He was the leader of the mafia. I was about to fall in love with him, and his name…Cole Mauricio.
Cole by Tijan is NOW LIVE! Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2leLlzL Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2lpfblG Audible: http://amzn.to/2kZTpJ6 Paperback: http://amzn.to/2lYr2uU iBooks: http://apple.co/2mxd67F Nook: http://bit.ly/2msavwx Kobo: http://bit.ly/2msd9SX Full Blurb I shouldn’t have remembered him. He was just a guy who walked through a restaurant. I didn't know his name. We never made eye contact. There was no connection between us at all. But I could feel him. The tingle down my spine. The command in his presence. The snap of tension in the air around him. That was the first time I saw him, and I was captivated. The second time was different. He was in the mysterious back elevator of my apartment building. Our eyes met for a fleeting second before the doors closed, and I was staggered. My breath was robbed. My senses on high alert. My body hummed. That was just the beginning. He was the leader of the mafia. I was about to fall in love with him, and his name… Cole Mauricio Excerpt Once inside the elevator, I stood to one side, watching him. He returned my gaze. We still did not touch. My chest tightened, hoping no one would call the elevator at that moment. We sailed past the lobby, the second floor, and stopped at mine. I put in the code, and the doors opened to my home. I drew in a breath, filling my lungs again. God, it was time. Stepping out with shaky knees, I bypassed the light switch. The full moon lit up my entire floor. I went to the kitchen and paused at the island. “Did you want something to drink?” I caught sight of the tequila and wine on the counter. There was more than enough. Cole stepped up behind me and followed my gaze. “Were you going to have a party?” he asked, his breath coating the back of my neck. I shivered, closing my eyes for one delicious moment. “I stocked up. I thought a friend was coming over tonight.” His hand rested on my back, nudging my sweater aside to touch my skin. “He?” “She. Sia.” I looked over my shoulder. He was so close. “She stood me up for a date.” A faint smile showed. “I need to send her a thank-you card.” “Please don’t sign it.” “Why not?” I turned around, easing my back against the island. Cole placed his hands on either side of me, trapping me in place. “Because she’s slightly obsessed with you, though she’s in love with someone else now. She could circle back,” I joked. “Me?” “We saw you one night.” “When?” He leaned away, but his hands remained on the counter. It was like he was giving me breathing space on purpose. “At Gianni’s. We went there the night I moved in.” He didn’t move, but I could feel him pulling away. A protest started in my head, but I bit back the words. He didn’t reply. He was waiting for me instead. I continued, “You came in with a bunch of men and went upstairs. That was it.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you talk to anyone?” “What do you mean?” “The staff?” “About you?” “About anything.” My forehead wrinkled. “Sia networked with the hostess. They exchanged cards. Sia said the girl was a model. She recognized her from the Gala. That was it. Oh, well, another server sat with us for a drink later on. But they mostly talked with Sia about the Gala and about photographers—stuff like that.” He relaxed, his hands loosening their hold on the counter. I was scared to ask what he was so worried they’d told us. “I don’t know who you are.” I lifted a hand, placing it on his chest. His heart was racing, just like mine. My mouth parted in surprise. “If that’s what you’re worried about.” He glanced down at my hand and held still. He was thinking something over. I held my tongue, worried it was me, that he was second-guessing this night for us. I wanted to tell him there was nothing to worry about, but it sounded ridiculous. I really had no idea. So I waited it out, my heart pressing against my rib cage. When he looked back up, the hunger was in his eyes again—dark, primal, and more evident than ever. He took my hand and leaned in, closing the distance between us. With his other hand, he cupped the side of my face. “I wasn’t second-guessing this. I want you to know that.” His touch was tender. “What were you thinking about?” “Something else, but it wasn’t you.” “This is one of those moments where you wish you could tell me, but you can’t? Not yet?” The corner of his mouth lifted. His eyes moved from mine to