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Archive for 'paranormal romance'



Lorelei Leigh: Everyday Magic — BEWITCHED IN THE INBETWEEN — FREE in KU!
Thursday, June 15th, 2023

Not so very long ago, most of the strange and usual, the mysterious and unexplainable, pretty much anything that had no obvious explanation, was thought to belong in the realm of magic. Sadly, these days we are far more likely to believe in science than magic but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Maybe a little salt sprinkled over our shoulder will get in the devil’s eye and stop him from bringing misfortune to our door. Who can say for certain that crystals don’t clear away the negative energy from a space and maybe dragonflies do bring us messages from the dead. I don’t want to live in a world where we have let magic die, where machines create art, and where children no longer search for fairies in the bottom of the garden.

I believe that there is nowhere better to rediscover some of the magic and enchantment than between the pages of a book.

Here’s the spell I used to create Bewitched in the Inbetween:

Mix together:

A good dose of romance
A smattering of longing
A dollop of passion
A scoop of danger
A serving of adventure

Sprinkle liberally with magic and a touch of dreams then let it all simmer with a slow burn.

Best enjoyed with a warm mug of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket xx

Bewitched in the Inbetween

Demonic haunting, mystery and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in this bewitching tale of cursed love.

Ayla grew secluded and protected by her grandmother and their enchanted cottage, free to explore and nurture her magical gifts. This blissful existence is shattered when her grandmother dies, leaving Ayla vulnerable to the darkness that seeks to steal not only her gifts, but her very life and the life of those she loves.

And then she meets the one she cannot live without.

The wolf that lurks somewhere beneath Ash’s skin draws him deep into the darkest forest, where the last thing he expects to find is the terrified young witch, running for her life.

Drawn together by fate, their growing attraction puts both their lives in peril.

Get your copy here!
It’s FREE in KU!

About the Author

I live and work with my family and menagerie of pets in Sydney, Australia. Aside from writing, I work as a teacher, graphic designer, and artist. I love to believe in the possibility that magic might exist in our everyday lives, hidden just below the surface of our day-to-day existence. I enjoy using words and art to create landscapes where magic and fantasy collide and overlap with ordinary, everyday experiences, bringing a new dimension of colour and light to the world.

Connect with me through:
https://www.instagram.com/smilingmoon_books/
https://linktr.ee/smilingmoonbooks

Dahlia T. Drake: Dark and Witchy Urban Fantasy Influences (Get your FREE read!)
Monday, June 12th, 2023

When I sat down to write my current series about three witch sisters, I didn’t know where it would lead me. I’ve been an urban fantasy fan forever though, so I’ve had some key influences. The 90’s TV show Charmed, The vampire film series Underworld and Xena, Warrior Princess to start with.

The Magicians is one of my favorite television shows ever. I devoured the entire five seasons like a rabid were-creature and could almost re-watch the whole thing. I loved it that much—except that my “to be watched” list is as unruly as my “to be read” list!

Eliot was my favorite character; his chill demeanor in the face of a lifetime of trauma really speaks to me. He’s smart and talented and happy to let people recognize it or not. He’s loyal and even with all of that he makes mistakes all the time. Just like every single one of us.

I’m sure that my series has some unintentional Magician’s flavor, I don’t know how it couldn’t. It was too brilliant not to have influenced me.

American Horror Story: Coven, while it edged into “horror” a bit more than I like (I was prepared for AHS to be ‘horror’ don’t worry!) I really enjoyed the story. I love when the lines are blurred between good and evil, and while Fiona was definitely evil, not every choice she made was.

Right now, I’m watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and I love the whole aesthetic so much! It’s such eye candy for me, but I have a lot to catch up on.

Obviously, my favorite element of urban fantasy is ritual magic. Like in Alice in Wonderland, I want to believe in impossible things. Magic is one of them.

In my series, The Silver Wilde Chronicles, the main character is the middle sister of a trio of witches. When their mother disappears, the search for her leads their entire worlds to turn inside out. I’d say she’s got a bit of Charmed’s Phoebe, Underworld’s Selene and The Magician’s Kady mixed in there. The free prequel is three chapters showing how she ended up captured by a vampire, which is where book one opens.

What are your favorite urban fantasy films and tv shows?

Life has been… a magical rainbow dumpster hellfire, and it’s about to get so much worse.

