Vampirerotique Summer Book Tour & Giveaway With Felicity Heaton

As part of her Vampirerotique Summer Book Tour author Felicity Heaton is here today to introduce us to Callum and Kristina from Crave! To celebrate, Ms. Heaton is offering up a super fantastic giveaway to two winners here on the blog and a tour wide giveaway. To enter this giveaway follow the Rafflecopter instructions and you’re in!

Welcome, Ms. Heaton!

Introducing Callum and Kristina, hero and heroine of Crave

It’s wonderful to be back at Bookin It Reviews for the next stop in my Vampirerotique Summer Book Tour.

Today, I’m going to be introducing you all to Callum and Kristina, and talking about what it was like to write them and their romance, Crave.

Callum is an elite British vampire who attended school with Javier and has been friends with him ever since. He has an eye for detail and works in Vampirerotique as a talent scout and is in charge of the performers. Working closely with the acts that happen at the theatre has led him to embrace his passionate nature but hasn’t changed him and he’s still driven by his emotions, valuing love over lust. At one time, he was responsible for sourcing the humans for the shows too, but has since contracted out that job. Callum loves the theatre and his position, and he’s dedicated to both, but that dedication is put to the test when he sets eyes on a sassy werewolf and she ignites a forbidden carnal hunger in him that he cannot ignore.

Kristina is a werewolf and she’s on the run from her pack because her alpha has decided he wants her to bear his child, and he isn’t giving her any choice in the matter. She’s a strong, independent woman who will bow to no one, but she has deep-rooted fears too, and it’s those that keep her from connecting to anyone on a more intimate level. A courageous werewolf, she has spunk and determination, and likes to toy with males. When she finds herself in the city of romance and being silently pursued in the nightclubs, Kristina thinks that it’s her alpha’s doing, but her admirer turns out to be a tall, dark and dead sexy vampire, and rather than despise the feel of his eyes on her, she craves it with a ferocity that astounds her. Always willing to go against convention, Kristina turns the tables on Callum and brings the seductive vampire to his knees. 

I really loved writing Crave, and Callum and Kristina. Callum is a vampire who is driven by his emotions, despite how much he tries not to be. He’s intense and when he falls in love, he falls hard, and he pulls out all the stops. He’s also a vampire who knows the rules and knows it’s wrong that a sexy female werewolf has caught his eye, but he can’t stop himself from silently stalking her in the nightclubs. Of course, watching her interact with other males drives him crazy with jealousy, but what else is he meant to do? It’s a look but don’t touch situation, and he knows that. Callum’s intensity was a pleasure to write and I loved learning about him as his romance progressed from physical to emotional. It doesn’t take him long to become invested in what he has with Kristina and for a change it’s the hero pursuing the heroine and trying to convince her to open up and take a chance on him. I liked this role reversal. So many romances feature a heroine gunning for a reluctant hero. It was a nice change of pace to have a hero who knew what he wanted, didn’t care if it was illegal, and would do anything to make the heroine wake up and smell the roses he was presenting to her... or in Callum’s case, the yummy food.

Kristina has scars and she doesn’t show them to anyone. She’s a strong heroine but she’s weak too, and it’s her weaknesses that makes her want to run from Callum, even when she knows that he could be everything she’s ever wanted. It was hard writing Kristina because she had such emotional baggage and she was skittish, afraid that Callum would end up hurting her. She was intent on protecting her heart and getting her to open up to her hero took a lot of convincing on my part. I loved writing her though and exploring her pain and her fears with her, and eventually getting her to tell her sexy dark-haired vampire all about them too. If any of the heroines of the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series deserved a happily forever after, it was Kristina. I think a lot of female readers will be able to empathise with Kristina and they’ll be rooting for her just as I was.

If you like intense, unforgettable characters and forbidden love that will challenge convention in every possible way, then I think you’ll really enjoy their story, Crave, and the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series. Every book is packed with emotion, tension, drama and passion, guaranteed to satisfy even your darkest desires.

