She began writing historical fiction with romantic elements during National Novel Writing Month 2006, switching to erotica when all her characters suddenly demanded to have sex.
For a limited time only get the NAUGHTY HEARTS boxed-set for FREE! Say what? Yes, you read that right. The NAUGHTY HEARTS boxed-set is FREE for a short time. Don't delay. Get your copy today and spend none of your hard earned cash!
Welcome to my playlist for my short story, Buy Me a Rose.
I’ve been writing erotic romance for a number of years now and I’ve
found that one of the most important parts of my writing is music. Music
inspires titles, scenes, love scenes and even my characters.
I think this is true for most writers but it’s especially true for
me. I know many writers who can’t abide lyrics when they’re writing
because it distracts them. For me, songs with lyrics help me to
reinforce my own words and the feelings behind them. I love to listen to
great songs and genre doesn’t matter. Love songs grab your heart
whether they twang, strum or anything else.
Let me give you an example, I’ve been writing about shapeshifters
since I started out and most of my stories have featured couples who are
new to each other. But I wondered what would happen with a couple who’d
shared a long relationship. Would things stay happy or could True
Mates, my version of fated soulmates among my shapeshifters, drift
apart.
After considering for a while, I realized that yes, a True Mate
relationship could get strained and just like any other relationship if a
couple didn’t nurture it, the relationship could falter. But with True
Mates, there’s no divorce option because once you’re together, you’re
mated for life. Unlike a human couple, the danger of cheating or
splitting up isn’t in the cards.
To make this story work, my couple, Nathaniel (Nat) and Jessica
(Jess) Whitewolf have allowed their relationship to grow stale, but with
help from their kids and some work together, they get the opportunity
to rediscover each other.
Nat is a dedicated doctor and Jess is involved in her landscaping
business and active in the community. They’d lost touch with one
another. My shapeshifters can communicate mind to mind and Nat and Jess
have almost forgotten how.
So here are a few tunes on my playlist for Buy Me a Rose.
Of course the biggest influence was Buy Me a Rose by Kenny Rogers. I remember watching an episode of Touched by an Angel
that featured Kenny Rogers and roughly followed the storyline of his
song. That episode and that song stayed with me. When I started writing
this story, I knew that this song had to be featured so I could explore
that distance between my hero and heroine. It ended up being an
important turning point for my hero.
Another important song for my hero and heroine is “their song.” All I Need
sung by Jack Wagner was a big hit in the mid-1980s when Nat and Jess
met. In fact, it was the very first song they ever danced to and it
expressed feelings they both had at that time in their life.
Another song that I used when I was writing and I also mention within the story
is a song that long time lovers would respond to is Remember When by Alan Jackson. It’s sweet and it can make me cry and I know Jess would feel the same way.
Something That We Do by Clint Black is also one of those
songs that helped me while I wrote. It’s super romantic but it kept me aware of the importance of the little things – the things we do – that
show our love to one another. That was definitely something that Nat
and Jess needed to be reminded of. Live in each day. Love in each day.
Share each day.
Buy Me A Rose by Francesca Hawley
Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary
as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat
will get it back.
She heard his step on the stairs and dished his bacon and eggs onto
the plate. Right on schedule. Just like every morning. He walked into
the kitchen and absently kissed her cheek as he sat down at the table.
He ate neatly, as he always did.
Jessica Whitewolf watched her True Mate as he read the paper, his
forehead knotted in thought. He’d been so focused on a case lately. One
of his patients was late in a high risk pregnancy and he had been seeing
her often so that she’d have a healthy pup.
Jess knew she shouldn’t feel jealous, the wolf bitch needed Nat’s
attention. Sadly though, Jess couldn’t remember the last time her Mate
focused so keenly on her. She fought the envy down and choked it off,
wishing the best for the expectant mother.
“What are your plans today?” she asked.
Jess could almost predict what he’d say even though they rarely used
their True Mate telepathic bond anymore. He’d talk about spending the
day at the clinic and checking on his special case. Then he’d get up,
give her a quick kiss and tell her he’d see her tonight.
“It’s a clinic day. I’ll be slammed all day with office visits.”
“Any interesting cases? How is Missy Goldwolf doing?”
“Missy?”
Jess smiled. Nat was a stickler about confidentiality. “She’s
pregnant. She’s had a difficult pregnancy and everyone in the entire
valley is holding their breaths hoping she’ll carry to term. It isn’t
hard to figure out, honey.”
He rose and crossed the room. “I suppose not. She’s holding her own.
I’m just glad that Yohana approved the upgrade to the obstetrics and
neonatal units at the hospital.”
“Well, considering she’ll need it soon herself, it was a no-brainer for the council.”
“She didn’t know that at the time it was approved, but my thanks to
the council,” Nat smiled and gave her a wink since Jess was part of that
civic body. “I better go. See you tonight, right?” He kissed her cheek,
picked up his briefcase and headed for the front door. Jess followed.
“The kids sent cards.”
“Hmm?” he asked absently as she followed him.
“Anniversary cards,” she hinted. “For us.”
“That’s nice.”
He opened the door and left without turning around
once. She watched him walk to the car and waved as he drove away. He
didn’t wave back. She wasn’t even sure he’d seen her.
