Tuesday, March 29, 2016

#GiveAway - Wolf's Blade By Clare Dargin - The Paladins Book One


 Wolf's Blade
The Paladins Book One
By Clare Dargin

Blurb:
Samantha Dixon rescues a wounded wolf shifter in the woods near her home … and unwittingly gets drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a murderer. Callum Blake is on the trail of an evil man who would be king of all wolf kind, no matter the cost … it’s up to Callum to stop him. How can Callum fulfill his duty to protect his pack and save the woman who is destined to be his mate?

Amazon Buy Links | Liquid Silver Books Buy Link

Excerpt: 

Callum Blake growled and grabbed his forearm. He opened his clenched fist as the nails on his hand morphed into long dark claws. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he fought the urge to shift. He pounded the tree and glanced up at the night sky and prayed in agony to the wolf goddess. He pleaded for help. He’d take anything she had to offer if it would provide even the smallest amount of relief.
Nothing. The pain continued. He shook his head and grimaced in an attempt to remove the fog that was starting to shroud his mind. He silently cried out to her again.
Why are you silent? You’re the reason I took this mission and now you’re allowing me to suffer?
His frustration mingled with his physical pain, adding to his misery. The beast fought its way to the surface. He opened his mouth and howled. A mixture of a roar and a yell, it relieved some of the tension within him, but it did not drive away the urge to shift. Leaning against the tree, he dug his claws into the bark, burrowing deep grooves as he exerted his strength against the muscle contraction. His pulse pounded in his ears as sweat poured down on his face. Unlike his wolf self who resided peacefully inside of him, his lycan did not have the same kind of placating nature. It yielded only to the strongest of commands exerted to it from his mind. It was supposed to live in harmony just as his inner wolf, but it refused.
For wolf shifters, their human and wolf self were like two individuals abiding in one nature. One innately human, sharing some of the same abilities and desires as regular people only with keener senses and more powerful instincts. The other, their wolf side was wild and untamed. It acted on a gut responses, using its innate sixth sense to interact with the world around it. The wolf freely gave into its passions, choosing strength and cunning over calculated reasoning.
The lycan, however, was a being whose nature lived far beyond that of the wolf. Not present in all wolf shifters, it was like a curse of their wolf self causing them to revert to a primitive version of their wolf self. Acting on impulse and rage, the lycan did not use reason or soft emotions like joy, love, and happiness, it understood violence.

Author Bio:


Clare Dargin is a multi-published romance author. She has written for several publishers in different genres, including erotic romance, military romance, contemporary, paranormal, and sci-fi. She lives in the mid-west, and when not surfing the web, she is hard at work writing her next romance novel. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Amazon.

Web Links- 
Clare's Blog 2 The Haven- http://claresblog2thehaven.blogspot.com
The Embraced: Scribal Love- http://theembraced.blogspot.com
Facebook-  www.facebook.com/clare.dargin
Twitter- www.twitter.com/clare_dargin
Google +  https://plus.google.com/u/0/113201930657713285351/posts/p/pub
Author Page: http://www.bookstrand.com/clare-dargin



Enter the Smexy Romance Blog Tour and Giveaway
For a Chance to win Two Prizes!

I'm also doing a giveaway.  The Smexy Romance Blog Tour and Giveaway.  Every person has two chances to win!  An Individual prize and a Grand Prize.  One lucky winner will receive an erotic romance of mine from my library and can also win the Grand Prize- A free erotic romance from every author featured on this blog tour! Keep reading for your chance to win!

You can enter as often as you like so come back often.  To find more great erotic romances and authors associated with this tour and get a chance to sign up again-- click on this link
Thanks and Happy Reading!
-Clare Dargin





Sunday, March 27, 2016

#Review - The Shore Thing by Annette Mardis - Gulf Shore

I am a huge fan of books that include animals in the storyline and I adore series books. Annette Mardis has done a fabulous job with the Gulf Shore Series of including animals (some of these scenes will induce the awe factor) and writing a fun series with characters that instantly became new friends to me. 

