Monday, February 27, 2017

Mastering Her Senses by Laura Kaye - Review Tour

MASTERING HER SENSES - Review Tour banner    

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life. Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

    MASTERING HER SENSES - Cover

About MASTERING HER SENSES (Blasphemy #2, 2/21/17):

12 Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

He wants to dominate her senses—and her heart…

Quinton Ross has always been a thrill-seeker—so it’s no surprise that he’s drawn to extremes in the bedroom and at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, where he creates sense-depriving scenarios that blow submissives’ minds. Now if he could just find one who needs the rush as much as him…

When an accident leaves Cassia Locke with a paralyzing fear of the dark, she’ll try anything to get help. Ready to fight, she knows just who to ask for help—the hard-bodied, funny-as-hell Dom she’d always crushed on—and once stood up.

Quinton is shocked and a little leery to see Cassia, but he can’t pass up the chance to dominate the alluring little sub this time. Introducing her to sensory deprivation becomes his new favorite obsession, and watching her fight fear is its own thrill. But when doubt threatens to send her running again, Quinton must find a way to master her senses—and her heart.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

    MasteringHerSenses_AvailableNow

Review
(by Cindy)

The Blasphemy series is the only thing I’ve read from author Laura Kaye, but I’m happy to say that I’ve found a new author to add to my faves. Mastering Her Senses is book 2 in the series, and it’s Master Quinton’s story. He’s one of 12 masters running the exclusive BDSM club, Blasphemy.

Master Quinton and the submissive, Cassia, had made plans to meet for a scene, but Cassia never showed. Now, two years later, she appears back at Blasphemy looking to return to the lifestyle. Quinton is intrigued, not just because he wants to know why she stood him up, but because his interest in sensory deprivation seems to be just what Cassia needs.

Most Doms in BDSM stories are intense and intimidating, both in a scene and out. There’s something different about Master Quinton, though. While there’s no question he’s serious about the lifestyle, he also has a soft side that absolutely won me over. It was easy to tell from the beginning that it wouldn’t be long before Quinton and Cassia’s no-strings-attached arrangement would be short lived. Strings seem to have a mind of their own, as they both began to realize.

Mastering Her Senses has all the stuff I look for in an erotic romance, but with a tender angle that I absolutely adored.

Four-and-a-half stars.

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Laura Kaye’s MASTERING HER SENSES – Review Tour Schedule:
February 27th
February 28th
March 1st
March 2nd
March 3rd
March 4th

BLASPHEMY - 12 Masters banner

Books in Series:

Hard to Serve #.5

Bound to Submit #1

Mastering Her Senses #2 – 2/21/17

Eyes on You #3 – 7/11/17

  Laura Kaye - headshotAbout Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.      

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From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a hot new standalone second chance romance…

THE HOT ONE!

Want a slow burn, sexy-as-sin second chance romance filled with wit, humor and so much heart? Dive in, and get ready to swoon and fan yourself from the heat!

 
TheHotOne - Now Available

A sexy, feel-good romance that makes you feel good all over, THE HOT ONE is a hot, second chance standalone romance and the story of confident, charming and cocky attorney Tyler Nichols who is determined to win back his college sweetheart when he runs into her in NYC eight years later. He’ll do anything to win her heart… including stripping naked for her at her office. Can she move on from the hurt and give love a brand new chance? Find out in this sexy, fun, and sizzling romance full of heart, charm and heat! Told in dual POV, THE HOT ONE is being called over-the-top hot and utterly addictive. Grab your copy of THE HOT ONE and get ready to laugh, swoon, and fan yourself from the heat!

The Hot One is love, laugh-out-loud humor, and lust all wrapped up in the perfect package…PURE PLEASURE!!!” ~ Bookalicious Babes Blog

 
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“Lauren Blakely is the QUEEN of sweet, fun, and steamy reads… Her books are utterly addictive.” ~ Angie’s Dreamy Reads

  THE HOT ONE - cover  

A sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely…

Ever notice that sometimes a guy will do something really stupid, like let the love of his life slip through his fingers?

Yeah. I'm that guy. But the instant I run into her again I’ve got one goal and one goal only—a second chance. The plan? Go big or go home.

Fine, at first glance, stripping naked at my ex-girlfriend's place of work might not seem like the brightest way to win her heart again. But trust me on this count—she always liked me best without any clothes on. And sometimes you've got to play to your strengths when you're fighting an uphill battle. As a lawyer, I know how to fight, and I'm prepared to fight hard for her. Because sometimes you need a second chance at first love.

He's the one who got away . . .

