Book Tour for Pure Torture by Tania Sparks (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a fan of rock star romances I'm thrilled to introduce you to this tale of forbidden love set amidst the glitz, glamour, and sensuality of the rock star world.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Pure Torture by Tania Sparks, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about it when you visit the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this third installment in the Oblivion on Tour series, make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $10 Amazon GC too!

Cody’s the sexy drummer extraordinaire of the hard rock band Oblivion.

Kitty’s the little sister of one of Cody’s band mates and she’s had a secret crush on him for years.

When the band are back home for a few days, the chemistry between them is both unexpected and undeniably off-the-charts.

She quickly realizes that the prospect of having what she’s always fantasized about is a very real possibility.

He quickly realizes that although he feels this mind-blowing attraction towards her, she’s the little sister of one of his band mates - he would get his ass kicked from here to hell if he ever laid a finger on her.

But can Kitty convince him? After all, no one else needs to know, a one-time hook-up might suit both of them…or could it ruin everything.

EXCERPT:

Everyone else is already up and they look like they’re just about ready to leave for the day. As soon as I walk into the room mine and Cody’s line of sight connects and we lustfully hold our gazes as I stroll towards the kitchen. He must have just showered too because his hair is still damp. He looks absolutely edible. The electricity between us is definitely still there. In fact my desire has been fueled even further by all the erotic dreams I had last night and now we’re in the same room again my cold shower seems to have been a complete waste of time. By the way he’s looking at me it makes me wonder whether he’s been thinking about me too.

The next thing I know I hear my brother Nikki growling angrily as he stomps towards me pointing at my leg, “What the fuck’s that?” he snarls.

Shit, I’d forgotten about my tattoo. About three months ago I got a colorful tattoo. I think it looks cool and I’m told it’s extremely sexy. I glance down at my leg and then glance back up to Nikki who’s still pointing angrily. I mock surprise by holding my fingers to my lips, widening my eyes and inspecting my thigh as I snark, “Oh my gosh, I think it might be a tattoo! How the hell did that get there!"

Nikki scowls and admonishes, “I know it’s a fucking tattoo Kit but what the hell’s it doing on your thigh!"

Nikki’s attitude annoys me. “Don’t be such a hypocrite Nikki, you’re covered in ink. Anyway, I think it looks sexy."

Cody gets up from his seat and saunters casually over to me. His eyes run over my leg, carefully inspecting the ink on my thigh. He steps so close to me that we’re almost touching and I can feel the heat of his body radiating off him. He smells divine, fresh from the shower, all musky and clean. I’m struggling to control my urge to reach out and touch him.

He moves his focus to my face and winks at me self-confidently, “Looks as sexy as fuck if you ask me sweetheart.” His fingers gently glide over my thigh, but as quick as he’s there, he’s gone and is strolling back to the other side of the room where he slouches back down into his armchair. My skin tingles at his touch and that small amount of contact definitely leaves me wanting more. I hope like hell I’m not visibly panting!

Nikki scowls at him. “She’s my god-damned little sister Sticks. I don’t want her to look sexy. So keep your opinions to yourself…and your fucking hands for that matter. Don’t think I didn’t see that dickhead."

Nikki’s comment doesn’t affect Cody in the slightest as he mumbles, “Not my fault she’s scorching hot, I’m just admiring the view and saying it how I see it.”

FIND THIS BOOK ON GOODREADS here.

FIND THE OBLIVION ON TOUR ON GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  AMAZON (AU)

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a reader who voraciously consumes rock star-themed romances I've found the Oblivion on Tour series to be an entertaining and emotionally engaging addition to the genre.  With this third installment it's drummer Cody who steps into the spotlight with his forbidden connection to his bandmates's little sister. Theirs is a connection teeming with sexual tension from years of her trying to gain his attention and here it's finally given the attention it deserves in a combustible joining that's emotional and sprinkled with heartbreaking and frustrating moments.