Dani Davidson is one of those characters that I found an instant bond with. Dani is just a touch shy, independent lady with a job that she really enjoys. 

Evan Sanders is a handsome guy that is  just a touch shy as well. He's a wonderful photographer and does a great job of capturing the animals in their glory. 

Dani is leading an educational tour at the shark tank when she and Evan first spot each other. Evan is photographing the sharks underwater and just happens to end up in a situation that is a bit breathtaking for Evan and for Dani. 

Evan and Dani have an instant attraction to each other. Their relationship starts out as a friendship and gradually they grow closer and stronger feelings for each other much to their dismay at first. Then as their relationship is just flourishing they find obstacles they have to overcome. It doesn't help matters any that they have a trouble maker in their midst. I have to say there was a point when I really wanted to slap one of their co-workers and tell her to grow up. 

Over all I LOVED this book! The storyline was entertaining and kept me captivated. The characters are charismatic, charming, and written so well that I quickly found "new friends". The animals are described well and certainly add into the storyline and also add in the cute factor. The aquarium where Dani and Evan work sounds like a place I would really enjoy visiting in person. I am so glad I have the rest of the series in my to be read pile so I may return and visit with everyone and see what Ms. Mardis has in store for us lucky readers in the next book in this series. Annette Mardis just found herself a permanent spot on my must read list. 

I was given the opportunity to read this great story so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it was my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on The Shore Thing.

You may read more of my reviews on Annette Mardis' work here.

The Shore Thing Amazon Buy Link

 Shore Feels Right Amazon Buy Link 

 Shore to Please Amazon Buy Link 

Friday, March 25, 2016

#ReleaseDay #SpotLight - Sunk by Lies: The Adventures of Ms. Fortune By Jess Erin

Sunk by Lies: 
The Adventures of Ms. Fortune
By Jess Erin

Emma Fortune never imagined that she would be hired on for a second “marketing” job for the Egyptian Museum’s Department of Antiquities; especially after how she behaved at the unveiling of Queen Hetephere’s mummy that her team had “found.” Traveling to Alexandria was a bonus, since it meant that she and her ornery camel, Lumpy, would be spending less time together. The problem was that she and her team were assigned with “finding” Cleopatra’s sunken palace in the Portus Mangus. Not an easy task in the murky water even with the most modern technology 1920 has to offer! Enter in Emmett Ferguson, renowned Loch Ness Monster Hunter and Emma’s serious crush. As things heat up between Emma and Emmett, much to Dash’s dismay, their mission is almost ruined by the Spiritualism craze that has surrounded the publicity of their mission. Can Emma, Emmett, Dash, Amira, Alistair, Ali, Khalid, and the new hotelier, Randall, save their “discovery” of Cleopatra’s Palace or will they be sunk by lies? 

If you’re looking for a humorous, lighthearted novel with romance and real history thrown in, then this book is for you! Be sure to check out the Historical Afterward at the end! 

The Adventures of Ms. Fortune Series: 
1) Wrapped Up in Lies (Amazon Buy Link)
2) Sunk by Lies (Amazon Buy Link)



I had the chance to interview Jess Erin Check out that interview here

Thursday, March 24, 2016

#Review - Days Made of Glass by Laura Drake


Are you looking for the perfect book to really touch your heart? Do you enjoy women's literature stories with strong heroines that are slightly broken but a lot tougher than life gives them credit for? I have a perfect book for you then. Hurry, grab a copy Made of Glass by Laura Drake, don't forget the Kleenex box and settle in for a wonderful read.
Laura Drake became a favorite author of mine with my very first taste of her work. This lady can write a story to make you cry, smile, and all the emotions in between and leave you with that wonderful feeling at the end. OK, it might also leave you wanting to read more of her work because she is just that awesome!