The nerve of Tyler Nichols to reappear like that at my job, showing off his rock-hard body that drove me wild far too many nights. That man with his knowing grin and mischievous eyes is nothing but a cocky jerk to saunter back into my life. Except, what if he's not . . .? I've tried like hell to forget him, but maybe I'm cursed to remember the guy I fell madly in love with eight years ago. Lord knows I’m not over him, so what's the harm in giving him a week to prove he's changed in the ways that matter?

After all, how do you resist the hot one . . .?

Amazon Kindle ** Amazon Paperback ** iBooks ** B&N ** Kobo ** GooglePlay


Excerpt

Technically, I didn't drop my drawers the first time I saw her again. Just my balls.
The ones in my hands. Juggling balls.
Here’s how it went down. Picture a Sunday morning in Central Park. A perfect summer day. The grass was green, the breeze was warm, and I’d just spent the last few hours getting acquainted with turtles and frogs at the children’s zoo because I’m an awesome uncle. And Carly’s one cool seven-year-old.
The kid loves all creatures, but especially the ones that jump and crawl, so I took her to the enchanted forest part of the zoo. When we finished, she tugged on my shirt sleeve, batted her hazel eyes, and asked ever so sweetly for an ice cream cone.
Like I stood a chance at resisting her. C’mon. She’s my cousin’s kid, and clearly she gets her charm from our side of the family.
With her hand in mine, we strolled across the grass near the running path, hunting for the nearest ice cream dealer.
And then Carly did that thing little kids do.
She shrieked for what seemed like absolutely no reason. Next, she pointed to an impossibly tall dude wearing a beret while juggling two Rubik’s Cubes, two orange balls, and a small green beanbag.
“He can do five, Uncle Tyler!” Carly shouted, her eyes going wide.
“Five isn’t too shabby,” I said with a shrug.
She turned to me with a questioning stare. “I’ve never seen you do five.”
“That’s because I haven’t shown you all my tricks yet.”
“Can you really juggle five balls?”
I scoffed. “Please, I can do that with my eyes closed.”
I didn’t put myself through law school juggling for nothing.
Just kidding.
You can’t put yourself through law school juggling anything but insane class schedules and lack of sleep.
Carly arched an eyebrow. So did the juggler, as he kept up the cascade of his quintet. Show-off.
“I want to see. Show me,” Carly urged.
Yeah, Carly’s a chip off the old block. She’s all about challenging me, and I’m all about rising to the challenge.
The stick-thin guy with the beret raised his chin. “Have at it, man.”
With clockwork precision, he let the balls fall out of orbit and into his palm. Next, the Rubik’s Cubes. Then the beanbag. He stepped closer, handed me the objects, and flashed a crooked, put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is grin.
Game on.
Packs of runners jogged along, cyclists wheeled over the black asphalt, and rollerbladers whizzed by on the concrete. With my feet parked hip’s width apart, I stood at the edge of the grass getting a feel for the items, weighing them, and then one, two, three, four, five, I whisked each one up into the air in a high oval arc. Round and round, in a perfect five-ball cascade.
Carly clapped, then demanded more. “Yes, now close your eyes!”
I groaned. What was I thinking? Juggling with eyes closed is fucking hard. But I could pull it off for a couple seconds. My special skill. I obliged my niece’s request, pulling off a few quick blind ovals. Five seconds later, after I’d shown off that particular party trick, I opened my eyes.
And I saw a vision from my past.
A blond beauty, with long legs, a lovely round ass, and a high ponytail swishing back and forth across her shoulders. She ran along the path in tiny orange let-me-peel-them-off-with-my-teeth-pretty-please running shorts. And that face. Dear Lord, the stunning face of an angel. High cheekbones. Deep brown eyes that saw me like no one ever had. Those red lips, shaped like a bow. Fuck me, the things she could do with those lips. The things I taught her to do with that sinful mouth.
Delaney sure as hell knew how to use it, and I don’t just mean in the bedroom. We used to talk about anything and everything when we were together in college. Days with her. Nights with her. Best time of my life. That woman was full of spark. Full of fire. So damn passionate. And look at her now.
Jesus Christ.
It had to be illegal to be that smoking hot.


THE HOT ONE - RDL teaser 3 

Tyler Nichols. Oh. My. God. The title is definitely apropos. This man is over the top HOT in oh so many ways. The Hot One is a read-in-one-sitting kind of story.” ~ Naughty Girls and Their Books

  THE HOT ONE - RDL teaser 1  
Review
(by Cindy)

I admit I have a weakness for Lauren Blakely’s men, and it’s beginning to sound redundant that I keep saying, “this one was my favorite.” But Tyler Nichols…Oh. My. God. The title is definitely apropos; this man is over the top HOT in oh, so many ways.

