FOR HER (THE GIRL I LOVED DUET #1) by Penny Wylder
Release Date: January 10th

 

 

 

 

 

NOW AVAILABLE! Grab it TODAY!!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited!!

 

 

 

 

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Blurb
She was the one that got away. I won’t let it happen again, no matter the cost.

In high school I was the brooding boy that didn’t get along with anyone.

Then Amber Dwyre dragged me into the Drama Club, demanding I fill in for a classmate who was sick. She was wild, funny, and stubborn as hell. We became best friends… soul mates.

Until I made a huge mistake and she never spoke to me again.

Now, years later, I’m a full-fledged actor with the leading role in a TV series.

I might be successful, but I’m weighed down by memories of the girl I loved.

Then I walk onto the set and see Amber sitting in the director’s chair.

She’s more gorgeous than ever. I’m aching to run my fingers through her thick hair.

When she looks at me, her eyes burn with fury.

But I don’t care if she hates me.

I’ll risk everything to get her back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt
Amber is the strongest person I know, and no amount of convincing will
make her change her mind when she’s mad about something. I can only
show her that I’m sorry, and that I still want her.

“I just wanted to tell you
that I’m really happy to see you again.”

She looks at me now, but it’s not a friendly look. She’s glaring at me with
all the power that she has.

“And I just want to tell you this, and I wanted
want it to be crystal clear. I know I wasn’t the original director, but I’m here
to do my job. And only that. I intend to do good work, because this is just as
big an opportunity for me as it is for you. I’m not here to rebuild things that
are broken, or to do anything that’s going to risk my career. Especially,
because of you.”

I managed to control my expression so that my job jaw doesn’t drop on
the floor.

“Because of me?”

I grin, “I didn’t realize I could still affect you
like that, after so many years.if you’re making that kind of ultimatum
already, and you must be more affected by seeing me again then you want
to let on, Amber Dwyer.”

A blush stains her cheeks, not unlike the one she had the day
we first met, . I don’t miss the way her eyes flicker in on my mouth and
back.

“You’re not affecting me.” she says hotly.

That only makes me smile more.

“I never stopped thinking about you,
Amber.”

Her flush is deep now.

“Well you should have.”

“Why? If you’re this bothered by seeing me again, then clearly you didn’t stop thinking about me either.”

 

 

 

 

About the Author
A USA Today Bestselling author and #1 Amazon bestselling author, Penny Wylder writes what you’d expect– wild romances. Happily Ever Afters are always better when they’re a little dirty, so if you’re looking for a page-turner that will make you feel naughty in all the right places, jump right in and leave your panties at the door!

 

 

 

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyWylder/
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Title: Out of My League
Author: Jessica Prince
Series: Hope Valley
Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

Read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon Universal

 

“What the hell was that?” I finally managed to ask on a heavy exhale.

“Two weeks, buttercup,” he said on a growl. “Two fuckin’ weeks I’ve had to watch you at a distance, and the first words you speak to me in that time are to jump down my goddamn throat.”

I tried to step back, but his arms tightened. “Well, what did you think I’d do when I found out?”

“Exactly this,” he said smugly.

“Wait. You wanted me to come in here and blow up at you?”

“If that’s what it took to get you to stop pretendin’ like I don’t exist, then yeah. I’ve been going outta my goddamn mind for two weeks, Edie.”

“That makes two of us!” I cried. “Only mine’s all your fault.”

“It was a means to an end. One way or another, I was gonna keep you safe. I wanted to do it my damn self, but you wouldn’t allow that, so I did the next best thing, with a little added incentive to my boys to do everything in their power to annoy you to the point that you’d let me back in so I could look after you.”

Putting my hands to his chest, I shoved as hard as I possibly could. It was like trying to move a mountain. “For god’s sake,” I gasped. “Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?”

“Haven’t been feelin’ all that fuckin’ sane the past couple weeks, buttercup,” he clipped in return.