I’m Silver Wilde, a Hekate-worshiping witch, with the power of compulsion – which I only use to check alpha holes who need a smack down, of course. And the occasional barista for free coffee.

I thought I was at rock bottom grieving for my best friend, but then it became a mesmerizing, glittery black hole and sucked me right in.

Starting with the sketchy client who said I couldn’t quit… I told him to hold my beer.

Now it’s like I woke up in some alternate universe. Meddling questions. Vampire captors. Gut churning portals.

My mother, the most powerful witch I know, has disappeared. Just… Poof! Nowhere to be seen, astrally or otherwise. WTAF?

And let’s not discuss that pesky death prophecy I never should have asked for. What a thorn in my side.

It’s fine. I’m fine. This isn’t my first creepster rodeo. I’ve had to deal with a shady dude the bloody way before. And, to find my mom, I’ll do it again.

Scorched Heart and Sass is a sexy, snarky adventure in a magical world with witchy, occult flavor, full of unwanted alliances, unwelcome revelations and uninvited emotions.

This is book one of an urban fantasy series with a slow-burn, steamy romance subplot, adult language and adult themes.

Pre-order now!

Get your FREE read!

Download now! Ignite, by Dahlia T. Drake

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Myrenne Mae: Realms of Souls, Book 1 — Three Coins From a Dead Man’s Pocket
Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023

I never planned on writing a book. 

Sure, I wrote in school when asked and there was a collective groan when I got up to read my fifteen-page story in the fifth grade. But, writing wasn’t on the menu as a grown-up. I got a degree, I was a teacher, a wife and mother. 

But then my child had a near-death experience. He needed one-on-one care and I was the only person equipped to care for him. I quit my job and kept him and his twin sister home. They were nine months old at the time. 

Now, if you are a creative person, like me, you can’t help but make stuff. And you understand that when a creative’s brain is shut off from doing what it is hard wired to do, it begins to percolate, to leak ideas, to create sleepless nights while those ideas spin around and around in your brain until they MUST be acted upon so you can finally get some freaking sleep. 

I had to write these ideas down before they consumed me. Eventually, I hot-glued a huge, long, blank sheet of paper to the wall in my hallway and I started taking notes. And as I wrote, I realized that I had a story to tell.

While feeding my twins one day, I imagined a smart, caring druis who would do anything for her family and friends. I named her Avalina.

A handsome, sexy, jerk who was in trouble and needed a savior came to me in the middle of the night while I stood in the hallway, listening to my son breathe while he slept. Who better to help him than Avalina?

But, I also have a love for smart, sexy, dorky guys who are turned on by a good puzzle (enter my husband, ahem…) Inventor Tobias came to my mind while I was doing laundry. He, of course, needed a twin, so I gave him his sister, Dahlia, who is a metallurgist mage.  

And, as every story needs, a good villain. But, I didn’t want just any villain. He had to feel  justified, to have a true purpose for what he was doing. A man willing to sacrifice for what he believed was the greater good. Commodore Theodore Van Alst is exactly that. But, with a twist. 

Each and every character that came to me had an agenda, something they needed to say, to do, and make me believe their story was the true one. I needed to work out their truths and lies, their plans and what they really wanted versus what they truly needed. I weaved their lives together on this big, blank sheet of paper glued to my wall in the spare moments I had throughout the day. 

I did this for three years. Three years of ideas, jumping in and out, organizing themselves on the wall. Every time I walked by, I’d grab the pencil I had stuck next to it and write something new. 

When the twins were old enough to go to school three days a week, I thought to myself, “I have time. I’m going to write that story.” 

So, I wrote. 

I wrote it in three months. Now, it’s taken me another three to learn, edit, rewrite, figure out my voice, rewrite it again, send it to friends, family, editors, beta readers, get feedback, and rewrite it again. 

A year after I began writing, and four years after I quit teaching to take care of my son, I will have a book. A book I wrote. (I still kind of can’t believe it and will probably cry when it’s finally in my hands.) Three Coins From a Dead Man’s Pocket is Book One in my Realms of Souls Saga

I now have three huge, long pieces of paper taped to the walls in my hallway. Some are full of scribbles, some have only one or two notes. But, they are filling up all the time. I can’t wait to discover new characters, new worlds, and new romances that NEED to be told or my brain will explode. I’m excited to get their stories out of my head, through my fingers, and into your hearts. 

I don’t have a hard date for release just yet, but I’m aiming for August 2023. 