Be sure to follow this fantastic tour between June 28th and August 25th to learn more about the passionate heroes, wicked heroines, and life at London’s premier vampire erotic theatre! You can also find yourself in with a chance to win a $50 or $25 Amazon Gift Certificate if you follow the tour. More details, including how to enter and a full list of stops, are available at the Vampirerotique Summer Book Tour page:  http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/vampirerotique-summer-book-tour.php

Covet, Crave and Seduce are all available in paperback, and in ebook from Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks and Kobo. Excerpts are available for all of the current releases in the series, so you can get a taste of these wicked erotic romances.

Read more about Crave below, and visit my site for links to all the retailers and a hot excerpt:

Crave (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 2)

Felicity Heaton

His mind has been set on his work for the past one hundred years. Now a forbidden beauty has stolen his attention and is threatening to steal his heart too.

Callum has come to the city of romance on business, not pleasure, but when he sets eyes on a gorgeous werewolf in a nightclub, he can’t ignore the dark carnal craving she ignites in him. His work for Vampirerotique, the erotic theatre he runs with three other vampires, can wait. The only thing that matters now is satisfying his sinful hunger for a woman who most vampires would consider an enemy.

Kristina is on the run from her pack. Her alpha is intent on forcing her to bear his child and she’s not about to live through the same nightmare as her mother had. When a tall, dark and sexy vampire catches her eye, she can’t believe the ferocity of the desire he unleashes in her or the fact that she enjoys the feel of his eyes on her and his silent pursuit of her in the clubs each night.

When Kristina finally gets a taste of Callum in a forbidden kiss, will she be strong enough to resist the allure of the vampire and his offer to share his bed for a week of unbridled, wild sex, or will she surrender to her own craving for the safety and passion she finds in his embrace?

Books in the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series

Covet (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 1)

Crave (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 2)

Seduce (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 3)

Enslave 
(Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 4)
– Coming August 4^th!

Bewitch 
(Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 5) 
– Coming soon!

Unleash
(Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series Book 6) 
– Coming in 2013!

Biography

Felicity Heaton writes passionate paranormal romance books as Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, Felicity Heaton’s best selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series she writes as F E Heaton or any of her stand alone vampire romance books she writes as Felicity Heaton. Or if you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try Felicity Heaton’s new Vampire Erotic Theatre series.

In 2011, four of her six paranormal romance books received Top Pick awards from Night Owl Reviews, Forbidden Blood was nominated as Best PNR Vampire Romance 2011 at The Romance Reviews, and many of her releases received five star reviews from numerous websites.

If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:

My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk

My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

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Guest Author & Giveaway with Author Tori St. Claire

Please help me welcome National Bestselling Author Tori St. Claire here with us today with a fabulous post and giveaway! Make sure you read all the details to enter!

Welcome, Tori!

Character Quirks & Things You Didn’t Know

Good morning, readers!  I’m really glad to be able to be here today and share some insight on my latest release, Lie to Me, the second in the Black Opal series.  I thought, for fun, I’d give a little bit of character tidbits that didn’t necessarily make it into the story.  But before I do, let me field a few questions that have been following me around.

Q.  Does the Black Opal series have to be read in order, or do you need to have read Stripped to understand Lie to Me?

A.  Absolutely not.  While there might be mentions of previous characters or books, each one is designed to stand alone.

Q.  What can we expect when we pick up Lie to Me?

A.  A lot of action, danger, and twists to keep a reader on her toes.  This is, however, an erotic romantic suspense, and you will find lots of steamy between-the-sheets encounters.

Q.  What exactly are the Black Opals?

A.  I think the book puts it the best:  They exist only in shadow. An elite team of deadly operatives created to satisfy increasing international threats. Their world is the dark underground, where sin and pleasure dominate and lies are second nature. To those who cross them, they are professional killers. Within the CIA, they are the rare Black Opals . . .

Okay now that those are out of the way:

Did you know…

Alexei Nikanova, hardened Black Opal agent, has a secret craving for chocolate ice cream sprinkled with tiny peanut butter chips.  It’s a carry over from childhood, a rare treat he shared with his mother.

