SPICY EXCERPT!!! More Than A Night – COMING SOON!

It’s Monday!  Yes, I’m not thrilled either.  But here we are. 🙂

To soothe all the grumpy little bears out there, here’s a spicy little excerpt from MORE THAN A NIGHT.  I’ve fixed the weirdness in the middle chapters that was bothering me, so I’m hoping that a few long days of writing will let me get it in the queue this coming weekend.

Hang in there, and keep the coffee handy!  Also, if you have a sec, scroll down to the most recent post and answer this weekend’s Kringle poll to help me decide how to expand my spicy little holiday series this December!  Thanks!  xoxo

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BLURB (work in progress blurb, ahem…):

After a lifetime of isolation caring for her eccentric, chronically ill father in the middle of nowhere, Erin James suddenly finds herself extremely wealthy, but utterly alone.  Her attempts to date are disastrous as she realizes that not only does she have no idea how to talk to men, but most of them only want her for her money. Determined to give herself the physical experiences she’s missed out on, she decides to use her new wealth to hire an escort – no messy emotional entanglements, no embarrassment over her lack of experience. Unsure where to find such a person, she turns to her sympathetic lawyer for advice. Luckily, she seems to know just the right man…

Henry Warren would do anything to keep his ranch afloat, but he’s out of credit and he’s running out of time, with people depending on him. When his lawyer offers an outrageous suggestion – one night with a reclusive client of hers, he’s just desperate enough to agree. He doesn’t expect to find a sweet, funny young woman hot enough to drop him to his knees.

When one night isn’t enough for either of them, Erin proposes a deal that could save Henry’s ranch forever, but will the money that brought them together wind up tearing them apart?

EXCERPT:

I CAN’T BELIEVE I just said that.

The man was offering to give her a night of romance, to wine and dine her, but all Erin could think was, That’s three more hours before I get to feel his body against mine.

From the moment she’d opened the door, she’d known Renee was right.  Everything about Henry Warren radiated solid, honest, and hard-working.  And oh my God, he was hot.  Tall and strong and mouthwatering in clean jeans and a simple button-down shirt.  He smelled terrific, too, like soap and a slight hint of spicy aftershave along with something uniquely his.  She wanted to wallow in it.  It might make her a total slut, but she simply couldn’t wait any longer.  Erin had given herself Henry Warren as the ultimate present, and she didn’t intend to waste a minute.

He was a little shocked, she could tell, and Erin kicked herself for rushing it, but then he smiled, and her mouth went dry as that hand that had been driving her crazy with tiny little rubs into her palm now slid up her arm to cup her face.

“Then, Miss James, I’d say we start with this.”

Giving her plenty of time to back away, Henry lowered his mouth to hers, and there wasn’t anything awkward or slobbery about it.  His lips were warm and firm against hers, and she gasped as she felt his tongue stroke her lower lip.  She felt like she was drowning as he coaxed her tongue out to play with his, patiently, gently, building hunger by degrees.

It wasn’t enough.

Barely aware of what she was doing, Erin sank her teeth into his lower lip, relishing his groan as he froze.  Then, suddenly, nothing was gentle anymore.  Henry hauled her up against him and the crush of his chest against her breasts had her pussy throbbing for more while he ravaged her mouth.  Her arms were around his neck, the softness of his hair under her fingers a visceral delight.

This was more than a kiss.  This was epic.

Henry pulled away, panting.

“Fuck,” he murmured, “We need to slow down.”

“But – ”

“Trust me,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose, and she melted as he moved to explore her jaw and the sensitive skin of her throat, “Tell me what you like.”

Erin put a little space between them, though she didn’t let go.

“I don’t know what I like,” she confessed, unsure.

“You must have fantasies.  Tell me one.”

Every muscle in Erin’s body clenched at the thought of sharing something so intimate with a virtual stranger, and then her body flooded with heat at the thought that he would make it a reality.

“Nothing leaves this room, right?” he reminded her, and she nodded.

His hands were petting her now, down her back to her hips and back up to brush the sides of her breasts, learning her shape.  It was distracting and delicious, and Erin mustered her courage.