There’s just something about a second chance romance. This isn’t the first time Lauren has wowed me with a one-that-got-away story, but The Hot One is beyond sweet, it’s even beyond sexy. (Yes. I said beyond). Tyler and Delaney’s story struck a chord with me.  Tyler hooked me from the very beginning with his warmth and wit. So if I fell hook, line, and sinker, then it’s no wonder Delaney didn’t stand a chance.

The chemistry between Tyler and Delaney is off the charts hot. I loved the characters’ playful banter, and the way they teased and seduced each other. Even more than that, beyond the sex and dirty talk (and yes, there’s plenty of that), the characters have a mature and touching backstory, and I love that Lauren Blakely took her readers there. From Tyler’s honesty about their breakup, to his resolve to win back the woman he let get away, from Delaney’s fear of commitment and even her abandonment issues, the characters’ emotional journey elevated this story to something higher than just a second chance romance.

And, can I just say, every girl should have best friends like Penny and Nicole. Friends who aren’t afraid to talk straight, but who also know when it’s time to just stand aside and offer support, knowing they may need to be that soft place to fall, or that they might have to give their friend a little kick in the butt.

The Hot One is a read-in-one-sitting kind of story. I couldn’t put it down. Grab a cup of tea and some sustenance, because once you start, you won’t want to stop!


Five (plus) HOT stars!

Add it to Goodreads here!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32884586-the-hot-one

  THE HOT ONE - RDL teaser 2  
➜ Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2mqMDtk
➜ Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2lcoaWR
➜ Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2lmLL87
➜ Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2lI8vBQ
➜Google Play: http://bit.ly/2fY0KGf
➜Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2fDNSRA

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ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

 

Author pic - Lauren BlakelyAbout Lauren Blakely:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than seventy-five times, and she's sold more than 1.5 million books. In February she'll release THE HOT ONE, a standalone contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

 
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Friday, February 24, 2017

Buns by Alice Clayton - Cover Reveal


BUNS
By Alice Clayton

The third in the hilarious yet sizzling hot Hudson Valley series from New York Time and USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton.

Clara Morgan is living the dream, if you can call rebranding hotels that are desperate for a new life and running any kind of marathon a dream. Which she does. But the career she loves and the endurance races that keep her adrenaline pumping have kept her too busy to put down any roots. Growing up in foster care, she’s never been able to establish traditions of her own, which may be why she’s fascinated by the rituals that generations-old family resorts are known for. She’s especially interested in the Bryant Mountain House, and not just for their secret recipe for the yummy, gooey, can’t-get-enough-of Hot Cross Buns….

Archie Bryant, the man with the Buns, is fifth generation and one-day-owner of the charming yet run-down Bryant Mountain House in Bailey Falls, New York. He’s determined to save his family’s legacy from the wrecking ball the old-fashioned way—by gritting his teeth and doing what needs to be done. There’s no way Archie will be influenced by the new hotel branding expert his father brought in to turn one hundred and fifty years of tradition on its head just to attract a faster, younger, slicker crowd. But when some of Clara’s ideas start bringing in new, paying customers, Archie can’t deny that she may have just given him a shot at keeping his resort open.

It’s sticky, it’s messy, it’s sweet, it’s Buns.



Alice Clayton  worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop).  She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her.  Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Mastering Her Senses (Blasphemy #2) by Laura Kaye - Release Day Launch

MASTERING HER SENSES - RDL banner    

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life. Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

    MASTERING HER SENSES - Cover
About MASTERING HER SENSES (Blasphemy #2, 2/21/17):
12 Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…
He wants to dominate her senses—and her heart…
Quinton Ross has always been a thrill-seeker—so it’s no surprise that he’s drawn to extremes in the bedroom and at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, where he creates sense-depriving scenarios that blow submissives’ minds. Now if he could just find one who needs the rush as much as him…
When an accident leaves Cassia Locke with a paralyzing fear of the dark, she’ll try anything to get help. Ready to fight, she knows just who to ask for help—the hard-bodied, funny-as-hell Dom she’d always crushed on—and once stood up.
Quinton is shocked and a little leery to see Cassia, but he can’t pass up the chance to dominate the alluring little sub this time. Introducing her to sensory deprivation becomes his new favorite obsession, and watching her fight fear is its own thrill. But when doubt threatens to send her running again, Quinton must find a way to master her senses—and her heart.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks


Excerpt


“Where are you, Cassia?” Master Quinton asked, slowly swaying with her on the crowded dance floor.