Sasha Zablosky, the lady he can’t keep his hands off of, fell in love with goats while in Dubai, and wants to own one of the fainting variety.  She believes it might curb Alexei’s trigger-finger if he has to stop to tend the critter every time he practices with targets.  And of course, if the goat is more afraid of bullets than she, then she won’t feel so silly.

Alexei has gone almost ten years without wearing a pair of shorts.  Even in the hottest desert sun, he’s been in full dress.  Usually dress pants and a sports jacket.

Sasha has never swum in the ocean.  In fact, her one up-close glimpse of the sea was from the window of a private car, during her initial arrival in Dubai. 

Alexei’s favorite sport is baseball.  In his early teens he harbored a secret desire to play for the San Francisco Giants.

Sasha’s favorite type of music is American Country Western…though she can’t sing a single note.

Alexei’s unspoken fantasy with Sasha involves a hot tub, a private tropical island, champagne, strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and the belt to a terry-cloth robe.  Not necessarily in that order, or all at once.

Sasha shares the similar fantasy of tropical climates, only her unspoken fantasy includes cresting waves, the rumble of thunder, the crackle of lighting, and raindrops on Alexei’s skin.

Okie dokie, now it’s your turn.  Using one of these “favorites” above (food, pet, destination, music, sport, etc) what is your secret dream?

Thanks again, everyone!  I can’t wait to hear your answers!

~Tori St. Claire

Lie To Me

Tori St. Claire

Black Opals, #2

Berkley HEAT

Release Date: July, 2012

Back of the Book:

A man of action…

After helping to break up a Russian human trafficking ring as part of the CIA’s elite Black Opal team, Alexei Nikanova’s newest assignment is to rescue one of the stolen women and return her to her father. When he arrives in Dubai, he discovers his target is Sasha Zablosky—a woman he knows all too well, and who has haunted him ever since their unforgettable time together in Moscow, two and a half years earlier. But he finds Sasha reluctant to leave her sheikh, the only true friend she’s ever known. Only Alexei can’t give her a choice.

A woman of deception…

With their yearning roused by intrigue, Alexei and Sasha can no longer resist temptation, and spend night after night in forbidden pleasure. Soon Alexei finds himself falling for her, even as he battles a shadowy menace to protect her. But Sasha is no innocent. She has a past darker than she could ever admit, one that Alexei could never forgive. And it is about to explode into her life once more. As the lies they tell themselves—and each other—pull them deeper into a perilous desire, what began as simple passion becomes a love certain to destroy them and end the lives of countless innocents.

Click below to add this title to your Goodreads or Pre-Order in Print or e-Book:

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GIVEAWAY

Tori will be giving away a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card to one random commenter during the month of July.  Two additional commenters will receive a basket of swag.  Follow the tour – the more times you comment the better your chances of winning!  Complete tour dates can be found here.

About the Author:

National Bestselling author Tori St. Claire grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned into passion, and when she discovered the world of romance as a teen, poems and short stories gave way to full length novels with sexy heroes and heroines waiting to be swept off their feet. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen.

While that manuscript gathered dust-bunnies beneath the bed, she went on to establish herself as a contemporary, historical, and paranormal author under the pen name, Claire Ashgrove. Her writing, however, skirted a fine line between hot and steamy, and motivated by authors she admired, she pushed her boundaries and made the leap into erotica, using the darker side of human nature and on-the-edge suspense to drive grittier, sexier, stories.

Her erotic romantic suspense novels are searingly sensual experiences that unite passion with true emotion, and the all-consuming tie that binds -- love.

A Duchess Monday Featuring Author Stephanie Laurens

Happy Monday everyone! Ready for a little Duchess Monday? How about some Stephanie Laurens's Mastered by Love? One of the first historical romance author's I read when I hit my twenties and she's remained one of my favorites over the past decade. 

Here's today's snippet and all the book details for those that might be interested in looking up the title.

Happy reading!

Mastered by Love
Stephanie Laurens
Bastion Club Series

Back of the Book:

The men of the Bastion Club proved their bravery secretly fighting for their country. Now their leader faces that most dangerous mission of all: finding a bride.

