Thursday, April 19, 2018

Cover Reveal - REBEL HEART by Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland

We are thrilled to bring you the cover for REBEL HEART the second book in the Rush Series Duet by New York Times bestsellers Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland, releasing on May 22nd!

     
Model: Micah Truitt
Photographer: Leonardo Corredor
Cover designer: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Creative
    Rush and Gia’s story continues in the gripping conclusion to Rebel Heir… How to screw up a great summer in the Hamptons: Sleep with your boss. Check. Blow all your money on a rental you can’t afford. Check. How to walk away from a man you fall in love with at the end of a summer: …I’ll let you know when I figure it out. Rebel Heir is the second book in the Rush Series Duet. Book One, Rebel Heir, is available for sale now.

         

REBEL HEART

Amazon ➜ Rebel Heart (Book Two)  http://smarturl.it/v52c2a
iBooks ➜ Rebel Heart (Book Two) http://smarturl.it/mfsebq
B&N ➜ Rebel Heart (Book Two) http://smarturl.it/ew2ggj
Kobo ➜ Rebel Heart (Book Two) http://smarturl.it/l2li2q
Google Play ➜ Rebel Heart (Book Two) http://smarturl.it/ko7i8e
Add it to Goodreads here: ➜ http://smarturl.it/6v4qox
Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live! ➜ https://www.subscribepage.com/Vi&Penelope


Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!

 
     

How to kick off a great summer in the Hamptons: Snag a gorgeous rental on the beach. Check. Get a job at a trendy summer haunt. Check. How to screw up a great summer in the Hamptons: Fall for the one guy with a dark leather jacket, scruff on his face, and intense eyes that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the tony looking crowd. A guy you can’t have when you’ll be leaving at the end of the season. Check. Check. Check. I should add—especially when the guy is your sexy, tattooed God of a boss. Especially when he not only owns your place of employment but inherited half of the town. Especially when he’s mean to you. Or so I thought. Until one night when he demanded I get in his car so he could drive me home because he didn’t want me walking in the dark. That was sort of how it all started with Rush. And then little by little, some of the walls of this hardass man started to come down. I never expected that the two of us, seemingly opposites from the outside, would grow so close. I wasn't supposed to fall for the rebel heir, especially when he made it clear he didn’t want to cross the line with me. As the temperature turned cooler, the nights became hotter. My summer became a lot more interesting—and complicated. All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

     
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son and beautiful daughter with autism. With over a million books sold, she is a seventeen-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over fifteen novels, including RoomHate which hit #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Other New York Times bestsellers include Stepbrother Dearest, Neighbor Dearest, Drunk Dial, Cocky Bastard, Stuck-Up Suit, Playboy Pilot and Mister Moneybags (the latter four co-written with Vi Keeland). Connect with Penelope Ward Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram 

    Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over ninety Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Release Blitz - Fighting for Phoenix by Lynne Leslie buy now ⇨ https://amzn.to/2J46Dfw

Title: Fighting for Phoenix
Author: Lynne Leslie
Genre: Second Chance Romantic Suspense
Cover Designer: Wicked Dream Designs
Publication Date: April 18th, 2018
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Blurb:
Phoenix Miles was my future…
Until he left me shattered just like our engagement photo. I'm a survivor though. I have to be because it's not just my life anymore. When he walks into my bar, I smell more than beer brewing and knew letting him in would be a mistake. I won't let him break me again.
I will win this fight.
Jayden Carter was my world…
Until she tossed me away just like her engagement ring. I'm a survivor though. I have to be because revenge is all I have left. My path was set, then I walked into her bar. Now, I'm fighting for love and family.
As the saying goes, all's fair in love and war.
Neither of us count on outside forces trying to tear us apart. Their endgame? Destruction. Our endgame? Love.

Buy Link: 
Lynne is  a momma bear to two beautiful little girls and one amazing stepson. When she's not writing, she's an avid reader. If you don't catch her with her nose in a book or her fingers scribbling in a notebook, she's usually right in front of the television with her  family. She lives in the quiet country, somewhere on the Panhandle of Florida. She loves music, dancing and beer. Preferably the beer first so she can at least pretend to know how to twerk when the music comes on. She loves anything that glitters and has a weird habit of collecting pens. Even though she's in Florida, she hates the ocean and doesn't eat seafood. I know. I know. She’s a strange human being.

