Friday, February 27, 2015

COVER REVEAL: Kestrel: A Hart Brothers Novel by A.M Hargrove





Title: Kestrel
Series: A Hart Brothers Novel
Author: A.M. Hargrove
Release Date:  March 29th, 2015

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1CXNKmz
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1F6mceC
Nook: http://bit.ly/1AWnqf3
Kestrel (A Hart Brothers Novel)
**Though is part of the Hart Brothers Series, This is a Stand Alone Novel
**Not intended for readers under the age of 18 due to its mature content and strong language.

Two lives with horrific pasts. One chance meeting that changed them both forever.

“One look at her and I want to run. Frizzy hair, thick glasses, mom jeans, and ruffles up to her neck. Who the hell wears shit like that? What decade is she living in? My mother doesn’t even dress like that!”

Raised by a monster, Kestrel Hart somehow survived. Now that the monster is dead, he’s trying to move on, to pull himself together. Struggling with issues no one can imagine, he moves away from his family, from the brother who loves him and the sister-in-law who supports and understands him the best.

Charleston, South Carolina is his new home. And he has a purpose. He’s opening up a new division of his brother’s corporation. But a surprise awaits him. Her name is Carter Drayton.

Carter’s past is also a painful one. She is dealing with the tragic death of her family. She’s healing in the only way she knows how.

Carter needs love. Kestrel craves human contact. Neither of them recognizes what’s right before their eyes. Will they see it before it’s too late?



“I’ll do anything you want. Anything.” Then something comes over me. Call it madness. Desperation. Insanity. Call it whatever you want. I step right up to him and put my hands on his shoulders. Then I kiss him. He stands there like a chunk of stone. So I press my body up to him, and rub myself against him. I open my mouth and run my tongue over his lips, and then push it into his mouth. Nothing. No response. Humiliation sets in. I am not this girl. I’m the classic nerd. I don’t have boyfriends. Where is this coming from?

He pulls away from me and steps back, rubbing his mouth.

“I’m sorry, but you’re not my type.” His features initially register shock. But worse than that, distaste replaces it.

That stings. Really stings. But even more dreadful, I am morbidly ashamed of myself. That doesn’t stop me from digging myself into an even deeper hole.

“What? Am I not sexy enough? Are my clothes not revealing enough?”

“Um, Dr. Drayton, this is more than a bit awkward.”

“No, tell me. And my name is Carter.”

“You’re propositioning me.” Now I detect a hint of mockery.

“No, not propositioning. I want to strike a deal. You see, I’m a desperate woman. And desperate people do all kinds of things.”

“Carter, I’m really not interested.”

“I know I’m not very attractive, but if you want me to change the way I look, I can do that.”

“You don’t understand.”

“What? Am I not good enough for you?”

His eyes skim me from head to toe. “Good doesn’t have anything to do with it. You’re not bad enough for me.”







A.M. Hargrove resides in the south, dividing her time between the upstate of South Carolina and the mountains of North Carolina. She truly believes that chocolate, coffee and ice cream should be added to the USDA food groups.
Her books include Adult, New Adult and Young Adult Romances, including, The Guardians of Vesturon (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent and the novella Beginnings); Dark Waltz (A Praestani Novel) Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge, Kissing Fire, Tragically Flawed, Exquisite Betrayal and Tragic Desires.
A.M. also writes under the name of Emerson St. Clair. Emerson's books include the Dirty Nights novella series.





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Sunday, February 22, 2015

Cover Reveal for Erin Noelle's...... SPARK!!!

Spark CR Banner

Title: Spark Author: Erin Noelle Genre: Mature New Adult Release Date: April 20

Spark-FOR-WEB
 
Photographer: Toski Covey Photography Model: Tanner Belcher Cover Design: Hang Le



synopsis

I’m failing.
My younger brother is getting worse, and my job - my duty - is to help him at all costs. We’ve tried everything modern medicine has to offer and nothing works.
Nothing.
Deciding to turn to unconventional treatments, we end up at Fire-on-the-Mountain, a holistic resort deep in the Rockies.
In our search for medical marijuana, I find beautiful, free-spirited Hudson Shavell - a girl who may not only hold the key to heal my brother, but to fix me as well. Even though I can’t afford distractions right now, she’s all I can think about. All that I want.
It’s funny how everything can change with one little SPARK.

