Book Spotlight on Flash of Fire by M.L. Buchman (GIVEAWAY)

Readers who enjoy pulse-pounding romances will be drawn to this world of firefighting, flying, and survival.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Flash of Fire by M.L. Buchman, the seventh installment in the Firehawks series, and then add it to your bookshelf when it releases on May 3rd.  In honor of this series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win 1 of 5 copies of the first book in this series too!

A MESSAGE FROM MR. BUCHMAN....

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the latest in my Firehawks world.

Flash of Fire posed an interesting challenge for me right from the first page. There is a balance in building a romance world: I want it to be big enough to be interesting and small enough to be cozy.

In Pure Heat, Full Blaze, and Hot Point I had focused on the fliers of the three big Firehawkhelicopters. But I didn’t want my little Mount Hood Aviation heli-aviation wildland firefighting group to get much bigger. Another consideration was that the series name is Firehawks and I wanted to honor that with another story using a pilot of one of the converted Black Hawk helicopters.

The challenge was that I already had married couples in each of the three pilot seats: Emily Beale, Jeannie Clark, and Vern Taylor.

And then I remembered a little scene in the Night Stalkers Bring On the Dusk.

Emily hadn’t eaten breakfast and only picked at her lunch complaining of a queasy stomach from the flight.

“Either that or you’re about to have another kid,” Claudia teased her.

Emily looked down at her perfectly flat stomach and then began swearing. “I’m going to kill Mark. I’m just going to kill him."

“You don’t want another kid?” Claudia didn’t know whether to laugh or be shocked.

“The man is so insatiable, not that I’m complaining. We ran out of protection and figured one time without wasn’t going to…” She sighed and then rubbed her belly gently. “It’ll be alright.” She told her midriff. “You just won’t have a father."

The goofy smile that bloomed on the woman’s face did something to Claudia.

Well, crap! I’d made poor Emily pregnant back in March, a year ago. So apologies for the 15-month pregnancy (no wonder she’s so pissed off by the time she’s too pregnant to fly in Flash of Fire).

With her seat now open, I needed someone who could fill it. Fill Emily Beale’s seat? Who was I kidding? She was the most kickass heroine I’d ever written. Well, I wasn’t the only one feeling daunted, the poor character I put in her place was plenty overwhelmed as well.

But then Robin Harrow never met a challenge she couldn’t face down…at least not until she met Mickey Hamilton, the pilot of a smaller Bell Twin-212. Which also solved my initial problem of transitioning from the big Firehawks to the smaller birds in the fleet.

I always love it when the characters take the story right out of my hands and run with it and Flash of Fire was certainly one of those.

Hope you enjoy the flight,

M. L. “Matt” Buchman

When former Army National Guard helicopter pilot Robin Harrow joins Mount Hood Aviation, she expects to fight fires for only one season. Instead, she finds herself getting deeply entrenched with one of the most elite firefighting teams in the world. And that’s before they send her on a mission that’s seriously top secret, with a flight partner who’s seriously hot.

Mickey Hamilton loves flying, firefighting, and women, in that order. But when Robin Harrow roars across his radar, his priorities go out the window. On a critical mission deep in enemy territory, their past burns away and they must face each other. Their one shot at a future demands that they first survive the present—together.

EXCERPT:

(Best buddies Mickey and Gordon have been jostling for attention from Vanessa, one of the other helicopter pilots. Gordon and Vanessa are assigned off to one fire, Mickey and the new pilot to another. They’re standing on the airfield about to part ways.)

Mickey almost left Gordon to his own devices, but he’d be bound to screw it up. Just as he was duty bound to try to cut his friend off from any attractive woman, he also had to help him if he could.

“Gordon?"

“What?” his friend still looked a little overwhelmed.

“With Vanessa, just be yourself. Don’t gum it up with trying to be charming; it doesn’t work for you."

“Sure it does,” he protested. “I’m a charming kind of guy.” He shot Mickey a grin.

Then he looked more carefully at Mickey’s expression and sighed. Mickey didn’t have to say a word.

“Okay, maybe not so much with the charm. Thanks, Mick,” and he turned for his helo.

Mickey caught his sleeve before he could move off, “Her name?” he nodded back over his shoulder toward the newbie.

“Robin something."

“Like the bird?"