I gave him another shove, and another, and another until he finally relented and let me go. “Don’t say that,” I snapped back just as hard, causing him to tilt his head in confusion.

“Don’t say what?”

“Don’t call me buttercup like that. Not when you’re pissed. You gave me that name when we first met, and I’ve freaking loved it ever since. Don’t you use it sarcastically. That’s not fair.”

Everything suddenly shifted. Lincoln’s anger and irritation faded away, and his face took on that soft warmth that made my heart flip. “I’m sorry, baby,” he said so gently that I thought I might break down and cry right then and there. “I promise not to do it again.”

God, I was a wreck. I was so off-kilter I didn’t know up from down. “Jesus, Linc. What are we doing here? This isn’t normal behavior. It’s totally unhealthy.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, and for the first time since storming in, I actually noticed what he was wearing. Running shoes, a pair of loose black basketball shorts that hung tantalizingly off his narrow hips, and another Under Armour shirt, only this one was white and sleeveless. And damn, did he look good.

He watched me closely as he leaned back casually against the door, cutting off any hopes I might have had of escaping. “You’re right, Edie. Nothing about this is normal, but I’m fine with that.”

“How can you say that?” I asked in frustration, the tsunami of emotions inside of me making it impossible to think straight. “How could you ever be okay with this?”

“Because I’ve never cared about someone the way I care about you. I was just fine with the way my life was before you came along, Eden. I never considered marriage or kids or settling down. As far as I was concerned, none of that shit was for me. Then I met you.”

“Lincoln—”

But he wasn’t finished. “You told me that what we had was real for you from the very beginning. What I didn’t realize was that it was the same for me too.” All the air expelled from my lungs on a painful exhale. “When I held you on the dance floor that first night, everything changed. You’re genuine and beautiful. I don’t just want you, Eden, I want to know you. You’re different than any woman I’ve ever been with.”

“I make you laugh,” I whispered, the words spilling out of their own accord.

He nodded and lowered his voice. “You make me laugh.” Pushing off the wall, he closed the distance between us and placed a palm on either side of my neck, using his thumbs to tip my face up. “And you make it so easy. I didn’t think that was possible, baby.”

“Nona told me you don’t laugh a lot,” I said quietly. “I didn’t believe her because I’d seen it myself every time we were together.”

“That was because of you, Edie. Only you.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. Lifting onto my toes, I slammed my lips against his and kissed him with everything I was.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Out Of My League is a great start to a new series by Jessica Prince! I really connected with the characters, and loved how Eden was trying to distance herself from a past that constantly brought her down. When a series of robberies strikes the small town where Eden has started a new life, she’s an unofficial person of interest due to her family’s criminal past. And when the lead detective calls in a favor from his old pal, Lincoln has no choice but to cozy up to the sweet newcomer. But is he just playing a part or really falling for her?

While I loved the story, I didn’t love the title. I didn’t find anything wrong with Eden being a bit curvy, and hated that she felt hot, sexy Lincoln was out of her league. But I loved her as a character, and I loved Linc as a hero. The relationship-bet trope can be a tricky one to bring to a bona fide romance that the reader will get behind, but JP did a great job of making me ship Eden and Linc!

Overall, this book sets up a great new series. The secondary characters were funny and likable – I really can’t wait to get to Cord and Rory’s story — and added a lot of heart and humor to the story. There is just the right amount of suspense, and Rocky just wormed his way into my heart! I loved the shout-outs to Civil Corruption, and how Marcus (from Consume) is one of Lincoln’s security guys! I need the next books now!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.

Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.

In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.

Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.

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A Place Without You, an all-new emotional New Adult romance from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!

The Law of Henna and Bodhi:

When love breaks, fall inward, fall together, and fall hard. Then let time pick up the pieces.

Everything feels temporary when you’ve experienced tragedy—until Henna Lane meets Bodhi at a music festival.