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Spark Teaser #1




author bio
erin noelle
Erin Noelle is a Texas native, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. While earning her degree in History at the University of Houston, she rediscovered her love for reading that was first instilled by her grandmother when she was a young child. A lover of happily-ever-afters, both historical and current, Erin is an avid reader of all romance novels. In 2013, she published the Book Boyfriend Series, which included books Metamorphosis, Ambrosia, Euphoria, and Timeless, and recently published When the Sun Goes Down, a contemporary romance novel. Her books have been a part of the USA Today Bestselling list and the Amazon and Barnes & Noble overall Top 100.


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Friday, February 20, 2015

COVER REVEAL...... Manwhore +1 by Katy Evans



MANWHORE +1
The unexpected love story that began in MANWHORE 
continues heating up the pages in MANWHORE + 1
Release date: July 7, 2015


Billionaire playboy? Check. 
Ruthless businessman? Check. 
Absolutely sinful? Check.

Malcolm Saint was an assignment. A story. A beautiful, difficult man I was supposed to uncover for a racy exposé.

I intended to reveal himhis secrets, his lifestyle—not let him reveal me. But my head was overtaken by my heart and suddenly nothing could stop me from falling. I fell for him, and I fell hard. 

Malcolm Saint is absolute Sin, and I've become a hopeless Sinner.

Now that the assignment is over, Saint wants something from me--something unexpected--and I want this wicked playboy's heart. But how can I prove to the man who trusts no one that I’m worthy of becoming his plus one?



Manwhore + 1 Pre-order Links (Releases 7/7)

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1DxWthT
Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1DFubRl
Nook Print: http://bit.ly/17xoat8

Manwhore (bk 1) Pre-order links (Releases 3/24) 

iBookstore: http://bit.ly/1xYs8r8
Amazon print: http://amzn.to/1DFXWQr
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1sdhgmI

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Character Blog Tour for MILF: Wrong Kind of Love by Erin Noelle

Title: MILF: Wrong Kind of Love Author: Erin Noelle Genre: Erotic Romance

MILF FOR WEB

Photographer: FuriousFotog Model: Michael Federico Cover Design: Hang Le


Synopsis


 Wrong Kind of Love A story of forbidden love with a side of revenge... When my husband of nearly twenty years abruptly left me for another woman, I thought my life was over. But I was wrong... Wrong for thinking I was weak, wrong for assuming I couldn't go on, wrong for believing I wouldn't love again. No matter what anyone else thinks, Wrong never felt so right.


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Stella Laughlin
Mia's sister & best friend
Owns a tattoo parlor
Marches to the beat of a different drum
A girlie-girl at heart with a streak of bad ass


 