“Like,” that smooth female voice sounded from close behind him, “Robin Hood who will put an arrow in your ass if you say Robin Red Breast."

Mickey turned to face her. He decided that all of his first judgments at a distance were accurate, and at this close range they were ten times more powerful—both the fine looks and the serious dose of attitude.

“Hi! Mickey Hamilton,” he held out a hand. “As long as it’s not a Firehawk you’re trying to ram up my ass, I’m fine."

That earned a half smile; nice on the lips, not touching those crystalline pure blue eyes. Her hand was fine-fingered yet strong, like she did a lot of lifting with it. A lot. She glanced over his shoulder.

“He’s Gordon Finchley,” Mickey filled in before Gordon could speak and get a foot in the door. Helping him with Vanessa was one thing; easing his access to this pretty unknown was not going to happen. “Yeah, Finch just like a little Tweety bird. Don’t pay him any mind."

“Hi, Gordon. Good luck in Leavenworth,” she leaned around Mickey and reached out a hand, which Gordon shook as he mumbled something unintelligible. Or perhaps it was intelligible and Mickey just couldn’t hear it.

He was struck by several things at once. It was the first time he’d actually seen Robin move, and both of his first guesses of ballerina and workout diva were equally justified. Her simple move was both lithe and powerful. Martial arts student perhaps. If so, it was a different form than his Taekwondo, something with more grace and flexibility.

Also, her lean toward Gordon had placed her so close that he could smell her. Her Nomexflightsuit was brand new and the woman wearing it smelled of clean soap and…cool ice—that impossible clarity of air when snow skiing. As if—newborn was the wrong image—newly wrought.

# # #

Gordon actually wasn’t fluttery like a Tweety bird, but he was also clearly a sweet man—a major mark against him in Robin’s book.

She knew from past experience that she tended to scare the shit out of men like him. They wanted her, but she would run over them roughshod, even on the rare occasions when she was trying not to.

This Mickey on the other hand, she had been able to feel him watching her from the moment she’d hit the line. He hadn’t shifted away as she reached past him to greet Gordon, letting her lean right into his personal space.

Guys named Mickey were supposed to look like hoodlums or something. Instead Mickey Hamilton looked like a cop…or a firefighter. The trustworthy kind, not the sneaky shit she’d always pictured slipping from her mother’s bed in the dark of the night and never coming back.

Up close she could appreciate how nicely broad his shoulders were. And he had the kind of blue eyes that could see through any fog or other BS—far away the best feature on a very handsome face. He was an inch taller than she was but looked bigger and more solid than his taller finch-friend.

Robin knew that—because her heritage was half firefighter and half truck-stop mama—she was a pushover for Mickey’s type. Now she had to ask if she wanted to be a pushover this time, or not.

She rocked back onto her heels and Gordon slipped out of her attention. Mickey didn’t fade in the slightest. He had a slow smile, a real one that showed beneath the quick grin he’d been using to tease his buddy.

He didn’t blink, squint, look away…or look down toward her chest. Mickey faced her eye to eye and offered that easy smile.

Summer is definitely looking up, she thought to herself. Most definitely. Didn’t mean she was going to make it easy for him.

“Mickey? Like the mouse?"

Gordon snorted out a laugh, slapped Mickey on the back, and headed away.

“Not Mickey Rooney either,” he offered in an unperturbed tone, showing no desire to hurry off to his aircraft.

“Not short and round?"

“Nor likely to break into a song-and-dance routine. And Mickey Mantle died about the time we both entered grade school, so I’m not him either."

“How about Mickey Blue Eyes?"

“Well, my name is Mickey. Eyes are blue."

“You don’t strike me as the Hugh Grant romantic comedy type."

He shrugged noncommittally, “You the type to watch them?"

“Not so much,” Robin admitted. Astute question. “So, Mick Blue Eyes it is."