“Can I undress you?” she asked.

“Honey, you can do anything you want.”  His low growl wrapped around her like warm caramel. “What happens once I’m naked?”

Erin swallowed.  The hunger in his eyes was making her dizzy.

“Then you undress me, and then – ” She hesitated.

“Go on,” he murmured.

“Then you taste me.  Everywhere,” she finished in a rush.

Henry grinned and pulled her to her feet to stand by the bed.

“We’re going to have to work on your imagination, honey.  That sounds more like just the appetizer course to me.”

While she was puzzling that out, Henry set her hands on his chest.

“I’m all yours.”

Poll!!! New Kringle Book?

Happy Friday!!!

I’ve been working on MORE THAN A NIGHT for the last couple of days and enjoying having “A” FOR EFFORT out – it’s such a nice feeling of accomplishment to finish something new!

Now through December is booked solid with releases – Bright’s Ferry, some werewolves, some Muses prequels, and possibly a new short for Halloween.  I’ve been wondering, however, about maybe working toward a new Kringle book for later in the year.  Everyone complains that the girls’ stories are too short, so I thought maybe the 5th Kringle story could be novella or even novel length (gasp).

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If you have a second to answer some questions and help me out, I would be so grateful!  xoxo

 

NEW!!! “A” For Effort (Teach Me Tonight #3)

Yay!  “A” FOR EFFORT is out!  I’m so excited. 🙂

A For Effort - SMALL

Next up – MORE THAN A NIGHT, baby.

Busy month, lots of sexy fun on its way.

xoxo

EXCERPT!!! A For Effort – COMING SOON!!!

Tuesday Update:  Finally in the queue!  Look for it tonight.

It’s late Friday night and I still have a bit to do on A For Effort – it’s looking like it’ll be up Sunday rather than Saturday.  Close!

Here’s an excerpt and blurb, as promised, to tide you over. 🙂

A For Effort - SMALL

All’s fair in love and water sports!

Coach Josie Malloy is furious when new Head Swim Coach Adam Dupree starts messing with her plans to take her synchronized swimming team to greatness.  It’s bad enough that the college barely considers her discipline a sport, but now he’s encroaching on her funding and forcing her to share the pool!  To make matters worse, Josie can’t help the white hot attraction that steams up the room whenever they get close, but is she willing to risk her heart for a man who might mean the end of her career?

Adam Dupree knows that everyone is watching him – the pressure to turn the aquatics department into a world class program is immense, but he’d have no trouble handling it if weren’t for those pesky synchronized swimmers who insist on considering their activity a “sport,” and their maddeningly sexy coach.  Adam  is determined not to let them get in the way, a feat which seems impossible as the beautiful swim coach distracts him at every turn with her gorgeous body and fierce determination.  As their conflict escalates, Adam and Josie have to come to terms with their sizzling connection or risk losing their chance at love in the pursuit of aquatic gold.

EXCERPT:

“LOOK AT THAT ASS.”

“You can’t see his ass, it’s underwater.”

“I can imagine the tight ass that goes with those yummy shoulders.’’

“Does anybody care that that objectification of manhood is taking up our pool time?  Move over, I can’t see!”

Josie Malloy frowned at the ten teenage girls in matching swimsuits huddled behind the diving platform, their gazes trained on the lone swimmer in the Olympic-sized pool of the Malvern College sports complex.

“Ahem,” she said, and the girls jumped guiltily.

“Hi, Coach,” said Kate, brightly, though her eyes strayed back to the pool.

“Warming up means actually getting in the water, ladies.  You were supposed to start half an hour ago.”

Josie infused as much sternness as she could into her tone, and the girls shuffled uneasily.  She knew she was tough on them, but the synchronized swim team – eight regulars, two alternates – had real potential this year.  Josie had her hopes set on taking her team to the Olympic trials, and if that meant being a little stricter than usual, well…

“What about him?” asked Marisol, and Josie finally turned to look at the interloper in their pool.

