Today I'm bringing you an intriguing m/m read that blends the dangers of the mob world with the paranormal. Keep reading to get a tantalizing glimpse of Dragon & Flame by Zoe Perdita, the sixth book in the Haven City series, along with my impressions of it. Make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 5 e-copies of this book too!
All Rory has to do is pretend to be in a relationship with Jin. Rory’s bad boy nature, and the desire for some no-strings-attached sex make the idea way too intriguing. Even if Rory’s brain thinks it’s a bad idea, his cock heartily disagrees.
Problem is, Jin Yue might be all kinds of hot, but he’s also Haven City’s one and only crime boss – sexy, powerful and deadly. Now Rory is tied to Jin until the dragon’s mission is complete, regardless of assassination attempts, hunters or the cops.
Jin Yue won the gang war, but the battle for Haven City isn’t over.
Enter Rory Sullivan – the tatted up fire mage who can help Jin lay claim to his rightful territory. However, things don’t turn out the way Jin plans. Rory pushes all the right buttons and riles up Jin’s dragon instincts. The fire mage is the farthest thing from Jin’s type, but the heat between them sets Jin’s blood on fire.
They’re playing a dangerous game that puts both of their hearts and lives on the line. While the passion between Jin and Rory sizzles, can a relationship built on deceit grow into something more?
Problem is, Jin Yue might be all kinds of hot, but he’s also Haven City’s one and only crime boss – sexy, powerful and deadly. Now Rory is tied to Jin until the dragon’s mission is complete, regardless of assassination attempts, hunters or the cops.
Jin Yue won the gang war, but the battle for Haven City isn’t over.
Enter Rory Sullivan – the tatted up fire mage who can help Jin lay claim to his rightful territory. However, things don’t turn out the way Jin plans. Rory pushes all the right buttons and riles up Jin’s dragon instincts. The fire mage is the farthest thing from Jin’s type, but the heat between them sets Jin’s blood on fire.
They’re playing a dangerous game that puts both of their hearts and lives on the line. While the passion between Jin and Rory sizzles, can a relationship built on deceit grow into something more?
EXCERPT:
When they left the restaurant, Jin took him downtown to go shopping.
Rory stopped outside the store and raised his eyebrows at the name. “Armani? Isn’t that last season or some shit?”
Jin chuckled and stepped inside. “The label is all certain people care about. The tux should work for your sister’s wedding as well.”
Rory forced himself not to glower and followed.
His patience came to an end when no less than three sales people walked up and started asking stupid questions. Jin answered, and Rory wondered if these three women spent all their income on designer clothes. What a ridiculous waste of money. They pulled out three tuxedos, which all looked the same to Rory, but the sales vultures insisted they were different in cut or style.
“Do I have to try all three of them on?” Rory asked and shoved his hands into his pockets. Too bad his bartender getup wouldn’t pass at a fancy gala.
“Yes. I want my money’s worth, and you’re the best model I can think of,” Jin said with a delectable smirk and headed toward the fitting rooms.
Heat flared in Rory’s chest, torn between annoyance and lust. Why did Jin always fall right on that line? This weird place between wanting and wanting to punch.
He stalked after the dragon.
“You’re coming in with me?” Rory asked as he walked into one of the palatial dressing rooms. It was the same size as his bedroom and had a damn couch, for fuck’s sake. Yeah, it wasn’t anything like the dressing rooms at the places he usually shopped.
Jin stepped inside after him. “I wouldn’t want you getting lonely in here all by yourself.”
Rory doubted that eventuality, but he didn’t kick Jin out either. “And here I didn’t put on my fancy underwear.”
Jin smirked.
A sales woman brought in the tuxedos and shut the door as she left.
A dare lit up Jin’s eyes as he settled on the couch.
What did he expect? That Rory wouldn’t actually strip? He slipped the leather jacket off his shoulders and set it aside. “You want to watch me take off my clothes?”
“Very much. You’re an attractive man. I can see what Richard loves about you, but I can’t see what you liked about him,” Jin said evenly.
Love. Ha! Dick never loved him. Rory knew that, and Jin used that word on purpose.
Rory yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it on his jacket. Then he stepped forward. “Like what you see?”
Jin’s eyes crinkled at the edges, and Rory wondered how old the dragon was. Older than Rory.
Jin’s dark eyes drank in Rory’s firm chest, the tattoos that wound over his arms and taut pectorals, and the little black rings that pierced his nipples. But Jin didn’t reach forward and touch him, like Rory assumed he would. Hell, from the look of hungry fascination on Jin’s face and the flick of Jin’s tongue over his lips, Rory expected a hell of a lot more.