As the mysterious leader of the Bastion Club known as "Dalziel," Royce Varisey, tenth Duke of Wolverstone, served his country for decades, facing dangers untold. But as the holder of one of England's most august noble titles, he must now take on that gravest duty of all: marriage.

Yet the young ladies the grand dames would have him consider are predictably boring. Far more tempting is his castle's willful and determinedly aloof chatelaine, Minerva Chesterton. Beneath her serene façade lies a woman of smoldering sensuality, one who will fill his days with comfort and his nights with sheer pleasure. Determined to claim her, he embarks on a seduction to prove his mastery over every inch of her body . . . and every piece of her heart.

Click below to add this title to your Goodreads or Purchase in e-Book:

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EXTENDED SNIPPET READING

Days passed, and Royce advanced his cause not one whit. No matter what he did, Minerva evaded him at every turn, surrounding herself with either the estate people or the castle’s guests. 

The plays had proved a major success; they now filled the evenings, allowing her to use the company of the other ladies to elude him every night. He’d reached the point of questioning his not exactly rational but unquestionably honorable disinclination to follow her into her room, trampling on her privacy to press his seduction, his suit. 

While playing a long game was his forte, inaction was another matter; lack of progress on any front had always irked. 

Lack of progress on this front positively hurt. 

And today, the entire company had decided to go to church, presumably to atone for the many sins they’d committed. Despite none of those sins being his, he’d felt obliged to attend, too, especially as Minerva had been going, so what else was he to do?

Wallowing in bed when that bed was otherwise empty—devoid of soft, warm, willing female—had never appealed. 

Seated in the front pew, Minerva beside him, with his sisters beyond her, he let the sermon roll over him, freeing his mind to range where it would—the latest prod to his escalating frustration was its first stop. 

They’d chosen Midsummer Night’s Dream for their play last night—and Minerva had suggested he play Oberon, a chant promptly taken up by the rest of the company in full voice. The twist of fate that had seen her caught by the same company’s brilliant notion that she play Titania, queen to his king, had been, in his opinion, nothing more than her due. 

Given their natures, given the situation, even though their exchanges on stage had been oblique, the palpable tension between them had puzzled a number of their audience. 

That tension, and its inevitable effects, had resulted in another near-sleepless night. 

He slanted a glance to his right, to where she, his fixation, sat, her gaze dutifully trained on Mr. Cribthorn, the vicar, rambling from his pulpit about long-dead Corinthians. 

She knew who and what he was; no one knew him better. Yet she’d deliberately set out to cross swords with him—and thus far she was winning. 

Accepting defeat on any stage had never come easily; his only recent failure had been over bringing to justice the last traitor he and his men knew lurked somewhere in the government. There were some things fate didn’t allow. 

Be that as it may, accepting defeat with Minerva was…entirely beyond his scope. One way or another she was going to be his—his lover first, then his wife. 

Her capitulation on both counts would happen—had to happen—soon. He’d told the grandes dames a week, and that week was nearly past. While he doubted they’d haul themselves all the way back to Northumbria if they didn’t see a notice in the Gazette this coming week, he wouldn’t put it past them to start sending candidates north—in carriages designed to break axles and wheels as they neared Wolverstone’s gates. 

The vicar called the congregation to their feet for the benediction; everyone rose. Subsequently, once the vicar had passed on his way up the aisle, Royce stepped out of the pew, stepped back to let Minerva go ahead of him, then followed, leaving his sisters trailing shawls and reticules in his wake. 

As usual, they were the first out of the church, but he’d noticed one of his more affluent farmers among the worshippers; as they stepped down to the path, he bent his head close beside Minerva’s. “I want to have a word with Cherry.” 

She glanced back and up at him. 

And time stopped. 

With Margaret and Aurelia distracting the vicar, they were the only two in the churchyard—and they were very close, their lips inches apart. 

Her eyes, rich browns flecked with gold, widened; her breath caught, suspended. Her gaze lowered to his lips. 

His dropped to hers… 

He dragged in a breath and straightened. 

She blinked, and stepped away. “Ah…I must speak with Mrs. Cribthorn, and some of the other ladies.” 

He nodded stiffly, forced himself to turn away. Just as the rest of the congregation came flooding down the steps. 