Blurb sneak peek: A powerful druis with a thousand-year-old secret. An unpredictable love that breaks all the rules. And an ancient soul plotting to destroy the barriers that keep their realms safe.

Want to read the ENTIRE blurb AND be the first to know when my book releases? Join my email list HERE

The next stop for Realms of Souls info is my Facebook group. I’ll have announcements for release date, merch, contests, freebies, and other thoughts about characters that I have no idea what to do with. Accept for probably writing them on a blank piece of paper on my wall. 😂 

And, occasionally, I feel the urge to make a video. You can hear my ramblings first hand if you follow me on TikTok

Lorelei Leigh: On writing her debut fantasy romance novel “Bewitched in the Inbetween”
Monday, May 15th, 2023

Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I must confess I love a fairy-tale romance, especially if it includes a reckless and gallant knight, willing to risk all for the one who has captured his heart. Throw a little magic and a touch of fantasy into the mix and I am lost.

While I might be a hopeless romantic, I have no time for the helpless damsel in distress. I like a heroine who can stand up for herself, fight for those she loves and embrace life with her arms thrown open wide.

For a long time, I had the seed of a story slowly growing in my mind until it reached a point where it pushed restlessly against my consciousness and demanded to be released. As the characters slowly took form on the pages, they changed and reformed themselves in new and surprising ways and the story unfolded around them.

The first version of the book included some detailed and intimate scenes, but I soon realized that the story was better suited to simmering romance, fueled by longing, and forced separation. Finally, many revisions later, I had a story I was excited to share with the world.

Demonic haunting, mystery, and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in the final version of this tale of cursed love, where the growing attraction between a young witch and an “almost werewolf” puts both their lives in peril.

Bewitched in the Inbetween

Demonic haunting, mystery and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in this bewitching tale of cursed love.

Ayla grew secluded and protected by her grandmother and their enchanted cottage, free to explore and nurture her magical gifts. This blissful existence is shattered when her grandmother dies, leaving Ayla vulnerable to the darkness that seeks to steal not only her gifts, but her very life and the life of those she loves.

And then she meets the one she cannot live without.

The wolf that lurks somewhere beneath Ash’s skin draws him deep into the darkest forest, where the last thing he expects to find is the terrified young witch, running for her life.

Drawn together by fate, their growing attraction puts both their lives in peril.

Get your copy here!

About the author

I live and work with my family and menagerie of pets in Sydney, Australia. Aside from writing, I work as a teacher, graphic designer, and artist. I love to believe in the possibility that magic might exist in our everyday lives, hidden just below the surface of our day-to-day existence. I enjoy using words and art to create landscapes where magic and fantasy collide and overlap with ordinary, everyday experiences, bringing a new dimension of colour and light to the world.

Connect with me through:
https://www.instagram.com/smilingmoon_books/
https://linktr.ee/smilingmoonbooks

The next BOYS BEHAVING BADLY — SILVER SOLDIERS is here!
Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

And I can’t be more excited! This has been a labor of love from start to finish. Silver Soldiers is the 7th BBB anthology, featuring authors you know well and authors you’re going to love meeting for the first time. What’s more exciting? This 81,000–word book is only $0.99! We want as many people as possible to read it, so we’re making it accessible and affordable to all. If you haven’t already picked up your copy, all the links to your favorite online shops are below.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who contributed stories to this collection, as well as to the authors who submitted but didn’t make it into this book. Thank you for the privilege of letting me read your stories! Well done, all!

Take a peek below to see why I’m so excited! There is truly something to suit everyone’s tastes. Heat levels vary but all stories are explicit. The genres are varied—historical, science fiction, contemporary, and paranormal. And every one of the tales has a happily ever after or at least a happy for now/hint of happy in the future.

If you read the collection, please tell someone else what you enjoyed. Write a review. That’s the best reward a reader can give an author (or group of authors) for their hard work.

Happy reading! ~DD

Silver Soldiers

SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will satisfy the reader who craves stories with older alpha male heroes—those salt-and-pepper hotties with crow’s feet earned through rugged training and years of combat. Former soldiers finding their footing after their first careers, or current soldiers nearing the end of their military careers. They’re ready to find the right partner to put down roots, ones who aren’t afraid of scars and rough edges.

Fight Like Cats and Wolves by A.J. Harris – After their helicopter is forced down by a rogue war machine, an Army veteran must use wits and fangs to survive with his mysterious pilot

Handfasted to the Highlander Warrior by Aurora Russell – A hardened warrior reluctantly prepares to release his vivacious bride from their handfasted union…until a sweet, sexy surprise changes everything.