Young and spontaneous, they have a lust for seizing the moment, falling hard and fast.

When Bodhi is forced to leave without a goodbye, Henna thinks she’ll never get over him. But then she meets Mr. Malone, her sexy, new guidance counselor.

They are reckless.

They are forbidden.

When their secret is discovered, Henna has to choose between finishing school—banned from seeing Mr. Malone—or dropping out to follow her nomad dreams.

Henna chooses her dreams.

Over time, she learns that life is not a destination or a journey, some things are more than temporary, and the forbidden can never be ignored. But if she returns for him, will he still be hers?

A Place Without You is an emotional story of young love, shattered dreams, and impossible decisions.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ApZXGR

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/APlaceWithoutYou

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Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

It’s taken me so long to write a review for A Place Without You, because I don’t know where to start! Bodhi and Henna tore me apart! This book starts off as a forbidden romance, but the heart of the story is more about timing. As deep a connection as they have from the start, the stars just aren’t aligned for them. And it’s heartbreak because they are SO good together!

The circumstances in Bodhi’s life prevent him from trying to build a true relationship with Henna, but she just KNOWS they are meant for one another and refuses to give up. What starts out as an instalove relationship evolves over the years… but there are so many heartbreaks along the way for both Bodhi and Henna.

There is so much more I want to say about this amazing book, but I don’t want to ruin the experience! Just read it. Go read it now. It will make you think long and hard about true love, sacrifice, finding yourself, and learning how to let go of guilt and find inner peace.

Remember Me?
You are my favorite memory.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Excerpt:

“Let’s eat before we leave. I’m sure there’s quite the spread downstairs.”

“Rich people breakfast?” I ask.

She furrows a brow for a few seconds. “Yes. I suppose so.” Rolling away, she swings her legs around and stands up, stretching like a cat.

“Do you eat rich people breakfast every morning?” My curiosity has been piqued.

After a long yawn, she cocks her head to the side, lips slightly twisted. “Shredded Wheat with cut-up banana and almond milk. Is that a rich person’s breakfast?”

I sit up, doing a bit of my own stretching, loving the way her gaze roams along my bare chest, her lips parting ever so slightly. “No. I think that’s a solid middle-class breakfast.”

“Middle. That’s average. Average is good, right?”

“There’s nothing average about you, Henna.” I stand, following her into the bedroom.

“I’m going to shower quickly, and by quickly I mean I need an hour. Do you have an hour?”

“To shower with you?” I try to play it cool, like I’m serious.

I’m a little serious.

The color leaves her face. “Oh, um …” She twists her fingers together, drawing her shoulders inward.

“I’m kidding.”

A little kidding.

Henna’s posture relaxes as her cheeks pink up again. “We could.” Her gaze darts around the room before landing on mine for two seconds only to wander around the room again.

“My clothes are at my hotel. I’ll shower there. I need to get going.”

A slow sigh deflates her chest as she tries on a smile that misses the confident mark by a few centimeters. “Okay.”

“But thanks for the offer.” I wink.

More color paints her cheeks, and it looks stunning on her. “I kinda sorta thought we’d have sex last night, but we didn’t, and that’s fine, but now I don’t know what comes next.”

Does that make me the world’s biggest idiot for not taking what she was planning on offering? Or does that make me a gentleman? I’ve already fucked her a hundred different ways in my head, so I’m going to shy away from the gentleman label.

“How about you put my number in your phone and I’ll call you later today? That feels like a good next, don’t you think?”

Henna nods and turns, walking toward the bedroom door. Digging through her purse, she retrieves her phone. When she pulls it out, a string of three condoms comes out with it. “Oh jeez.” Quickly snatching them off the floor, she shoves them back into her purse.

I don’t respond because I’m not sure what the correct response should be.

“I was conceived at Coachella.” She hands me her phone with the contact screen open, ready for my information.

Taking her phone, I give her an expectant look, but she withholds all elaboration.