Cody's the quintessential rock star in his views of the rocker lifestyle and his enjoyment of all the decadent delights offered to him.  He's enjoyed many women over the years but the moment Kitty walks through the door they all fade from memory.  Though he struggles with the forbidden fruit that is Kitty, he can't deny their combustible connection.  It's ultimately endearing seeing him drawn to her so entirely and throughout their time together readers discover a softer and sweeter side to him.  He shows a romantic and caring side to his usual jaded persona that drew me to him but left me angry over a choice he made late in the story that left his and Kitty's HEA in doubt.  It's a choice that disappointed me yet added to the emotional ups and downs of this story and made it a more engaging story overall.  Despite that I enjoyed his pairing with Kitty and the joy and heartbreak of their burgeoning relationship as it fully immersed me in the overall story.

Kitty has grown up to be a beautiful woman after years of being seen just as Nikki's little sister.  She's always felt an attraction to Cody, but it's not until an unforgettable meeting puts them on equal footing, and thinking of the fires they could ignite, when things change.  A one-night stand soon leads to more but when tragedy strikes their path to HEA becomes shadowed.  Questions of keeping a long-distance love alive soon permeate the story as does Kitty's choice in where her life will lead her.  Kitty's a strong-willed woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.  That's not to say she doesn't make mistakes in her handling of their long-distance relationship.  Flashes of immaturity and doubts have her bruising the tenuous connection she's made with Cody.  Most importantly she's also a loyal and loving daughter, whose family is important to every member of the band, and its all these conflicts that keep readers on the edge of their seats with kleenex at hand.

This is an emotionally intense story with a few unexpected twists and turns that will leave readers screaming as well as crying.  It's an engaging tale though too, full of scorching encounters and sexy banter between Kitty and Cody.  Along with this memorable main couple comes an equally engaging cast of secondary characters who vividly depict the gritty and sexualized rocker lifestyle.  It's a lifestyle teeming with groupies and drugs that leads to temptation and puts Kitty and Cody's HEA in doubt.  Once the final page is turned though readers will feel exhausted but satisfied, despite a few flaws, counting down the days until the next installment in this steamy and angsty series!

My rating for this is a B.

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

AUTHOR INFO:

Tania Sparks is a romantic at heart who genuinely believes in true love and soul mates. She met her husband while still at school, she was sixteen, he was seventeen. They are high school sweethearts who more than twenty five years later are still very much in love and are happily married with two beautiful daughters.

Tania does have a full time job, but in her spare minutes enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and reading. She's an avid reader who tends to chomp through a large volume of books, mainly in the romance genre. Her other major 'hobby' is writing steamy rock star erotic romances!

In 2014, after finding herself constantly being inspired by numerous romance novels, she decided to try her hand at writing. After penning her first scene she discovered that she enjoyed it immensely and so resolved to continue with the rest of the story that was swirling in her imagination. That story resulted in her first novel, Heaven Sent which is the first book in her Oblivion on Tour Series. This was soon followed by Bolt From The Blue and Pure Torture. Each book in the series is a stand-alone story which follows a different band member from a hard rock group called Oblivion - and of course the feisty ladies that steal their hearts! The other books in the series are at various stages of completion.

Now-a-days Tania finds it very difficult to control her imagination and swears that her rock stars are constantly chanting their stories in her head. She can't wait to share them with you.

WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE

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

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Book Tour for Mettle by JC Valentine (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Fans of MC-themed romances will find this an exhilarating and edge of your seat thrill ride from the first page to the last.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Mettle by JC Valentine, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about it by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  In honor of this second installment in the Spartan Riders series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 Amazon GC too!

Talia McKinnon said goodbye to love the day she signed the divorce papers and moved across the country looking for a fresh start. With work occupying her days and nights, a relationship is the last thing on her mind, until a run-in with a hot-as-Hades, leather clad biker changes her mind. He’s everything she shouldn’t want but has to have. The problem is, he’s not that easy to catch.

Tucker “Country” Abrams believes in two things: brotherhood and women. He takes his job seriously and his women hard, but at the end of the day, the only loyalty he has is to his club. So when a night with a beautiful stranger threatens to change everything, he’s quick to apply the brakes. But when a little detective work reveals that Talia may be much more than a one-night stand, Tucker is tasked with an impossible decision. Will he push her away, or go against every instinct he has and pull her closer?