SNAFU—Situation Normal, All F***ed Up by Ava Cuvay – A sidelined Army cyborg’s only joy is the dimpled smile of a curvy Pentagon admin until she offers him a proposition he should refuse

Operation Purple Sparkle Diamond by Brenda Margriet – A resolute Afghan veteran deploys on his most desperate mission yet—wooing the hesitant heart of his daughter’s kindergarten teacher

Ripples by Delilah Devlin – A former Special Forces soldier, looking forward to the peace and quiet of his new houseboat, finds his solitude shattered by the arrival of his neighbor and her kid.

SEAL in Distress by Denise De Marco – While dealing with an unwanted inheritance, a former SEAL confronts his toughest battle yet against an unexpected woman

Storm on the Bayou by Elle James – A retired Navy SEAL and a pretty parish deputy hole up in a bayou fishing shack, weathering a violent meteorological and unexpectedly passionate storm

Star Diplomacy by Kimberly Dean – With the threat of an interplanetary war looming, a hardened military negotiator must find a way to connect with the enemy’s beautiful ambassador

Take Me to the Water by Michal Scott – An unexpected dare holds the key to a second chance with the disgraced Buffalo soldier she’s never stopped loving

This Time Forever by N.J. Walters – A retired Delta Force operator thwarts a holdup, saving the life of the woman he left behind twenty-seven years ago

Weathering the Storm by Natasha Moore – During a violent storm, a stranger walks into a woman’s bar who reminds her of the lover she lost who died behind enemy lines years ago

Sarge in Charge by Reina Torres – When lowlifes threaten the curvy bar owner in his Arizona town, the president of the Broken Arrow MC proves he’s the sarge in charge

Broken Trust by Rhonda Lee Carver – A retired SEAL must protect an old flame who’s feisty and more dangerous than any criminal—and dead if he can’t earn her trust

Clear to Engage by Sukie Chapin – One struggling bookshop owner, one hot-as-hell former SEAL-turned-carpenter, one line drawn in the sand—until the job is done, they’re not clear to engage

See what just $0.99 gets you! SILVER SOLDIERS releases tomorrow at midnight! (Contest)
Sunday, May 7th, 2023

UPDATE: The winner is…Stephanie!
*~*~*

Silver Soldiers: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology is the 7th BBB anthology! And I think it’s the fattest, too! That’s over 81,000-words of hot goodness! The release date is May 9th—so that means, tomorrow at midnight, you can have this book in your Kindle or iPad and you can hop around to read the stories you know you’re going to love before reading the ones you didn’t know you’d love (but you will!).

Take a look at the list of stories below. There is truly something for everyone.

So, for a chance at getting a FREE copy of one of the previous BBB anthologies, tell me TWO things: 1) Have you already pre-ordered your copy of Silver Soldiers? 2) Which stories listed below are you most interested in diving into first?

Silver Soldiers

Pre-Order eBook
Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

This collection features “silver soldiers”—those salt-and-pepper hotties with crow’s feet earned through rugged training and years of combat. Former soldiers finding their footing after their first careers, or current soldiers nearing the end of their military careers. 

Table of Contents

Fight Like Cats and Wolves by A.J. Harris – After their helicopter is forced down by a rogue war machine, an Army veteran must use wits and fangs to survive with his mysterious pilot

Handfasted to the Highlander Warrior by Aurora Russell – A hardened warrior reluctantly prepares to release his vivacious bride from their handfasted union…until a sweet, sexy surprise changes everything.

SNAFU—Situation Normal, All F***ed Up by Ava Cuvay – A sidelined Army cyborg’s only joy is the dimpled smile of a curvy Pentagon admin until she offers him a proposition he should refuse

Operation Purple Sparkle Diamond by Brenda Margriet – A resolute Afghan veteran deploys on his most desperate mission yet—wooing the hesitant heart of his daughter’s kindergarten teacher

Ripples by Delilah Devlin – A former Special Forces soldier, looking forward to the peace and quiet of his new houseboat, finds his solitude shattered by the arrival of his neighbor and her kid.