Jess sighed. When had this happened? When had they become so
comfortable and…boring. She turned around and went inside to wash up in
the kitchen before she headed over to her landscaping business.
Hi Everyone! This is Regina, once again sharing a post from my own blog. In "Delia's Heartthrob," my story in Naughty Hearts, there's a festival celebrating the coming of Spring. Spring is definitely in the air where I live, and it's giving me inspiration for new stories. Read further to see what inspired my Steampunk series!
For “Delia’s Heartthrob”, my entry in Naughty Hearts the Valentine’s Day release from the Naughty Literati, there was a specific source of inspiration. But before I get into that there’s a bit of very personal backstory.
While I was writing “One Cheek or Two?” I had a traumatic experience in my real life. I won’t discuss it except to say that at the time it was very difficult to write creatively. I’m a writer, it’s my job, so I had to force myself. The ideas were there, but I found it quite crushing to get them down on paper (or in the computer, rather). I wasn’t experiencing writer’s block; it was post-traumatic stress disorder.
Yet something very odd was going on in my freaked-out brain: my characters were waiting for me. Specifically the characters from “One Cheek or Two?”—Delia, Edward, and Sebastian—were waiting for me to write their stories. It was as if they were hanging out in the Green Room of my mind, smoking cigarettes (Sebastian) and drinking tea, conversing amongst themselves at a level of volume I couldn’t hear, lounging about, completely out of character like off-stage actors.
It was comforting knowing they were there, waiting patiently.
And then when I was ready, their stories started pouring out of me, a deluge of ideas, scenarios, characterizations. A whole series developed, actually. It was quite bizarre.
I knew I had to continue writing stories from the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory, and began contemplating how exactly to do this—Search for anthology calls? Self-publish? Post as an extra feature on my website?
The Naughty Literati Valentine’s Day anthology, Naughty Hearts, was the perfect opportunity to continue the story of Delia, Edward, and Sebastian. But, hmm, Valentine’s Day…how could I make that unique?
Festivals As Inspiration: Burning Man
In August 2014, I went to Burning Man for the fifth time. The arts festival has a reputation for being a week-long, drug-fueled party for naked people. I suppose some people experience the event in that way. But for me, the main attractions are the artworks, the performance art, and seeing friends.
As an erotica writer I constantly get people saying to me “Oh, you go to Burning Man! You must get so much inspiration from being there”—implying, most likely, that somehow the candid nudity and sensuality inspire the erotic aspects of my writing. Actually, Burning Man has never inspired me in that way. However, it has inspired elements of plot and setting. The first such inspiration found its way into Hadrian and Sabina in the form of the festival of Osiris:
The colorful banners and costumes during the day and the flaming, noisy spectacles as night fell…
The theme for Burning Man 2014 was Caravansary and the Man was positioned in the middle of a souk, or bazaar, made up of tents. There were some excellent artworks spread across the Playa and Black Rock City. A few made lasting impressions upon me, and a couple of those gave me ideas for some sexy Steampunk machines in my latest Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory story.
Pulse and Bloom and Skull of Actaeon were interactive art installations that utilized electronic sensors to synch LED lights to a participant’s pulse, thereby visualizing human heartbeats. It was pretty amazing. Pulse and Bloom had the added component of mingling the heartbeats of two people at the same time for a syncopated effect.
Embrace was a large-scale wooden sculpture of two figures embracing (spectacularly set on fire one morning). Inside each of the figures was a glowing red heart hanging like a chandelier.
Festivals As Inspiration: Imbolc
But how to integrate all of this into a story? How could I bring Burning Man to an imagined Steampunk Newcastle? Elisabeth Waters my colleague at the San Francisco Area chapter of Romance Writers of America gave me an idea. At one of our meetings she told me about the Celtic festivals celebrating the seasons: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain. Imbolc is the festival marking the beginning of spring and occurs about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
That is, in February, kind of near Valentine’s Day.
And, thus, the setting and plot elements of "Delia’s Heartthrob" were born.
Naughty Hearts is now available, but if you want to get an introduction to the characters in "Delia’s Heartthrob", their first story is “One Cheek or Two?” in the anthology Valves & Vixens: Steampunk Erotica. The two stories can be read as standalones, although I’d really like it if readers discovered the whole world of the Ockham Steam-Works Laboratory.
And I think Edward, Delia, and Sebastian would like it if you read about their lives outside the Green Room of my mind.
Woohoo - It's here! The NAUGHTY HEARTS boxed set is available in both ebook and print.
Naughty Hearts
Twelve Naughty Valentine's Stories
including Contemporary, Dark Fantasy,
Menage, M/M, M/M/F, New Adult, Paranormal,
Shape-shifter, Steampunk & Time Travel
from Amazon bestselling authors.
Purchase Naughty Hearts E-Book
Purchase Naughty Hearts in Print
Naughty Balls by Suz deMello
Two college basketball players find themselves alone on V-Day evening. (M/F)
Love Potion #69 by Alexa Silver
When Keith and Jenna accidentally fall under the spell of one of her Valentine’s Day love potions, lust is in the air!
