tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post7159313941000116734..comments2023-09-23T08:03:13.292-07:00Comments on Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More: Monday Blues Promotion: February 4Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17177290366315552643noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-49285558823377372922013-02-05T14:23:31.149-07:002013-02-05T14:23:31.149-07:00Great read. Good luck!Great read. Good luck!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-55584451733293021942013-02-05T14:22:21.239-07:002013-02-05T14:22:21.239-07:00Best wishes with your book!Best wishes with your book!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-4430408341059221842013-02-05T14:20:56.284-07:002013-02-05T14:20:56.284-07:00Best wishes with your release!Best wishes with your release!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-26396270014235264552013-02-05T14:19:57.221-07:002013-02-05T14:19:57.221-07:00Best wishes with your book.Best wishes with your book.Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-89374904879908046292013-02-05T14:18:39.530-07:002013-02-05T14:18:39.530-07:00This excerpt is hot!This excerpt is hot!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-47918899672503466072013-02-05T14:17:24.468-07:002013-02-05T14:17:24.468-07:00Best wishes with the series.Best wishes with the series.Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-8571451239313336232013-02-05T14:16:24.791-07:002013-02-05T14:16:24.791-07:00Great read. Best wishes.Great read. Best wishes.Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-54651300577965961322013-02-05T14:14:26.964-07:002013-02-05T14:14:26.964-07:00Best wishes with your release.Best wishes with your release.Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-24361666724223817862013-02-05T14:13:27.383-07:002013-02-05T14:13:27.383-07:00"Sweet and Sexy" -- good adjectives."Sweet and Sexy" -- good adjectives.Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-65248853174230404752013-02-05T14:11:55.367-07:002013-02-05T14:11:55.367-07:00Art History was one of my favorite subjects in sch...Art History was one of my favorite subjects in school!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-7692004319940268132013-02-05T14:09:46.871-07:002013-02-05T14:09:46.871-07:00Best wishes with the upcoming release!Best wishes with the upcoming release!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-20836305960725248132013-02-05T14:07:26.914-07:002013-02-05T14:07:26.914-07:00Love that cat.Love that cat.Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-51111509717501966212013-02-05T14:06:01.371-07:002013-02-05T14:06:01.371-07:00Great read!Great read!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-272870281549634872013-02-05T14:04:55.136-07:002013-02-05T14:04:55.136-07:00Like your title!Like your title!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-29773863585208180352013-02-05T14:03:45.772-07:002013-02-05T14:03:45.772-07:00Best wishes with your series!Best wishes with your series!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-71073639875276827102013-02-05T14:00:27.830-07:002013-02-05T14:00:27.830-07:00These characters click. Good job!These characters click. Good job!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-69624131698514248432013-02-05T13:58:09.187-07:002013-02-05T13:58:09.187-07:00Best wishes on the new release!Best wishes on the new release!Angela Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06102308492358084929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-51446880433069658942013-02-04T20:18:21.182-07:002013-02-04T20:18:21.182-07:00An excerpt from my newly re-released book, THE WIZ...An excerpt from my newly re-released book, THE WIZARD'S SHIELD:<br /><br />The rush of a sudden, fierce wind outside drew her to a window to watch the shrubs and palm trees flapping wildly. Sand blew over the pavement and splattered against walls and trees. Dead leaves, loose papers, and other debris danced in the air. A livid, purple-tinged darkness turned the day grotesque. Tendrils of indigo-shaded power floated along with the dark storm clouds.<br /><br />A flash of lightning seared its way from sky to ground just beyond a row of houses across the street, followed closely by a crack of thunder that rattled the windows. <br /><br />A man and woman hurried three small children along the boardwalk that led over the dune from the beach to the street. They toted coolers, bags, boogie boards, and buckets. The youngest trailed a towel flapping behind him in the wind. More lightning zig-zagged from sky to ground, not far away. Ilene sucked in a sharp breath.<br /><br />The father looked up and flinched. Fear tightened his muscles as he dropped a cooler and turned around to snatch up the straggling toddler. His voice carried over the rushing wind. "Get to the van. Quick!"