SEAL in Distress by Denise De Marco – While dealing with an unwanted inheritance, a former SEAL confronts his toughest battle yet against an unexpected woman

Storm on the Bayou by Elle James – A retired Navy SEAL and a pretty parish deputy hole up in a bayou fishing shack, weathering a violent meteorological and unexpectedly passionate storm

Star Diplomacy by Kimberly Dean – With the threat of an interplanetary war looming, a hardened military negotiator must find a way to connect with the enemy’s beautiful ambassador

Take Me to the Water by Michal Scott – An unexpected dare holds the key to a second chance with the disgraced Buffalo soldier she’s never stopped loving

This Time Forever by N.J. Walters – A retired Delta Force operator thwarts a holdup, saving the life of the woman he left behind twenty-seven years ago

Weathering the Storm by Natasha Moore – During a violent storm, a stranger walks into a woman’s bar who reminds her of the lover she lost who died behind enemy lines years ago

Sarge in Charge by Reina Torres – When lowlifes threaten the curvy bar owner in his Arizona town, the president of the Broken Arrow MC proves he’s the sarge in charge

Broken Trust by Rhonda Lee Carver – A retired SEAL must protect an old flame who’s feisty and more dangerous than any criminal—and dead if he can’t earn her trust

Clear to Engage by Sukie Chapin – One struggling bookshop owner, one hot-as-hell former SEAL-turned-carpenter, one line drawn in the sand—until the job is done, they’re not clear to engage

Brand New Box Set! DANGER ZONE is out!
Tuesday, April 18th, 2023

It’s out! It’s the first of several boxed sets of some of my shorter series that I plan to release in print and in “boxed” bundles to keep them inexpensive. And for a short time, I’m offering it for FREE in Kindle Unlimited. Enjoy seeing what kind of trouble my Adventure Girls, Inc. travel agents get themselves into. Hint—only an ex-military man can save them!

Danger Zone Box Set

Dangerous Liaisons
A pampered travel agent, roughing it at an anti-terrorist training school, escapes through the jungle with an undercover DEA agent when a drug lord mistakes her for a rival’s daughter.

Mutiny’s Bounty
A former Navy SEAL races to rescue the passengers aboard a luxury yacht after it’s captured by pirates, but first, he has to rescue the woman he’s trapped with inside a shark cage on the ocean floor.

It Takes a SEAL
A travel agent visiting friends in the Bahamas is stranded on a desert island with a sexy ex-SEAL after their private pleasure cruise is interrupted by men who mistake her lover for a reclusive billionaire.

Order the eBook here!
Order your print copy now!

Read an excerpt from Mutiny’s Bounty

“Sweetheart, the sharks are down there.” Ice blue eyes wrinkled at the corners as the man bending over the side of the olive-green skiff pointed a finger into the clear blue depths beneath her.

Did he think she’d missed seeing the swarm, or flock, or whatever the hell you called a group of freaking sharks? They were busy ripping into the grisly bundle of fish parts and guts the dive crew had dropped to the sea floor in a wire basket—which was why she’d hurried over here.

“Exactly! Like any sane person would purposely swim with sharks?” She let her voice frag, then crimped her lips to keep from saying anything else that made her sound like she was twelve. Lace McElhannon was glad she hadn’t given him a snarky wag of her head while she’d said it. But seriously, who would blame her for being snotty? Great White sharks were swimming thirty feet beneath her toes, and he wasn’t doing anything about it!

When her yacht-mates had blithely donned their snorkels and goggles then fell backward into the water without a care, she’d only hesitated for a moment. How scary could it be? And the dive team had seemed professional, assuring them the spotters’ job was to watch for any trouble, and they would swoop in to the rescue or drop fresh bait to distract the sharks.

Not until she’d glanced down and seen a dozen huge, sleek bodies with rows and rows of jagged teeth circling had she’d freaked out, leaving her shipmates bobbing on the surface like live bait while she’d struck out toward the skiff.

Fighting for breath, Lace dog-paddled, then swam faster against a rising wave that sent her closer to the skiff’s hull. Salty water splashed into her mouth, and she gulped without thinking, coughing and spitting, knowing she looked like an idiot, but her poor swimming skills didn’t have a thing to do with her breathless state. Fear froze her body, making expanding her lungs impossible.

Yes, she’d paid to swim with sharks. Or at least she’d paid for the plane ticket to get here to the Bahamas. But maybe she shouldn’t have watched Susan’s Shark Week DVDs beforehand. Her friend and partner at the travel agency had tried to dissuade her from choosing this particular adventure vacation, knowing she’d only ever swum in a heated pool. But who could pass up a week in the Bahamas? She’d had visions of watching the excitement through the window of a glass-bottom boat. But now was not the time to wonder why she hadn’t paid closer attention to Jake Halloran’s description of his “little ocean jaunt.”