Harlie Cooper is the awesome big sister that will do anything and everything to keep her little sister Angel safe. They have been through so many horrible tragedies  in their young lives. My heart really went out to these two and I found an instant connection that me pulling for Harlie and cheering her on.

I think some of my favorite scenes in this book are when Harlie is going through Bull Fighting school. She is the lone girl in a world filled with testosterone in overdose. I had to admire her for her strength to fight on even when she was ready to give. She is so use to not having any family or friends to depend on that it's a new thing for her watching everyone bond.

I don't want to tell you too much because I want you to grab Days Made of Glass for yourself and enjoy the whole story as you go. I will tell you that the aspect of being made of glass and that we are breakable really hit home with me. I read this fabulous story at a really rough time in my life and Laura Drake's story honestly helped me to cope with a very trying ordeal and even helped me to find the strength to keep going, to keep trying, and to keep the hope that everything would be better. 

Overall I don't know if this review can possibly do this wonderful book justice. It's an incredible story with characters that broke my heart and made me smile. It is a classic example of Laura Drake's work written to touch your heart and soul in the style that only she can create. 

I was given the opportunity to read this fabulous book so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you on Days Made of Glass. 

You may find more of my reviews on Laura Drake's books here

#GiveAway - Trouble in Paradise By London Saint James

Trouble in Paradise
Paradise Ranch Book 2
By London Saint James



If you know what’s good for you,you’ll go back to Dallas.

Since coming home Sutton has inherited herself a heap of headaches, two bossy men who want her for their own, threatening notes, and a whole lot of trouble in Paradise.

Having Doc McNab as competition, being ten years Sutton’s senior, and under her employ, meant the deck was stacked against Flint Palmer when it came to winning
the sexy, vivacious Sutton as his woman. No way would she be interested in an old, worn-out, ex-rodeo cowboy like him, but that wasn’t going to stop the man from trying.

With the exception of the pretty as a picture, Sutton Callaway, Kale McNab’s childhood sucked. He’d been jerked up more so than raised by his ex-convict of a father, eventually leaving the girl and West Texas behind. Now, he’s all grown and back in Sutton’s life, willing to do whatever it takes to stay there
.
  

Roane Publishing
237 pages
Genre(s): Contemporary Erotic Western Romance, Multiple Partners, Suspense, Spanking, Series



Please Note: This is the novel length book following the introductory novella Welcome to Paradise in the Paradise Ranch Series 



BUY THE EBOOK HERE:
Amazon |  Amazon UK | ARe  |  B&N | BookStrand  | iTunes | Kobo |  Smashwords



BUY THE PRINT BOOK HERE:




Adult Excerpt:                                     
“Wake up, darlin’,” a low, smoky voice whispered near Sutton’s ear.
Behind her, hard heat pressed along the length of her bare back, ass, and thighs.
Her eyelids flittered open. Everything seemed hazy. Off kilter. She rubbed at her gritted eyes. Blinked. Glanced around. She was in bed, lying on her side. Silver light
trickled in through the sheer-lace curtains and slashed provocatively over her
naked torso.
When a large, warm palm slid up the contours of her body to cup a breast, her nipples pulled tight and hardened.
“What are you doing?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
His nose nuzzled into the hollow behind her ear. Chills scattered over her sweat-dampened skin.
“I think we both know what I’m doing.” He squeezed needy flesh between expert fingers and licked the side of her neck before sucking there.
“Aah. I—”
“Shh…Don’t fight this.” He rolled her over, onto her back—his chiseled features coming closer—green eyes glittering in the moonlight, and brushed his nose over hers.
“Give me what I want, Sutton,” he said, gripping her face between his hands.
“What we both want.” He brushed his lips across hers. Urging. Tempting.
When she opened to him, his tongue delved past her teeth. She moaned at the sensation—the slick glide of his tongue against hers. He tasted of expensive wine, and mint chocolate, an extravagance no woman could afford.
Settling against her, tucking his bigger body between her wanting thighs, he devoured her in the most delectable way. He speared deep, taking her breath, fucking into her mouth, rubbing his tongue against hers before sucking on the tip. She was consumed by him. Fire snaked up her spine, and just seconds before she burst into
flames, he backed off. Nibbled her lower lip.
Unable to help herself, she arched into him, and lodged her hands into his satin-soft hair.
“I’ve always wanted to taste you.” His black-velvet voice was desire roughened as he kissed his way along the line of her delicate jaw. “Feel you pressed against me.” He licked her chin. “Be buried deep inside of your sweet little body.” His mouth
pressed to the pulse thump-thump-thumping in her throat. “Mm...” He slid his mouth over the apex of her breasts. Traced the tip of his tongue around her areola.
“Oh God…”
“Tell me you want this, Sutton.”
“Yes,” she admitted in a breath. “I do.”
As though a reward for her response, he slipped his lips over an erect nipple, tongued and sucked while the wide head of his cock made progress against her clit, sending heated spikes of pleasure to quiver low in her belly.
“I have to have you,” he said.
“This is crazy, Kale.”
But, crazy or not, she plunged her hands into his hair once more, tugging until he returned to her mouth for another deep, probing, hungry kiss. The mastery of his mouth and tongue caused her body to tremble against the steely strength of his.
He pumped his hips, sliding his impressive length along her slick feminine folds. “You’re so wet for me,” he said, brushing strands of blonde hair from her face. “Open your eyes, darlin’.”
Her eyelids fluttered open and she gazed up at him. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Yes. We should.”
He ran the pad of his thumb over the swell of her lips. She slipped shaky fingertips down the furrow of his spine. Need rumbled through her like a summer storm. She wrapped her long legs around his tight waist. He muttered a low, sexy curse through gritted teeth before saying, “Tell me to fuck you.”
“We—”
Her words were lost when he ground himself against her throbbing core.
“Say it,” he demanded.
“Yes,” she whispered on tremulous lips, giving in. “Do it.”
With a smooth glide, his warm hand moved along her ribcage, gripped her hip, angling her tightly into him. His other hand tangled into her hair, securing her while the
pad of his thumb rhythmically brushed along her temple. He pressed the wide
head of his cock to her snug opening, parting her sex, and stopped to stare
into her eyes—their heated breath bathing each other’s mouths and chins…
What was he waiting for?
“Tell me what I want to hear, Sutton.”
“Please,” she said.
“Please, what?”
Two words fell from her in a breath. “Fuck me.”
With one hard thrust, he impaled her, stretching and filling her completely until the plump lips of her pussy were at the wide root of him.
She cried out in pleasured bliss. He groaned her name. Her fingernails pressed into his shoulder blades so hard she’d probably leave marks.
Beep…beep…beep…beep...
Fumbling, Sutton reached over to the bedside table, her heart hammering in her throat, and smacked the button on the alarm clock before she threw an arm over her eyes, willing herself to settle down.
“Hells bells.”
She lay there, her body needy and unsatisfied. Out of all the delicious men in the world, why him?
Her hand slowly slipped over the swell and dip of her stomach, stopping at the waistband of her panties. What in the heck was wrong with her? No way would she give Kale McNab the power over her fantasies or her own satisfaction. She considered something in her psyche had to be flawed to even ponder the idea of her fingers finishing where her dream left off, because if there was one thing she knew without any
doubt, she couldn’t freaking stand the man.
After taking a deep breath, Sutton sat up. She was sporting a pair of erect nipples beneath the ribbed tank top she had on. The floral sheet was tangled into a ball at the
end of the mattress. The fitted sheet had dislodged from the corner. Her pillow
was missing a pillowcase and dangled half off the bed.
Exasperated, Sutton flung her body back—head hitting the mattress and sighed. Just once couldn’t she have a sexy dream about Chris Hemsworth or Joe Manganiello? Or better yet, how about being bookended by both of them?
She allowed the visual to dance around inside her head for a moment. Regrettably though, she’d set the alarm for the butt-crack of dawn for a reason. She had roofers coming to start on the ranch house this morning.
Glancing over at the clock with one eye, she grumbled nonsense from under her breath. It was time to get up. There would be no such luck in the Chris/Joe naughty fantasy department today.
Dang it.