Author Links:
⇨Website: http://bit.ly/2BqhfFG
⇨Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/din6F1

  
I relax back in the tub and close my eyes. If the man wants to take care of me then who am I to stop him. My mind is running ninety miles an hour trying to process everything that he told me anyhow. Four years I’ve thought he cheated on me with her and at most times I’ve hated him for it. After hearing the truth, I don’t know what to feel anymore. I can’t say I’m surprised about Eric and the guys having something to do with it. They never liked me. I honestly never thought they would take it as far as they did though. Never thought they really hated me that much. I don’t know why either. I never kept Phoenix from his friends. That’s not something I would have done. I also wasn’t looking to replace them in his eyes, so I could never figure it out. When they were over, and the tension became too much I would just make excuses and go home. I never let on to Phoenix how bad it was and as far as I know, to this day he still has no clue. Oh, he knows they don’t like me because of all this but I mean he has no clue to how bad it was. As far as her, nothing surprises me. I’ve never been able to understand her or any decisions she made.
Shutting the water off with my foot, I notice how quiet it is in the bedroom.
“Nix?” I call out softly. “Everything okay?”
I hear him gruffly clear his throat before he calls back. “Yeah, kitten. Just a sec.”
I let out a sigh. I’ll never tell him just how much I’ve missed that endearment of his. It’s been a lonely four years without him and whenever I think about all the shit they put us through my heart squeezes in my chest. My baby boy has gone four years without knowing his daddy because of them and the more I think about the more pissed off it makes me. That’s not how it should have been. But it’s something I must let go of if we’re going to try to make this work between us. If we’re going to try and be a family. And the more I think of it the more I realize this is exactly what I want. I want my little family. I’m running my hands through the bubbles, lost in thought when Phoenix walks back into the bathroom empty handed. I don’t know if I can even describe the look on his face, but his eyes are burning with flames and I feel the heat from them scorch me as his eyes roam my body. I don’t know what happened from the time he was in there to the time he walked in to here but it’s an interesting turn of events. His eyes are telling me that I’m desert and he’s fixing to devour me. Not that you’ll hear me complain at all.
           “Lean back.” He demands squatting down by the tub.
I do as he says and watch him through drooped eyelids. My body is burning from the inside out and I want him to ease it. He grabs the loofa and squeezes some soap on it all the while watching me with those burning eyes. Starting with my leg, he tenderly washes from the bottom of my feet to the top of my thigh, teasing the apex of them before moving to the other leg. He unhurriedly slides it up my stomach, running slow circles around and up until he reaches my breasts. I suck in a breath and hold it, waiting with anticipation. Slowly, he grabs one breast with his hand as he uses the other hand to wash it. He teases my nipple with his thumb and forefinger before moving to my other breast and repeating the process. By now my breathing is erratic, my body feels like it’s going to combust into flames and I’m so dizzy from wanting him to ease the ache he’s built inside of me, that I can’t take much more. He’s started an erotic game of foreplay that I seriously hope he plans on finishing. He must feel the same way because before I know it, my arms, back and hair are all washed and rinsed in record time, taking care of the stitches on my eye and scratches on my arms and legs, and he’s got me standing with a towel wrapped around me.
Still without speaking, he grabs my hand and slowly walks me into the bedroom, stopping me at the end of the bed. He unwraps me from the towel bit by bit, like he’s savoring every little piece of me he opens. Turning me around so I’m facing the bed, he dries my back. My body starts to quiver as I feel his lips press against the back of my neck. Sliding my hair out of the way, his lips trail a path from my neck, down my back as his arms wrap around me from behind and cup my breasts. My head falls forward and it’s taking all the energy I have to hold myself up. Instead of trying, I lean further over and brace my hands on the bed. Tweaking my nipples enough that it leaves a hint of pain behind, his hands drift down to my throbbing pussy. I feel my juices already dripping down my leg, I’m so turned on. He slides his fingers through my slit and gathers my cream to lube his fingers. Returning to my clit, he starts running in a circular motion as he lays his forehead against my back. His breathing is harsh and each puff of air that slithers across my back, amps me up more. Moving his fingers away, he places a feather light kiss to the middle of my back, picks me up and places me in the middle of the bed. I watch through lust hazed eyes as he quickly removes his shirt, jeans and briefs. No boxers for my man. Never once does he take his eyes from me. I roam my eyes down his heavily tatted body. One day I’ll explore all the delicious flesh he has exposed to me, including that tattoo wrapping towards his cock. Lifting the fingers of my right hand, I slide two of them into my mouth and glide them down my stomach. His eyes flash hotter as they reach my pussy and slide in. I let out a moan and close my eyes. Fuck, that feels good. Pumping my fingers in and out, I work my clit with my thumb. My hips are lifting in time with my rhythm. I feel him settle in between my thighs and his warm breath hits my clit, adding to the sensation I’m already creating. Knowing he’s watching me and enjoying every minute of it, amps me up even more. I open my eyes and look down my body at him. He’s got his hand wrapped around his cock and is stroking it slowly as his eyes devour everything that I’m doing. I feel the heat licking up and down my body as my orgasm draws near. He knows because he strikes as fast as a snake and yanks my hand away. I let out a whimper and writhe my body on my satin sheets.
“That’s mine, kitten.”
Motherfucker. Even in our sweet moments he’s got to pull his dominating shit. I should have remembered who I have between my legs.