“You have to help me up,” she said, sliding up her goggles to let the smirking hunk see her terror-stricken eyes. “I have a cramp.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “We’re not here to rescue clients from their own bad decisions.”

“Make an exception.” She pushed the mouthpiece of her snorkel to the side so he could see the determination thinning her lips.

“Better pull her up, Dex,” another voice above her drawled. “The way she’s splashing, those whites’ll think she’s a fish in distress.”

Dex. So that was his name. But she didn’t have time to savor the mystery that had taunted her since she’d boarded the Clementine three days ago for one of Halloran’s daily jaunts. Despite the amenities aboard the 160-foot motorized luxury yacht behind her, she’d been much more interested in this man than the rock-climbing wall near the upper deck. On their first day aboard the yacht, he’d been introduced as the commander of the guard team providing security for the high-end adventure vacation. Unfortunately, he spent most of his time on the much smaller and faster escort boat which accompanied them while they sailed. She’d really hoped for a chance to get to know him. Everything about him had attracted her—his size, his muscled frame, his icy-cool gaze that landed like a hot laser, making her melt.

Funny how that calculating stare didn’t have the same effect when she was scared.

A rope ladder rolled over the side of the skiff, and she swam for it, reaching out and gripping the first rung, doing her best to haul herself up. But she’d been swimming for a good while and her limbs felt like lead weights. She dangled on the rope, half in-half out of the water, catching her breath and staring down to make sure her toes were curled in case the big fishes thought they were sausages. But she’d also watched Jaws. Sharks could lunge upward. Her breath caught in her throat, and she cast a wild glance above her.

A thickly muscled arm shot downward. A steel grip wrapped around one wrist and pulled her up, not releasing until she lay draped over the side of the boat.

She tried to get a leg up and over the side, not caring her ass was on display, but didn’t finish the motion because strong hands gripped her waist and lifted her, setting her on her feet.

She swayed, not having to exaggerate her sigh of relief or the weakness in her knees to get a chance to lean against the firm, hard body she’d been ogling for days. “You saved me,” she said, her voice a breathy whisper.

His head shook side to side, his chin rubbing her hair. “You weren’t in any danger. Or wouldn’t have been if you’d managed to remain calm. The sharks really are more interested in chum than you.”

Lace shivered and snuggled closer, reminded she wore the teensiest bikini in her bikini wardrobe, and she was getting him soaking wet. She’d hoped for a moment like this when she’d seen him in the powerful little skiff, his dark tee hugging well-muscled arms and a lean torso, lightweight black cargo pants doing nothing to hide the thickness of his sturdy thighs, dark sunglasses giving him an added, irresistible air of danger. And he wore combat boots in a boat. How sexy was that?

Her friend Maya had just such a man, someone who’d put himself in the line of fire to keep her friend safe. And why couldn’t she find a hero of her own? Maybe because she was on vacation and only had three days left in the Bahamas? But a lot could happen in three days if a girl wasn’t too fussy about appearing a little desperate, and she and her fellow passengers were heading back to the villa that night for a cozy dinner party.

A throat cleared.

The boat really was small, and three other hotties sat nearby with their gazes trained on her and Dex. But the one who’d dared interrupt them wore a dazzling smile and gave her a wicked waggle of his blond eyebrows.

“Ma’am, you might enjoy watching the sharks from the swimming platform. Stand in the spotter’s cage and look down. The water’s so clear you’ll feel like they’re closer than they are, but you’ll be safe.”

Lace wasn’t interested in the sharks swarming in the water. She liked the one standing so close the heat from his body warmed her head to toe.

But Dex only cupped her elbows, and she’d given him ample opportunity and implicit permission to touch so much more.

Now that the quaking had stopped, she felt her face grow hot. Lace drew away and began to offer him a small smile of apology, but his slitted gaze made a quick trip down her body. Oh. Maybe she hadn’t blown this first encounter after all. Could she use that hint of attraction to wrangle an invitation for drinks after they reached the villa’s dock?

She licked her lips and pouted them. “I guess I should be getting back to my boat…”

“No more shivers?” His voice was deep and slightly husky.

“Only where it counts,” she whispered, arching a brow. Read the rest of this entry »