“And by conceived, you mean physical conception, not merely an idea kind of conception?” I hand her phone back and give her mine.

“In the shadows behind a stage. I know more details than most people should actually know about the moment they were conceived.” She lifts a shoulder in a small shrug. “But Juni is my best friend. She’s the absolute coolest mom ever, and the story of how she met my dad is my favorite story ever.”

I nod as she keeps her chin tipped toward the screen to my phone. “Why is that?” I take my phone back when she holds it out to me.

“Yin Yang. Opposites. Laws of the universe.” She wears a satisfied smile. “My parents were temporary. I was permanent.” Holding out her arms, she inspects her henna tattoos as if seeing them for the first time. “My mom had henna tattoos on her body when she met my dad. Henna grows in intensity over a few days before fading to nothing. It’s magical and beautiful and then it’s gone. My parents say that about their love for each other. It grew quickly into something deep and intense, but over time it faded. Their love—like most everything in life—was temporary.”

“We’re temporary.”

Her empty stare shifts to meet my gaze and she nods. “Don’t sweat it. Everything is temporary. But today…” she walks into my chest, and my arms wrap around her as she looks up at me “…we should be at our brightest, our most intense.”

 

About Jewel:

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Connect with Jewel:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjeweleann/

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http://www.jeweleann.com

 

What happens when you meet the girl of your dreams and she lives halfway across the world?

Thinking About You, a standalone book in the Forever Series by Monica Murphy is live!

One minute I’m minding my own business at a party and the next I meet this woman who blows my mind. She’s beautiful. Smart. Funny. A little shy. I’m immediately drawn to her. We make an instant connection.

The problem?

Lady Susanna Sumner lives in London.

I live in California

I play professional football.

She works part-time at an art gallery and lives off her family’s money.

Her family is nobility. I come from a single mom who always scraped to get by.

Susanna and I should have nothing in common. But when we’re together, it’s…

Electric.

What are we supposed to do? Can we really make this work? I can’t give up my career. And I can’t ask her to move to California for me. All I know is, I want her in my life.

Desperately.

A standalone, contemporary romance

Download your copy today!

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About Monica:

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

Connect with Monica:

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Mailing List:: http://bit.ly/IW5U0y

 

 

 

Faking It never felt so good in this red-hot new standalone by New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg–available now!

Zane Phillips mistook me for his dog walker. It shouldn’t surprise me that the man with a suit more expensive than my rent would assume that I was there to serve him. The positive? I put him in his place. The negative? I missed my job interview because of it. Now I find out he’s a rich Australian entrepreneur, and he wants to make up for tanking my interview.

Yes, he’s impossibly hot – but he’s also an arrogant jackass – so…no thanks.

But after a little white lie I tell spirals out of control, I’m somehow offered the chance to play Zane’s girlfriend to help promote his new dating website – and the best part? He can’t say no because he’ll get caught in his lie, too.

Little did I know this would entail sharing a tour bus with him for the next few months. The fact that the bus has just one bed isn’t the most ideal of circumstances, but this spokesperson gig might be the kick in the pants my career needs, so why not take a chance?

Famous last words.

Now I’m crisscrossing the country – and sharing that bed – with the one guy I can’t stand. And even worse, my traitorous body is wondering at every turn what it’s like to be down under the gorgeous Australian. But as the miles unfurl, so does our passion…and if I’m not careful, I might end up believing that fairy tales really do come true.

Download your copy today!

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Text Kbromberg to 77948 to stay up to date on all things, Driven movies and new releases!

About K. Bromberg

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow.

Since publishing her first book in 2013, Kristy has sold over one million copies of her books across sixteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by Passionflix with the first movie slated to release in the summer of 2018.