“Um…” She swallowed, hard, blind beneath the thickly folded lace. “Yellow, Sir,” she said, feeling weak at the admission.

He kissed her, soft and sweet and approving. “Good girl. Always want you to be honest with me. If it’s too much, squeeze my shoulders three times. Otherwise, no talking.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said, knowing that they’d just slipped into a scene without him having to tell her. And that helped tip the scales toward the more positive reactions he’d unleashed. Because her body was a live wire waiting to see what he had in store for her. Why had she teased him again?

Words rumbled into her ear. “There’s a couple right behind you. Almost touching you. The man is dancing behind the woman, and he’s pulled up her skirt.” Cassia’s heart tripped into a sprint. Master Quinton squeezed her ass with one big hand as they danced, his body tight against hers. Other bodies bumped against them, too, against her elbow, her heel, her hip. “She was naked beneath,” he continued, “and her pussy is bare. The man is teasing her, rubbing his fingers over her lips without really hitting her clit. The look on her face is pure torture.”

Each word painted a new stroke of color against the blackness of her eyelids—and over all the most sensitive places of her body. Her nipples. Her neck. Her clit. Cassia shivered as the image Quinton described came to life in her mind’s eye.

Slowly, Master Quinton dragged his tongue up the column of Cass’s neck, adding to her own torment. And then his lips were at her ear again. “He’s fingering her now. Forcing her to keep dancing while he does it.” He swallowed thickly. “Aw, fuck, Cass, he’s making her suck her own wetness off his fingers.”

Cassia moaned at the vivid picture she now had, and at the rough arousal in her Dom’s voice. His lust stoked her own, made her wish that they were the ones doing what he described.

Quinton licked the shell of her ear, unleashing goosebumps all down her neck and shoulders. “He’s taking his cock out now. Lining it up between her legs… Oh, yeah, he just slid into her from behind. Right here on the dance floor.”

A whimper spilled from Cassia as heat roared over her body. Suddenly, she could barely stand the thin fabric of her dress against her skin.

“Mmm, like that idea, do you?” Quinton said, his dirty words a secret the music helped them keep. “Looks like she does too, the way her Dom is taking her right here in the middle of all these people, all of them watching her, touching her. Can you see it, Cassia? Can you see him fucking her?”

She gave a fast nod, almost forgetting not to speak. But, God, she wanted to. She wanted to beg.

For Quinton. For his touch and his tongue and his cock.

“Yeah, I know you can. You can see his cock sliding deep. I bet you can even feel it.”

Jesus, she was going to come. She was going to come from his words alone.

On some level, she knew what he was doing. And she freaking adored him for it, for the way he’d put light in the darkness with just his voice. But she was too invested in the story to think about it. She needed more. She needed it all.

MasteringHerSensense_Teaser_1_AvailableNow

Add to your Goodreads

   
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Books in Series:

Hard to Serve #.5

Bound to Submit #1

Mastering Her Senses #2 – 2/21/17

Eyes on You #3 – 7/11/17

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Join the MASTERING HER SENSES Facebook Party on February 21st! JOIN THE PARTY HERE!

Laura Kaye - author picAbout Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty books in contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Blasphemy, Hard Ink, and Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Laura also writes historical fiction as the NYT bestselling author, Laura Kamoie. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.      

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Friday, February 17, 2017

BLACK HEARTS, SINS DUET #1 by Karina Halle


For Vicente Bernal, truth is all he’s known. The son of an infamous drug lord, Vicente was born to help run the family business, which means he’s been raised on a throne of sordid pasts and dirty laundry, violence and pride. But when Vicente stumbles across someone he’s not supposed to know about – a woman from his father’s checkered past – he sets out to California to find her behind his father’s back.

What Vicente doesn’t expect to find in San Francisco is Violet McQueen, the woman’s twenty-year old daughter. Beautiful and edgy with a vulnerability he can’t resist, Violet tempts Vicente from afar and though he promised himself he’d stay away from her, curiosity and lust are powerful forces. Besides, Vicente has always gotten everything he wants – why shouldn’t he have Violet too?

Soon his wants turn into an obsession, one that sweeps Violet into his games as they fall madly, deeply in love with each other, the type of first love that can drive a person mad.

But it’s a love with tragic consequences.

Both the truth – and the lies – not only threaten to tear them apart, but threaten their very lives.

Someone has to pay for the sins of the fathers.

And they’ll be paying the price with their souls.