EXCERPT:

Tucker was frowning. “So you don’t want to..."

“No! No, I do. I definitely do.” She patted the air. Realized she looked like a crazy person and pressed herself against him instead. Up close, she could see the golden flecks in his caramel colored eyes, along with shots of pale green, like a starburst. “What I meant to say was let’s get things started."

“So eager.” Looping his arm around her waist, Tucker pulled her in tighter, allowing her to feel his erection pressing against her navel. “I like it. Where’s the bedroom? Unless you prefer the couch? Or maybe the counter? I’m totally flexible."

So many options. Unfortunately, the only place Talia could be certain the cameras weren’t watching was the bedroom. She pointed in its direction. “Through there."

Grinning like a cat with a bowl of milk, Tucker carried the water bottles in one hand and held hers in the other.

Her room was just as expensively outfitted as the rest of the apartment when it came to the cost of materials and the level of quality of the furniture, but when it came to style, it was much more subdued than the rest of the place.

The difference was that it was Talia’s personal space and the one place she could retreat to truly relax. She’d read somewhere that the bedroom should be treated as a sanctuary in order to foster a calm mind and help reduce everyday stressors, which would lead to good sleep and all around better frame of mind.

Since she always got a full eight hours and could honestly say that her tension eased the minute her toes sunk into the carpet, she had to believe there was something to it.

A Ficus stood proud between three bay windows, surrounded by two club chairs that she alternated between using for reading and to prop her feet on. The bed was a standard queen with an antique iron frame that’d been painted white and then destressed in places to expose the ironwork underneath. The predominate color in the room was Robin’s egg blue with spots of yellow and touches of red sprinkled here and there to create pops of color.

It was a no-fuss space that always made her feel at home in a place that was far from it. Just another way that her job was different from everyone else’s: whereas most people worked an eight-hour shift and called it a day, she literally lived her job most days, so she rarely got to leave work behind at the end of the day. It was a reality that rarely bothered her, but when the occasion did arise, it was a struggle to remind herself why she’d chosen the profession and how much she enjoyed it.

“I like your style,” Tuck praised as he took the lead, heading straight for the bed with her in tow. “It’s surprisingly masculine."

He was referring to the choice of furniture: bulky dark grain woods mixed with metalwork and plain beige fabrics. Very basic, very streamline. No doubt, the women he usually spent his time with were all about the usual pink and floral with ruffles routine girls were taught to like. Bleh. She had never been the type to conform to societal norms.

“Thanks.” She wished she could say that she’d decorated it herself, but that would be a lie, and given the way he seemed to look straight through her most of the time, she wasn’t even going to go there.

“Okay, so how do you want to do this?” he asked. Setting the bottles down on the side table, taking care to use the coasters she kept in every room, he turned to face her.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” How to do what? Whatever it was, she knew he couldn’t be talking about sex, because he definitely knew his way around that.

“Sex,” he said, shooting that theory down. “It’s your place, so you have first dibs. Top, bottom, side, or standing. Or, if you really want to get crazy, Cricket told me about this one time where he had one of the bunnies stand on her head and put her legs on his shoulders while he--"

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Talia yelled over top of him. “This is so not something I want to hear."

“Sorry, yeah. I said the same thing, but some things you can’t unhear, and that? That was pretty damn interesting, so I’ll admit that I filed some of it away for later use. So if you’re feeling adventurous, just let me know, and I’ll be happy to hook you up."

He winked. She may have swooned a little. “Yeah, sure, okay, I’ll definitely do that.” She rolled her eyes, hoping her disinterested huff was convincing. Sex while standing on your head? How did that work?