He was at the far end, finishing a lap, and she couldn’t see much, but got the impression of dark hair and a toned physique.

Good form, too.

Josie shrugged.

“It’s our time.  He’ll just have to move.”

Everyone knew that the regular swim team had the morning slot, the synchronized swimmers got the afternoon, and Josie had hopes of putting together an official diving team for night practice.  Malvern was on the brink of becoming a major name in aquatic sports, and Josie wanted to be right there at the top.  It still rankled that she’d been passed over for the regular swim team coaching spot when Coach Schwinn had retired last June, but she was a damned good coach, and she was going to make sure her kids went all the way, whether it was synchronized swimming or dog paddling.

Win or die trying.

Her old diving coach’s morbid mantra came back to her, and she shook it off.  She was nothing like the egotistical old taskmaster who had taken her to the World Championship and then abandoned her after an injury cut short her athletic career.

So maybe Josie went a little overboard trying to prove herself.  So what?  She was giving it her best, even if that meant dealing with sexist council members, a lack of funding, and a depressing absence of a social life.  Josie couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a date that was a date rather than a desperate attempt to charm money out of some school benefactor over bad wine and snacks at one of Malvern’s regular benefits.

“Oh, baby,” groaned one of the girls behind her, followed by a collective sigh from the other nine, and Josie snapped out of her musings to watch the swimmer climb out of the pool.

Oh, baby is right, thought Josie, feeling a surprising clench of feminine muscles that hadn’t clenched for anyone in a long, long time.

He was gorgeous, a male specimen in his absolute prime, with longish dark hair slicked back from a face that could have graced a magazine cover, and piercing eyes that were either blue or black from this distance.  Water streamed down broad shoulders, strong pecs, and a chiseled torso, all smooth, golden skin.  Josie noticed there was no hair on his legs, either.

He’s too old to be a pro, she thought, puzzled.

“He’s like a merman rising from the deep,” sighed Audra, a sophomore poetry major.

“Yeah, if the merman was hung like a horse,” snorted Mei Lin, twisting her long black hair up under her swim cap as the girls giggled.

Involuntarily, Josie’s eyes wandered to the tight black fabric that cupped the stranger’s generous assets.  Even at rest, he filled out the skimpy suit in a way that was…impressive.

God, I wonder what he looks like hard.

The image hit her like a ton of bricks – his mouth curved in a wicked grin, his body tight with sexual tension and slick with sweat as he worked thick inches of cock into her hungry pussy, his muscles firm and hot as she dug her fingers into his biceps…

Josie shivered in arousal, and quickly covered it with a cough, horrified with herself.

“That’s enough.  Tick-tock, girls.  I’m going to have a word with our unwelcome guest.”

Her attempt to get things back on track was derailed as the stranger turned and bent to grab a towel, prompting a chorus of groans from the team.

“I told you.  Look at that ass!”

Rolling her eyes, Josie glared at them and started along the pool, relieved to hear the familiar splashing behind her.  She was around nearly naked swimmers all the time, but unaccountably every step she took toward this one had her clutching her clipboard tighter.

What is wrong with me? Josie scolded herself.

She had always been tomboyish and athletic by nature.  Most of her friends were men, though by now, most of them were married or in significant relationships.  Josie never knew what to do with herself when confronted with a single, handsome member of the opposite sex.  By the pool, she was in control and completely sure of herself.  At a bar or on a date, she worried about tripping in heels and not being “girly” enough to compete.  She had managed to sabotage more perfectly nice potential relationships than she cared to admit.  Bland potential relationships, but still.  It was stupid and all in her head.

But insecurities generally are, she thought, steeling herself.

“Excuse me,” she said, trying to ignore the play of smooth muscle under his skin as he toweled off and the fact that his six-foot-plus frame meant that she only came up to his very lickable damp chest.

He looked up, and Josie instantly forgot what she was going to say.

Blue, she thought, His eyes are a dark, beautiful, drowning blue.

HELL,  THOUGHT ADAM DUPREE, I’M too old to be fending off co-eds.