Excerpt


Mia's POV:   After about a fifteen-minute trip, I pull into the parking lot across the street from NONA, short for New Orleans ‘N Athens, a popular upscale Cajun restaurant, which is well-known for its Oysters Rockefeller and Shrimp and Grits. Shifting the transmission into park, I take several deep breaths to help calm the nerves using my stomach as a dance floor, and before I can lose my resolve and drive myself back home, I hop out of the SUV and scurry through the oppressive Georgia summer heat toward the entrance. As soon as I walk through the glass door, I see Stella perched on one of the stools up at the old-style wood bar, chatting it up with some of the other patrons and openly flirting with the young bartender. Thankfully, the stool to her right is open, and as I slide onto the green padded seat, she begins to squeal and bounce up and down in her chair. “Oh my God! You really came! You really came!!” she yells loud enough for the entire first floor of the restaurant to hear. Lunging her upper body in my direction, she wraps her arms tightly around my neck and kisses my cheek. Releasing the embrace, I smile timidly at her. “Yep, I really came, and I’m sure all of Broad St. is now aware of it too.” She ignores my snide remark and continues on with her overly-animated greeting. “And look at your hair, woman! It’s abso gorgey. How long have I been telling you to add some color into your life?” Stella Laughlin is the only person on the face of the earth that can say the words abso gorgey, and not make me want to slap her across the face. Not only has she been my best friend since I can remember, the one person who has never turned her back on me, no matter how many times I cancelled on her for our nights out or didn’t return her phone calls for days upon end, but she’s also my only sibling, younger by three years. Hands down the most eccentric and unconventional person I know, Stella not only marches to the beat of a different drum, she’s often on a completely different radio wavelength. Wearing wild clothes and having hair that would make Rainbow Brite jealous is only the tip of the iceberg with my dear sister. She smokes pot daily, keeps a sugar glider—Hazel—and a miniature pig—Zsa Zsa Gapork—as pets, owns a tattoo parlor, and doesn’t believe humans are meant to be monogamous. A girlie-girl at heart, she’s got a streak of bad ass in her that brings grown men to their knees…often. It’s safe to say she was never a fan of my extremely conservative, extremely unadventurous ex-husband, and the feeling was most definitely mutual. On multiple occasions over the years, she and Mark would get into arguments over a variety of topics, primarily how he never supported my painting. Always my biggest advocate, she told me time and time again I was wasting a talent that should be shared with the world. Now, I only hope she is right. “Your idea of color and mine are a little different, Stel,” I tease as I ruffle her canary yellow bob. “What’re you drinking tonight?” She looks down at her nearly empty glass and then up at the bartender she was talking to, her smile growing wide when she makes eye contact with him. “Drake, baby, can you bring her a Grey Goose and tonic and another Long Island for me, please?” “Sure thing, Miss Stella,” he winks at us before moving down the bar to grab the necessary liquors for our drinks. “You’re on a first name basis with the bartender?” I ask, cocking my eyebrow at her, not that I’m really surprised. From what I can tell, Drake is exactly Stella’s type—tall, thin, bald, and has full, colorful sleeves of tattoos sticking out from under the NONA