My Valentine Lovers by Nicole Austin
All I want for Valentine’s Day is to get barbed by a feline shifter and act out a few of the naughty twin fantasies getting me hot and bothered.
Valentime by Belle Scarlett
Valerie buys a South Carolina plantation and discovers a Valentine addressed to her from a previous owner who bids her to return to him in 1865.
Delia's Heartthrob by Regina Kammer
Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?
Two Into One Goes Great by Lynne Connolly
A booker at a top model agency learns she’s anything but ordinary when two sexy photographers point their lenses—and more—at her.
Under The Hood by Lainey-Jo Charles
How do you choose between an online crush you've never met and a secret crush that you have? Maybe you don't have to...
Buy Me A Rose by Francesca Hawley
Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat will get it back.
Chocolate-Coated Reunion by Berengaria Brown
Jake refuses to talk to Matt after he was very late on Christmas Eve. Matt’s determined to reconnect with Jake on Valentine’s Day.
Cupid's Curious Case by Marianne Stephens
Alan’s last job as Cupid 84 involves neighbor Amy and a special box of candy. Both secretly desire the other. Can they find true love?
Fifty Shades of Valentine's Day by Katherine Kingston
Dumped on Valentine’s Day! Melissa only thinks the day can’t get any worse. Until she damages her hot neighbor’s car, and he demands unexpected compensation.
The Reaper's Valentine by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Sometimes a Reaper has to do what a Reaper does. It would be wise for a life-mate to remember that!
To celebrate the release of our latest boxed set, NAUGHTY HEARTS, we are giving away a Naughty Heart necklace and a print copy of NAUGHTY LIST to two winners. The contest will run from February 1st - 7th. There are 10 ways to enter as well as a daily bonus entry so come back every day to increase your chances. Good luck & happy reading!
Alexa, Belle, Berengaria, Charlotte, Francesca, Katherine, Lainey-Jo, Lynne, Marianne, Nicole, Regina, Suz, Terry and Trinity
Cree chuckled as he leaned back in the desk chair with his hands
cupping the back of his head and his legs crossed at the ankles as he
braced his bare feet on the desktop. He wiggled his toes and chuckled
again. She was giving him quite the show. He’d been watching her for the
last hour—making note of every angry hiss, loud sigh, raging glance at
the camera, and foot stomp. Once or twice, she’d flipped him the bird
and when she did the sneer that came from her beautiful mouth amused him
even more.
And what a mouth it was! He wished he could see those luscious full
coral lips but her face was hidden behind the pillow as she growled into
the fabric. He wondered just how mad she’d be if she knew there was a
camera in her bedroom, too. Not in the bathing chamber but one hidden in
the heat register across from her bed. It shouldn’t be there but he’d
crawled through the ductwork himself to place it there half an hour
earlier when she’d exhausted herself trying to get out of the apartment.
She’d called him every vile name in the book until she realized she
was good and caught. Watching her drum her heels into the mattress told
him she’d be very mad when she found out about that camera.
He wondered if she was going to fight him when he appeared in her bedroom later that evening.
“Oh, yeah,” he said then grinned wickedly, looking forward to it. He
wanted her to fight him. He wanted to feel her squirming in his arms
until he kissed her and drained away any sign of resistance.
That was the way it was between life-mates. Morrigunia, the Triune
goddess, put them together for a reason. She had created them expressly
for one another and there would be no denying what was inevitable. They
were born to be two halves that would make a very strong whole. They
completed one another and where one went, the other would go.
Even into death.
He cocked his eyebrows when she threw aside the pillow and sat up,
bracing herself on her elbows. She seemed to be staring straight at the
camera as though she knew it was there. Her stare was so intense he
realized she had somehow discovered it. Her slow, evil sneer was all the
proof he needed.
“Here we go,” he said softly.
“You want to play Peeping Tom, dickdrip?” she asked as she sat all
the way up. “Okay, I’ll give your perverted ass something to peep at!”
As soon as her hands went to the snaps of her pj top, he uncrossed
his legs and dropped them from the desk. He sat forward with his elbows
replacing his heels on the desktop to stare intently at the vid-screen
before him. He licked his lips as the first snap came undone and he saw a
V of soft feminine flesh behind the opening. Threading his fingers
together to keep them still, he felt his cock jerk when the second snap
came undone.
Her full attention was riveted on the vent. Though there was no
expression on her lovely face, there was retaliatory fire in her green
eyes. Even from his apartment a sub-level away he felt the heat from
that glare. It made his groin tighten.
A third snap and the flash of the soft mound of her left breast
appeared. His mouth flooded with moisture. His fangs tingled. He
swallowed hard as the fourth snap parted the material even more and the
valley between her breasts came into view.
“Sweet Merciful Alel,” he whispered as he waited for the last snap to
come undone but she stopped, lifted her chin and the slow, nasty smile
that pulled at her full lips made him catch his breath.
Instead of popping that last snap, she slid her right hand behind the
camouflage of the pj top to cup her left breast. He could see her hand
moving under the material and knew she was fondling that lush mound. Her
smile disappeared as her lips parted. The wet tip of her tongue thrust
slowly from between her lips to curl enticingly over the bottom one
before she pulled it back in. She winked.