“Then do something.” I growl at him.
“I’ve got you, baby. But we still have to be easy. You’ve been hurt.”
“Dammit, Nix. I’m not made of fucking glass. Just fuck me already.”
He crawls up my body and settles in between my legs. Finally. Grabbing his cock, he twirls it in circles on my clit, teasing me. He leans down and presses kisses to each eyelid, my nose and finally my lips.
“My kitten is hungry, huh.” He whispers lovingly. “I’m sorry baby, but I ain’t nowhere near finished with you. And when I’m finally done playing only then will I sink into that fucking pussy of yours that’s weeping my name and give my kitten what she wants.”
Oh god. He’s going to be the death of me. He feathers kisses down my body stopping to nibble on my nipples. Sucking one and then the other into his mouth, twirling his tongue around each pebbled nub and biting down. A thrill runs through me as he nibbles his way down to the heat of me. I spread my legs wide as he makes his way further south. I give a little shiver as his warm breath feathers against my clit. Placing soft kisses to the inside of my thigh, my breathing speeds up as he gets closer my core. Grabbing my thighs, he holds them apart, opens me up to him and gives me one leisure lick from my ass to my pussy. He taps my thigh to let me know I need to hold it in place as he uses his fingers to hold my pussy lips open. Running his tongue around my lips, he gently teases me with the tip of his tongue. He repeats this motion until I can no longer stand him having no contact with my clit. Slamming my hands to his head, I guide him where I want him. Letting out a wicked chuckle he places his mouth over my clit and starts flicking it slowly. I can’t stop the moan that works its way from my throat. His side to side motions send electricity rocketing through my body.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I chant as my body goes rigid.
Knowing I’m now close he starts sucking on my clit adding a few nips with his teeth. I feel my body flush as he moans when my pussy starts to leak, causing a vibration that sends me soaring with my release. My body twitches as he feathers his tongue on my overly sensitive clit, making sure he doesn’t miss a drop. Placing a kiss to the top of my pubic bone he sits up, leans back on his knees and gazes at me with a smirk on his face. His eyes are filled with pride and he’s got his lower lip between his teeth.
“How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?”
I let out a dreamy sigh. “Oh no. I’m absolutely perfect. I forgot how well you eat pussy.”
Letting out a gravelly laugh, he climbs his way up my body. Planting soft kisses to my lips, he runs his tongue across them until I open and tangle my tongue with his. His tongue caresses mine with a single-minded focus. Tasting the tangy sweetness of my climax, I wrap my legs around his waist, moan into his mouth and rock my pussy against the cock resting against it.
He pulls back with a shudder and a gasp, unwrapping my legs and separating us. “Kitten, keep grounding that sweet pussy against me and I’m gonna take it. I’m trying to be a gentleman and do the right thing here, no matter what I said. But I’m a man, baby.”
His voice is raw with desire as his hand locks around his wide girth and starts a rough slide, hitting my clit with each upward stroke. Anchoring my legs around his waist once again, I dig my heels into his ass, yank him to me at the same time I raise up and bite his lip.
“I said I wasn’t made of fucking glass.”
I capture his lips with mine and ravish them with a savagery I didn’t know I possessed. He’s my oasis in a dry desert and I can’t get enough to quench my thirst. I feel his large rough hands grab my legs and pin them open right before he plunges into me. We both let out a hoarse cry at the feeling of once again being joined together. His ass flexes under my heels each time he pounds in to me. My head is thrown back in ecstasy, tits bouncing, fingers clenching and unclenching in the sheets. He switches his unrelenting pace to slow, scorching thrusts as he leans down and imprisons me between his arms. I take note of how careful he’s trying to be not to put too much pressure on me, no matter how rough we get. One hand tangles in my long hair, gently pulling my head back as his lips once again settle over mine, his mouth ravenous yet meaningful. Our bodies slick with sweat, our mouths letting 0ut guttural growls and broken cries, we immerse ourselves in each other, the only sounds in the otherwise quiet room. My breath hitches at the naked emotion I see in his eyes and I feel a tear leak from mine. One hand leaves my hair as he captures it with his thumb. I feel exposed, but I can’t stop the words from escaping my lips.
“I’ve missed you.”
It’s like my words awoke a beast within because the next thing I know, my legs are thrown over his arms, pussy spread wide open and I’m being rammed with savage strokes. His cock pummels my pussy as I succumb to his wild, feral fucking. He’s magnificent in all his glory. The tattoos on his neck stick out as he strains it back and lets out a rough groan.
“So fucking good.” He murmurs, his hips slamming against mine with no intention of stopping.
My back arches, hips lifting to meet his as pleasure courses through my body. Goosebumps break out and I flush, body coiling tight as my release approaches. Phoenix, knowing my body as well as I do, pinches my clit between his fingers and tugs.
“Come, now.”
I let out a husky scream as I shatter and fly apart. It’s not long before Phoenix follows, his body convulsing, cock twitching with his release as his strained roar echoes around the room. Still keeping his weight from my chest, he buries his face into my neck trying to recover. He holds his lips there for a short time before pulling back and cupping my face in his tattooed hands.
“I’ve missed you too, kitten. So damn much.”
His kisses my forehead, then my lips before giving a slow erotic glide from my body causing both of us to let out greedy moans. Rolling to the side, he falls to his back and throws his arm over his eyes. His chest is still rising and falling rapidly as he catches his breath. Hell, so is mine. We’ve not come together like that since the night he asked me to marry him.
“Not that I’m complaining but where the hell did that come from?”
Removing his arm, his head swivels in my direction. His eyes are full of something. Torment? But I’m not understanding why.