<br />He nodded toward a vehicle parked down the street. His wife and two older children raced on ahead. <br /><br />Ilene’s hands clenched into fists. Too much energy crackled in the air. It wasn’t directed at the family, but that didn’t guarantee they wouldn’t get hurt by it. Collateral damage. Some of the more ruthless mages cared little for who else was affected by their activities.<br /><br />Two flashes hit nearby, one right after the other. The child let out a frightened wail as his father, bent low over him, dashed off the wooden walkway and down the street. Even they could sense the danger building.<br /><br />Ilene couldn’t trust their fate to chance. She roused her own power, feeling for charged particles in the area. Gathering them in, she rolled and pushed them into position, building a lattice of force around the family. It wouldn’t keep out the wind or the rain—she could have done that with air, too, if she’d had time—but it should keep the lightning from reaching them. For the moment, that mattered most.<br /><br />Even at a distance, the rush of oppositely charged particles prickled in her brain. The growing polarization signaled an impending strike. <br /><br />What formed out there made her gut clench in fear. It was so close to the father and child the hair on their bodies must have been standing on end. The man looked around wildly, searching for shelter. The panic in his eyes radiated across the fifty feet or so that separated them.<br />Would her barrier be enough to protect them? The ground charge was forming so close it could jump right through it if she’d left even a small opening. Ilene reached out toward the building charge differential. Playing with lightning was tricky business. Choosing her positions carefully, she pushed in various weak spots to move the polarizing field. <br /><br />It sucked a lot of energy out of her to divert its course. Her ribs and head ached as she herded protons in a subatomic cattle drive to get the charge well away from the family. Those minuscule bits of potential energy were every bit as ornery and uncooperative as cows were reputed to be. <br /><br />Even as the bolt formed, she didn’t know if she’d succeeded. Her breath stopped in her throat for a long, long moment as she waited.<br /><br />Trade Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/The-Wizards-Shield-Karen-McCullough/dp/148118296X<br />Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060Y5IQ6<br />Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wizard-x2019-s-shield-karen-mccullough/1045768171?ean=2940015953275<br />Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/281723<br />Karen McCulloughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13272447553723310292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-87331166042397180982013-02-04T20:08:07.053-07:002013-02-04T20:08:07.053-07:00Okay, you hooked me! Off to Amazon.Okay, you hooked me! Off to Amazon.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058434530980080026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-28831353274907264472013-02-04T18:00:33.432-07:002013-02-04T18:00:33.432-07:00Here's a blurb from my debut novel Taming the ...Here's a blurb from my debut novel Taming the Stallion, where my main character just stepped out of the shower, and she realized she inadvertently gave the hero her phone number....<br /><br />Available at B&N.com in ebook right now and coming to paperback in the spring:<br />http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-stallion-dorothy-callahan/1114140321?ean=9781440563461<br /><br /><br />The phone rang, and Raylie stepped into her bedroom to answer it. “Hello?”<br />A pause. “Officer McPherson?”<br />“Who’s calling, please?”<br />“It’s Ashton Lyre, from Star—”<br />“How did you get this number?” Was he a stalker? Dangerous?<br />He seemed tentative, confused. “I…you gave it…the write-up. Report. Whatever you want to call it. It says ‘Me’ at this number, right at the top.”<br />Bowling. Her free hand slowly cradled her forehead. The towel fell.<br />“I…I thought…maybe…you know…you had heard of the last fiasco. Wanted to find out more. Especially since the case was dropped only two weeks ago.”<br />Her body responded to the uncertainty in his voice, the vulnerability that made her originally choose this profession. His rich timbre vibrated through the phone, making her nipples pebble and a shiver tickle along her spine.<br />She was probably just cold. “What? It was?”<br />“Well…yeah. No evidence. I told them I never hired the kid. I thought maybe you had some suspects in mind.” <br />Ray snatched up her towel and gripped it to her wayward breasts. “Mr. Lyre, in my profession, the suspects are always the ones who own the pets.”