staff t-shirt he’s wearing. “Oh, I know a lot more than his first name, sis.” She giggles, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s got a hot roommate too, who I also know more about than his first name.” My mouth falls open as I stare at her in disbelief, then glance over at him, and finally return my eyes to her. “Are you serious?” I whisper dubiously. “Drake and Cole both get their ink done at the shop, and they’re good friends with one of the artists, Jimbo, so we party together sometimes. A lot of us come here to eat and drink on our days off, because they hook us up with free drinks,” she explains casually. “So you haven’t slept with both of them?” Drake picks exactly that moment to walk up and set our drinks down in front of us. Obviously hearing my question, he chuckles, and with his gaze held on Stella, shakes his head. Not backing away from his stare, she lifts the glass and takes a long, seductive drink from the straw. “Not at the same time,” she coos at him, batting her thick eyelashes, and then twists to look at me. “But not from a lack of trying.” He throws his head back with a deep laugh. “You’ve got that right, Miss Stella. I told you I don’t do two dicks. Now if you want to bring your beautiful friend here to join us,” he flashes a wicked grin in my direction, “I’ll be more than happy to oblige you.” “She’s my sister!” I blurt out, appalled at the mere thought of his suggestion. “Even better, baby.” He waggles his eyebrows at us before leaving to help another customer. Glaring at my sister as she fails miserably to contain her laughter, I shove her shoulder rather hard, almost causing her to lose her balance on the stool. “Stella! That is disgusting! Why are you laughing?” I exclaim angrily. “And you wonder why I never go out with you or hang out with your friends?” “Oh my God, Mia,” she explodes with laughter, righting herself and slapping the bar with amusement, “he’s totally pulling your leg. I’ve never slept with Drake or Cole. They’re more than a decade younger than me. Are you kidding? I’m like the mom of the bunch, except not really motherly.” I scowl hard at her, not finding her sense of humor very funny. “I don’t know whether or not to believe you…about any of it.” She wipes the escaped tears from her cheek then pats my arm soothingly. “I promise you, I may be the free spirit of the family, but I’m not a whore, nor am I robbing any cradles. I like my men to be old enough to remember the joy of getting a new Trapper Keeper before each school year, someone who knows what a card catalog is, and most importantly, a guy who thought Punky Brewster was the fucking shit.” “Hey, I’ve jacked off to Soleil Moon Frye on more than one occasion,” Drake adds as he saunters up, rejoining our conversation. “You jacked off to her big ass tits, perv,” she snickers with a roll of her eyes, “and I wasn’t referring to her in a sexual way.” Paying no attention to her, he turns to me with a big, friendly smile and extends his hand. “Sorry about earlier; you can’t ever take anything I say seriously. I’m Drake, by the way, Stella’s smartest, funniest, and most handsome friend.” I shake his hand and relax a bit in my seat. “Nice to meet you, Drake. I’m Mia, Stella’s uptight older sister.” “Pleasure’s all mine, sweetheart. I’ll leave you two alone to chat; just flag me down if either of y’all need anything.” He grins at me and winks at Stella again before taking off down to the other side of the bar. And then Stella and I do exactly what he suggests—we spend the next three hours talking, drinking, and laughing, and for the first time in a long time, I feel happy.