Blog Tour - UNDERCOVER HACKER by Linzi Baxter => https://amzn.to/2HFr7vK



 

A woman set on revenge Sophie has spent the last twenty years looking for her sister. Determined, but annoyed, she worked undercover for a man she loathed, because he promised her revenge. Never keeping a man past the morning, she finds herself drawn to finding who killed her parents and kidnapped her sister. No matter how tempting Agent White’s handcuffs are, she will not be distracted from finding her sister. A spy who doesn’t do romance until… Agent White was sent on a mission with no details, except to arrest Sophie Stewart. He never expected to come face to face with the most beautiful and fiery woman he had ever seen. Normally, he is a one-night stand. However, something enshrouding Sophie calls to his inner soul. One look at Sophie and Agent White knew this was different. The more Agent White learns about Sophie, the more he is determined to keep her safe, and not let her go. It’s time for Sophie to ask for help and stop hiding her secrets – even if the secrets that unfold will change the course of her life. Will Agent White be able to save Sophie before time runs out?


White Hat Security series



Linzi Baxter lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and lazy basset hound. She started writing when voices inside her head wouldn’t stop talking until the story was told. When not at work as an IT Manager, Linzi enjoys writing action-packed romances that will take you to the edge of your seat. She enjoys engaging her readers with strong, interesting characters that have complex and stimulating stories to tell. If you enjoy a little (or maybe a whole lot) of steam and spice, don’t miss checking out White Hat Security series. When not writing, Linzi enjoys reading, watching college sports (GO UCF Knights), and traveling to Europe. She loves hearing from her readers and can’t wait to hear from you!