At that he smiled and those blue eyes lit and sparkled with laughter that was only suggested by the sudden curve of his lips.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  iBOOKS  |  BAM  |  BN  |  CHAPTERS  |  INDIEBOUND  |  KOBO

AUTHOR INFO:

M. L. Buchman has over 40 novels in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year” and twice Booklist “Top 10 of the Year,” placing two titles on their “Top 101 Romances of the Last 10 Years” list. He has been nominated for the Reviewer’s Choice Award for “Top 10 Romantic Suspense of 2014” by RT Book Reviews and is a 2016 RWA RITA finalist. In addition to romance, he also writes thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction. He is constantly amazed at what can be done with a degree in geophysics. You may keep up with his writing and receive exclusive content by subscribing to his newsletter at www.mlbuchman.com.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

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Book Tour for Return of the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon (REVIEW)

Bad boy rock stars with hidden hearts of gold always call to me, and in this second chance love story between a man trying to do right by the son he recently discovered and the woman fighting her attraction, this sexy rocker is just one of the highlights.  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Return of the Bad Boy by Jessica Lemmon, the fourth installment in the Second Chance series, along with my impressions of it and then add it to your bookshelf!

He's a mess...
Asher Knight has three constants in his life: music, beautiful women, and a bottle of Jack. He lives for the next gig, the next city, and dreams only of a life spent in front of an arena full of screaming fans. But Asher's nomad ways come to a sudden stop when he learns he's the father of a three-year-old from a past relationship and suddenly this rock star bad boy is forced to put down roots.

Only she can clean up...
Gloria Shields is no one's fool. Sure, the sexual chemistry between her and Asher has always been intense, but she'd never risk giving her heart to a man who has a perfect record for breaking them. Except the man desperate to make things right with his newfound son is nothing like the rock god she's guarded her heart against for years. And it isn't long before she starts to wonder if life with this bad boy might be the best thing that's ever happened to her.

EXCERPT:

Gloria nodded at Evan, and he and Brice made their way through the crowd—which hadn’t thinned even a little despite the band leaving the stage—and walked in the direction of the bar. Gloria figured they’d get back about the time the band took the stage again, which left her with Asher in the interim.
“I didn’t realize you were invited,” she said over the melee.
“I see that.” The corners of his mouth turned down.
“Why did he invite you?” she asked, curious.
“He wants me,” Asher said, a bored expression on his face.
“No. He wants me.” She pressed her fingers into her chest.
Asher leaned closer to speak to her and it took everything in her not to back away a step. Him close had a way of messing with her equilibrium...even more than the whiskey.

“I meant he wants to sign the band, Sarge. He’s probably buttering you up to get to me."
“What?” she asked, slightly offended. “How egotistical are you?"
“I’m not being egotistical,” he said. “That’s a fact. And you’re welcome."
Oh, he was too much. “I’m welcome?"
“Yeah. Now that I’m here, you won’t have to touch him. He won’t get within three feet of you.” Stubble lined his jaw, fire burned in his eyes, and he stood close enough that his body heat blanketed her. “Promise."

“Listen, Asher”—she cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from his biceps, which were absolutely delicious and testing the limits of his T-shirt in the most distracting way possible—“I don’t know what you think you’re doing—"
“No, you listen.” He palmed her hip much like Brice had earlier, but unlike Brice, when Asher touched her, her nipples perked up and every inch of her grew warm. Asher’s nearness, one hand gripping her firmly as he looked down at her with dark hunger in his eyes, was so hot she couldn’t think.
The crowd milling around them were having loud, drunken conversations, so he lowered his face to her ear to speak.

“I’m coming for you, Sarge.” His hand moved from her hip to her lower back, his fingers splaying wide and slipping beneath the material of her shirt. “Bet you’ve never had anyone come for you, have you?” His nose moved along her ear, warm breath tickling her skin. “Bet you were a rebellious teen with a nose ring and a bad attitude and all you wanted was to feel good."
No nose ring, but the rest was scarily accurate.
“Well, guess what, honey?” he continued, his fingertips sizzling on her bare skin. “I’m going to make you feel good. I’m the only one who can."
He pulled his face away and she had to will her mouth to close. Her teeth clacked together as her brain scrambled to figure out what part she should argue with first. Wrenching a fist around his T-shirt, she tugged him close. A small smile played on his mouth, and his hand went higher beneath her shirt. He was anticipating a kiss, but she wasn’t going to kiss him.
“Listen up, you arrogant bastard.” Anger vibrated through her arms and a charge shot from her toes to the crown of her head. “You don’t get to claim me. I’m not your property. I can do whatever I want.” Because she wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off his face, she added, “And I can do whomever I want."
His lips flinched, but he didn’t back away, stepping even closer and touching the tip of her nose with his. Her vision was now swimming in dark hair, dark eyes, and the sexiest smirk she’d ever seen.
It’s not sexy. It’s stupid, remember?
But it wasn’t. And the rest of her knew it. Her nipples tightened, her body tingled, and the hand she’d wrapped around his shirt began to sweat . . .