About London:

I love: Coca-Cola, anything chocolate, reading, writing, singing, dancing, movies, listening to thunder storms, watching it rain, the mountains, the ocean, orchids, great smiles, and guys with brooding eyes and great scowls.

So, I write erotic romance (mostly) although I have one or two sweet romances
bopping around out there in the great big world of published books. If you want
to know more about them, you can pop on over to my
website.

If you want to know a little bit more about me, you can find me on social
media, you know, Facebook, Twitter and such. Oh, and you are cordially invited
to come join my FB group
Slip Between the Pages with London
where you can ask me about any of my books, or if you just want to talk about
something random such as the best way to make a horrible meatloaf, I’m your
girl. *Smiles* We have a lot of fun in that group. *Whispers conspiratorially*
Sometimes we spike the punch. Shh…Don’t tell.  



***Giveaway***

London will be giving away a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card, a PDF copy of the introductory


Novella to Paradise Ranch, Welcome to Paradise, and a signed paperback copy of Trouble in Paradise to one lucky winner. To be eligible to win, enter the Rafflecopter. Giveaway runs from 3/21 to 4/4.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


#SpotLight - Black Wings By Iryna K Combs


Black Wings
By Iryna K Combs




 A new time. A new planet. A new world. New technologies. Two new humanoid species. A new war.

The two species separate, but in the removal, some of the best are left behind among the worst. Captured and held as slaves, they are treated cruelly for entertainment. Torture. Pain. Annabel, endures a year of such
cruelty, kept alive only by way of syringes which, while healing, cause a greater agony. She discovers a secret held by their leader, and decides to help her own
kind by escaping–even if it means a final death, preferable to the life she has endured.


Her escape succeeds, and she joins her own kind at the other end of the planet. Among her new friends she
meets many who help her adjust to their happier life. Will Annabel find romance? Or will another war break her down?

Roane Publishing
 226 pages
M/F fantasy, mystery, romance, sci-fi, drama
Rated 2 flames

Available now in ebook, only at  Amazon  for 99¢ for a limited time!
Price goes up to $2.99 on March 23rd, then $2.99 on March 25th




Excerpt:

Annabel stopped at the end of the pier, and covered her face with her hands as tears rolled down her cheeks. That emotional moment had triggered memories from the Old Land and the Varkins. She remembered Kate, and how she had promised her freedom but was not able to keep that promise. She remembered her family she had lost, and her boyfriend who’d betrayed her. She wished the Big Change had never happened and she was still a human, with her family and friends. She thought she missed the Old Land, even the Varkins. She would never have thought she would think again about that dark
place. Annabel stood at the pier and cried as the wind was blowing her tears away. She heard footsteps approaching her from behind.


"Excuse me?" One of the fishermen was talking to her, a crying stranger. "Something happened? Do you need help?"

"No...Nothing," Annabel replied and turned away.

"I know we don’t know each other," he continued, "but I have never seen an Anlight with black wings crying on the pier, so I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Annabel couldn’t say anything to him as she knew she was not okay.

"My name’s Robin," he introduced himself. "I come here sometimes when I feel sad too. I very well know this..."

"Why would you feel sad?" Annabel whispered, not looking at him. "Isn’t this a paradise here?"

"It is what you make it to be," he replied. "But I have my sad days too...I lost my son before we Anlights came to the New Land and I didn’t know what happened to him. He just disappeared right before we had to leave the Old Land."

Annabel opened her eyes and her heart jumped as she turned to look at the Anlight who was talking to her. He was tall, wearing dark pants and a brown shirt, holding his fishing pole in his right hand. Annabel looked at him for a moment and her eyes widened when the moon appeared from behind scudding clouds and she saw his face in its light. He
looked so familiar she was...she knew the reason for his son's disappearance. She turned away from him hiding her emotions.