Searching for Cherry, he set his jaw. Soon. She was going to lie beneath him very soon.

Thank you for join in! Let's talk historical romance...who is your favorite HR author?

A Paranormal Sunday Featuring Author Chastity Bush & Giveaway

Happy Paranormal Sunday readers! Today I have a special treat for everyone! The fabulous and talented author, Chastity Bush is here with us sharing an extended excerpt from her recent release, Reluctant Angel, and she’s offering a giveaway to one lucky winner! The prize? After reading the below excerpt check out the rafflecopter, follow the simple instructions to enter. Winner will be chosen Wednesday, August 1. AND mark your calendars because Ms. Bush will be returning for another visit August 20^th with another guest post and giveaway!

Happy Reading!

Reluctant Angel

Chastity Bush

Back of the Book:

An angel desperate for a second chance…

When a tragic accident takes the life of Killian Sams, she enters the one place she never thought she’d see. Heaven… or something like it.

Desperate for a second chance at life, Killian’s willing to do whatever it takes to regain her human life, including falling to Earth and facing the Destroyer.

If she can defeat The Destroyer, a creature who awakens once ever century to take the souls of as many people possible for power, she’ll earn any one of the countless souls he’s harvested over the years, including an immortal one.

But there's a catch, in order for her to be sent on this mission, she has to agree to help Chase Crawford- a mercenary who’s in desperate need of saving- see that his life is still worth living. However, she never expected to fall for the ruggedly handsome soldier of fortune.

Now, not only does Killian have eight days to find, face, and defeat The Destroyer in order to stay on Earth, she has to do it while fighting her growing feelings for the man she’s vowed to save, or lose him forever.

Click below to add this title to your Goodreads or Purchase in e-Book:

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EXTENDED SNIPPET READING

Killian watched as Chase stood and paced to the center of the camp where he stirred the fire angrily. His vowing to protect her from the creature was something she couldn’t allow.

If she hadn’t accomplished her task with Chase by the time she faced the creature, she couldn’t stand by and watch as the Destroyer killed Chase. That’s exactly what would happen. She hated to admit it; it was dangerously wrong, but she felt a growing level of protectiveness toward Chase.

Once she set him back on the proper path, he would be zapped back into his life, away from the island, and away from her. They might run into each other someday, when she got her life back, but they wouldn’t remember each other. That too, was against the rules.

Standing, Killian leaned her hips against the tree she’d been sitting against, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I was sent to save you.”

Chase stalked toward her. Stopping within inches, he towered over her. His size filled her vision and overwhelmed her senses as he peered down at her. He was trying to intimidate her with his monstrous physique, but he didn’t scare her. His closeness had quite the opposite effect, and she fought the urge to squeeze her legs together to relieve the hot ache building there.

“Save me?” he scoffed, leaning closer to her face. His breath wisped over her mouth. The scent of mint tickled her nose. “From who?” he challenged through clenched teeth.

She felt his anger as it rolled off him like molten lava, hot and greedy as it spilled from his veins in a rush, yet she couldn’t bring herself to fear him.

Their faces hovered a mere breath apart. His lips looked so inviting. So tempting. The need to feel them pressed against hers surged within her.

Swallowing thickly, she fought to keep her voice clear of the aroused quaver his strength invoked in her. “From yourself.”

His expression shifted, changing to one of disbelief mixed with anger.

“You think you can save me from myself?”

His lips moved closer to hers as she studied him studying her.

Then she saw it. The moment he lost control, tossing it to the wind to be scattered haphazardly like dandelion seeds across an open plain. His eyes blazed darker than usual, tiny glints of gold mixed with rich, liquid chocolate. A muscle in his jaw ticked.

He reached up and grabbed her nape roughly in his large, hot palm. “That’s all well and good, angel, but who’s going to save you from me?”

In a flash, Chase pulled her head to him and met her lips in a heated, harsh kiss.

Killian shivered as white-hot arousal zipped through her like a bolt of lightning streaking across the open night sky. Hot and aching, it raced through her blood before settling heavily between her thighs.