“I said you were attractive,” Jin purred.
“So take off my pants,” Rory said and moved so close his legs straddled Jin’s thighs. Perfect position for a suck job, and he smirked at that thought. If the sex was on his terms, he sure as hell wouldn’t mind.
“Is this how I earn my kiss?” Jin asked and leaned forward.
“Maybe,” Rory said. How the hell did this go from a power play to flirting? Fuck. He didn’t know. The heat building in his balls told him not to worry about it.
“Hmm,” Jin hummed, and his rough hands wound down Rory’s chest. They flicked and pulled, ever so carefully, at the rings on Rory’s nipples.
Rory bit back a groan.
Jin smiled and roamed lower. His fingers caught on the top of Rory’s jeans, and he undid the top button. His dark eyes burned as he grabbed the zipper, and eased it down like this was all some great big act of seduction.
It worked.
Rory’s breath hitched in his throat as Jin’s fingers brushed Rory’s bulge. It twitched and stiffened, and Rory fought the urge to thrust his hips into those hands.
“You want me to keep going?” Jin asked.
The dare still burned in his eyes, but something else flickered alongside it. The same flame that burned inside Rory – the thing that urged him closer and closer to the edge between what was safe and what was possible.
He didn’t trust himself to speak, so Rory nodded instead.
Jin complied. He hooked his thumbs in the side of the jeans and inched them lower and lower. They slid over Rory’s black jockeys, down his legs and bunched there. He forgot about the boots. Well, since Jin was in the neighborhood.
“Those too,” Rory said, his voice gruff.
“Oh, you’re going to pay for this later,” Jin said with a dangerous smirk.
Rory returned it with one of his own. “Sure thing.”
Jin made quick work of the laces, and Rory stepped out of the boots and jeans with a minimal amount of hopping. The jockey’s hung so low on his hips the dark red curls popped out of the waistband, but he didn’t bother yanking them up.
It gave the dragon a good look at what Rory had in store for him.
“Do I have to dress you too or can you manage?” Jin asked, his voice rich with amusement. A spark shone in his eyes.
“I think I can manage,” Rory said and picked up the first tux.
He put on the pants, shirt and jacket without a problem, but the bowtie was another issue altogether. However, one of the sales women came in and righted it for him. Then there was a whole lot of ‘turn left’ and ‘turn right’ before he finally got to put on the other two.
Even looking at himself in the mirror, Rory couldn’t see the difference. He chose the first one out of spite, and Jin didn’t argue with that decision.
“I’ll box this up for you sir. And I’ll set out some suitable shoes. Size twelve?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Rory said and waited for her to shut the door before he looked at Jin again.
Jin’s eyes lingered on Rory’s bulge. “Do I get to take that off too?”
“Maybe after the gala,” Rory said and tossed the shirt at the dragon.
Jin caught it and stood up in one swift movement.
Right. Shifter. They were fast – faster than he was.
Rory barely registered that thought as Jin’s body met his, pressed him against the wall and took a long, slow sniff of his neck.
“You smell like sex,” Jin purred.
Rory’s heart jumped into his throat, and his cock responded to the sudden proximity. “Do I?”
“Mmm,” Jin said. His lips vibrated against Rory’s flushed skin. “You most certainly do. And I want my kiss. I think I’ve earned it.”
Rory stopped outside the store and raised his eyebrows at the name. “Armani? Isn’t that last season or some shit?”
Jin chuckled and stepped inside. “The label is all certain people care about. The tux should work for your sister’s wedding as well.”
Rory forced himself not to glower and followed.
His patience came to an end when no less than three sales people walked up and started asking stupid questions. Jin answered, and Rory wondered if these three women spent all their income on designer clothes. What a ridiculous waste of money. They pulled out three tuxedos, which all looked the same to Rory, but the sales vultures insisted they were different in cut or style.
“Do I have to try all three of them on?” Rory asked and shoved his hands into his pockets. Too bad his bartender getup wouldn’t pass at a fancy gala.
“Yes. I want my money’s worth, and you’re the best model I can think of,” Jin said with a delectable smirk and headed toward the fitting rooms.
Heat flared in Rory’s chest, torn between annoyance and lust. Why did Jin always fall right on that line? This weird place between wanting and wanting to punch.
He stalked after the dragon.
“You’re coming in with me?” Rory asked as he walked into one of the palatial dressing rooms. It was the same size as his bedroom and had a damn couch, for fuck’s sake. Yeah, it wasn’t anything like the dressing rooms at the places he usually shopped.
