Be sure to post a comment to be in the running for an Amazon.com gift certificate! The winner will be announced tomorrow morning!
I love release days! The promise of excitement lingers in the air. The eBookstore moves the book to the Home page and everyone gets to ooh and ahh over the new offerings. Some eager beaver buys it and sits down immediately to read it, then I’m waiting, waiting, hoping for that first message that says–“Delilah, loved it! I want more of that!”
Okay, I can hope that someone doesn’t have a day job or kids to get ready for school and has the time to hit the site first thing, right? I HATE waiting to know whether I scored. *sigh*
Let me know what you think. In the meantime, here’s one last tease to whet your appetite! And hey, did you know that BBG is my 30th book with Ellora’s Cave? Woot! Click on the cover to purchase!
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Expect magic when one determined woman dons a legendary pair of red stilettos and bares body and heart to get her man’s attention…
Jolene’s a big, beautiful woman with an even bigger heart. But she’s become her police officer boyfriend’s favorite doormat and that’s so not working for her. It’s time for a little conversation, time to tell Mr. Happy Pants to “pee or get off the pot”.
Gabriel has seen what his profession does to marriages. He’s not willing to risk that kind of heartbreak. Besides, he likes what he has with Jolene. The woman is sex personified. So when Jolie tells him she won’t see him anymore if he’s not willing to commit, he’s shocked and angry.
With a girlfriend’s encouragement and the added confidence a certain pair of red stilettos gives her, Jolene arranges a special show at a strip club to prove to Gabe once and for all that she’s more woman than any man can handle, and if he doesn’t want the job, then she’ll find another lover who does.
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This is a scene you have to read from her point of view next. I promise you’ll laugh yourself silly! ~DD
“You and Jolie must have gotten things worked out,” Tyler said, his eyes on the road, his tone a little too casual to be real. “She didn’t come after you with a spatula when we crashed her store.”
Gabe grimaced and set his canned soda on his knee. He and Tyler were making a second pass through the business district. So far, everything was quiet. Too bad. He couldn’t escape the conversation. “Nothing’s worked out. We argued again last night.”
“Is she wearing you down yet?”
Gabe snorted. “What do you think?”
“You’re growly as a bear, which means she’s getting to you. If you could let her walk, you would have by now. You don’t usually stick around when a girl starts making demands.”
“She’s hard to ignore.”
“Bigger than life.”
Gabe shot Tyler a hot glare. “You calling her fat?”
“Not at all. She’s got a big personality, a real joy for life and food.”
And sex.
“Buddy, if you kiss her off, you’re gonna regret it for the rest of your life.”
“You telling me I should marry her?”
“Wouldn’t do that, bro. I know it’s a big step, especially given your family history. You have some issues to work through first.”
“You’re not Dr. Phil even if you are marrying a psychologist. I don’t have issues.”
“Sure you don’t. So it won’t be a problem setting a date.”
Gabe crushed the empty coke can in his hand. “Let’s slide by the Purple Palace, make sure things are quiet.”
Tyler pulled the squad car into the strip joint’s packed parking lot. The music blared loudly even before they walked through the double glass doors.
Inside, heads turned, but everyone went right back to what they were doing. Two gentlemen in the seats at the back were getting lap dances and eagerly stuffing dollar bills anywhere the women would allow.
Gabe felt dirty just watching them. “Let’s say hey to Guppy and be on our way.”
“What’s the matter? Don’t see anything you like here? If you give Jolie the heave-ho, you might want to check out some of the babes here for a replacement.”
Gabe glared at Tyler, wanting to punch him for even mentioning her name when they were in a place like this. “Not interested,” he ground out.
Tyler smirked and lifted his chin toward the stage. “There’s Guppy now. We’ll say hello and make sure he hasn’t had any problems then get the hell out of here.”
“Sooner the better,” Gabe muttered under his breath. Most of the women here were twigs—what he’d wanted before he’d learned the pleasures of a softer woman.
The loud, raucous music changed to something with a bluesy beat. Shouts from around the stage pulled his attention even though he wished he could tame the involuntary response. Looking at naked women made him feel guilty. As if he were betraying Jolie in some way.
If she knew this was part of his job, she still wouldn’t be happy about it. She worried enough about her figure and her appeal without thinking she had to compete with this.
The purple curtain shivered then long-fingered hands slipped around the edges, clutching it tightly closed. The outline of two bodies pressed against the thick satin had him guessing that the girl was a little shy about walking out on the stage. The curtain jerked and shimmied. When it opened, his eyes widened.
Caught in the spotlight, Jolene Ledbetter teetered on tall, spiked, red shoes, all her luscious café au lait skin bared except for a pair of low-cut briefs and a pointy bra. She swallowed hard, lifted her head and nervously placed a hand on her hip before vamping forward, her stride too uptight, too stiff to be graceful, but the crowd didn’t seem to care.
Hands reached up, waving greenbacks. When the first one touched her ankle, his hands curled into fists.
Before she’d taken another step forward, Gabe charged toward the stage, but arms surrounded him, holding him back. “Don’t do it, buddy,” Tyler said, his voice tight. “If you start busting heads, you’ll lose your badge.”
Something nice happened the other day. I received a message from the Australian Romance Readers Association that Darkness Burning is a finalist for Favourite Erotic Romance for 2009! A very nice honor indeed. And you should see who is keeping me company in that category!