<br />“Damn it, McPherson,” she heard a thud through the phone line. A palm along a table? “Doc Schneible was here not two hours after you left. I’ve known this man for fifteen years. He was my character witness at the trial, for God’s sake. He thinks my boys were poisoned. Now, I want to know, do you have any suspects?”<br />Not many men stood up to a woman with a gun. And he referred to his horses as his “boys.” She liked that. Like they were kin and not commodity. Something she understood better than most. <br />Still…in a composed voice she said, “I think you need to call the Louisville Police Department for that, Mr. Lyre. If you’re talking suspects, it’s really hard for us to put lie detectors on horses. Hell, even our stool pigeons don’t sing.”<br />He grew quiet. She started shivering again. “I thought,” he started slowly, “that being an animal cop meant you wanted to help those in jeopardy. Give voices to those who can’t speak. See that justice was served.” He took a deep breath. “Guess I was wrong about you.” He hung up the phone.<br />“No, you weren’t,” she whispered before replacing the receiver. Moisture had gathered in a long neglected place, moisture far removed from her shower. For the first time, a man had unwittingly validated her job, her beliefs, her purpose, and dang it, it felt good. Her breasts tightened as her nipples strained out of her skin. His face danced in the mirror of her mind, and she imagined those callused hands sliding around her waist, drawing her close....<br />Humpty Dumpty may be dead, but suddenly Raylie no longer felt like she was. “He’s my suspect,” she growled at herself.<br />But still…<br />This was going to be a great case.<br />She was completely turned on.<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02617594636521100534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-92094879864345376402013-02-04T14:01:31.015-07:002013-02-04T14:01:31.015-07:00Here's a quickie from The Midas Rush, my upcom...Here's a quickie from The Midas Rush, my upcoming science fiction novel with romantic elements, being released at the end of February. Tresky, a shepherd on the planet Jones, has gathered his life savings and come to the city seeking adventure. He finds a mysterious woman, Ebbril who insists on marrying him within hours of meeting. Here they are in a hotel room, where Ebbril drinks little but keeps refilling Tresky's glass:<br /><br /> "Where you from, Ebbril? Can't place your accent or your looks."<br /> "Where do you think I'm from?"<br /> "By your light skin, somewhere up northwest. Actually...." In a fit of drunken bashfulness, Tresky stared into his cup, which had somehow refilled itself. "Without meaning any offense, I find myself wondering if you're a Pilk."<br /> Ebbril cocked her head to one side.<br /> "Am I right? You a Pilk from the coast of the Square Sea?"<br /> "What have you heard about Pilks, Tresky?"<br /> He screwed up his face, trying to squint at memories through a fog of alcohol. "Not much. 'S too far away. Never met a Pilk. Never knew anyone who had."<br /> "You're right, Tresky. I'm a Pilk."<br /> For a moment he was speechless. Then he exploded, drumming his fists on the table and howling. "I married a Pilk! I married a Pilk!"<br /> "Tresky, control yourself."<br /> He stopped drumming, but let out another howl. "Glory to the Diggers, on my first day in the big city I meet a Pilk and on the second day I marry her. A Pilk! Whooha!" He started to do the Shearing Dance, but a spinning head changed his mind. Instead, he leered at Ebbril as though seeing her for the first time.<br /> She glanced around nervously, seemingly worried that his noise might bring complaints. But he'd given the innkeeper a huge tip -- well, at least a tip -- to ensure against interruptions.<br /> "What," Ebbril demanded, "have you heard about Pilks?"<br /> "Only what ever'one knows."<br /> "Which is?"<br /> "Oh ..." He giggled. "You know."<br /> She lowered her lashes, then looked at him with an expression warm enough to kindle the wood of the table. "Come on, Tresky lad. What have you heard?"<br /> "Tresky lad." He giggled again. "Boy, oh boy, am I gonna get it tonight. Whooha!"<br /> "Tresky." The word was louder than her usual throaty purr.<br /> "Okay, okay. I've heard that Pilks are sort of like us Gasparres, 'cept opposite. Gasparres are dreamy romantics given to sloppy poetry and staying virgins until they marry, and then staying fateful ... uh, faithful forever."<br /> Ebbril stared as though seeing him for the first time. "You're a virgin?"<br /> "Well ..." He made himself speak slowly, so the words would behave themselves like a flock under the watchful gaze of a sheep-lizard. "I suppose to a Pilk, whose people've raised sexual pleasure to its highest, most intense, most sophissicated levels--"<br /> "What!"