Ten years ago, he had to admit, the raven-haired beauty clutching the clipboard like her life depended on it would have been right up his alley.  The long braid reached the small of her back and the gray tracksuit couldn’t hide sweet, feminine curves.  Her eyes were a warm hazel, with a sprinkling of freckles over her pert nose, and a beautifully elven face.  And she had the most delicate, elegant hands he’d ever seen.

A sudden vision of tasting the pads of her fingers before wrapping them around his aching cock and showing her how to pleasure him had Adam bunching the towel in front of him, desperately hoping the move was smooth enough that she wouldn’t notice the sudden proof of his arousal.

You’re not a horny teenager anymore, he reminded himself, and this is essentially your office.

“Swim team tryouts start in September, the schedule will be up in a couple of weeks.  Anything else, you’ll have to find me during my regular office hours.”

The pretty little co-ed frowned.

“I’m not a student,” she growled.

Uh-oh.

“A” For Effort – Coming Soon!

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It’s Friday!  Hooray!  Bring on the margaritas.

I have about 4K left to go on A For Effort, and some editing, but I’m hoping to get it into the queue late tonight, so look for it tomorrow!  If I get a chance, I’ll post a blurb and an excerpt later today.

🙂

EXCERPT!!! Kiss of the Wild Wolf – and some hopping plot bunnies…

I can definitely feel the autumn plot bunnies hopping around, eager to stomp their cute little bunny feet all over a blank doc and get those stories out!  Here’s your beginning of the week excerpt – from KISS OF THE WILD WOLF (Coming Soon).  Next week, I’ll switch over to Tony and Nora excerpts from SAFE FROM THE STORM.

I’ve also decided that it’s time to get the rest of my backlist out in print – SAFE FROM THE DARK and HOT & SWEET both have print editions, but I’ve been slacking on the rest.  Would love to at least have the Bright’s Ferry books and the anthologies available in print as well.

Speaking of anthologies – I woke up this morning with little tendrils of ideas curling around my brain for Halloween.  I may have to pair PASSION & PUMPKINS and MY FAIR HEX with a few more stories and bundle them in a collection.

Assuming I get through the current WIPs…ahem…cough, cough…

Anyway, have a great short week and enjoy a little werewolf excerpt!  This is definitely a challenge – even though Nina’s got a rocky road ahead of her, her original plan is pretty horrific.  Making her willing to go through with it but sympathetic at the same time is tricky.  And of course, Malcolm shouldn’t be fooling around with a beautiful human either, so hopefully I’m balancing out their bad behavior…LOL…

Check back at the end of the week – will have  a surprise release for you!

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KISS OF THE WILD WOLF

All Nina O’Rourke wants is a baby, a child to bring joy to her husband in his final  days before he succumbs to a ravaging illness, and someone to love as she faces the future alone.  Everything about the plan is crazy – Nina’s not the kind of woman who picks up a gorgeous stranger for a night of incredible sex.  But she’s not about to turn away when tall, dark, and delicious Malcolm Trask appears on the side of the road, willing to give her anything and everything she craves.  After a night of intense passion, the likes of which she’s never known, Nina assumes they’ll never see each other again.  Soon after, she finds herself pregnant and widowed, at the mercy of greedy former in-laws, and her future seems more than a little uncertain.  Crossing paths with her hot one night stand is humiliating enough, but maybe he can explain these strange symptoms she’s having…

Billionaire CEO and wolf shifter Malcolm Trask has never been used for sex and dumped before, and the feeling isn’t pleasant.  When the pretty little human who rocked his world stumbles into his life again, he is shocked to find her pregnant and in distress.  Knowing that bringing her into the family will cause tension, not to mention a possible war with a neighboring pack, Malcolm is still determined to protect her and figure out a way to tell her that the baby she’s carrying is less than human.  She can’t be his, but can he find the strength to let her go before he loses his heart to her completely?

EXCERPT:

MALCOLM TOOK QUICK STOCK of the situation – the scent of Nina’s arousal was like a drug, wreathing his head in sweet roses and warm woman, but overlaying it was the sharp scent of fear…and sorrow?  Hoping his own arousal wasn’t too prominent, he forced a wry smile.