"What was his name?" she asked quietly, predicting the answer.

"Markus!" he said. "I called him Mark. He looked a lot like me."

Annabel closed her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing exactly what had happened to him. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hold tears from washing out of her eyes.

"He was about your age..." the fisherman continued, happily talking about his son, "Very brave young Anlight. Sometimes even too brave for his own good."

Annabel stood quietly, trying to calm down. She took another deep breath. She knew his son was that brave Anlight who had been doing most of the talking when they were first captured by Varkins.

"I know what happened to him," she whispered, wondering if she should even tell him the truth. Her voice began to shake.

"Oh, you do?" The fisherman sounded curious—after all, how she could possibly know?

"I was there too...I was with him...and others..." Annabel spoke while catching her breath, trying her best to talk normally without giving in to her emotions. "Nobody lived..." she finished as more tears quietly ran down her face.

"Nobody?" he questioned, needing to be sure.

"Only me..." She finally could not take it anymore and burst into tears, sniffing and catching her breath.

The fisherman sighed and put his head down, in sadness for his son—even though he had already accepted his disappearance and possible death. He came close to Annabel.

"I knew one day I would know the truth.” He spoke calmly, and with sorrow. “Thank you for coming here tonight."

"I am sorry about your loss," Annabel sobbed harder with every word said. "He and others were in a lot of pain...and those who died…were the lucky ones. They are in peace now and will not feel any pain again."

The fisherman took a step closer and put his hand on her shoulder. He smiled slightly.

"Sometimes it’s hard to accept what happens to us. Sometimes the reality seems too much for us to take. But we would not appreciate the good if we did not know the bad. We are writers of our own lives, and we decide when to close a chapter, and when to start the new one."


Annabel wiped cold tears from her cheeks as she looked at him.

"Cheer up," he continued. "You’re the lucky one! You can continue writing your life." He paused for a moment. "And I need to get back to my wife...fish for dinner!" He laughed, picking up a small bucket full of fresh catch. He walked slowly back along the empty pier, disappearing in the darkness.

Annabel stood on the pier for a while longer, thinking about what he had said. She calmed down, as the wind picked up and she began to get cold. She returned to the car and drove back to her house. When she pulled up, nobody seemed to be there. She looked around as she walked to the porch door, hoping nobody was waiting for her. Annabel entered her house and locked the door behind her. She was just going to call her cousin about her visit when, again, someone knocked on the porch door. Annabel recalled what had happened before, and was not in the mood to continue talking about her own or Dexter's relations. She crossed to the door and moved the blinds to see who was knocking. However, as soon as she saw it was Dexter outside, she slid the door open.


Author Bio:

Originally from the Ukraine, I am still considered a new face to America. Speaking three languages including
English, that became just as natural to me as my native Russian.
I grew up in a town on the south of Ukraine doing the same things that other kids my age did. Dreaming, hoping
and wishing. Growing up, I spoke absolutely no English and never even saw myself somewhere abroad. Nevertheless writing a novel in another language!
I went to the local school that brought mostly negative experience in my life. But it shaped me throughout the years. My college life was much better. I was known to study well and to go out partying as much as it was possible.
In my first year of college I began to work in the marriage agency and met my future husband. We dated and traveled to most of the Europe along with Egypt.
When I finally got my fiancée visa, we both moved to the states, where soon after, got married. In the first few years I did some modeling and acting. Photo-shoots, run-way and photo in the magazine fulfilled my childhood's dream.
A few years later I became a mother of a wonderful and most handsome little boy. Along with learning and experiencing motherhood, I began to make hand-made jewelry and organic soaps. This hobby turned into my small business and became bigger than I thought it would.
In the last year I discovered: an author lives inside me. Never did I think that I would write an English book and that I would love doing it. But I did! And I loved it!