my lips. “Something like that, yes.” “Mmmm-hmmm,” I started to tease, but then his head dipped down, and his lips were on mine. I gasped. The pleasure was immediate. His mouth was gentle, but as he felt my body’s reaction, he applied pressure. His touch grew more demanding, then I was kissing him back. I wanted more. Someone groaned. That was me. His hand slid around to the back of my neck. He held me in his grip as his mouth explored mine, opening over me and slipping inside. My hands grasped his shoulders, just holding on. All I could focus on was his tongue. I met his with mine and reveled in the sensation. But it wasn’t enough. Need shot through my whole body. My hands slid under his shirt and moved over his back and shoulders. His body was just as powerful as his presence. I felt the shift of his muscles. They trembled under my hands. The feeling was intoxicating. I had power over him, and I wanted more. I wanted to see how much power I actually had. Pulling back, I studied him. He was panting lightly. So was I. I could see him wondering what I was going to do, so I reached back to the counter and started to lift myself. His hands caught the backs of my thighs, and he lifted me the rest of the way. Now sitting on the edge of the island, my legs parted, and he was back between them. His mouth went right to mine. I couldn’t get over what I was doing. I didn’t care. I didn’t think I would care the next day, the day after, or however long this lasted. I had no clue. I only knew I had one night. One long night.
0 Comments
Caitlyn O’Leary’s NEWEST standalone in the Midnight Delta Series is NOW LIVE! Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2l8KbtN Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2l8RqC2 iBooks: http://apple.co/2kwGLOq Nook: http://bit.ly/2ldBgnG Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kgIiJQ Read more about the Midnight Delta Series here: http://bit.ly/2kvwuEV Blurb
A Cry For Help It only takes one phone call and Navy SEAL Drake Avery is rushing back to Tennessee in the middle of the night. His sisters are in danger and he will do whatever it takes to protect them. A New Twist Now is not the time for a relationship, but damned if Drake doesn’t cross paths with a smokin’ hot kindergarten teacher named Karen Eastman. Miss Eastman has Drake thinking naughty thoughts when he needs to have his head in the game. He never thought he’d be hot for teacher. Demons from the Past Part of the hell of going home is that you know everyone, and they know you. Just when you think you can trust someone, they can turn on a dime. Old and new enemies are thrilled to discover Drake has a beautiful new weakness: Karen. But messing with the women in his life, is a mistake. You mess with the bull, you get the horns. EXCERPT “Now, I want you to tell me all about yourself. Starting with how you met my father, what kind of relationship you have with the sheriff, and how you ended up in this car scaring the piss out of my sister’s baby girl.” “I’m not scaring no baby.” Drake held onto his gun with his left hand and with his right, he reached over the front seat and wrapped his big hand around the man’s scrawny neck. “You wanna re-think your answer?” The man wheezed. Both of Fred’s hands came up to try and yank Drake’s iron finger’s away from his throat. It was no use. Finally, he gave up, his eyes bulging. “Nod if you’re going to answer my questions.” The man gave the best nod he could under the circumstances. Drake dropped him back into the front seat of his car. “Prison. I knew your old man from prison. We done time together a couple of years ago.” “He got ahold of you awfully fast considering he just got out three days ago.” “Huey. Huey called us. He told us ole Norville was getting sprung. He rounded us up.” Great, it was a family affair. His dad’s cousin Huey was in on things. He’d always hated that fucker. “Who’s us?” “Us.” Drake punched him in the back of the head. The man let out a loud yell. “Are you trying to kill me?” he asked as he tenderly touched the spot where Drake’s fist had landed. “That was a love tap. Give me names.” “I don’t know everybody.” The guy was a moron, Drake wanted to hit him again just to see if it would jumpstart his brain. “Give me the names you do know,” he gritted out. “There’s Al, he did time for trying to steal a car. But it was an unmarked police car a block away from a police precinct. He’s none too bright.” “That must mean he’s dumber ‘n dirt if you’re noticing.” Fred looked