Signed copy of Undercover Hacker and coach wristlet

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Release Blitz - Undercover Hacker by Linzi Baxter => https://amzn.to/2HHFH5R



 

A woman set on revenge Sophie has spent the last twenty years looking for her sister. Determined, but annoyed, she worked undercover for a man she loathed, because he promised her revenge. Never keeping a man past the morning, she finds herself drawn to finding who killed her parents and kidnapped her sister. No matter how tempting Agent White’s handcuffs are, she will not be distracted from finding her sister. A spy who doesn’t do romance until… Agent White was sent on a mission with no details, except to arrest Sophie Stewart. He never expected to come face to face with the most beautiful and fiery woman he had ever seen. Normally, he is a one-night stand. However, something enshrouding Sophie calls to his inner soul. One look at Sophie and Agent White knew this was different. The more Agent White learns about Sophie, the more he is determined to keep her safe, and not let her go. It’s time for Sophie to ask for help and stop hiding her secrets – even if the secrets that unfold will change the course of her life. Will Agent White be able to save Sophie before time runs out?



White Hat Security series


Linzi Baxter lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and lazy basset hound. She started writing when voices inside her head wouldn’t stop talking until the story was told. When not at work as an IT Manager, Linzi enjoys writing action-packed romances that will take you to the edge of your seat. She enjoys engaging her readers with strong, interesting characters that have complex and stimulating stories to tell. If you enjoy a little (or maybe a whole lot) of steam and spice, don’t miss checking out White Hat Security series. When not writing, Linzi enjoys reading, watching college sports (GO UCF Knights), and traveling to Europe. She loves hearing from her readers and can’t wait to hear from you! 

Signed copy of Undercover Hacker and coach wristlet

Release Blitz - TURN ME ON by J. Kenner

TMO_SBPR_RB BANNERWHITETurn Me On, an all-new sexy standalone by #1 New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner, is LIVE!

7 - July - Turn Me On

Sometimes one night just isn’t enough.
Though they see each other only once a month, Amanda’s sweet body and wicked ways have been driving Derek wild for over a year.
And now that he’s moving to Austin, Derek is determined to have Amanda in his bed permanently.
There’s only one problem: Amanda’s happy with their current arrangement. Can Derek convince her a lifetime of nights together will be so much sweeter?
Meet Mr. July … he’s determined to heat things up.
**Turn Me On is part of a binge read series by New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and #1 International bestselling author of the million copy Stark series, J. Kenner.
Each book in the series is a STANDALONE novel with NO cliffhanger and a guaranteed HEA!

TMO_AVAILABLE NOW

Read Today!

Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TurnMeOnJK
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2J2hTdg

TMO_TEASER_1.1-2

Start the Series of Standalones Today!

Down On Me
Amazon Universal: myBook.to/DownOnMe
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2iNkziM
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2jd6hs6

About J. Kenner

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres. Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit. JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck. Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages. In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats. 

jkenner

Connect with Julie:

Website: www.jkenner.com

Promo Tour - Derailed by Sarah Cass


Derailed
by Sarah Cass
The Dominion Falls Series Book 2
Newly Revised Edition
Promotional Tour


Add to Goodreads:

BLURB

The crimes of her forgotten past threaten the very life Jane Doe has learned to cherish.

Jane is out of time. With a warrant on her head, a maniac out for her blood, and a secret baby on the way, something has to give.

Without Cole Mitchell's help to find the answers, there may be no hope left.

Cole has nowhere left to hide. He unwittingly let Jane into his heart, and is ready to share the secret of his dark past.

Fate has a way of playing its hand, and tragedy strikes. With the world crumbling around them, it's easy to lose faith. If they can't forgive past sins, they have no hope for the future.

Because the noose waits for no man or woman.