Find me here:

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

#GiveAway - COLLIDE By Melissa J. Crispin


COLLIDE
By Melissa J. Crispin


Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That is, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her
down for a power she never knew she had.

When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.

Release Date: March 18th
Approx. 88K, Evernight Teen
Romance/Love Triangle/Fantasy Elements

14+ due to sexuality,language, teen pregnancy, and adult situations



Buy Links:   

ARe    EvernightTeen     Amazon


Excerpt:

Luke nodded.
“Let me get this straight. So, this guy, he can heal your leg, protect you from something that isn’t yet clear to me, and bring you to some otherworldly place, where you’re reunited with your father?”
“Yeah.”
There was that word again.
He pulled his hand out of mine and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, that’s pretty
damn hard to compete with.”
“Luke, this isn’t a competition. This is my life. He’s already saved me once.”
“And I’ll do it again,” Alec said.
Luke pointed a finger at Alec. “I don’t care what you can do. I don’t like you. You stole my
girl, who’s pregnant with my baby.” Luke stepped around me and got in Alec’s face. “She will always have a part of me in her life.”
Alec slowly shook his head. “Not new news, and for the record, you stole her from me. So,
you don’t get to play that card.”
The tension thickened in the air until the hairs stood on the back of my neck.
“She never said a word to you before all this weird shit started to go down.” Luke poked
Alec in the chest. “You’re a liar.”
“It’s true,” I whispered.
Luke whirled around. “What?”
“Before us. It was him.”
Luke opened his mouth, as if to say something, but snapped it shut. He finally spoke after
a long moment. “You said I was your first boyfriend. Your first kiss. Your first everything with a guy. You lied to me?”
“At the time, I thought that was true. He finds me in my dreams and takes me to Afterlife. That’s how we met. I never even knew he was real. I thought he was a boy in some recurring dream. I never even remembered until I barreled him over in the hallway one day by accident. His touch jarred my memory.”
Luke’s eyes were wild. “Do me a favor. Do not talk about touching him, ever, in my
presence.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. That’s why this is so difficult. I’m only now remembering things that
happened before us. It’s … confusing.”
“You were with him? Actually with him, before me?”
I swallowed.
“We were sort of dating.”
“That’s not what I meant.” A muscle ticked in Luke’s jaw, and realization dawned on me.
“Oh, no. We didn’t.” I cleared my throat. “Not that…”
“I don’t know what you’re so pissed about. You’re the one who got to have a real
relationship with her,” Alec said.
“Shut up. Just shut the hell up.” Luke gently brushed me to the side, leaving him and
Alec staring each other down. “You’re an asshole.”
“Hate me, if you want. Call me whatever you want. But that girl right there?” He pointed to
me. “She needs me. I swore to protect her, and I don’t give a shit about what you think. I’m her best shot at survival. Your baby’s, too. So, next time you get in my face, remember their lives are at stake and that your guns can’t fight off the shit that’s coming.”
“Asshole,” Luke muttered.
“Douche,” Alec said under his breath.
“Stop fighting,” I said from behind Luke’s back.
“You’re a loser. A loser, with no friends and no life, who came in and stole my girlfriend. Even if she chooses you, you’ll have to help her with my baby. Every time you look at our kid, you’ll be reminded of who was there first.”
I took a step outward to try to get between them, but Alec swung before I could, and as
his fist connected with Luke’s face, Luke charged him, sending them both tumbling toward the ground.
Fists flew and grunts sounded in the scuffle as they rolled, each trying to get the upper
hand.
“Stop!” I yelled.


About the author:

Melissa J. Crispin lives in Connecticut with her husband, two kids, and an adorable Siberian Husky. She spends her days in the corporate world, and pursues her passion for writing in
the late nights and early mornings.




From micro-fiction to novels, Melissa loves to write stories in varying lengths. But, no matter the story, it's almost always about the romance.




*     *    *    *     *

a Rafflecopter giveaway