“You know, these circumstances aren’t great.  I should go…”

Nina hesitated, and then shook her head.

“Stay.  I don’t even know if you could find another room at this point – a lot of people taking shelter.  But maybe we could just…have dinner or something.”

Malcolm refrained from pointing out that with a snap of his fingers, he could have the best room in the building at his disposal.  He didn’t want her to think of him as a rich, seemingly eligible bachelor.  No, he wanted her to look at him like she did downstairs – like she was a hungry little she-wolf and he was a steak dinner.  Noting her tension now, it didn’t seem like that was going to happen.  Malcolm sighed to himself, ordering his whining wolf to shut up.

“Why don’t you take a shower and get warm, and I’ll order some food,” she suggested, hesitant.

Does she think I’m going to just jump her?  

“If you want to sleep, I can take off.  It’s no problem.”

“I don’t think I could sleep if I tried,” admitted Nina, and Malcolm noted the fine tremor that skated up her arm.

She was wound tight enough to snap, but for whatever reason, it didn’t look like Nina was going to give into the desire that was obviously coursing through her body.  If he’d been human, he might have missed it, but as a wolf, it was almost impossible to ignore the scent of her.  It called to his animal side as she stepped back, and for a moment, Malcolm felt dizzy, wrestling with his wolf’s desire to yank her close and try to change her mind.

A shower was a good idea.  All he needed was a few minutes to wrap a hand around his cock and think about the tight nipples that pressed through her bra and that mind-altering red dress. Nipples he was never going to get to taste.

We don’t take women who aren’t willing, Malcolm reminded his grumpy wolf, ignoring the beast’s feeling that the woman’s mouthwatering smell clearly indicated that she wanted him.

A wolf shifter’s relationship with his inner beast was an odd thing – together, but Malcolm often felt like he had a very dangerous pet trapped in his head, separate from his rational human side.  It took all of his strength and skill to keep the creature happy and prevent it from running wild, from losing control.  The wolf’s instinct was unerring, but since the humans they lived near often ignored what their instincts were telling them, Malcolm had spent his life reining in his powerful other half.

She’s human.

“Cheeseburger okay?” asked Nina, gathering her hair to wind up into a neat bun that she secured at the back of her head with a hair clip from the nightstand.

Malcolm had to clear his throat before he could answer.  Raising her arms lifted Nina’s breasts and exposed the lovely curve of her throat.  She kicked off the killer heels.

Shit, she’s so tiny.

A tiny, voluptuous piece of dynamite.

“Anything is fine,” he managed, “I’ll just be a minute.”

“Take your time.”

Hurriedly, Malcolm locked himself in the bathroom and turned on the shower before tearing his t-shirt off.  As he waited for the water to warm, he braced hands on the counter and willed his beast down – he could feel his canines lengthening, desperate to take.  In the mirror, his eyes glowed green fire, a sign of intense emotion or physical sensation.  His cock throbbed like a toothache.

“You’re going to shower, eat, play nice, and then get the hell out of here,” he told his reflection, “Before you’re completely fucked.”

Or not.

With a groan, Malcolm dropped to thump his head against the counter a few times.

It didn’t help.

COVER REVEAL!!! Kiss of the Wild Wolf – COMING SOON

It’s September!  Yes, it’s still insanely hot, but autumn is just around the corner, which means holidays and merriment and back to work.  I have so much fun stuff to share with you this fall!  Lots of WIPs that need to be finished up and sent out into the world.  To that end, I finally have cover art for KISS OF THE WILD WOLF.  Like it? 🙂

Wolf

Stay tuned!  I’ll have an excerpt of something for you on Tuesday to get your (short) work week going after the holiday, and if the Time gremlins smile on me, a new release this coming weekend (and thanks to those who have been waiting so patiently!  MORE THAN A NIGHT, SAFE FROM THE STORM, and the rest of the TEACH ME TONIGHT shorts will be worth the wait, promise!)