<br /> "To a Pilk, I shuppose being a virgin at twenty-two is a disgrace. But here--up in Gasparre, I mean--it's bein' a Pilk what's scandalous." Tresky winked at her with both eyes. "But I won't hold your 'sperience against you. Just be gentle wi' me."<br /> He reached for her, but bumped the bottle of wine instead. It toppled over. As a puddle formed under his nose, he giggled, imagining the wine spilling onto Ebbril's dress and her removing it very Pilkily.<br /> Then the room went dark, though he never heard the click of the light switch.<br /><br /><br />The Midas Rush, available February, 2013<br />The Trial of Tompa Lee, available now in hardcover and e-bookAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-75462879876125201672013-02-04T13:31:44.129-07:002013-02-04T13:31:44.129-07:00Thanks for the opportunity to showcase “Torc of Mo...Thanks for the opportunity to showcase “Torc of Moonlight”, book 1 in a trilogy of paranormal romances about the resurrection of a Celtic water goddess. Out now as ebook and soon paperback:<br /><br /> The girl behind the computer screen looked up with a smile that faded to a suspicious frown. Nick slapped the poster across her keyboard.<br /> ‘Hawkins,’ he snapped. ‘Who is he?’<br />The girl blinked, and pushed herself back on her wheeled chair. ‘What?’ <br /> ‘Hawkins,’ Nick repeated, stabbing a finger at the blacked-out name on the poster beneath Alice’s head. ‘Who is he and where can I find him?’<br /> Her gaze followed his hand, and then took in the poster as a whole. ‘Oh,’ she said.<br /> Nick leant over her desk. ‘Who is he?’<br /> The girl stood, pushing her face towards his, matching his aggression. ‘What’s your problem? Never heard of please and thank you?’ Her eyes flashed. ‘Our lecherous lecturer laid your girlfriend, has he?’<br /> Nick straightened, catching his breath. The girl eased her stance in return.<br /> ‘Figures,’ she said. ‘We thought this little interlude was too good to be true. Helen is the one you need to speak to. She did an exposé a couple of years back. Nearly had him turfed out.’<br /> ‘Where is he?’<br /> ‘Forget it, or you’ll end up turfed out. And that prat isn’t worth your future.’<br /> ‘I’ve never heard of him. Lecturer in what?’<br /> ‘Forget it. Acting the jilted lover isn’t going to score you any points around here.’<br /> ‘Helen, then. Where will I find this Helen?’<br /> ‘Right here.’<br /> Behind him the door swung gently on its hinges to reveal an angular woman in her late twenties wearing a mauve silk jacket and a short black skirt. In her heels she was taller than Nick. At sight of the poster she raised a darkly pencilled eyebrow.<br /> ‘Mother Earth Society, eh? Not a devotee, are you, desperately trying to be one with nature?’ Her gaze washed over his scarred face. ‘I guess not. Hardly the bardic type.’<br /> ‘He’s looking for Harkin,’ the girl told her.<br /> ‘Hawkins,’ Nick corrected.<br /> The woman shook her head. ‘Leonard Harkin, our celebrated hippie that never was, chief practitioner of free love and peace, man.’ She swayed, giving an imitation of being stoned. ‘Except he wraps it up with candles and secret invocations.’<br /> The girl shot her a warning look. ‘Helen...’<br /> ‘But not everyone,’ Helen continued, ‘only the impressionable ones, the ones he wants to shag. Your girlfriend. Presumably.’<br /> ‘Where will I find him?’<br /> ‘Now? Pass. His studio’s in Loten. You could try there. Of course, at this hour he could be scraping his reptiles on Cranbrook.’ She looked beyond his shoulder to the girl behind the desk. ‘Time to call it a day, Jenny.’<br /> Nick frowned. ‘This Harkin lectures in…?’<br /> Helen unhooked a coat from the back of the door and passed it over the desk. Jenny flicked the switch on the computer and its incessant hum fell silent in the tiny office.<br /> ‘You’re not listening,’ Helen told him. ‘Loten. Studio. You’ll find it if you want to. Can hardly miss it really.’ She gestured towards the corridor. ‘Would you like to go ahead of us so we can lock up?’<br />Nick stepped by her and kept on walking. Helen followed him out of the office, watching his determined stride with interest as Jenny turned the key. <br /> ‘You shouldn’t have done that,’ Jenny said. ‘If he flattens Harkin he’ll get thrown out. If he mentions your name you’ll get thrown out. They’ll bring up that harassment claim he made against you.’<br /> Helen smiled, unperturbed. ‘I hope he does flatten Harkin. I hope he beats the shit out of him. Justice has been a long time coming.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘Besides, you never can tell. A scapegoat might come in handy.’<br /><br />Check out: <br />http://lindaacaster.blogspot.com<br />http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FEFCKK<br />http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/torc-of-moonlight?store=ebook<br />http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/torc-moonlight-special-edition/id405381469?mt=11<br />Linda Acasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03096791092366530129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-70435485735748610762013-02-04T13:08:48.348-07:002013-02-04T13:08:48.348-07:00Thanks for this opportunity, Nikki!