Playlist
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Trailer
   
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlJg9P2PTfw] Trailer by Book Obsession Production


Author Bio


erin noelle
  Erin Noelle is a Texas native, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. While earning her degree in History at the University of Houston, she rediscovered her love for reading that was first instilled by her grandmother when she was a young child. A lover of happily-ever-afters, both historical and current, Erin is an avid reader of all romance novels. In 2013, she published the Book Boyfriend Series, which included books Metamorphosis, Ambrosia, Euphoria, and Timeless, and recently published When the Sun Goes Down, a contemporary romance novel. Her books have been a part of the USA Today Bestselling list and the Amazon and Barnes & Noble overall Top 100.


Subscribe to Erin’s Newsletter


Giveaway
$20 Gift Card




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Schedule


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Garrett by Sawyer Bennett is here!!!




Title: Garrett
Series: Cold Fury Hockey #2
Author: Sawyer Bennett
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date:  February 17, 2015


Synopsis


New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett hits the ice with the story of a playboy athlete whose winning ways lead him to a beautiful woman with a lot to lose.
 
Carolina Cold Fury star Garrett Samuelson never wants to miss out on a single minute of fun. Whether he’s playing hockey, hanging out with friends, or walking the red carpet with a new date on his arm, he lives every day to the fullest. When he meets Olivia Case, he sees someone who’s exactly his type—confident, sexy, smart . . . his next fling. But the more he pursues her, the more Garrett shares a side of himself that other women don’t normally get to see.

Olivia has been keeping a secret. While Garrett lives for the next thrill, Olivia’s not sure she’ll live to see the next day. She’s undergoing treatment for some serious medical issues, and she doesn’t have time for a relationship with no guarantees—especially one with a hot-as-sin womanizer who won’t take no for an answer. But as she gets to know the real Garrett, Olivia can’t help falling for him . . . hard. To reveal the truth would mean risking everything—but you can’t score without taking the tough shots.