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

SPICY EXCERPT!!! Kiss of the Wild Wolf – and updates!

A few little updates!  The gremlins who interrupt my pages are still stomping on everything in sight, but I’m making some headway.

MORE THAN A NIGHT – Needs a few chapter rewrites – the middle part.

SAFE FROM THE STORM – Coming along, not as quickly as I would like, but the page count is growing!  Poor Tony and Nora – they’ve got a few things to work out.

TEACH ME TONIGHT – Stories #3, #4, and #5 are all outlined and ready to write.

HEARTS OF STONE – ENSNARED and SHADOW OF THE RAVEN.  Two epic mythologies trying to take each other out – what could go wrong?  Grrr…continuity…

Anyway, here’s a spicy little excerpt of KISS OF THE WILD WOLF, which for the moment is looking like a stand alone for next month, though that might change as the story unfolds.  Happy Monday!

KISS OF THE WILD WOLF

All Nina O’Rourke wants is a baby, a child to bring joy to her husband in his final  days before he succumbs to a ravaging illness, and someone to love as she faces the future alone.  Everything about the plan is crazy – Nina’s not the kind of woman who picks up a gorgeous stranger for a night of incredible sex.  But she’s not about to turn away when tall, dark, and delicious Malcolm Trask appears on the side of the road, willing to give her anything and everything she craves.  After a night of intense passion, the likes of which she’s never known, Nina assumes they’ll never see each other again.  Soon after, she finds herself pregnant and widowed, at the mercy of greedy former in-laws, and her future seems more than a little uncertain.  Crossing paths with her hot one night stand is humiliating enough, but maybe he can explain these strange symptoms she’s having…

Billionaire CEO and wolf shifter Malcolm Trask has never been used for sex and dumped before, and the feeling isn’t pleasant.  When the pretty little human who rocked his world stumbles into his life again, he is shocked to find her pregnant and in distress.  Knowing that bringing her into the family will cause tension, not to mention a possible war with a neighboring pack, Malcolm is still determined to protect her and figure out a way to tell her that the baby she’s carrying is less than human.  She can’t be his, but can he find the strength to let her go before he loses his heart to her completely?

EXCERPT:

“If you toss me your wet clothes, I’ll see if I can get the management to toss them in the dryer for a few…”

She trailed off as the door opened and her half-assed plan abruptly deserted her along with every thought in her head other than oh yum.

What could she say, after all?  From the second the door opened, her earlier suspicion was confirmed – there wasn’t a woman in her right mind who wouldn’t give up vital organs to climb this stunning piece of manhood like a jungle gym.  Wearing those faded jeans and nothing else, everything about him was oh so right in a mouth-drying, pussy-clenching, please fuck me kind of way, and Nina stood frozen in the doorway, wallowing in the humiliating realization that he was completely out of her league but being completely unable to turn away.

All she could do was stare at the sculpted muscled chest dusted with dark hair and the hard ridged abs that led her eyes down, down to a narrow happy trail and an intriguingly thick bulge under well-worn denim. Steam filled the room behind him, caressing his broad shoulders the way she wanted to, and his eyes seemed to glow green fire as he stared at her, surprise and hunger in his gaze.  But he didn’t speak – wouldn’t speak, it seemed – waiting for her next move.

Must touch.

Wait, talk first.  Then touch.

Nina opened her mouth –

Something coherent would be nice.

Instead, all that emerged was a husky moan, and Malcolm took a sharp breath.  Nina watched in horrified fascination as her trembling fingers reached out, brushing the warm skin of his stomach that clenched under her touch, and undid the button of his jeans.

What are you doing?!?

That was as far as the self-recrimination got, because the next minute Malcolm hauled her close with a sound that could only be described as a growl and his mouth came down on hers, hot and possessive, hands gripping her waist, his tongue stroking and taking her in a way that made her bones melt as she plastered her eager body to his.  He tasted incredible, and all that mattered was getting as close as possible and feeling her breasts crush against his hard body while her hands gripped unyielding biceps.