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  KOBO  |  iBOOKS  |  GOOGLE PLAY

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a reader who loves rock star romances and the gritty edge it gives those involved in this world, it's that aspect of Asher that makes him even more appealing.  From the sensuality that oozes out of every one of his pores to the sweetness he shows his newfound son, it all adds up to a perfect hero that I'm still dreaming of.  Add in the rocky romance he has with the woman who's scared of opening her heart to others and you end up with a steamy second chance romance with enough angst to keep their HEA in jeopardy.

Tough girl Gloria grew up the child of a parent with addictions, forced into taking care of herself before being put in the foster care system.  By then her heart had been hardened and she realized that the only person to count on was herself.  She grew up a loner and it's only recently that she's found a group of people who accept and care about her, but it's still hard for her to talk about herself.  Not opening up her heart has put her connection to rock star Asher in jeopardy as the intense feelings he has for her have her wanting to run.  As his plans for their future, and the familial interactions he wants to include her in, become clearer she starts fighting back in self-defense of her heart in scenes that involve harsh words.  With the charming Asher forcing her to stay and fight for them though it all makes for an emotional conclusion to a story full of erotic encounters and sensual banter.  Gloria's a strong-willed woman who doesn't hesitate to speak her mind, going on the attack before thinking of the outcome. She's protective of Asher's son though as she understands the affect an uncaring parent can have on a child which showed a softer side to her.  She's serious-minded, always following the expected path, but being with Asher has her doing the unexpected and living life to the fullest.  Their connection is crackling and teems with sexual tension which brought out a playful and fiery side in both of them and made them an exciting couple to watch.  Being with Asher made her a better person as she was forced into dealing with her painful past to make a future for herself full of love and support.

Before meeting Gloria, Asher was a bit of a player and enjoyed the company of many groupies which has left him with a son he's just getting to know.  Once he crossed paths with Gloria though he knew she was the one and set out to claim her in a journey that took some rocky turns because of her trust issues and a vindictive groupie.  Theirs is a second chance romance that had me cheering him on every step of the way as outside forces, and Gloria's fears, constantly tried to pull them apart. Asher oozes sex appeal with his rock star looks and talent for dirty talk.  The time he spends with Gloria has him putting on the charm and forgiving her for every time she lashed out.  Asher pushes her to be a better person, to go after what she wants despite her fears, and does so out of love.  He stood by her and in turn she finally started to stand by him as he fought to spend more time with his son.  His interactions with his son showed a sweet and caring side to the edgy rocker and endeared him to me even more. He's a delicious hero, perfect in and out of the bedroom, good with children and animals, and was the highlight of this story for his mix of compassion and intense sensuality.

Though this is a rock star-themed romance, the rocker lifestyle is only a small part of the story as Asher is currently working on a new album and not having to deal with the logistics of touring.  The small town setting is quaint and charming and allows him to live as an average person, with very few fame moments, despite his notoriety. That's not to say that readers don't get a taste of the rock star world as Asher's bandmates come to town and leave their mark on me with their edgy looks and compelling personal issues just hinted at.  I hope we get to see more of them in the future as they're a sexy and heartbreaking group of men who aren't afraid to talk about their feelings in support of one another.  As a main couple Asher and Gloria are a strong-willed match who are combustible when together and ooze sexual tension as seen by their numerous encounters.  It's a journey with an emotional tug of war that kept me invested every step of the way as their interactions were playful, erotic at times, and immensely entertaining.  With such engaging main characters came a slew of intriguing secondary characters, some I liked while others left me frustrated.  It was sweetly nostalgic seeing past characters from the Second Chance series return though their inclusion stretched the story out a bit longer than necessary.  The inclusion of a fellow agent tempting Gloria and the time spent with Asher's baby mama further frustrated me as these characters were highly annoying with all the melodrama surrounding them.  Despite that small quibble this is a romance that entertained and charmed me.  With its near-perfect hero and witty and sensual banter this story had me rooting for the main couple and hoping to revisit this rock star family in the future!