Ancient Ties ...Thanks for this opportunity, Nikki!<br /><br />Ancient Ties by Jane Leopold Quinn<br /><br />Excerpt: She had to bite her lower lip to keep her cries low, her throat aching with the frustration of holding them in. She didn’t want any of the servants hearing them. <br /> “Let it go, Janney. I want to hear you,” he rumbled in her ear, his warm tongue spearing inside. <br /> “Someone…” she gasped, her scalp prickling in ecstasy. <br /> “No one will come,” he assured her. “Except you.” He gently thrust his finger inside her. <br /> She groaned then, loud and long. <br /> Again and again he thrust, her squirming hips drawing his fingers farther inside. She felt the thick cock pressed against her backside become harder every time she writhed against him and hotter still at her every moan. She didn’t think she could survive it one more minute and pulled away from him. <br /> “What?” he complained. <br /> “Marek.” Her sob became a growl. “I want you inside me.” <br /> Stepping down into the pool, he lifted her. “Put your legs around me.” His eyes glittered before his lashes lowered with pleasure. <br /> The solid length of him, every thick, ridged inch, filled her. Her slick muscles grabbed him, pulled him in, pulsated around him. Held him tightly. She whimpered, her chin resting on his shoulder, mouth open in ecstasy. She squeezed her legs around his waist. Water, warm and womblike, swirled gently around their bodies joined beneath the surface. <br /> He nudged her, began to withdraw, preparing to thrust. <br /> “No,” she said thickly. “Don’t move.” She slid her arms around his neck, her breasts pressed flat to his chest, and pushed her fingers up into his hair. She bit his shoulder, and forced her hips to be still. “I just want to feel you inside me. Feel the beat of your heart.” It was ecstasy the touch of their skin, their arms around each other, his body filling hers. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, I love you.” Then she began moving, gently swaying against him. <br /> He responded. <br /> “No. Let me,” she whispered. <br /> She perfected a slow, restrained rhythm grinding into him, grinding against the hair at the base of his cock. She gasped at the sensations sensations of being open so completely to him, of being stretched so fully by him. Lost in some private world, small movements, she wanted small movements. <br /> Under the water, his fingers flowed over her, around the connection of their bodies. She was open to him. Vulnerable. Oh, yes. His sure, aggressive fingers circled and stroked, teased her back hole. Her fingers curled into claws, scraping down his neck, across his shoulders, her breath ragged. <br /> He licked her just under her ear, pulled her earlobe between his teeth, and continued his caresses. <br /> She reveled at the way her body responded to the exquisite, dark thrill of his double penetration. He owned her, possessed her body. She belonged to him heart and soul. Groans tore from her throat as she rocked against his cock, each movement drawing his fingers more deeply inside her. Tremors shook her body, overwhelming her. With a high shriek, her orgasm hit and she contracted tightly around him. His responding explosion, hot, powerful, and sustained, flowed into her. She felt the continuous jetting, the surging heat of his passion, could feel his throbbing, thick and heavy, in tandem with the beats of her heart. <br /> “I love you.” Tears washed her cheeks. The force of her orgasm drove her fingernails into his flesh; her teeth clamped down on his shoulder. She clung to him as his strong arms surrounded her. It was a long time before she could bear to relax her grip. A long time before she realized that he’d moved again to sit on the stair, still joined belly to belly, chest to chest. <br /> Neither wanted to let go. Neither could let go. <br /><br />Journey to 2nd Century Roman Britain – Ancient Ties<br /><br />Jane Leopold Quinn - http://www.janeleopoldquinn.com<br />My Romance: Love With a Scorching Sensuality<br />Jane Leopold Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11828444485707533565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-55094009126670092922013-02-04T11:47:17.025-07:002013-02-04T11:47:17.025-07:00Here's an excerpt from FAIR PLAY, the first no...Here's an excerpt from FAIR PLAY, the first novel in the Diamond series. It's available at (Amazon) http://tiny.cc/b0q5ew (Barnes & Noble) http://tiny.cc/i2q5ew (Soul Mate Publishing) http://tiny.cc/n3q5ew and (Kobo Books) http://tiny.cc/spvzrw<br /><br /><br /> Dani stopped halfway in the room. She felt like she’d just been undressed with his eyes, but instead of making her feel disgusted as she had with Martin Pace, he’d caused her body to warm with pleasure. She hated that he could control her reactions to him, so she said indignantly, “One look wasn’t enough the last time, so you needed a repeat performance?” <br />He rose to his feet and smirked. “If I recall, we were supposed to exchange notes. I was just refreshing my memory.”