Nina barely noticed when he lifted her onto the counter, but a yank had the clip in her hair loosening, and her heavy locks tumbled down around them as he stepped between her thighs, pulling her hips forward to snug her aching pussy up to his erection.

“Oh God,” Nina whimpered, her head falling back as Malcolm ground against her sensitive flesh.

He was big and hard and so hot against her, from the hands that learned her  curves to his chiseled torso to the firm press of an undeniably huge cock trapped behind the denim of his jeans.  Sex with Graham had been fun, and tender, and playful, but it had never been like this – this primal need to rub her skin against his, to drown in a wave of rough pleasure that only the potent male between her thighs could provide.

“You taste so good,” he murmured, licking her throat, and Nina felt every little stroke like a lash to her clit.

Malcolm kissed his way along her collarbone, tugging the straps of her dress down, and before Nina could do more than gasp, the clinging red fabric was around her waist, and Malcolm was unsnapping the front clasp of her bra with an ease that spoke of regular practice.

Of course.  He probably had hundreds of trampy women begging him to undress them, she realized, but the snarky thought vanished along with her bra, and strong, warm hands cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples to aching peaks.  Ignoring her choked cry, Malcolm nuzzled between the mounds, the scratch of stubble sending sensation skittering along Nina’s sensitized skin.

She wanted to tell him to slow down, that this was too much, too fast, but all that came out of her mouth was, “Please – don’t stop – ”

EXCERPT!!! Kiss of the Wild Wolf – COMING SOON

Good morning, readers!  Crazy month – lots of boring, mind-numbing work that keeps me from all of my lovely characters!  I’m sneaking in time where I can.  Here’s an excerpt of something new! Stay tuned for cover art…

KISS OF THE WILD WOLF

All Nina O’Rourke wants is a baby, a child to bring joy to her husband in his final  days before he succumbs to a ravaging illness, and comfort and happiness as she faces the future alone.  She never thought she’d be the kind of woman to pick up a gorgeous stranger on the side of the road for a night of incredible sex and intense passion, the likes of which she’s never known.  However, when Nina finds herself pregnant and widowed, at the mercy of greedy former in-laws, her future seems more than a little uncertain.  Crossing paths with her hot one night stand is humiliating enough, but maybe he can explain these strange symptoms she’s having…

Billionaire CEO and wolf shifter Malcolm Trask has never been used for sex and dumped before, and the feeling isn’t pleasant.  When the pretty little human who rocked his world stumbles into his life again, he is shocked to find her pregnant and in distress.  Knowing that bringing her into the family will cause tension, not to mention a possible war with a neighboring pack, Malcolm is still determined to protect her and figure out a way to tell her that the baby she’s carrying is less than human.  And hopefully find a way to deal with the situation without losing his heart to her completely.

EXCERPT:

“Are you going to stand there all night?” asked the young woman, and Malcolm pulled himself together enough to give her an easy, hopefully innocent-looking smile.

“Thanks for stopping.  I was out for a walk and the sky just opened up.”

It was a run, actually.  After hours of wining and dining, strip clubs and shots, Malcolm had had more than enough.   It wasn’t his scene, and if Jonathan hadn’t asked him to play nice, he would have headed for the hills.  Grayson, his right hand man, had suggested a run, and driven him up to a remote spot in the woods, arranging to meet him a few miles away, on the other side.  Malcolm had wasted no time, stripping to his skin, stashing his clothes in the backpack he slung over his shoulders, and shifting into the powerful creature that lay just under the surface.

It felt so good to race through the woods at top speed, muscles burning, lungs full of the scent of pine and lush earth, power coursing through his body, all the tension of playing the gracious human host gone.  Bliss.  An hour later, he strolled out of the woods again, fully dressed, and called Grayson…only to discover that the SUV had blown a tire.  Grayson apologized profusely.  He would be along as soon as it was feasible.

Malcolm was just debating his options when the deluge began, and five minutes later, the sedan had pulled up, offering an even more intriguing possibility.

“You were out for a walk?  Out here?”

The woman sounded skeptical, and Malcolm realized she was probably still uncertain.  What woman wouldn’t be, encountering a strange man on the side of the road?