She is currently working on her Everyday Heroes trilogy. This series consists of three complete standalone novels—Cuffed, Combust, and Cockpit (late spring 2018)—and is about three brothers who are emergency responders, the jobs that call to them, and the women who challenge them.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media or sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on all her latest releases and sales: http://bit.ly/254MWtI

Connect with K. Bromberg

Website: http://www.kbromberg.com

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Today we have the release day blitz for Sarah Robinson’s Exposed Boxset! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!

Title: Exposed Boxset

Author: Sarah Robinson

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Exposed:

Hailed by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely for Nudes as “Passionate, emotional and uplifting!”, contemporary romance author Sarah Robinson brings readers a collection of sexy Hollywood romances that tackle challenging themes like the intersection of sexuality and female empowerment while also exciting readers with every page.

NUDES

Ben Lawson is making a comeback…
After a few tabloid headlines, they think they know me. They don’t know a damn thing. As CEO of a movie production company, I’ll show them who I really am when we hit it big at the box office. My ex thought her smear tactics would ruin me, but I’m unbreakable. Rising from the debris, I swore I’d never let a woman distract me like that again. But then, my leading actress walked on the set and changed everything.

Seductive, sexy, and unapologetic, Aria Rose could break me. I wanted to help her, protect her…love her. Instead, I destroyed her.

Aria Rose is baring it all….
I knew better. I knew not to trust another Hollywood heartthrob with a reputation like his. He was my boss and became my ruin. I should have stayed far away from him. Ben Lawson promised me the world. He even promised me his heart.

But he destroyed everything–my heart, my career, us.

BARE

Reed Scott is the hottest actor in LA…
Being a Hollywood heartthrob has its perks, and I’ve damn sure enjoyed every one of them, both on and off the silver screen. The tabloids loved every second of exploiting my privacy, chronicling my mistakes in ink for the whole world to see. Accepting the lead role in a romantic dance film was guaranteed to make me a box office hit and help me rewrite my image, until the choreographer hired to train me turned out to be the only woman I’d ever loved and lost.

As beautiful and enticing as ever, Teagan walks in and reminds me of the worst mistake I’ve ever made. She should hate me, and now she has the power to destroy everything I am.

Teagan Reynolds is picking up the pieces…
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…never going to happen. I fell in love with Reed Scott once and it nearly killed me–literally. The last thing I want to do now is teach him how to dance, but I need this job and there’s no way I’m letting him take yet another thing away from me.

Reed is in my world now, and this time we’re dancing by my rules.

SHEER

Grant Mercer is on the run from his secrets…
This was supposed to be an easy assignment—travel halfway across the globe and compose the musical score for an upcoming Hollywood movie by one of the biggest production companies in Los Angeles. One and done like dozens of times before. I wasn’t supposed to have my entire life crumble around me the moment my plane took off. I wasn’t supposed to meet her.

Intriguing and covered in ink, Simone enters my life like a storm, leaving only heartbreak in her wake. I should keep my distance. Hell, she should keep hers. Instead, we did the exact opposite.

Simone Reynolds is mending a broken heart…
Just months after finaling in one of television’s most watched singing competitions, I should be riding the high of my life. I should be celebrating starring in a musical film predicted to rock the box office. It’s hard to bask in my success when my family is suffering a loss we never saw coming. And then there’s Grant—brooding and rugged and an absolute pain in my ass as he messes with my movie.

He’s as broken as I am, but the perfect harmony is only a leap of faith away.

Includes a bonus extended series epilogue with the entire family, and two short excerpts from the author’s other novels.

Get Your Copy Today!

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Kobo | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

About Sarah Robinson:

Aside from being a Top 10 Barnes & Noble and Amazon Bestseller, Sarah Robinson is a native of the Washington, DC area and has both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in forensic and clinical psychology. She is newly married to a wonderful man who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiasts as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescues including everything from mammals to reptiles to marsupials, as well as volunteering and fostering for multiple animal shelters.

Subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.subscribepage.com/sarahrobinsonnewsletter

Visit the author’s website for more information about Sarah and her books: http://booksbysarahrobinson.net/

 

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Enter Sarah’s Giveaway:
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THE KISS THIEF BY L.J. SHEN

Release Date: January 9th

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser at RBA Designs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blurb
They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.

Two men.

Three lives.

Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt
“Are you sure you’re on my card?” I turned to the man with a polite yet distant smile. I was still disoriented from the exchange with Angelo when the stranger pulled me against his hard body and pressed a possessive hand lower than socially acceptable on my back, a second from groping my butt.

“Answer me,” I hissed.

“My bid on your card was the highest,” he replied dryly.

“The bids are undisclosed. You don’t know how much other people have paid,” I kept my lips pursed to keep myself from yelling.

“I know it’s nowhere near the realm of what this dance is worth.”

Un-freaking-believable.

We began to waltz around the room as other couples were not only spinning and mingling but also stealing envious glances at us. Naked, raw ogles that told me that whomever the blonde he’d come to the masquerade with was, she wasn’t his wife. And that I might have been all the rage in The Outfit, but the rude man was in high demand, too.

I was stiff and cold in his arms, but he didn’t seem to notice—or mind. He knew how to waltz better than most men, but he was technical, and lacked warmth and Angelo’s playfulness.

“Nemesis.” He took me by surprise, his rapacious gaze stripping me bare. “Distributing glee and dealing misery. Seems at odds with the submissive girl who entertained Bishop and his horsey wife at the table.”

I choked on my own saliva. Did he just call the governor’s wife horsey? And me submissive? I looked away, ignoring the addictive scent of his cologne, and the way his marble body felt against mine.

“Nemesis is my spirit animal. She was the one to lure Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection and died of vanity. Pride is a terrible illness.” I flashed him a taunting smirk.

“Some of us could use catching it.” He bared his straight white teeth.

“Arrogance is a disease. Compassion is the cure. Most gods didn’t like Nemesis, but that’s because she had a backbone.”

“Do you?” He arched a dark eyebrow.

“Do I…?” I blinked, the courteous grin on my face crumpling. He was even ruder when we were alone.

“Have a backbone,” he provided. He stared at me so boldly and intimately, it felt like he breathed fire into my soul. I wanted to step out of his touch and jump into a pool full of ice.

“Of course, I do,” I responded, my spine stiffening. “What’s with the manners? Were you raised by wild coyotes?”

“Give me an example,” he said, ignoring my quip. I was beginning to draw away from him, but he jerked me back into his arms. The glitzy ballroom distorted into a backdrop, and even though I was starting to notice that the man behind the demi-mask was unusually beautiful, the ugliness of his behavior was the only thing that stood out.

I am a warrior and a lady…and a sane person who can deal with this horrid man.

“I really like Angelo Bandini.” I dropped my voice, slicing my gaze from his eyes and toward the table where Angelo’s family had been seated. My father was sitting a few seats away, staring at us coldly, surrounded by Made Men who chatted away.

“And see, in my family, we have a tradition dating back ten generations. Prior to her wedding, a Rossi bride is to open a wooden chest—carved and made by a witch who lived in my ancestors’ Italian village—and read three notes written to her by the last Rossi girl to marry. It’s kind of a good luck charm mixed with a talisman and a bit of fortunetelling. I stole the chest tonight and opened one of the notes, all so I could rush fate. It said that tonight I was going to be kissed by the love of my life, and well…” I drew my lower lip into my mouth and sucked it, peering under my eyelashes at Angelo’s empty seat. The man stared at me stoically, as though I was a foreign film he couldn’t understand. “I’m going to kiss him tonight.”

“That’s your backbone?”

“When I have an ambition, I go for it.”

A conceited frown crinkled his mask, as if to say I was a complete and utter moron. I looked him straight in the eye. My father taught me that the best way to deal with men like him was to confront, not run. Because, this man? He’d chase.

 

 

 

 

About the Author
L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

 

 

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