My rating for this is a B+

*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she's not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.
Jessica is a social media junkie who loves to hear from readers.

WEBSITE  |  NEWSLETTER  |  TWITTER  |  PINTEREST  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Blog Tour for the Las Vegas Sidewinders Series by Kat Mizera (GIVEAWAY)

As a reader obsessed with sports-themed romances I'm thrilled to introduce you to this trio of delicious hockey players and the women who they'll do anything to win.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Dominic, Drake, and Karl and then add them to your bookshelf.  In honor of the engaging Las Vegas Sidewinders series by Kat Mizera make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 Amazon GC too!

Las Vegas Sidewinders: Dominic Dom Gianni takes a lot of punishment in the hockey rink, but when he sees Molly McCarran getting beaten up by her husband, he’s ready to throw down his gloves and fight for her. But Molly isn’t about to trust another man—and Dom is already skating on thin ice with his NHL-mandated probation. Besides, how could a hotshot player like Dom really care about a woman so much older than him? Then a kidnapping changes everything. If Molly can’t believe in Dom, and if he can’t dig deep to save her, it might be the final buzzer for both of them.

EXCERPT:

"What did they say?" Dom asked, reaching for Molly and pulling her close.
She rested her head against his chest, breathing in his aftershave and snuggling close. "It doesn't matter," she said softly. "It was actually a backhanded compliment, that I'm prettier than she'd thought I'd be or something." She tried to chuckle but it sounded more like a sniffle. "I guess I didn't think they'd be gossiping about me before they even saw us together."
"Honey, people talk."
"If people are already talking, and the media gets hold of it. Tim is going to find me sooner rather than later."
"I don't think we've reached the media with our relationship yet," he gave her a small grin. "But if one of the wives heard about you, then Suze or Andra or Tiff told someone they thought they could trust, and the NHL wives' pipeline is better than the CIA."
"Great." She sat on the edge of the bed.
"Molly, don't you trust me?" He looked uncomfortable standing in front of her and she glanced up at him with a frown.
"What do you mean?"
"Someone hurt your feelings and you turned to Toli instead of me. Why?"
"I didn't turn to Toli!" She got up quickly and reached for him, hating that he would even consider that idea. "He saw me leave and followed me when I didn't come back down. I'm just trying to protect you--I don't want you to get into trouble because of me!"
"So you don't trust me not to lose my temper." He was hurt.
"No!" She sighed, taking a deep breath and then blowing it out. "I'm not explaining myself very well. It's just that you've done so much for me--I don't want you to see someone hurting me and get into trouble by standing up for me. You just got clearance from the NHL--the last thing you need is to pick a fight with another player because his wife is immature and doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut. You're too important to me."
He gazed at her steadily, his dark eyes boring into her bright green ones. He knew she wasn't afraid of him, but she was still afraid of what he might do to someone else. He didn't know why that bothered him so much, but it did. He'd made so much progress, yet even the woman he loved didn't trust him completely.
"Dom, what are you thinking?" She touched his face. "Tell me."
"You're afraid of what I might do." He spoke flatly, looking away.
"No! You're supposed to want to protect me, aren't you? Isn't that what you've been telling me? You've spent all summer telling me to trust you to protect me--and I do! But that should go both ways! I don't want you to get into trouble over something so trivial! If it was Tim trying to hurt me, that would be different, but you've worked so hard this summer--I don't want our love to be the reason you start off on the wrong foot with your new team." She paused, practically holding her breath as he looked back at her.
"Are we in love?" he asked.
"You have to ask?" She was taken aback. "I mean, I thought we were, but we never actually talked about it..." Her voice trailed off. "if that's not how you feel--"
"How I feel? I told you once, and have shown you repeatedly, but you've never said it! And you spend so much time with Toli..." He felt uncertain with a woman for the first time in his life. "I'm really not sure how you feel, Molly."
"You're not?" She asked in a tiny voice. She ran her hands up his chest and then wrapped them around his neck. "Really? You can't tell that I'm crazy about you? That I'm constantly terrified that I'm going to wake up and find out that you just want to be friends? That I'm too old for you? That I can't give you kids? I have nothing to offer you--but you're still here. How could I not love you?"
"Then tell me!" he nearly growled at her, pulling her up against him.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  KOBO

Las Vegas Sidewinders: Drake Drake Riser is a tough guy on the ice, but deep down he just wants to settle down.  Major Erin Gentry has physical and emotional scars from an IED explosion.  When they meet at a masquerade ball, Drake thinks Erin is exactly what he needs, but she thinks she’s too damaged to get involved with the gorgeous hockey hunk.  Erin is trying to figure out what happened two years ago and put her demons to rest, while someone from her past is trying to destroy her.  Drake is ready to do anything to give them a shot at love, but will they be able to put the pieces together in time to win the face-off–and the game.