“Woman, you are playing with fire,” he said to the screen—as unable
to tear his attention away from it as to stop his heart from pounding in
his chest or the sweat from forming on his brow.
Valentine’s Day… A day to celebrate love, relationships, sweethearts, joy. Chocolate candy, hearts and flowers… Bah humbug. Wrong holiday, right sentiment, Melissa decided as she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building after the longest day of her life.
What kind of shitty asshole dumped his girlfriend of six months on
Valentine’s Day, of all days? Daniel McKenzie Winslow, her own shitty
asshole of an ex-boyfriend. He couldn’t be what she needed, he claimed,
which was true in its way, but not for the reasons he wanted her to
believe. Not only that, he did it with an email. Sent to her work email
account.
Asshole didn’t begin to describe him.
And probably because she was so upset by that, she got yelled at by
two customers who thought she wasn’t moving fast enough, and another she
accidentally shorted on a withdrawal. Of course, her supervisor noticed
too, and asked if there was a problem. Yeah, right. And her drawer came
up fifty-two dollars short.
And now there was someone else parked in her parking space, which
meant looking for another one. Perfect cap to a horrible day. She
thumped the wheel in frustration, then spotted a narrow space between a
huge SUV and shiny red Trans Am. Her little car would just fit.
But she cut it too close. The grating screech of metal on metal from
the right rear meant her day was about to get even worse. What to do
now?
Melissa drew a deep breath, and with shaking hands, reversed enough
to back away from the other car and then pulled in straighter, avoiding
it this time. She’d seen the bad news, though. Several dark gouges
scored the red paint along the panel above the left rear tire. She let
her head sink forward onto the steering wheel, fighting back tears.
Did she have to notify the police? She didn’t think so. But she’d
have to tell the owner about it and offer to pay for the damage. Soon.
Right now would be best.
But she couldn’t. Not like that. Not when she knew who the car’s
owner was. She’d write out an apology and include a check with the note
that she’d make up any difference between it and the actual bill.
God, she hated the thought of having to take this to him—only the
hottest guy she’d seen in forever. She’d tried not to notice him too
much, since she was dating Daniel, but how could she ignore a guy who’d
star in most women’s favorite wet dreams? It wouldn’t be easy telling
anyone about this. But him? It was going to kill her.
Melissa gathered her purse and scurried to her apartment, intending
to write that note first thing and get it to him before he got out and
noticed the damage. But when she sat down with pen and paper, she ran
into immediate issues, starting with the first line, when she realized
she didn’t know his name, so had no idea what to put after “Dear…”
Following some internal debate she settled on “Neighbor.”
It didn’t get any easier. She was only three sentences into it when a
knock at the door interrupted. She half-expected a police officer. She
didn’t expect him. Six feet two inches of the most gorgeous lean, toned
male body she’d ever seen, topped with neatly cut sandy blond hair,
green eyes, lean cheeks and a totally perfect mouth. Right then, though,
the green eyes sparled with anger and the lips pressed together in a
thin line.
“I assume you know who I am,” he said, not waiting for her to find breath enough to speak.
“The c…car. You’ve seen.” Melissa didn’t usually stutter, but her brain had apparently shorted out. “I’m so…sorry.”
“I should hope so.”
“I’ll pay for repairs. Make it as good as new. I pro…promise.”
“You will.” He looked around her sort-of neat apartment. “No question
about that. But I’m guessing you don’t want to involve the police or
insurance companies?”
The deep, sexy, stern voice almost mesmerized her. Shivers ran up and
down her spine in response to it. Melissa drew in a deep breath before
she answered. “I’d rather not.”
He grimaced. “I’m okay with resolving this just between the two of
us. As long as it gets resolved in a way that satisfies me. But first I
want a piece of paper detailing what happened and admitting your
responsibility. Signed by you. Now. Before we talk about anything else.”
Amy picked a pink candy with a red heart on it. Alan chose a blue
piece that had white sprinkles on it. They popped their chosen pieces
into their mouths at the same time.
A tingle went through Amy as she savored the rich treat. It spread
through her body, and sent a shocking flame of desire to every inch of
her body. There was a catch in her breath, and she itched to satisfy a
lustful need she’d never felt with Scott.
She peeked at Alan, and noticed his eyes were closed as he devoured
his candy. His breathing quickened, and dropping her gaze lower, she
spied a distinct bulge pressing against his jeans’ zipper.
Alan opened his eyes and stared into hers. A heightened sense of
craving, want, desire seemed to spark between them. Amy was at a loss
for words, at least common sense ones. She wanted him. Here. Now. With a
wanton passion.
“Try another piece,” she whispered, almost afraid to say anything.
“I—Sure. These are overwhelming. All my senses are aware of the decadent taste it leaves in my mouth. You too?”
“Yes,” she managed to answer before biting into a green piece of
candy with a soft, minty inside that slid down her throat, leaving more
tingling sensations wreaking havoc with her body.
Alan raked a hand through his hair. “Is it me, or is it hot in here?”
A stinging rush of heat course through her, settling in her cheeks.
“It must be the champagne.” She fanned her face with her hand. “It does
feel warmer than before.”
“Why don’t we open your window a little? Cool us off.”