NOTE: Black Hearts is book one of the Sins Duet, with the sequel, Dirty Souls, releasing in March 2017.
These books can be read as a standalone – though they are a spinoff of the Sins & Needles and Dirty Angels trilogies, Black Hearts & Dirty Souls are set 20 years in the future and follow new characters. You do NOT need to read TAT or DA to enjoy or understand this duet.
 


Excerpt

The fog is continuing to roll in, bringing a briny mist that you can taste. Only the tops of the bridge remain visible, the orange red seeming to glow against grey skies, while shadows of the structure come and go as the fog moves in.

Violet stares in quiet fascination, her dark eyes taking it in. I can see the fog reflected in them, giving her an eerie quality. She appears to be listening but whether it’s the fog horns, the chatter of the fishermen, the lapping waves, or the dull roar of the bridge traffic, I don’t know. Could be something else entirely.

I don’t want to break her concentration or bring her back from whatever world she’s in. I just stand beside her and let her be. If anything, it says a lot about her comfort level with me if she lets herself drift away.

After a few minutes, she slowly turns to me and blinks. “How long did you say you were going to be in San Francisco for?”

“I don’t know,” I say carefully. “It depends if I find what I’m looking for.”

“And what are you looking for?”

“A reason to stay.” I hold her gaze with mine. The sea breeze picks up a few strands of her hair, moving them across her face like a black veil. Without thinking, I reach over and brush them away, tucking them behind her ear.

I could kiss her. I should kiss her. The feel of her skin against my fingers ignites a million torches inside.

Then she looks away, uncomfortable, the silence between us changing.

I steer the subject onto her. “You said your mother is a famous photographer. Does she have a studio?”

She lets out a soft sigh, her eyes back on the bridge. “Yeah. In the mission district.”
“And you don’t want the same for yourself?”

She rubs her lips together in thought before looking down at her hands that hang over the side of the railing. “As I said, I don’t know what I want. I’m not sure I feel comfortable with the idea of having a studio. My mom does portraits of people. That’s not what I like to shoot.”

“Not a people person?”

A wry smile cracks her lips. “No. Not really. It’s too…intimate. My mom is great at it because people feel comfortable with her. She can…I don’t know, manipulate their feelings.”

Interesting. Very interesting.

People like my father.

“So they end up exposing pieces of themselves that they don’t see. I guess I have the same intuition as her but the one on one is too much for me. I prefer to work with nature. With this.” She gestures to the fog. “No one else really understands how beautiful this is to me.”

I look back at the fog, moving faster now. I wouldn’t call it beautiful. Moody. Dark, maybe. If anything, her beauty stands out more because of the bleakness around her.

“My goal is to take photos that show how I see the world. All the beauty in it. The world is such an ugly and beautiful place, horrible and hopeful. I want to show the light in all the dark places.” She pauses and gives me a sheepish look. “Sorry. I know that must have sounded hella pretentious.”

I slowly shake my head because she sounds anything but that. She sounds real. She sounds like something I want to shake loose from her, to let free and run wild.

“You’re not pretentious,” I tell her, my voice low. “Not even close.”

“That’s not what I hear.”

“What do you hear?” I move in closer to her, the distance between us just a few inches. She doesn’t back up. “What does the world tell you you are?”

I watch her swallow, take a moment. “Oh, you know. I’m too self-absorbed. Narcissistic. Pretentious. I live too much in my head, I’m too anti-social, too distant. I feel too much, care too much. My mother has always chided me for being too sensitive and then I was diagnosed with having hyper-sensitivity, so it turns out she was right. I am too sensitive. About everything. And there’s not a single thing I can do about it except know that when I experience reality, it’s not what everyone else experiences. For better or for worse.” She sighs. “Mainly for worse.”

I feel like this is something she doesn’t unload on many people. My instincts about her were right. She’s fragile but not weak, too much a part of the world and too much removed from it. A contradiction.

“I’m sorry,” she says, shooting me a glance. “I didn’t mean to blab away like that. I know you probably think I’m crazy now. Hell, I think I’m crazy half the time. I really wish I could just be like everyone else. To just…shut it all off.”

“You’re not crazy,” I tell her. “I’m just understanding you better.”

Her mouth quirks up into a dry smile. “I’m surprised you understand me at all. We’ve only just met.”

“True,” I tell her as I reach out and run my fingers along her jaw, tipping her chin up. “But I’m sure you of all people would know that sometimes you can connect with someone in ways you didn’t think you could. Or should.”

She barely nods, her eyes focused on mine, anticipation on her brow. I’m met with the overwhelming desire to protect and shield her which is extremely inconvenient, if not unwelcome, given the circumstances. One minute I need to fuck her, the next I need to protect her, and in the end, what I really need is to do the job I set out to do.