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My 4.5 star review:

My 4.5 star review for Garrett (Cold Fury Hockey #2) by Sawyer Bennett
Summary
Olivia Case is a smart, sexy and confident women, and completely off limits to Garrett Samuelson, who happens to be Cold Fury’s King of one night stands.
Her cousin Sutton Price who is also his best friends fiancé has told him to back off, which in turn just makes him want Olivia more. There is something about Olivia and he just can’t stop thinking about her and he soon realizes that she is more than a fling.
Olivia Case has a lot on her plate and for once in her, she just wants to live life and do something crazy. When Garrett, the sexy as heck hockey player asks her out, she is excited to finally do something she has never done. A one night stand.
Now that they have both had a taste of each other, neither can stay away and shockingly, Garrett surprises her by wanting more. The thing is, Olivia has a secret, one that doesn’t guarantee her time. When Garrett finds out the truth, he finds himself fighting the toughest game in his life.
My Thoughts:
Olivia Case is a free spirit and I adored her character. She is so used to doing things on her own but when she receives devastating news, she understands that she will need more support than ever. The last thing she expected was Garrett Samuelson, as hard as it was to resist his charm, she did. Besides she isn’t really in a place in her life where she can start a relationship not that Garrett is the relationship twice. She is in for the fight of her life and having any kind of romance is just a bad idea. . She never thought in a million years that her first one night stand would end up becoming more.
Garrett is your typical gorgeous, panty melting hockey player. Never sleeping with the same woman twice, the ultimate playboy. He is immediately taken by Olivia and is turned on even more when she turns him down, no one EVER turns him down.
Garrett just stole my heart in this book. He comes off one way in the public’s eye but in reality, he is the most caring person ever. He goes beyond and it just took my breath away.
I completely related to this story and the content of it. Touched my heart on such a personal level. I found myself laughing and crying because I completely understood the fears and the loss.  I enjoy books where the secondary characters end up getting their stories told. I love that these characters are created and sometimes not meant to have a story but end up having one because they have so much to say.

Sawyer captured all of the emotions in Garrett’s book. It was beautifully written. This series is easily becoming a favorite. I am looking forward to Zach’s story. 




Links to Buy

AMAZON US / UK




Also Available


AMAZON US / UK




Author Bio


New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett is a snarky Southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company that lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Bennett would like to report that she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.



Author Links

Giveaway

Monday, February 16, 2015

Happy Release Day to author Jennifer L. Armentrout.... The Return is HERE!!!

The Return Release Week Blitz banner


The Return - Cover
 


  THE RETURN Synopsis:

The Fates are cackling their bony asses off... It's been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody--which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet. Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her. But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all. Because history has once again been flipped to repeat




Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Booksamillion


THE RETURN Excerpt:

I was a half-blood, but I was also the Apollyon, a child of a pure and a half, a union that had been forbidden for thousands of years because an Apollyon was more powerful than any pure or half could ever hope to be. And I always got to the traitors’ hideouts before they did, so the Sentinels were usually left with the cleanup, which I was sure absolutely thrilled them. The first to enter was a female half-blood dressed just as I was. Her black hair was pulled back in a neat little knot at the top of her head. She was older, probably in her mid-thirties. It was pretty rare for a Sentinel to live that long. Her dark skin paled as she stopped just inside the entrance. She clenched titanium daggers in her hands like she expected something vicious to pop out from under the bloody mess. The female Sentinel tipped her chin up, and the overhead light sliced across her broad cheekbones. She bore a jagged scar under her right eye, the skin lighter in tone. She saw me and froze. My smile widened. Behind her, another Sentinel rushed in, almost mowing her over. He saw me and whispered, “Seth.” He’d said my name like I was the monster under his bed, and I sort of liked that. Then another Sentinel and another rolled in. The fifth took one look at my interior design work and keeled over. Slamming his hands on his knees, he hurled up his dinner. Nice. Our society existed completely unknown to the average mortal and had operated under what was known as the Breed Order for thousands of years. The Order had been dismantled, which meant halfs were no longer forced to choose between becoming Sentinels—hunting down violent creatures, protecting pures, enforcing laws, and otherwise usually dying pretty damn quickly on the job—or servants, which was a job that really wasn’t a job, but more like slavery. Since then, many pampered pures had signed on to be Sentinels, making up for the loss of the halfs who’d pretty much said “screw this shit, I’m out.” This wasn’t necessarily a good thing. For example, the dumbass puking all over my blood-covered floor was a pure. When he straightened, his face a greenish hue, he backed away, shaking his head. “I can’t,” he gasped out. “I can’t do this.” Then he turned and hauled ass out the doors.
I sighed. This was why we couldn’t have nice things.