Both stood, and walked to the window. Amy cranked it open and a rush
of cooler air flowed inside. For a moment she shivered, and then felt
warmer as Alan, wrapped his arms around her.
“You’re cold. Maybe this wasn’t a great idea.”
Amy clasped his arms, hugging them tighter. “No. I mean, we can close the window, but I’m enjoying standing here with you.”
Alan pulled her back towards him. Amy couldn’t stop her hormones from
racing into overdrive at the sensation of rubbing against the bulge in
his jeans. “Turn around, Amy. I want to see you while I hold you in my
arms. Please.”
She quickly turned to face him, never losing contact. Heat radiated
between them, satisfying her passionate lust now controlling her every
thought. “I want to be held by you—touch you.” She rested her head on
his chest. “We’ve missed out on being with each other all this time. I
feel a need now. And no, it’s not the champagne talking. It’s me. I’ve
always hoped for more between us.”
Alan lifted her head, lowered his mouth to hers, and began with a
slow, gentle kiss. He pulled his head away and said, “We’re together
now. I want this. I want you. No, like the note said, I desire you.”
His next kiss was more urgent as he rubbed his hands down her back
and lifted her rear end closer. “Tell me now if you want me to stop and
I’ll leave. I’ll go, but I don’t want to.”
“No. Please stay. I want you,” she moaned, consumed in a need to have Alan make love to her.
The next series of kisses were more frantic, with tongues slipping
between teeth to thrust into each other’s mouth. Amy ran her hands down
his chest and pressed against the zipper of his jeans. She noted the
catch in his breathing as she undid his belt and lowered his zipper.
Then, she slipped her hand inside and touch the torrid flesh of his
penis. Alan had circled her breasts with his hands. With every brush
across each nipple, Amy’s breathing raced. Her nipples ached to have him
hold, squeeze, lave them.
She stepped back, holding her lust in check, for a moment of sanity.
“We’ll be more comfortable in my bedroom. I’ll undress you and then you
can undress me.”
His smile only encouraged her to take control. “A definite invitation I won’t refuse.”
She took his hand and started walking to her bedroom.
Alan pulled her on a slight detour to grab the candy box, champagne bottle, and glasses. “I have plans for this.” He winked.
“I need this finalized tonight. I know tomorrow’s Christmas, but the
CEO expects me to have this data in a report for him on Thursday.”
Clauson dropped a thick file folder onto Matt’s desk.
Matt looked up. He was just filling in his time sheet, ready to leave the moment it was five o’clock.
“But it’s four-thirty now.” Matt flicked a glance at the clock on his computer. “Four thirty-seven.”
“So what? You don’t have any kids. You don’t have to hurry home to do
the whole Santa act. It should only take you about three hours. That’ll
give you plenty of time to go to whatever holiday party you planned to
attend.”
Matt opened his mouth to argue then shut it again. Not only didn’t he
have kids, he wasn’t even in a steady relationship. He’d arranged to
have drinks this evening with Jake and had hopes that their friendship
would develop into a relationship, but that was all in the laps of the
gods at this stage.
He opened the folder and glanced at the top few sheets. The data was
clearly explained and would be easy to tabulate. Oh well, likely this
wouldn’t even take him three hours. It wasn’t such a big deal after all.
Ten sheets into the file, the situation worsened dramatically. The
data was no longer clear, there were pages and pages of handwritten
notes that were scribbled over in different colored inks and it took him
long minutes to decide whether that number was a three or an eight, and
whether the next number was a one, a seven, or even possibly a two.
At six he texted Jake.
Sorry. Stuck @ work with project must finish. Hope to see you @ 8.
Almost immediately, his cell vibrated with a reply.
No problemo. I’ll work back too.
Relieved, Matt dug into the file with renewed energy, and a sigh of
relief when the next few pages were much easier to decipher. It was only
almost two hours later, when his columns didn’t add up, that he knew
he’d guessed wrongly on some of the figures and had to go back and retry
them. It took another hour to sort that mess out and by then, it was
five to nine.
Really sorry. Still here. Another hour, he texted.
The answer came back, Sounds good.
Matt plowed on through the file, rejoicing when everything was
straightforward, annoyed and frustrated when it wasn’t. At eleven he
made the decision that he would hand in the work and catch the last bus
home whether it was fully finished or not.
Catching last bus home. We’ll have midnight drinks together and toast the holiday season in style.
She
heard his step on the stairs and dished his bacon and eggs onto the
plate. Right on schedule. Just like every morning. He walked into the
kitchen and absently kissed her cheek as he sat down at the table. He
ate neatly, as he always did.
Jessica Whitewolf watched her True
Mate as he read the paper, his forehead knotted in thought. He’d been so
focused on a case lately. One of his patients was late in a high risk
pregnancy and he had been seeing her often so that she’d have a healthy
pup.
Jess knew she shouldn’t feel jealous, the wolf bitch needed
Nat’s attention. Sadly though, Jess couldn’t remember the last time her
Mate focused so keenly on her. She fought the envy down and choked it
off, wishing the best for the expectant mother.
“What are your plans today?” she asked.
Jess
could almost predict what he’d say even though they rarely used their
True Mate telepathic bond anymore. He’d talk about spending the day at
the clinic and checking on his special case. Then he’d get up, give her a
quick kiss and tell her he’d see her tonight.