There was so much she didn’t know, so much she had yet to learn. It seemed that Tucker was determined to see to it that he fixed that problem posthaste. It was a good feeling, being wanted. Desired. During the last months of her marriage, Brock had made it a point to beat her confidence down, drilling it in that she wasn’t a good wife. She never cooked or cleaned to his standards, didn’t dress sexy enough or maintain herself as he wanted. In his eyes, she had never been woman enough for him, too independent, too focused on work and not enough on him. In hindsight, she wasn’t even sure why she’d married him in the first place. With her job, they were often separated for weeks at a time, and when they were together, they were always butting heads. Eventually, though, she’d come to her senses and realized that, despite what she did for a living, she wasn’t the problem. He knew what he was getting into when he married her and no matter what, she didn’t deserve the abuse. So, after telling him that he wasn’t man enough for her, she left without a backward glance.

Just because she was the one who left didn’t mean that it didn’t still hurt, though. Sometimes, like now, when she thought on it too long, it struck a chord deep in her that seemed to hum through her every fiber, leaving her feeling the lowest of the low.

But now she had Tucker, who made her feel like every woman in those romance books he read about. Did he learn a thing or two from them? Hell yes. She’d experienced it at his place, and now she was about to experience it again.

Stepping into his personal space, she slid her arms around his shoulders and smiled up into his face. “I’d like to start out on top, and then we’ll go from there."

“Handstand sex?” he asked hopefully.

Her head fell back, the hangover now reduced to a dull ache, and she laughed. “Maybe."

“I’ll take it."

Absorbing the light in his eyes, the pure joy in his smile, and the euphoric feeling he gave her every time he looked at her like that, Talia thanked her lucky stars that she’d been assigned to the case she had…then wondered what she’d do with herself once it was all over.

But she didn’t want to think about all that now. Right now, all she wanted to do was get lost in the man in front of her and the untold pleasures he would bring.

Rising onto her toes, she whispered against his lips, “Thank you."

“For what?"

“For being you. The last guy in my life wasn’t so nice."

Tucker’s jaw clenched. “Then it’ll be my pleasure to erase him from your memory.”

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (US)  |  AMAZON (CA)  |  AMAZON (UK)  |  BN  |  KOBO  |  iBOOKS

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a fan of MC-themed romances I can't seem to get enough of them and the compelling men and women amongst the pages.  Luckily there's no shortage of books set in this gritty and highly sexualized world that keeps you on the edge of your seat in its balance of action and eroticism.  After reading the previous installment in the Spartan Riders series I found myself drawn to Tucker and am happy to see him take center stage in this sexy battle between the sexes.  It's a battle that's steamy and exhilarating between a bad boy biker and the strong-willed FBI agent drawn into a romantic and dangerous war that leaves her conflicted.

With the Spartan Riders still under threat from the criminal Cruiz, there's a sense of foreboding hanging over the story and it's what ultimately brings Talia to Tucker.  Women are being trafficked and Talia's sent undercover to see what connection the Spartan Riders have to it.  What she discovers though is unexpected.  She's a strong and modern woman quite capable of taking care of herself who desperately wants to prove herself to her coworkers and bosses.  It leads her to becoming an integral part of Tucker's life, as well as of the Club, through a burgeoning romance with him and forming friendships throughout the Club that leave her saddened by her duplicity.  Tucker never acts as she expects as he's charming and caring in ways both subtle and overt.  He makes her feel like a woman which she embraces while enjoying her verbal sparring with him. It's a fine line she has to walk and it all comes to a head very late in the story in a war that has her fighting to keep Tucker safe.

Tucker's an unrepentant player who has no intention of getting tied down.  The women he surrounds himself with are from the Club and of the same variety who cater to his every whim.  Meeting Talia catches him off guard as she's unlike all his previous partners.  She enjoys going toe to toe with him and he's drawn to her strength along with her brief flashes of insecurity.  Before he knows it he finds himself in a relationship with the most unlikeliest of women, a relationship that's scorching and playful between two very similar people. Watching Tucker fall in love is entertaining as he makes mistakes along the way that endear him to readers.  He and Talia make a formidable pair and watching them fight side by side is awe-inspiring and makes for an exhilarating conclusion to this fast-paced story.