confused. “Go on,” Drake prompted. “Leslie is a man, even though he has a girl’s name. He don’t like it when we try to call him Les. He got beat up a lot in prison. I personally think he liked it. Getting beat up, that is. Then there’s Snake. He’s with the brotherhood.” Drake thought he knew what he was talking about, but he wanted to be sure. “What brotherhood?” “You know, the Aryan brotherhood. He’s a Nazi. He says next month he’ll have more guys coming.” Fuck. “Why is Huey so hellbent on recruiting guys to help my father?” “It’s the other way around. Norville tells Huey what to do. Your dad and his cousin used to own this town. Huey’s been trying to keep things together, but Norville says he’s going to own the county with all his contacts.” “How does the sheriff figure into all of this?” “Snake told me that he doesn’t want to get his hands too dirty, he just wants kick-backs, so Huey’s been paying him and a judge off.” Drake swallowed hard to keep the bile down. Just what kind of family tree had he fallen out of? And where the hell was Huey hiding out, because he sure as hell hadn’t been at the homestead last night. “Where you from, Fred?” “Kentucky.” “This your car?” Drake could see the man consider lying. He knocked him on the same spot on the head. “Ow. That hurts. It’s my aunt’s car.” Drake would bet anything that his aunt didn’t know Fred had it. “Fred, you’re going to head back to Kentucky tonight. If I see your ass in Tennessee again, I’m going to kill you. Do you hear me?” “Huey’ll kill me if I leave.” Drake set down his gun on the backseat, leaned over the front seat, grabbed him by the throat and used the thumb of his other hand to dig into the goose-egg on the man’s head. He was gratified by Fred’s scream. “I’ll go. I’ll go. Please stop.” Drake waited a moment, then he felt tears hit the hand that was holding onto Fred’s throat. “Give me your gun and I’ll let you loose,” Drake promised. “I don’t have one.” Drake dug in harder. “It’s in the glove box.” What a dumbshit. He’d had his gun where it wasn’t readily available. “Open the driver’s side door and get out of the car when I let you loose, Fred. Then go to the hood of the car and assume the position.” “I’ll do anything. Just stop hurting me.” More tears hit Drake’s hand. He released Fred and prayed he wouldn’t make a play for the gun in the glovebox. Not that he’d have a problem subduing the asshat. Nope, he just wanted Fred to be conscious and able to drive back to Kentucky in the next ten minutes. Fred opened the car door and was soon pressed spread-eagled over the hood of the car. Drake leaned over the front seat and pulled Fred’s pistol out of the glovebox. He then got out of the car and frisked Fred and found a switchblade in his boot. “Pop the trunk of the car,” Drake directed, wanting to see if there were any more weapons. The smell of body odor assaulted him when the trunk opened. “My God man, haven’t you heard of deodorant?” Drake demanded. It had been rank in the car as the man sweated, but the pile of dirty laundry made him gag. “I was going to go to the laundry-mat,” Fred defended himself. “Just get home to Kentucky and burn your clothes, you can’t save them. If I see you here again, you’re going to be the first one I target. Are we clear?” Fred nodded. “Say the words. Are we clear?” “Yes. I’m leaving town now. Can I have my gun?” he asked, proving just how stupid he was. Drake shook his head and pointed to the open car door. “You’ve got one minute for me to see taillights. Otherwise you’ll be wishing Huey was here.” Fred stood there looking at him. “One, two, three,” Drake started counting, and Fred scrambled towards the driver’s seat. He hit his knee against the door. Once again, Drake had to listen to him whine. Fred gunned the car trying to get it to go. It was obvious the parking brake was on, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to press on the accelerator. God, he’d be lucky to make it out of Sevier County, let alone back home to Kentucky. Finally, Fred figured out his problem and the car lurched forward, and he did a fast U-turn. It had taken longer than the allotted time, but Drake always gave extra consideration to the chronically stupid. Pretending never felt so good…. Fake Fiancée by Ilsa Madden-Mills is NOW LIVE! ONLY $0.99 & Free on Kindle Unlimited. Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2laEuMc Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2lfrSjw Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2ldp4TS Blurb A new standalone romance from Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Ilsa Madden-Mills... They say nothing compares to your first kiss, But our first kiss was orchestrated for an audience. Our second kiss…that one was REAL. He cradled my face like he was terrified he’d f*ck it up. He stared into my eyes until the air buzzed. Soft and slow, full of sighs and little laughs, He inhaled me like I was the finest Belgian chocolate, And he'd never get another piece. A nip of his teeth, his hand at my waist... And I was lost. I forgot he was paying me to be his fake fiancée. I forgot we weren’t REAL. Our kiss was pure magic, and before you laugh and say those kinds of kisses don’t exist… Then you’ve never touched lips with Max Kent, the hottest quarterback in college history. Get ready for breathtaking kisses and dreamy football players… EXCERPT
Max stalked over to the barrier that divided the stands from the football field and jumped it. The fans went nuts as he brushed past them, some not even realizing it until he was down the aisle. The Jumbotron followed him. “Good Lordy, what’s he doing?” Mimi asked, clutching at her chest. “I don’t know,” I said rather weakly, taking the chance to study him the closer he came. He was beautiful, his shoulders impossibly broad. To add to the distraction, his helmet was in his hand and all that dark brown hair was flowing around his chiseled features as if he had a fan in his face. My Viking. “He’s coming over here,” Mimi commented. He was. But why? I stopped breathing . . .right when he came to a halt in front of me and knelt down on one knee. Eyes the color of a wild ocean gazed at me. He took my left hand in his right one. “Max,” I breathed, my heart fluttering. He gazed up at me. “Sunny Blaine, will you marry me?” The stadium went wild. In a daze, I looked up at the Jumbotron and felt like I was watching this happen to someone else. Camera phones flashed all around us. My first clear thought was I’ll kill him. Aloud, nothing came out but a faint wheeze. Clearly someone had stuffed a giant wad of cotton in my mouth. Clearly I needed something a lot stiffer to drink than this Diet Coke. Clearly my fake boyfriend was a freaking raving lunatic. He sat his helmet on the ground next to my feet, reached inside it and pulled out a small black box. No, no, no! The box opened, and my stomach churned at the sight of the large round solitaire diamond ring that was nestled on the black silk. I blinked repeatedly to clear my vision. With deft fingers, Max eased it out of the lining and slipped it on my left hand. I stared down at it. Then back at him. I was going to murder the hottest quarterback in the country. Kiss her, Kiss her, the crowd chanted. We were the focal point of the entire world. Max stood and tugged me up with him until we were standing. He slid his hand around my neck and pulled his face to mine. The sky was blotted out as he kissed me. But I hadn’t said yes! I wouldn’t say yes. Not to a fake engagement. The applause of the stadium was deafening. And his kiss—it was deadly. Despite my rage, my body craved him. His lips were hot, so hot, and my tongue met his with a vengeance. We kissed hard, and I nipped at him, my teeth scraping across his lips. But the only one who’d end up bleeding in this scenario was me. He eased back to take me in, and with a final look at my face he gave a thumbs-up sign to the entire stadium. They went nuts, chanting his name. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in my ear, letting his hand trail down my arm as he stepped back from me. He walked away backward, eyes on me the entire time. The announcers for the game told everyone who might have missed it that Max Kent had just asked his girlfriend to marry him, and she’d said yes. More cheers came as they replayed him on his knee in front of me with a giant YES written across the top. I plopped back down in my seat. Frozen. “. . . did you see her face? Shocked . . .” “. . . most romantic thing in football . . .” “. . . luckiest girl in the world . . .” My face went hot. Even my ears burned. I wanted to crawl under a seat. God. What a lie. The half ended and our offense came out to the field, snapped the ball, and Max threw it straight to Tate who ran it in for another touchdown. My chest constricted and anger churned in my gut. I didn’t care who won. I hated football right now. Most of all, I hated Max Kent, and I was going to make him pay. |
Categories
All
Archives
July 2023
|