EXCERPT:

Her eyes were wide, filled with something akin to trepidation, but her gaze never left his.

“What do you want to do?” she whispered.

“Get to know you.” He moved over her, his skin warm against hers. He kissed her, his tongue meeting hers possessively, drawing her into him. If they were going to make this work, she had to let go of the insecurity and shyness; he knew there was a passionate, sexual woman buried inside her somewhere and he was determined to find her. “I need you to let me explore, okay?” He met her eyes again. “I need you to let me touch you—all of you. Let me see you. Let me know you. Let me do more than fuck you."

She swallowed hard but nodded. “O-okay."

“Don’t be afraid, baby. I already know about the ugly parts of your skin—let me show you how beautiful everything else about you is."

Honestly, if you looked beyond the scars, Erin’s body was beautiful, even more beautiful than his model ex-wife’s. The amount of time she spent working out was obvious in her flat, rippled stomach and toned shoulders and biceps. Her waist was trim and her hips perfectly rounded. Her left thigh was amazing, firm and muscular but still curvy and feminine. He knew the muscles in her calves were hard and defined, especially in a pair of heels and he looked forward to the day she would wear heels for him again like the night they met.

He trailed his fingers across her round, perky breasts. They weren’t big, probably a B cup, but they were perfect in his eyes. Cupping them in his hands, he gently squeezed before running his thumbs over the nipples. They came alive at his touch, making her shiver. He took his time, splaying his hands over her rib cage as he peppered kisses down her chest. Letting his tongue drift into her navel brought a sigh from her and he glanced up. Her eyes were closed, one hand resting on his shoulder while the other gripped the sheet beneath it. He reached out, taking her fingers and prying them from the cloth.

“Put both your hands on me,” he said softly.

She didn’t say anything, but he felt her dig her fingers into his shoulders.

Drake knew it was now or never, so he lifted her right leg, bending it at the knee and letting her foot rest on the bed. Staring at the rough, mottled skin, he could see places that had healed better than others, but they were the exception. Most of her thigh was destroyed; he had to force himself to focus on the places where the damage had gone all the way down to the bone, leaving the leg slightly misshapen, with indentions that would probably never look normal again. It was horrific, yet instead of seeing the ugly visual, all he could see in his mind’s eye was her pain. He now had no doubts about why she’d had so much trouble moving on with her life; healing from these burns had to have been the type of misery nightmares were made of.

Placing a gentle kiss on her knee, he swiped at his eyes, fighting emotions he couldn’t quite articulate. Thinking about how her body had become this scarred gutted him; he didn’t know if he would have been able to come as far as she had if he’d been the one who’d been hurt. All he could think about was taking this pain from her, and he’d never felt like that before. He’d thought showing her his acceptance of her body would be good for her; it never occurred to him it would change him too.

As he continued down her leg, he found the marbled hyperpigmentation wasn’t too bad on her calf, light brown and faded compared to the burns on her thigh. He ran his hands along the skin, his fingertips tracing lines along the marks as he wondered how she was feeling. Did she have any idea how much her broken body moved him? Knowing this had happened to her because she was proud enough to fight for her country meant more to him than he could express. He played sports for a living and complained when he pulled a muscle; he didn’t even deserve to share the same air as someone like Erin.

“Isn’t it terrible?” she whispered, startling him.

He shook his head abruptly, blinking up at her. The emotion running through him made it hard to talk and he licked his lips as he struggled to come up with an answer.

“Are you…okay?” Her eyes met his in surprise, her fingers traveling to his face.

“I’m, uh, I’m just…” He had to swallow before he could find his voice. “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how much this must have hurt, or how much you suffered.” He slid his hands up to her waist, pulling her closer. “I hurt for you, Erin. I don’t think it’s ugly at all; I think it’s a badge of honor."