<br /><br />“Tonight I escaped the mauling of one pervert. Do I need to defend myself from another?”<br /><br />His eyes flared with anger at her words, but he replied calmly, “Don’t put me in the same category as that excuse for a man.”<br /><br />“Sorry. That was totally uncalled for.” Her gaze fell to the floor. “It’s been a tough night.”<br /><br />He circled the front of his desk to face her. <br /> <br />She raised her head and followed him with her eyes and couldn’t help scrutinizing his body as he moved. He was tall. She figured him to be at least 6’3”, with broad shoulders, a lean body, and long legs. He had a really great body and so much male sexuality pouring from him, she figured women threw themselves at him all the time. No wonder he was so self-assured and arrogant. Her reaction to him was no different than other woman. No matter how much she denied it, she was very attracted to him.<br /> <br /> She had to make sure Jace never learned of her attraction. It would be a very dangerous weapon to put in his hands. When her eyes returned to his, she realized he was watching her.<br /><br />He crossed his arms and grinned. “Refreshing your memory, too, I see? Do you like what you see?”<br /><br />Dani’s face instantly heated as she realized what she’d been doing. A few minutes ago she’d berated him for leering at her, and she was doing the same thing. Damn! She was treading on dangerous ground. Jace didn’t seem to be a man to be played with.<br /><br />“Forgive my rudeness. You wanted to talk to me about something?” <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08516362174886470013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8640495900909855063.post-60474862744240487522013-02-04T11:16:01.094-07:002013-02-04T11:16:01.094-07:00From The Seduction of Lady Phoebe which will be re...From The Seduction of Lady Phoebe which will be released by eKensington in September. http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.com<br /><br />As Marcus turned to leave, someone began pounding on a door at the far end of the hall. From the almost unintelligible words of love coming from the young blood attempting to lay siege to the chamber, it appeared the young man was in his altitudes, and he’d found Phoebe. At least Marcus didn’t think the idiot would be reciting bad poetry to anyone else. Damn. <br />Much to his disgust, Marcus recognized something of his own prior behavior towards Phoebe in the drunken young man. With long strides, Marcus quickly covered the distance to her door. Taking the other man by his coat collar, Marcus picked him up, and shook him. Hard. In a low, fierce growl, he said, “You, my lad, are leaving with me now, and you will not return to bother this lady again. If you do, I shall take great delight in breaking every bone in your body.”<br />Through the fellow’s alcoholic haze, he tried to focus on his tormentor. Marcus received a grim satisfaction at the fear in the blood’s eyes. Marcus slowly lowered the younger man until his feet touched the floor, then Marcus guided the buck down the hall to the stairs and out the front door, handing him over to one of the ostlers still on duty.<br />Marcus scowled. “Take this fool, and do not allow him back in the inn.”<br />The ostler eyed Marcus cautiously. “But, my lord, he’s stayin’ here.”<br />He fixed the ostler with a cold, hard glare. “I don’t give a damn where he is staying. He was bothering a female guest. You will not allow him back in the inn, or you’ll answer to me.”<br />“Of course, my lord. I’ll put him in the barn.”<br />As the ostler started off, Marcus asked, “Where’s the landlord?”<br />“I don’t know, my lord.”<br />Marcus scowled as the ostler hurried off with his charge. When his groom, Covey, called out, Marcus glanced over.<br />“What did you discover?” he asked curtly.<br />“Seems as if it were just bad luck, my lord, her la’ship being on her way to London. Stays here a lot she does. She was supposed to have arrived next week but came early.”<br />“Did her servants tell you anything?”<br />“Close as clams. Don’t tell no one nothin’. Got the information from one of the ostlers. She’s travelin’ with a groom, coachman, and maid.”<br />“Those damn ostlers talk too much,” Marcus responded savagely, striding back to the inn and to the hall outside of Phoebe’s chamber. If the innkeeper couldn’t protect her, he would.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com