This was an quick read that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last as the war between the men of the Spartan Riders and Cruiz's men came to a fiery end.  Tucker and his brothers are strong, sexy, and supportive of the women they claim as their own.  That's not to say there isn't a bit of misogyny involving the women hanging around the club.  Club life is vividly depicted with all the sensuality and brotherly interactions.  Tucker and Talia are a wonderful pairing and I enjoyed their dirty talk and scorching interludes. Their steamy relationship was perfectly balanced with the action and suspense of the war and its hidden enemies.  It all makes for a compelling read that pulls you in wholeheartedly and I look forward to the next installment in this series!

My rating for this is an A.

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

***GET A GLIMPSE OF THE FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THE SPARTAN RIDERS SERIES***

GRIT

Gabby Morgan isn’t looking for love. Not even a little romance. Following a rocky past that she’d just as soon forget, she’s determined to focus on the future. One that most certainly doesn’t involve the tough-as-nails, short-on-words, hot-as-hell biker…or his kid.

Blake Mahone may not be done with women, but he’s finished with relationships. Then Gabby Morgan enters the picture. She’s flawless, refined, and as his kid’s teacher, way out of his league. She acts like she hates him, but her eyes tell a different story. Before he knows it, Blake finds himself hot for teacher, and he’s more than ready to learn all her secrets. Now all he has to do is convince her to give him a shot…without getting them both killed in the process.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON (US)  |  PRINT  |  AMAZON (CA)

AUTHOR INFO:

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Series. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

J.C. earned her own happily ever after when she married her high school sweetheart. Living in the Northwest, they have three amazing children and far too many pets and spend much of their free time together enjoying movies or the outdoors. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

Sign up for J.C.’s newsletter and never miss a thing!

WEBSITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  PINTEREST  |  GOOGLE+  |  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  |  GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE

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

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Book Tour for Melody of Truth by Nicole Simone (Review)

Rock star romances have become my obsession and luckily there seems to be plenty showing up on my bookshelf!  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of Melody of Truth by Nicole Simone and its balance of steaminess with bits of humor, along with my impressions of it.  Once you get a look at this enticing third installment in the Love of a Rockstar series get ready to add it to your bookshelf too!

MELODY

The sexy as sin Marco, a man I never thought would be mine, asked me Melody Carmichael to marry him.

Two months before I became a Mrs., a job opportunity to film a documentary about rock n roller, Matthew Lee and his band, presented itself. My swirling doubts compelled me to pack a bag and spend two months on a tour bus.

While I expected it to be a wild ride, I had no idea, my life, as I knew it, would never be the same.

SEAN

I had lost everything, my wife, my dog and my house within a blink of an eye. Without my career as a drummer for solo artist/best friend, Matthew Lee, I would have been adrift in the rocky seas, drowning underneath mounds of legal work and divorce proceedings.

Our upcoming tour was my opportunity to regain my focus but that was before, I found out documentary filmmaker, Melody Carmichael, would be capturing our every move. With her fire engine colored lips, raven black hair and a figure reminiscent of a 1950's pin-up model she evoked dirty daydreams with a single glance.

As the professional lines between us blur, I make it my mission to prove to Melody putting your heart on the line is the greatest risk worth taking.

FIND THIS BOOK ON GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  KOBO  |  iBOOKS

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Fans of rock star romances will find themselves charmed by this tale of two people bruised by love tempted by each other at the worst time ever.  With a combustible connection that's off the charts Melody and Sean try to be friends but find too much attraction bringing them together.  With Melody's marriage of convenience getting ever closer, she and Sean get caught up in a maelstrom of love and lies that leave both of them conflicted over their futures and readers left guessing.

In a story that follows a unique path, one of sexual frustration amidst attempts to live an honorable and satisfying life separate from your past, readers will find it an entertaining ride.  Though readers might become frustrated by Melody and Sean's constant "will they, won't they" they will ultimately get caught up in the charming and playful interplay between the sweet and romantic Sean and the strong-willed Melody.  Add in the chaotic and exhilarating world of music, as well as a fiancee who's not who he seems, and you're left with more conflict and stress to keep their HEA in doubt.  Through everything though, you can't help being drawn to the characters, both primary and secondary as they're far too appealing and likable to ignore.  Sean is a true romantic despite his impending divorce leaving him a bit embittered while Melody is sassy and strong with a weakness of being a bit too kindhearted.  They test each other every step of the way in an engaging tug of war that finally leads to scorching encounters.