About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

.   Author Photo

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.  

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

 



The Return -- Avaialable Now

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Pre- Release Day Blitz for UNEXPECTED FATE by Harper Sloan


Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan




Prologue
“Axel Reid, don’t you dare!”  my mom exclaims. Then she yelps when my daddy charges through the front door.
“Don’t I dare what, Princess?  No way that boy is going near my girl.  Look at him!  He looks like he can’t wait to creep on my daughter!”
“Well, there is no need to scare him to death!” she mocks.
My cheeks heat instantly when I see Dane start backing away from the porch.  My hopes of being able to actually go to my senior prom are starting to go up in flames.
Poof.
Just like that.
Not that I should be surprised about it.  Mom did her best to calm Daddy down, but we should have known better.  He took one look at me and stormed over, only to return ten minutes later looking like he does now.
So embarrassing.
“You need to stop this nonsense right now, you big lug, or you’ll be sleeping on the couch,” Mom fumes.
“Like hell I will, woman!” Daddy roars at my mom.
I watch her face get sharp.  He stops long enough to sling one of—that’s right, ONE of—the rifles he’s carrying over his shoulder, where it lands next to the other one he already has over his other shoulder.
Only my mom would be brave enough to deal with him when he’s in “Protect Dani from everything with a penis” mode.  He looks absolutely ridiculous.  He has two hunting rifles now hanging by their leather straps over each shoulder.  He has two handguns strapped to each thick thigh, two on each side of his belt, and various knives along the way.  His shirt, which he thinks is hilarious to wear when I attempt to go out on a date, says I kill things…and eat them.  I know it’s a hunting shirt—for animals, not teenage boys—but Dane doesn’t.
Mom moves in front of him, standing in the front doorway and blocking his path, where Dane is still slowly retreating.  She’s been dealing with this way before they even had me.  He’s…protective.  I guess that’s the nicest way to put it.  Well, she calls him protective.  However, I call it possessive, overbearing, controlling, demanding, and jerky.
“This is her senior prom, Ax.  You wouldn’t let her go last year.” She pauses when he grunts. “And I’m sorry, but you won’t be stopping her this year.  She has a right to experience this.  And Dane is a nice boy.  Right, Dane?” she yells over her shoulder.
“Uhh…” he stammers, causing my daddy to grunt some more.
“The boy doesn’t even know how to talk, Izzy.  I bet he will be nothing but handsy and think with his little pecker.  Nope.  No way.  Not near my baby girl.”
Oh.  My.  God.  I wish I could just fall into a hole right now.  I try to see over my parents to find out if Dane heard that, but with Daddy basically being a giant, that’s not happening.
“You did not just say that!” I yell at his back.
Daddy turns around, his movements awkward with how many weapons he has strapped to his body.  His green eyes, so like my own, slant and harden.  He looks down at my dress for the thousandth time since I came downstairs and doesn’t even bother hiding his displeasure that it’s showing too much of my body.  Even if it is about as tasteful as it gets.
My strapless, red dress has a sweetheart neckline, and everything he calls my “girly bits” is covered.   There isn’t really any cleavage.  Well, okay, there is some, but surely with my lack of being busty, you couldn’t even call what is showing “cleavage.”  His first problem was with how much of my legs was showing.  Then I made the mistake of turning around without my wrap on.  That’s when he saw that the dress was completely backless to my bra line.  Well, what it would be if I had been wearing one.  Which is clearly when he lost his mind.
“You look just like your mother did that night twenty years ago when we finally came back to each other.  Right down to those strappy shoe things. And I guarantee you, Danielle Reid, any teenage boy who doesn’t bat for the other team will be thinking thoughts I’ll cut his dick off for.  No.  You aren’t going with that boy, and that’s final.”
I harden my eyes, and his narrow even further.
I put my hands on my hips, and he squares his shoulders, his rifles clinking together.
I raise one brow, and he mirrors the action.
“Daddy.”
“Dani.”
“I’ll cry.”
“No, you won’t.  You have more balls than that.”
“Want to bet?”  I attempt to muster up some tears, knowing that he won’t be able to handle them, but before I can force the first one out, my brother jumps into my line of sight and blocks our standoff.
“Yo, Dane!  You just run along now.  Dani is unfortunately feeling a little under the weather.  Ebola. Or the flu. I don’t know.  It’s really ugly and you probably don’t want to be around this.  The boils—they could pop at any moment.”
“You did not just do that,” I heatedly whisper, fuming at his nerve.
Nate turns and smirks at me. “Oh I just did.”
“I can’t believe you two!”  I spin to look at the one person who can help me.   “Mom, seriously?”
Her expression softens, and she just shakes her head.  “I’m sorry, Dani.  I tried.”
“You two,” I start, pointing between my older brother and father.  “You just can’t leave it alone?  I’ll be eighteen in a few months.  What are you jerks going to do then?”
“You’re not dating, Danielle.  Not ever.”
“Oh yeah, Daddy?  And how realistic is that crap?”
“Watch your mouth, little princess.”
“Mom?”
“I’m so sorry, Dani.”  She walks over and wraps me in her small arms.
I could probably really cry now a lot easier than when I was trying to fake it, but I’ve never been one of those girls who weep constantly.  It would be easier to just go upstairs, take off the dress mom and I spent hours looking for, scrub off the light makeup she helped me apply, and pretend this night didn’t happen.