Tears puddled in her eyes as she stared at the amazing human being on the bed with her. She reached for him, her hands shaking slightly as he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want you to hurt,” she whispered. “I already hurt enough for both of us—I want you to make me feel alive again. I don’t feel better knowing I made you hurt too."

“I know, baby.” He kissed the side of her face, letting her curl into his body, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. They fit together perfectly and he felt the misery draining out of him.

“Please don’t hurt for me, Drake.” A tear slid down her cheek and she swiped at it with the back of her hand.

He stroked her back. “I’m okay. I just can’t believe how much you’ve been through, and how much you’ve endured. You make me ashamed that I’m just an athlete."

Her head snapped up and she looked at him in surprise. “What happened to me didn’t happen because of you—or anyone, really. It happened because there are bad people in the world. That doesn’t make what you do frivolous."

“But you put yourself in the line of fire. You make the sacrifice so that I can play hockey and drive a nice car and take lavish vacations! Meanwhile, you’re in debt and dealing with injuries I can’t even imagine. It seems like I, or people like me, should do more."

“You are doing it,” she smiled faintly. “You’re here with me, making me forget about all that. When you make love to me, Drake, I forget all about my burns and Afghanistan and everything. You make me happy just the way you are—I don’t want you to feel guilty. I want you to keep on being you, because I really like you a lot."

“I like you a lot too.” He rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. “And I’d like to show you how much."

She gave him a sweet smile. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  KOBO

Las Vegas Sidewinders: Karl Las Vegas Sidewinders goalie Karl Martennson is 6’4” of Swedish hockey-playing deliciousness who wants something more than a different girl every night.  Kate Lansing is a PR whiz with trust issues who has spent her whole life battling her weight.  Their one-night-stand has the potential to be more, but Karl’s crazy ex-girlfriend is determined to stop them before they reach the goal.  When Karl has to go home to Sweden for a family emergency, his ex makes her move.  If Kate can’t find a way to trust him, she might find herself permanently benched.

EXCERPT:

“Karl, please…” she whimpered.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“You."

“You want me to fuck you?"

“Yes.” She was breathing heavily, her lips parted.

“Say it. Tell me what you want."

“I want you to fuck me."

“Open your eyes.” He was poised over her and she met his gaze without hesitation. “Now say it again."

“I want you to fuck me!” she gasped out the words and then sucked in her breath as he slammed into her with one long, hard thrust. He moved her legs up and she wrapped them around his waist.

“Like this?” he ground out, pulling out slowly and then thrusting back into her.

“More,” she pleaded.

He closed his eyes, doing exactly as she asked. He took his time at first, rocking his hips against hers before pushing himself so hard and deep he didn’t think he could stand it much longer. She moaned, lifting her body to meet his. He could feel her clenching around him and starting to shudder.

“Come on, baby, come with me,” he ground out, grabbing her ass and using his strength to leverage himself to the hilt.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  KOBO

AUTHOR INFO:

Kat Mizera is a South Florida native. Born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of wanderlust, she's called Los Angeles, Long Island, upstate New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Atlanta home. She's never been able to pick which locale is her favorite, but if pressed, she’d probably choose the west coast.

Kat's a typical PTA mom with a wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max). When she's not writing, she's either scrapbooking or indulging in her second love (after writing) – traveling. Greece is one of her favorite places in the world. She loves that Athens is a big city with a small-town feel. The food, beaches and culture keep her going back as often as possible. She hopes to retire there one day so she can spend her days writing books on the beach.

Kat has been a working freelance writer for nearly 30 years. She sold her first article--a review of a rock concert--for $10 in 1985. Since then she's been an entertainment journalist, waitress, bartender, legal assistant, food critic, magazine editor, substitute teacher, and sports writer. She also spent some time working at A & M Records in Los Angeles.

As you can guess from her first series, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, Kat loves hockey. She is also a freelance hockey writer, covering her favorite team, the Florida Panthers, and any other teams that have an interesting story. The rest of the time, she writes novels: sexy, romantic fiction that she hopes makes you as happy as it makes her. There's something enticing about hockey players and romance...

WEBSITE:  http://www.katmizera.com/home.html

FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/authorkatmizera

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