“It’s a clinic day. I’ll be slammed all day with office visits.”
“Any interesting cases? How is Missy Goldwolf doing?”
“Missy?”
Jess
smiled. Nat was a stickler about confidentiality. “She’s pregnant.
She’s had a difficult pregnancy and everyone in the entire valley is
holding their breaths hoping she’ll carry to term. It isn’t hard to
figure out, honey.”
He rose and crossed the room. “I suppose not.
She’s holding her own. I’m just glad that Yohana approved the upgrade to
the obstetrics and neonatal units at the hospital.”
“Well, considering she’ll need it soon herself, it was a no-brainer for the council.”
“She
didn’t know that at the time it was approved, but my thanks to the
council,” Nat smiled and gave her a wink since Jess was part of that
civic body. “I better go. See you tonight, right?” He kissed her cheek,
picked up his briefcase and headed for the front door. Jess followed.
“The kids sent cards.”
“Hmm?” he asked absently as she followed him.
“Anniversary cards,” she hinted. “For us.”
“That’s
nice.” He opened the door and left without turning around once. She
watched him walk to the car and waved as he drove away. He didn’t wave
back. She wasn’t even sure he’d seen her.
Jess sighed. When had
this happened? When had they become so comfortable and…boring. She
turned around and went inside to wash up in the kitchen before she
headed over to her landscaping business.
When he opened the door to the truck, not only was he blasted by the
heat that had quickly warmed up the truck cab, but he also experienced
Lisbeth’s scent in concentrated form. The scent he caught brief snippets
of when she was in the garage filled his nostrils and lungs until he
imagined he could taste her.
The scent of berries. That’s what the scent was. No wonder he could
almost taste her. No wonder he wanted desperately to taste her.
God, he hoped her scent didn’t leave his truck cab.
He was so screwed.
“How long do you think it’s gonna take?”
Her voice interrupted his musings and he tried kick starting his
brain into working and thinking and coming up with answers to questions.
The car. She’s asking about her car.
“I’ll be able to give you a better estimate of that tomorrow after
I’ve gone in and made sure everything has been catalogued so we’re
working from a master repairs list.”
“Oh.” She turned from him and looked back out the front window at the
closed bay door shielding her car from sight. “That makes perfect
sense.” She paused again before turning toward him. “I guess I need to
line up a rental car, depending on how long it’ll take.”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely call you tomorrow morning with what I know so you can figure all that out.”
A small grin broke out that she tried to hide.
“What?”
“It’s nothing. Really.” She shook her head and turned toward the side
passenger window, but not before he saw the blush spreading across her
cheeks.
“Come on. Tell me.”
“I was just thinking, here I’ve got a guy who’s taking me home, and
I’ve already gotten a promise that I’ll get a phone call from him
tomorrow morning. All the single ladies would be jealous.”
“I seriously doubt that.” Was she…flirting with him? “I don’t exactly
have women beating down my door.” Why had he said that? He needed to
install a filter between his brain and his mouth.
“Uh-huh. I hear you.”
He let it go. There were exactly zero women interested in him, well
maybe that number was now one, but it wasn’t like he had this super busy
social life. He picked up his coffee mug from the holder and took a
sip.
She undid a button on her black top, revealing the lacy white top of
her bra. Just a little, to tease rather than anything else. “Like that?”
For once she’d get her fantasy to become a model. The one the
prepubescent girl had played, and held until she was sixteen and still
not tall enough. She had fewer illusions these days.
But she did like the appreciative purr that Jordan gave, and Cody’s
sleepy smile. Both men’s attentions were fixed on her cleavage. At least
she had one, and it was real.
Boldly she sat on the white sofa, slanting her legs to one side. Then
she busied herself ripping the cellophane off a box of chocolates,
dropping the detritus at the back of the seat where it wouldn’t be seen.
Was there anything like opening a box of chocolates for the first time?
She held the box up to her nose and sniffed. “Gorgeous,” Jordan
murmured. The snaps of the cameras were for her this time. For the first
time in her life, cameras were clicking for her. It felt good.
Lifting a candy, she took a bite. Nut chocolate. “So good,” she murmured. Click, click.
She concentrated on the goodies rather than the photos. At one stage in
her life she’d been embarrassed to have her picture taken but now it
was so much a part of everyday that she hardly noticed it.
The seat depressed as Cody sat next to her. He had no camera in his
hand, and he was topless. “Let’s get a bit more personal, hmm?” he said,
as he selected a chocolate and held it to her mouth. “Now bite. I want
to see that expression the girls missed. Sheer enjoyment.”
Not difficult to do since he’d selected a cherry one. She kept her
lips on the dark chocolate, sipping from the shell when she’d bitten
into it.
Facing her, he held up another. “Let the contents fall. Jordan can get the drip.”
She did as he told her, watching his eyes. Pale blue, they seemed to
see right through her. Wow, she’d never noticed that ring of dark blue
around his iris. Very sexy. The drip of cherry touched her lower lip,
then trickled to her chin.
Cody leaned forward and licked it off. Click, click.
Heat warmed her, heated her crotch, but alarms went off in her head.