“I like the woods.  My driver was going to meet me, but he got a flat.”

She worried her lower lip, obviously considering the veracity of his story, and Malcolm wanted to groan.  He could spend hours on that mouth.

“There’s a motel a few miles up the road.  I’m sure you can get a room there and wait for your friend.  If you want a lift…”

“I’d appreciate that.  It doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon.”

On cue, lightning cracked the sky and buckets of icy water seemed to course down Malcolm’s neck.

“Okay.”

Thank God.

As a shifter, cold and wet were minor irritations, but Malcolm had grown up in the human world, and now that he was disgustingly rich, he saw no reason not to live the good life whenever possible.  The very good life.

He climbed in the passenger seat, shutting the door, and nearly reeled.  The woman’s delicate rose scent teased his senses and seemed to stroke every inch of his throbbing dick.  His mouth was actually watering.  Though it was dark, he could see that though she was tiny, she was delightfully curvy in all the right places – perfect handfuls of warm, rose-scented flesh wrapped in a red rubber band of a dress.

“I’m Malcolm, by the way,” he said, trying to keep his voice from coming out as a lusty growl.

“Nina,” she said, darting occasional wary looks at him as they started moving.

“You’re perfectly safe with me,” said Malcolm, as gently as he could.

Flustered, Nina seemed to tense more, but after a few minutes, as Malcolm made no sudden moves, she relaxed. Malcolm wanted to smile as she let the mace slip back into the bag in her lap.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt your evening,” he ventured, studying her.

“No, it was pretty much over,” Nina sighed.

“A date?” asked Malcolm, and wanted to kick himself even as she shook her head a little frantically.

Of course it was a date.  No woman dressed like that for herself.  His eyes slid up the generous length of bare golden thigh, and Malcolm was surprised by the sudden possessiveness he felt toward his rescuer.

Not for you, Trask, he warned himself, She’s human and you’re engaged.  Well, spoken for at the very least.

But Malcolm couldn’t stop the vision of pulling the car to the side of the road, draping this gorgeous creature over the hood, and peeling down her dress by light of the headlights so that he could lick away every drop of rain as it fell before wrapping those shapely thighs around his hips.  He growled internally at the thought that she might have been entertaining another man in drier, if similar fashion, earlier tonight, and inhaled deeply.  Roses, woman, and yes, there was the scent of another man, though muted.  If she’d touched him, it wasn’t recently, and it certainly wasn’t sexual. Malcolm would know.

This sudden attraction bothered him.  He didn’t sleep with human women, not even in his younger days before his arrangement with Eliana.  Wolf shifter women were stunning in an Amazonian warrior kind of way – all sleek strength and lithe femininity.  When he looked at Nina, all Malcolm could think was soft.

Lush. 

Tasty.

And aroused, unless his sniffer was very much mistaken.

Malcolm dug his fingers into his thighs, his claws emerging just slightly to dig into the denim.  The bite of pain centered him.  It was only a few miles to the motel.  They’d part ways and he’d never have to worry about this pretty little human unsettling him ever again.

NEW!!! Making the Grade (Teach Me Tonight #2)

The second one is finally done – it’s short and sweet and hopefully hot enough to satisfy. 🙂  Take it to the beach to read with a mojito in hand and your toes in the sand.

Making the Grade - SMALL

There’s one more stand alone in the Teach Me Tonight series, but I really want to finish MORE THAN A NIGHT first – it’s close!  Summer feels like it’s starting to wind down, so I want to finish up these shorts, get More Than a Night up, and get back to Bright’s Ferry and Hearts of Stone, which both need serious attention.

And of course, my dearly supportive friends need to stop giving me new ideas.  Jane is the worst culprit – not only has she come up with a crazy steampunk highwayman setup, but she’s also pushing the most bizarre one-night stand scenario I’ve ever heard of – it’s interesting, but I have no idea if I can make the heroine likable, so we’ll see.

Anyway, the “To Write” list is getting out of hand.  How lovely. 🙂

Lots of good stories to come!