Jin stepped inside after him. “I wouldn’t want you getting lonely in here all by yourself.”
Rory doubted that eventuality, but he didn’t kick Jin out either. “And here I didn’t put on my fancy underwear.”
Jin smirked.
A sales woman brought in the tuxedos and shut the door as she left.
A dare lit up Jin’s eyes as he settled on the couch.
What did he expect? That Rory wouldn’t actually strip? He slipped the leather jacket off his shoulders and set it aside. “You want to watch me take off my clothes?”
“Very much. You’re an attractive man. I can see what Richard loves about you, but I can’t see what you liked about him,” Jin said evenly.
Love. Ha! Dick never loved him. Rory knew that, and Jin used that word on purpose.
Rory yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it on his jacket. Then he stepped forward. “Like what you see?”
Jin’s eyes crinkled at the edges, and Rory wondered how old the dragon was. Older than Rory.
Jin’s dark eyes drank in Rory’s firm chest, the tattoos that wound over his arms and taut pectorals, and the little black rings that pierced his nipples. But Jin didn’t reach forward and touch him, like Rory assumed he would. Hell, from the look of hungry fascination on Jin’s face and the flick of Jin’s tongue over his lips, Rory expected a hell of a lot more.
“I said you were attractive,” Jin purred.
“So take off my pants,” Rory said and moved so close his legs straddled Jin’s thighs. Perfect position for a suck job, and he smirked at that thought. If the sex was on his terms, he sure as hell wouldn’t mind.
“Is this how I earn my kiss?” Jin asked and leaned forward.
“Maybe,” Rory said. How the hell did this go from a power play to flirting? Fuck. He didn’t know. The heat building in his balls told him not to worry about it.
“Hmm,” Jin hummed, and his rough hands wound down Rory’s chest. They flicked and pulled, ever so carefully, at the rings on Rory’s nipples.
Rory bit back a groan.
Jin smiled and roamed lower. His fingers caught on the top of Rory’s jeans, and he undid the top button. His dark eyes burned as he grabbed the zipper, and eased it down like this was all some great big act of seduction.
It worked.
Rory’s breath hitched in his throat as Jin’s fingers brushed Rory’s bulge. It twitched and stiffened, and Rory fought the urge to thrust his hips into those hands.
“You want me to keep going?” Jin asked.
The dare still burned in his eyes, but something else flickered alongside it. The same flame that burned inside Rory – the thing that urged him closer and closer to the edge between what was safe and what was possible.
He didn’t trust himself to speak, so Rory nodded instead.
Jin complied. He hooked his thumbs in the side of the jeans and inched them lower and lower. They slid over Rory’s black jockeys, down his legs and bunched there. He forgot about the boots. Well, since Jin was in the neighborhood.
“Those too,” Rory said, his voice gruff.
“Oh, you’re going to pay for this later,” Jin said with a dangerous smirk.
Rory returned it with one of his own. “Sure thing.”
Jin made quick work of the laces, and Rory stepped out of the boots and jeans with a minimal amount of hopping. The jockey’s hung so low on his hips the dark red curls popped out of the waistband, but he didn’t bother yanking them up.
It gave the dragon a good look at what Rory had in store for him.
“Do I have to dress you too or can you manage?” Jin asked, his voice rich with amusement. A spark shone in his eyes.
“I think I can manage,” Rory said and picked up the first tux.
He put on the pants, shirt and jacket without a problem, but the bowtie was another issue altogether. However, one of the sales women came in and righted it for him. Then there was a whole lot of ‘turn left’ and ‘turn right’ before he finally got to put on the other two.
Even looking at himself in the mirror, Rory couldn’t see the difference. He chose the first one out of spite, and Jin didn’t argue with that decision.
“I’ll box this up for you sir. And I’ll set out some suitable shoes. Size twelve?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Rory said and waited for her to shut the door before he looked at Jin again.
Jin’s eyes lingered on Rory’s bulge. “Do I get to take that off too?”
“Maybe after the gala,” Rory said and tossed the shirt at the dragon.
Jin caught it and stood up in one swift movement.
Right. Shifter. They were fast – faster than he was.
Rory barely registered that thought as Jin’s body met his, pressed him against the wall and took a long, slow sniff of his neck.
“You smell like sex,” Jin purred.
Rory’s heart jumped into his throat, and his cock responded to the sudden proximity. “Do I?”