Cody pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “I know, baby, but we’re still
under contract here. Nothing gets out without your approval. The
contract covers employees of Square, in case we needed to change the
models. You’re an employee, right? Then Square can’t sue our asses off,
and put us out of business.”
That reassured her. He was right. They couldn’t use anything from
this session without the agency’s approval. Which meant her. “But I
could get some for myself?”
“Absolutely. No extra charge.” He kissed her on each word, each kiss
going deeper. “Mmm, I’ve never enjoyed cherry chocolate so much. It
makes me wonder what you make caramel taste like.”
He selected the caramel and touched it to her lips. “A tiny nibble now. Just to break the shell.”
A thwack and a curse presaged Edward’s entry into the lab.
He stumbled in from his office, bleary-eyed, his brown curls disheveled,
his shirtsleeves rolled to the elbow. Whatever Sebastian had done to
him last night or this morning—or both—had been clearly far too
strenuous. Delia sighed.
Sometimes all Edward needed was a cuddle.
He pawed through the drawers of the tool cabinet. “Seb, have you seen my—”
He glanced over his shoulder and froze, staring at Delia, his cheeks
rosy under fine stubble, the color deepening as his gaze swept over her
thighs.
He turned to face them. “Sebastian,” he asked, now seemingly
mesmerized by Delia’s exposed knickers. “Whatever are you working on?”
Sebastian beamed. “I call it the Broadchurch Phalangical Restraint System.”
Delia rolled her eyes. How typical of Sebastian to name the invention after himself.
Edward scowled as he approached. “Is this for one of those
clandestine establishments you frequent?” He ran his fingers over the
segments of a metal hand, so tantalizingly close to the bare thigh above
Delia’s stocking. He no longer blushed, instead his lips and forehead
twisted in a thoughtful expression.
“Yeah,” Sebastian said. “Dominick’s.”
Edward’s pinky strayed to her inner thigh. A frisson of lust tore
through her, melting her insides, like the ganache centers of the
bonbons she had indulged in the night before.
Edward paled and snatched his hand away.
“Miss Bennett,” he said as if just noticing her. “Good morning.”
Delia’s heart pounded, no doubt sending blood to color her cheeks the
same red as her frilly knickers. “Good morning, Professor Ockham.”
Chapter One
The ink was barely dry on the mortgage papers to the sprawling, old
plantation house when Valerie Heart put a sledgehammer through her
living room wall and discovered the Valentine addressed to her from the
past. One hundred and fifty years in the past, to be precise.
She peered into the hole behind the plaster and plucked out the
yellowed piece of folded paper. It rested on top of a hinged leather
case about the size of a deck of cards. The brittle stuff ripped a
little in her hand. Worried that the document might turn into powder
between her fingers before she could see what it contained, she unfolded
the creased parchment slowly. She removed her safety goggles for an
unobstructed view of the sweeping, cursive lettering penned in faded
ink.
I cannot sleep. I have no stomach for victuals or drink. I cannot
think upon anything save having you in my bed again. Underneath me
where you belong. Warm and wet as a soft spring night, with your legs
wrapped around my waist as though to pull me all the way lost inside of
you. Were you merely a ghost, after all? A wanton phantom come to
delight my nights with your sweet body, only to vanish cruelly when the
cock crows the dawn’s arrival? You torment my empty days with your
absence.
To add to my misery of finding you lost to me comes the
intelligence that Sherman has cut off Augusta from Charleston and the
railway between. One of the last remaining Reb armies now in Charleston
is in danger of being surrounded. The end of the war cannot be far off,
but my land is in the direct path of the ensuing disaster with Union
shells advancing every day to kiss my property line. I am long past my
original plan of doing my bit to help end this bloody conflict and then
quitting the area timely before I am happened upon by either side; the
result of which in either case would surely mean my court martial in one
instance or my immediate hanging in the other. Yet I linger on here and
find I cannot make myself leave this place without you. My gut twists
at the thought of never seeing you again.
I will delay my departure in the hope that Providence may help my
letter to find you in the manner you told me it shall. I pray you will
re-appear as mysteriously as you left. Come back to me, Valerie Amy
Heart. Find a way back to me. – Grayson Hunter
Valerie Amy Heart? Valerie stared at the paper in her hand,
uncertain whether to be more incredulous at the crumbling missive that
implored her by name or at the impossible date on it. February 14,
1865.
“Is this a joke?” She heard her own words echo softly in the empty
room but felt instantly that this was no prank. This would be a pretty
big gag for anyone she knew to pull off, and she knew no one in the
immediate area. For another thing, she could feel the truth and passion
in the letter as though it were a tangible thing, reaching out from the
page to curl around her like heat from a bonfire. Impossible as it was,
her gut tingled with certainty that the paper in her hand was meant for
her find and… do what?
The historical detail in the letter was correct, as every school
child in South Carolina knew. Three days after the date on this letter,
General William Tecumseh Sherman and his Union Army swept through this
area and burned Columbia just a few miles away. Nothing in the Union
army’s path, including this plantation, had remained unscathed. The
local population even put on Civil War reenactments in the countryside
every year to commemorate the siege.
Valerie’s eyes scanned the document again, more slowly this time. She
couldn’t decide which burning question frustrated her more.