BUY LINK

Amazon: All Platforms


EXCERPT ONE

She had no plans to stop, her mind already back on the magazines and papers she’d found in the trunk and the mysteries they contained. The past week had been filled with enthusiastic reunions with Cole; enjoying every moment with him she could while she could. Her fears of what he’d do once he learned of her condition left her grasping at every moment together, and left little time for solving riddles. 
While she’d thoroughly enjoyed every moment in Cole’s arms, the pressing need to learn the truth took precedence. Soon enough she’d be unable to deny to him what was happening, the child inside would be obvious. In her heart she knew Cole wasn’t ready for another child, and likely never would be. He wasn’t even ready for a real relationship.
As much as she treasured his support and caring in the past weeks, she would need to start pushing him away. She had no other choice. If she gave him freedom now he couldn’t accuse her of trying to trap him.
A sharp whistle pulled her from her thoughts. She slowed Tempest to locate the source. Before she could focus on what was happening, Cole had leapt into the saddle behind her. She gasped, yelping when he grabbed the reins and spurred the horse into a much faster clip than she was comfortable with. “Cole!”
He didn’t say a word, just raced down the road toward her house.
“Cole. What are you doing?”
A tug on the reins pulled them to a stop in front of her house and he swung out of the saddle. The moment Jane shifted to get herself down, Cole reached for her.
She tried to protest the impulsive move. “I’m not—”
His lips captured hers, sealing her protest with searing heat she felt to her core. Without clear thought, her body responded to his insistence eagerly. He tugged her body tight against his and backed toward the door.
She gasped for air when he released her from the brutal, claiming kiss. Her protest morphed into a sharp yelp when he scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom. She tried to push against him, and when he laid her out on the bed she hit him hard in the chest. “What in the hell are you doing?”
“You gotta ask?” He sucked in her lower lip and nibbled at it. She didn’t want to respond, for she knew what she needed to do, but her nerves sprang to life against her better judgment. His lips trailed down her chin to her throat.
She couldn’t help but arch into the warmth of his lips. Her brain spun in circles, alive from the fire of his touch, though she tried to force it back to calm. After all, this action wasn’t of affection, it was of another emotion. “Acting on your jealousy?”
“I ain’t jealous.” He found the sensitive patch of skin beneath her ear. His capable fingers popped open the buttons of her bodice faster than ever.
“Laying claim to me again? Marking your territory?” The bitter words tumbled from her lips before she could stop to think, but his possessive claiming wounded her pride. The words hit their mark, and he froze above her. She tried to still her nervous, rapid breathing.
His smirk twisted into a grimace. Nose to nose with her, he remained still for several moments before forming a reply. “No one could own ya.”
“It’s good you know that.” She’d stilled her breath and dug deep into the pain of what she knew would be their upcoming downfall to force venom into her words. It should have been more difficult, but his ministrations had made her ache for him. Unsatisfied libido had always made her grumpy, and forcing herself to say the words she knew would anger him made her even more so.
In one slow, painful gesture, he pulled the weight of his body off hers. He’d planted on either side of her head, and the anger of her words had settled in his eyes. “Always did.”
“Good. Always remember.” Her heart twisted when he stood and walked away. Why was she torturing herself? Why couldn’t she just tell him? End the grief. Let him make the choice she knew he would. Her heart would break either way, why not do it faster rather than slower? “Cole.”
His footsteps stopped somewhere in the next room. Silence fell, wrapping around her heart and squeezing it still.
“I’m pregnant.” There. She’d said it. Surprisingly, she wasn’t panicked or giddy, or much of anything. A calm acceptance settled inside, perhaps because she’d already run through every possible outcome of this scenario in her head. The persistent silence ripped through the calm she’d felt until a tear trembled up and escaped down her cheek. She clung to a small vestige of the rare feeling of hope that he might, perhaps, not do as expected.
“Who should I congratulate? Or do ya even know? Could be anyone’s right?”
That lingering smidgen of hope shattered into a million pieces, each one shearing through her already bleeding heart with razor sharpness. The pain pooled into a dark pit of growing anger. How dare he?
She flew to her feet, ignoring the shooting pain in her ankle to storm to her bedroom door. All set to yell at him, the fear in his features shocked her silent. None of his angry accusation matched the feared lines creasing his face.
Dread and hope curled into a pained grimace as he dragged his normally strong, fierce gaze from hers. When he couldn’t even look her in the eyes, she knew. He wanted her to agree with him, he needed her to; he was too weak to face the possibility of having, and losing, another child. 
Tears filled her eyes, but she dug down deep to give him this one last thing before she released him. Her hand gripped the door – pain, fear, loneliness, and revulsion racked her body as she forced forward the first outright lie she’d ever told him. “Yes. It could be anyone’s.”