Though this book is part of a series it stands nicely on its own giving just enough glimpses of the other bandmates to give an update on previous couples while enticing you for future couplings.  The men of Five Guys are a sexy bunch with playful and brotherly interactions, witty and snarky banter, that has me counting down the days until the next installment.  Fans of rock star romances will find this an enjoyable read with a satisfying and dreamy conclusion that's a delightful addition to the genre.

My rating for this is a B-

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

AUTHOR INFO:

Nicole Simone works in digital media by day and at night, pen’s character driven romance novels that will make your mama blush. She lives in Seattle, WA with her fat bulldog named Humphrey.

She loves hearing from her readers and can be reached at authornicolesimone@gmail.com

WEBSITE:  http://www.authornicolesimone.com/

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GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7729837.Nicole_Simone

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  http://amzn.to/295pXuo

Book Spotlight on Heart Strike by M.L. Buchman (GIVEAWAY)

Readers looking for an exhilarating thrill ride will find themselves drawn to this tale of a strong-willed woman making it in a man's world and the computer geek who's right there beside her as danger creeps ever closer.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Heart Strike by M.L. Buchman then add it to your bookshelf when it releases tomorrow.  In honor of this second installment in the Delta Force series US readers will want to make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a print copy of this book too!

SERGEANT RICHIE “Q” GOLDMAN: The smartest soldier on any team

SERGEANT MELISSA “THE CAT” MOORE: Newest on the team, determined to be the best

Rescued from an icy mountaintop by a Delta operative, Melissa Moore has never met a challenge she can’t conquer. Not only she will make Delta Force, she will be the best female warrior in The Unit, and woe to anyone who says otherwise. Technical wizard Richie Goldman is Bond’s “Q” turned warrior. A genius about everything except women, he takes point on the team’s most dangerous mission yet. When the Delta Force team goes undercover in the depths of the Colombian jungle, surviving attacks from every side requires that Richie and Melissa strike right at the heart of the matter…and come out with their own hearts intact.

EXCERPT:

Melissa felt as if she was fracturing inside her head.

Melissa The Cat, Richie’s Ilsa, could purr for months over what they just done. Richie was the best lover she’d ever had by far, and not just the incredible foreplay of the soapy massage.

She’d been fully aware of his own surprise when the warrior had been unleashed. Her only surprise was that the considerate guy had let him loose at all. That guy was every woman’s dream of a thoughtful, caring man.

Then there was the man she’d thought was the solider, the dangerous and confident Delta operator with the hint of green in his eyes.

There was a true warrior hidden deep within Richie Goldman and he was a devastating lover. His raw power and need all the stronger because of the contrast with the man Richie chose to be—because there was no question that every decision Richie made in his life was conscious. Except perhaps unleashing the breathtaking lover on her.

And while Melissa the Cat was thrilled to find such a one, Melissa Moore wasn’t interested in anything deeper. The sex was great, but Richie had returned and still nuzzled against her neck and said that it was the best place he’d ever been.

That she was the best place he’d ever been.

If it was still the nameless warrior, she’d know it was just the sex and she’d be fine with it. But it wasn’t; it was Richie, and he wasn’t just talking about the sex.

He’d obviously sensed the shift in her, for which she was sorrier than she’d expected. But he didn’t let her go. Instead he sat down carefully on the shower stall floor without breaking their connection, she still straddling him with her legs around his waist, her breasts pressed hard against his chest. The shower’s warm spray pattered over them as if washing away all sins. If only it was so easy.

“Hey, lover,” she brushed a hand down his smooth cheek and kissed him lightly.

“Hey,” he responded, but kept his eyes averted.

“Look at me."

And that simply, with no evasion, he did. His light brown eyes looked at her as if she was far more special than she really was.

“Maybe you should stop looking at me.” There wasn’t need there, but rather a knowing. As if he knew more about her than she did herself.

Rather than stopping, he smiled softly and brushed his lips over hers. “I’m so sorry."