Who was Grayson Hunter? How, or when, had she told him to send
this letter? How could he have known her in 1865, much less so…
intimately? What had his fate been?
Then she shivered, recalling the small cemetery belonging to the
former, longtime occupants that the realtor had told her was on the
property somewhere down by the woods. A morbid thought snaked through
her mind before she could stop it.
Would she find Grayson Hunter’s name carved on one of the
crumbling tombstones in the Hunter family plot when she explored the
woods tomorrow morning?
Fluffy white clouds streaked with gray stretched across a pale blue
sky, blanketing desolate hills covered with rock, scrub brush and
skeletal trees. Winter had stripped the Texas Hill Country of its
vibrant colors, leaving the landscape sad and dismal—a perfect match for
my mood. From an elevated perch downwind, I studied the only structure
visible for endless miles through high-powered binoculars.
“What a waste of time,” I grumbled, handing the lenses over to my
sibling, Haidee. “Seven damn weeks of hiking out to the middle of
nowhere and nothing. Not one glimpse of this mythical liger.” Sure, we’d
caught sight of a total hunk hanging out with Sirena but had never seen
him shift.
A liger of all things. The fabled hybrid offspring of a mating
between lion and tiger. As if they really existed. Talia Portman had
been convincing and seemed so certain, which was why I found myself
conducting surveillance of my half-sister’s house. As the story went,
Sirena found and mated with a liger. One who claimed ligers were
monogamous and would take only one mate.
The story gave me hope. Because if one hybrid existed there had to be
more, which meant I had a chance of finding one for myself. A mate of
my own who belonged to me only and wouldn’t have to be shared with a
pride of lionesses.
I admit it. I want what my sister found. Crave it with every fiber of
my being. Especially the wild, uninhibited sex I’d watched with
voyeuristic thrill through my lenses. The kind of hot,
nail-me-to-the-wall sex I fantasize about but never come close to
experiencing. God, how I want the experience, but not with one of the
vain lions my father kept pushing me to take as a mate.
Growing up, I witnessed my mother’s endless roller coaster of
emotions, thanks to dear old dad. Every time he showed up to spend time
with her, Mom walked on clouds…only to be dropped into the depths of
hell when he left again to be with one of his other mates.
Not me. I refuse to live that way. To raise my children alone and let
them believe that screwed-up way of life is normal. Nope, not
happening.
Haidee took a quick look at the house, sighed heavily then set the
binoculars on the blanket we shared. “What I want to know is how Sirena
not only landed a liger but has managed to actually keep him with her so
long?”
If I had the answer to that million-dollar question, I’d be a happy camper.
All lioness shifters learn two basic facts about males early on—they are
inherently lazy and complete tomcats. No male feline stays with a
female, not even one of his mates, longer than a month before getting
the itch to move on. Typically the males last about half that time. Yet
this male had been with Sirena since Christmas. Incredible!
“Sorry, Haidee, but your mom’s full of shit. No way is the guy holed
up in there with Sirena a feline shifter. Because a feline would have
gone off to chase tail long before now.”
“Then why would Sirena keep him around?” Haidee shot back. “If he’s not feline he can’t even get her off.”
Haidee had a good point. Sex with a regular human man does nothing
for a female shifter. Men lack the essential bit of anatomy required to
stimulate a female feline to orgasm or to result in pregnancy. As with
their animal counterparts, male feline shifters have a barb beneath the
heads of their cocks that extends during mating, stroking a female’s
pleasure spot to both orgasm and ovulation. No barb—no orgasm or babies.
This I knew for fact from multiple frustrating attempts at reaching
satisfaction with regular human men and several high-tech vibrators.
My imagination provided all kinds of incentive to find a feline and
get barbed. To finally feel the tingling sensation of those firm,
flexible extensions raking over the walls of my pussy, electrifying
nerve endings hungry for stimulation, driving me out of my mind with
pleasure beyond anything I have ever known. Without the barb—a lifetime
of ho-hum sex with no fireworks. Ever.
Laying on my belly, I dropped my head into my hands and groaned as my
last thread of hope unraveled. “We’re doomed to one day be sister
wives.”
“Our lives suck,” Haidee complained.
“The total crap purebred felines put up with is really sad. Don’t you agree, Carson?”
The unexpected deep masculine voice startled me. Scrambling around, I
got my feet under me and turned, crouched low and ready to shift if
need be. My jaw dropped wide open in shock. Standing a few feet behind
us were two drool-worthy hunks, clearly brothers.
Twins?
They appeared identical but I noticed a few small differences. Hunk
one, on the left, had a small white scar under his right eyebrow while
hunk two’s eyes were darker, emerald green compared to his brother’s
softer jade color.
“I’ll never understand why they buy into that bullshit the males feed them, Cam,” twin on the right said.
My fingers itched to be holding my Nikon. What I wouldn’t have given
to shoot the vibrant males against the stark contrast of the rugged
winter background. Both were tall, muscular, and possessed the most
incredible multi-hued hair in every shade from platinum to black with
streaks of red and mahogany. And then there were the twin fantasies
running through my head, getting me hot and bothered. Being the filling
in that twin sandwich would be pure bliss.