“Mmm,” Jin said. His lips vibrated against Rory’s flushed skin. “You most certainly do. And I want my kiss. I think I’ve earned it.”
The cuff on Rory’s wrist felt heavier than normal, thick and tight. If he said ‘no,’ maybe Jin would have to stop. He’d need to back off until the situation was all on Rory’s terms. But Rory couldn’t find the words. They bunched up in his throat and came out as a groan.
Jin sucked at Rory’s skin and fire rose across his flesh with it.
“Earned it? Not quite,” Rory whispered. “Get me off, and I’ll consider it.”
Jin’s fingers dug into his shoulders, and he smiled against Rory’s flesh. “You’re going to pay for that too.”
Rory didn’t see how that could be a bad thing.
Jin sucked at Rory’s skin and fire rose across his flesh with it.
“Earned it? Not quite,” Rory whispered. “Get me off, and I’ll consider it.”
Jin’s fingers dug into his shoulders, and he smiled against Rory’s flesh. “You’re going to pay for that too.”
Rory didn’t see how that could be a bad thing.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a fan of books set in the world of MCs I was drawn to this book as its unique premise set up a world similar to that of the MCs, albeit one that's paranormal based. The war between the different shifter groups is finally starting to wane, and life in the Flats is finally becoming bearable, but one big final push is needed to rid the neighborhood of those truly ruthless individuals still causing trouble. The man to do that is the head of the dragon clan, and ruler over a few of the other shifter clans, the equally ruthless dragon shifter Jin Yue. Jin's a commanding man desperate to end the shifter war and improve the neighborhood once and for all who's not afraid to dirty his hands for the greater good. His latest plan to do that involves bringing down the Hayward family and requires the help of a particular fire mage which leads him to the equally desperate bar owner Rory. His plan becomes complicated though as he's instantly attracted to the tatted and pierced red head and any possible relationship will be put in jeopardy as Jin is using Rory for the greater good. But as their relationship heats up, and as Jin interacts with him on a more personal level, will he really be able to sacrifice the strong bond forming between them or will he willingly go back to being lonely and isolated?
Rory is still reeling from his break-up with rich boy Richard Hayward. He's feeling used and angry and to make matters worse he and his twin sister are barely making ends meet with their bar. His desperation for money leads him to a close encounter with the sexy and powerful Jin which leaves him powerless to fight not only his attraction to the man, but what Jin wants from him too. He's being used as a pawn by Jin to distract Rory's ex and destroy the Hayward family's plan to take over the neighborhood for the rich. He's willing to be that though and smart enough to make Jin pay for the privilege which made him an unexpectedly strong companion to Jin. On the surface you'd expect Rory to be walked on all over by Jin, but that's not the case which made their relationship more equal and sensual with Rory taking command whenever he saw his chance. That's not to say that Jin didn't like controlling Rory, he very much did and it led to a sexy battle of wills.
As they heat up the sheets, and other locations, there are those looking to harm Rory to get to Jin. Jin too is still a target which leads to both men's protective instincts kicking in and a more caring and emotional side of Jin coming out. For so long he's been closed off, portraying only a powerful man with no heart, but being with Rory brings out a softer side and you see someone who really cares about those in his neighborhood. Throughout their relationship Rory's always shown his emotions and been the playful one, unafraid to goad the dragon, and it makes for an entertaining relationship. Theirs is also a super sexy relationship that made for some very torrid reading and I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the story. There's a multitude of characters surrounding them and each one is as engaging as the next. It makes me wish I'd read the previous books in this series so I could've seen the shifter war evolve and its affect on the characters. There were times I felt lost with who was loyal to who and the causes of the emotional scars left on the characters from the war. Though this book can definitely stand on its own it's for these reasons that I recommend this series be read in order as to make this a more satisfying read. Fans of the m/m genre will be drawn to the two compelling male leads who give as good as they get. Their scenes are at times steamy as well as deeply emotional as the story progresses to keep readers immersed in their outcome. Fans of the paranormal will also find the shifter war and its resulting turf war a unique and engaging storyline along with the hierarchy of clans and their abilities. All in all it makes for a compelling read that gives all readers a bit of what they love and I definitely recommend it to those looking for something different.
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Zoe Perdita writes gay shifter romance because the only thing better than one hot shifter dude is two hot shifter dudes making out.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with a fluffy orange cat and a lively roommate. When she's not writing, Zoe likes to travel, read and play video games.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/zoe.
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I haven't read this series yet, but it's going on my list now!
ReplyDeleteThis is a new to me author! Great post and love the excerpt! Thank you for the chance at the giveaway.
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