“If you’re apologizing for the best sex of my life, I’m gonna smack you, Richie Goldman.” Crap! She hadn’t meant to say that.

“I wasn’t.” Then he blinked in surprise and whispered, “The best of your life?"

“Yes, damn you!” She really hadn’t meant to say that…even if it was true.

“Cool!"

And there was her geek.

“I have to admit that it wasn’t the best of my life,” his tone might have been joking but she couldn’t tell. She seemed to be a complete sucker for Richie’s straight lines.

She tried to pull away to see him better, but his arms were still wrapped tightly around her back. If she wasn’t his best, at least he should have the decency not to point it out. She shoved again, but he didn’t let go.

“You were better than that,” he explained happily, clearly enjoying his own sense of humor. “I don’t even remember anyone else. How could I when you so overshadowed every one of them?"

Melissa made a raspberry sound of disbelief, “Such a smooth talker.” Except Richie wasn’t. Not the mild-mannered genius, who was always frank and forthright. Nor the wild lover, who didn’t speak at all. Maybe he was just trying to confuse her. She certainly hoped so, because if he was speaking truth, she was in far deeper water than she had any interest in.

He leaned in to nuzzle her neck again but she tugged on the back of his hair to keep him looking at her.

“Then what are you apologizing for?"

“For whoever hurt you so badly that you’d freeze up in my arms after what we just did together.” No joke this time. No merry twinkle. No half laugh at his own wit. Instead she was facing the soldier who was angry on her behalf. He could speak and he was pissed. More than that, if she read him right, Richie was equally furious in his own way.

No one except her brother had ever thought to be angry on her behalf. And absolutely no lover.

Unable to face his eyes any longer, she pulled his head back against her shoulder and tried to ignore how right it felt to hold him so close.

Melissa knew she wasn’t merely in over her head. She was down deep in a blue hole without even a scuba tank.

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

AUTHOR INFO:

M. L. Buchman has over 35 novels and an ever-expanding flock of short stories in print. His military romantic suspense books have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year,” Booklist “Top 10 of the Year,” and RT “Top 10 Romantic Suspense of the Year.” In addition to romantic suspense, he also writes contemporaries, thrillers, and fantasy and science fiction.

In among his career as a corporate project manager he has: rebuilt and single-handed a fifty-foot sailboat, both flown and jumped out of airplanes, designed and built two houses, and bicycled solo around the world.

He is now a full-time writer, living on the Oregon Coast with his beloved wife. He is constantly amazed at what you can do with a degree in Geophysics. You may keep up with his writing at www.mlbuchman.com.

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Rock Star Lit Cool Contemporary Reads Giveaway

As a reader who LOVES Summer, and enjoys steamy contemporary reads, I'm thrilled to bring you a brand new giveaway courtesy of Rock Star Lit!  Keep reading to get a glimpse of what you can win in this giveaway that runs all this month...

Rock Star Lit is pleased to announce our Cool Contemporary Reads contest for Summer of 2016!  Enter below to win ebooks, signed books, gift cards or a beach bag filled with cool items!  Featuring these great books and authors:

FIND FANTASY GIRL BY CANDICE GILMER AT AMAZON here.

FIND GOING DOWN EASY BY CARLY PHILLIPS AT AMAZON here.

FIND GATLINBURG GETAWAY BY CRYSTAL JORDAN AT AMAZON here.

FIND DEVIOUS LITTLE LIES BY ERIN ASHLEY TURNER AT AMAZON here.

FIND MY LAST LOVE STORY BY FALGUNI KATHARI AT AMAZON here.

FIND IN THE LINE OF FIRE BY JETT MUNROE AT AMAZON here.

FIND ALL I NEED BY LINDA WINFREE AT AMAZON here.

FIND YOU ONLY BY MELANIE JAYNE AT AMAZON here.

FIND RACING TO YOU BY ROBIN LOVETT AT AMAZON here.

FIND LOVE SHACK BY ROXY MEWS AT AMAZON here.

FIND DAUGHTERS OF THE BRIDE BY SUSAN MALLERY AT AMAZON here.

FIND RESCUING EMILY BY SUSAN STOKER AT AMAZON here.

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