EXCERPT TWO

An all-too familiar, sultry voice interrupted Norman’s reply. Jane’s voice wove through his body and called him like a siren called a sailor. “Norman, I’d like to send a telegram.”
Cole froze in place. Her gasp jolted him back into motion.
Norman’s smile broke through his grump, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he focused on the door. “Sure thing, Jane. Let me just finish up with Cole. Where’s it goin’?”
“Yankton.”
He immediately thought of her trunk, the mention of Yankton. Could she have found answers? He didn’t care, he shouldn’t care. Cole’s grip on the box in front of him tightened, crumbling the edge. He nodded Norman. “Ain’t no business left here, Norm. Gotta get back. Girls are waiting on me.”
She stiffened, her pale features drawn. Her eyes wore dark shadows like skirts, and she appeared thinner somehow despite her condition. As her fingers gripped her reticule, and her lips tightened until they almost disappeared, a twinge of guilt hit. 
No, he’d spent enough time allowing feelings he never should have. He wouldn’t let her affect him anymore.
The simple act of walking past her stirred up enough air to fill his nose with the scent of her perfume. His heart plummeted to his stomach. So often that scent had wrapped around him. He glanced over his shoulder and found her eyes on him.
Caught, she pulled her gaze away and rambled on about her telegram. Though she’d turned away fast, he’d see the tear on her cheek. The tear he knew he’d caused. He stormed from the depot, several colorful curses escaping under his breath. No matter what, he’d push away the emotions again. He had to.
There was no way he was going through the hell of having a kid. Not that he knew it was his. She’d told him as much. Just what he’d expected to hear. No, what he’d wanted to hear. What he’d needed to hear to make his escape.
He stopped in the middle of the street, feeling like he’d just been gored by a bull. She’d made it easy for him. Played on his anger. It had been so easy to leave. For him.
“Damn her.” He resumed his fast pace through town. He’d told her everything; he’d let her in. She knew as well as he did that he couldn’t handle it. The pain. The destruction to his life.
The joy.
How could he have forgotten that?
The joy was gone. It was gone because he’d allowed himself to feel it. What a mistake it had been to let Jane in. Now he was feeling joy wrenched away again.
Wrenched away?
More like pushed away. He’d forced her hand, and she’d forced it right back. She’d shown his weakness in one fell swoop, and let him have his out. She hadn’t really been finding comfort in others, had she?
If she hadn’t, the child was his.
The child was his. He knew it, maybe he’d known it all along. 
“Cole,” Graham barked.
He startled from his thoughts to glare at Graham. “What?”
“Why are you just standing there? We got a business to run. Them the cigars?”
“Yeah. Here.” He tossed them on the bar and raced up to his room where he slammed the door. It was empty again. It had been the first thing he’d done that day, removing anything that had made the room seem homey. All the little touches Jane had put there. It had been a comfort to go back to what was familiar.
The barrenness.
Solitude.
Now it felt cold. Too empty.
He opened his nightstand drawer and reached inside. The book was hers. The first thing she’d left in his room. He’d never given it back. She’d never asked for it.
Whitman.
That’s what she’d said it was, at least. He didn’t know.
He sat on the edge of the bed, the book heavy in his lap. After a long sigh, he dropped back onto the bed.
There was no way he could go through it again. It was too much pain.
But not having Jane there was causing pain too.
It was too late. He’d let her in and there was no road now that wouldn’t have pain.
He needed a way to make it right. To have her close again. If it was possible.
Would she even want him now?


ABOUT SARAH CASS

Sarah Cass' world is regularly turned upside down by her three special needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers; dabbling in horror, straight fiction and urban fantasy.  She loves historicals and romance, and characters who are real and flawed, so she writes to understand what makes her fictional people tick.  And she lives for a happy ending - eventually. And enough twists to make it look like she enjoys her title of Queen of Trauma Drama a little too much.

An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible; she may emerge scarred, but always stronger.  The rhythms to her activities drive her words forward, pushing her through the labyrinths of the heart and the nightmares of the mind, driving her to find resolutions to her characters' problems.

While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpse into her life and art.  You can most often find her popping out her 140 characters in Twitter speak, and on Facebook.
  
AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SarahCass.Author
Twitter https://twitter.com/SadieCass
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/sadiecass
Website http://authorsarahcass.com/



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