***

An hour later, I’m sitting in my bedroom, still wearing my perfect dress.  My makeup is still done and my hair is still flowing in long waves.  And I’m no less mad at the men in my life than I was earlier.  I’ve considered climbing out my window.  I’ve considered asking my best friends, Lyn and Lila, to come help me escape.  But what would be the point?  Rambo-Dad already scared away my date, the only boy left in school who had been willing to ask me even though his friends had warned him about my father.
I lie down on my bed and stare up at the ceiling.  Maybe I should go away for college.  I planned on living at home while I attended Georgia Tech, but there is no way I can deal with this stuff any longer.  If my father had things his way, I would be shipped off to become a nun.  Or he would buy an island and make it an all-girls cult.
“Uhggggg!” I yell to the empty room.
“Seriously, Dani-girl, things can’t be that bad.”
I jump up when I hear the deep, gravelly, insanely sexy voice coming from my bedroom door.  That voice.  My lord.  The things it alone does to me should be classified as illegal.
My hair slaps me in the face, a good handful landing in my open mouth, and I hastily pull it out before I turn to where he is standing.
My lord, he’s beautiful.  He’s always been.  My heart speeds up when I take in his smirking face and the mischief dancing in his brown eyes.
“Cat got your tongue?”
I shake my head.
“Speechless?”
I shake it again.
“Do you really have some flesh-eating, boil-slash-Ebola-like sickness?” he laughs.
I narrow my eyes at him, and his rich laughter booms through the room.
“I’m just kidding, Dani-girl.  Come on. Get yourself ready and let’s go rock this prom.”
My jaw drops again.  “What?” 
For the first time, I notice that he’s dressed in a perfectly tailored tux.  My eyes travel down his tall form to his shining, black dress shoes.  On the way back up, my eyes hit the corsage spinning around his finger before I look back up into those gorgeous eyes.
“Let’s go, beautiful.”
“Does Daddy know you’re here?” I ask, not moving from my spot.
He sighs, steps into my room, and walks over.  His cologne, Gucci Black, wraps around me.  He’s worn the same scent for years.  I perversely sniff it every time I hit the mall with Lyn and Lila.  That scent—it’s my undoing.
He grabs one of my hands and gives my knuckles a kiss before placing the corsage around my wrist.  He gives my hand a squeeze before letting go.  Placing his strong hands on my shoulders, he presses down until I’m seated on my bed.  Kneeling before me, he takes my feet one by one and fastens the straps of my black heels before standing and grabbing my hands, again, to pull me to my feet.
The whole time, I act like a freak and just gape at him.
What in the hell is going on?
“Ready?” he asks.
“Uhhh…”
“Right. You’re ready,” he laughs, grabs my hand, and pulls me through the house, down the stairs, and into the entryway of the house, where my parents are waiting.
Mom has her camera ready, forcing us to take some pictures, for all of which I’m sure I’m just standing there in a daze.  I think I smiled in them, but I was too busy trying to figure out what the hell is going on.  Daddy smiles big and triumphantly the whole time, like he’s won some battle here.
“Oh, good.  You got here,” Nate mumbles through a sandwich he’s stuffing down his throat.
I shake out of my stunned stupor and look over at him.  “You did this?”  I ask with disbelief.
“Well, duh.  Can’t have my little sister miss her prom because of some boils.  Plus, I knew this guy,” he says, pointing at our father, “wouldn’t mind him.”  He takes another bite before he looks over my shoulder.  “And I know he isn’t going to try to pet the cat.”
“Nathaniel Gregory!” Mom gasps.
“What?  Why do you think Dad acts like he does?  Just because I’m willing to say the words doesn’t mean you have to freak out.”
I look over at my mom, who has turned bright red.
Daddy laughs at her embarrassment and pulls her into his arms.  “Are you sure we didn’t drop that one a few times as a baby?”
She slaps his hard stomach and shakes her head. “You look beautiful, honey.  Have fun, okay?”
I smile at her and move my eyes to Daddy to judge his mood.
He just smiles at me. “I trust him.  He won’t let any of those pimple-faced, prepubescent boys touch a beautiful hair on your head.  Have fun, sweetheart.”
I walk over and give them both a hug, standing up on my toes as far as a can to whisper my gratitude in his ear.  He’s annoying, overprotective, and possessive of his girls, but I love him and I know he comes from a good place.
“Uh, excuse me?  Do I not get any little-sister love here?  I’m the one running this show, you know?”
“You’re such a dork, Nate,” I laugh and give him a hug before turning back to my date.
He’s standing by the door, talking in low tones to my daddy.  I can’t hear him, but he’s still smiling, so I’m guessing there isn’t any talk about dismemberment going on.  He looks over, his smile deepening and the lines around his eyes crinkling.  Something moves behind his eyes that darkens them slightly, but he looks back over at Daddy, finishing up their conversation.
“Ready, Dani-girl?” he asks a few minutes later, making my heart speed up again.
Holy.  Crap.
“Yeah. I’m ready.”  Or at least as ready as I’ll ever be.

**

That night, while dancing to Brett Young’s “Kiss by Kiss,” I knew I would never be the same.  I could feel the jealous waves coming off every female in the room as he held me in his arms.  Of course, I had a man and not a boy as my date.  Five years older than I am and very obviously not a teenager.
Being held in his arms was a dream come true.  His scent invaded my lungs with every inhale.  His eyes twinkled as his smile held me hostage.  I knew I would never love a man as much as I love him.
Yeah.  That was the night I confirmed what I had always known.  What I had always felt.
Cohen Cage owned my heart and I never wanted it back.


Meet Cohen & Danielle in the newest stand alone
in the Hope Town Series by Harper Sloan!
Releasing:  February 17th

Unexpected Fate
(Stand alone)





Have you ever felt like you were living your life for a future that was predetermined? Like there was some bigger picture you just prayed you would someday see clearly? That picture has been crystal clear to me since I was old enough to recognize it for just what it was.
Or I should say recognize him for who he was.
I’ve loved Cohen Cage since I was a small child. He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.
My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man.
Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.


About the Author:

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed 'Estrogen Ocean', much to her husband’s chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero--the super alpha kind!


Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn't take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.



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