Chase lowered his hands and gripped her ass, lifted her, stepped between her legs, and pinned her to the tree with his body.

As his tongue swept the depths of her mouth, she couldn’t contain the moan escaping her throat. She’d ached for this closeness, this contact, for so long the emotion swept over her with a startling fierceness.

Gripping his shoulders, she pulled him closer against her and wrapped her legs around his waist. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get close enough to him. Subtly he ground his obvious arousal against her hot, aching center.

For so long she’d ignored these urges, but with just one kiss from a stranger she was on the verge of throwing away everything she’d worked so hard for. No matter how desperately she tried, she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Her mind demanded that she control herself, but her body ignored the command.

Breaking the kiss, she twisted her head to the side. “We should stop,” she protested weakly, but her voice sounded unconvincing even to her as she roamed her hands over his broad shoulders, anchoring him against her in contradiction to her words.

Chase lowered his mouth to her neck and nipped playfully at the sensitive skin there before raising his mouth to gently suckle her earlobe. “What we should do, and what we want to do are two different things.”

Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back as he cupped one aching breast in his palm before taking her hardened nipple between his fingers to tug playfully. He thrust between her legs again.

She gasped with pleasure.

“And what is it you want to do?”

Twining one hand tightly into her thick, black hair, Chase forced her to look at him as he continued his gentle but firm thrusting between her legs. Even through her pants she felt the heat of his body, so hot, so masculine, so demanding.

“What do I want?” he asked huskily. His thick, sweet voice enveloped her, sticking to every inch of her like melted taffy.

“I want to rip your clothing off, press you against this tree, and fuck you until you scream my name.”

His harsh description sent a heated chill sliding through her as the image of him doing just that filled her arousal-fogged mind.

His hard, tanned body, pumping into hers as he brought her to an exquisite release, releasing a scream from her throat before he joined her in the same bliss.

Heat flooded her cheeks at the lascivious idea. He lowered her feet to the ground, then spun her around to face the tree. His hand still twined in her hair, he pressed her against the trunk and kicked her ankles apart. Stepping between her legs from behind, he thrust against her. She gasped as his hand crept down the front of her body to cup her womanhood in his palm. Even through the cloth, she felt the heat of his hand against her sensitive flesh.

“Then, I would turn you around and take you just like this, until you were so weak from pleasure your knees shook and nothing but my cock held you up.”

Sliding his other hand under the hem of her shirt, he slid her breast free of its confines and caressed her bare nipple.

“But we can’t,” she said quietly. “It’s against the rules.”

Her breath caught in her throat as Chase slid the hand cupping her sex into the front of her pants. When he’d unfastened them, she didn’t know; she was too caught up, too lost on a torrent of pleasure.

“Aren’t rules made to be broken?” he whispered against the back of her neck.

A strangled moan caught in her throat as Chase slid his fingers into her panties, to slip hotly against her naked flesh.

“So hot, so wet,” he said huskily against her ear as one long finger entered her. “So ready for me, but it’s against the rules, you say.”

She was already close to her release; just his subtle thrusting against her while teasing her breasts was enough to bring her right to the edge of oblivion. The pressure his fingers built inside her, combined with the gentle, openmouthed kisses against her neck, was more than she could bear. Even the gentle tug of her hair as he held it in his fist sent a shudder of need through her.

“But this”—Chase pressed even deeper into her—“isn’t against the rules, is it?” He forced her face around to meet his for a kiss.

Breaking the kiss, he gazed into her eyes. “This is only releasing a little tension,” he murmured against her mouth. Pressing his fingers deep once again, her desire exploded and she screamed as her climax rocketed through her.

Chase held her between his body and the roughness of the tree, stroking her hair, kissing her neck, her shoulders, as she quaked with wave after endless wave of pleasure. She’d never felt such bone-deep satisfaction, even when alive. The need to have Chase lodged deep within melted over her.

Smoothly he withdrew his fingers and straightened her clothing. The hardness of his manhood pressed insistently against her. If she were to try to give him the same pleasure, would he allow it? As he stepped away, Killian turned to face him. She frowned, not only from the loss of his warm, strong body against hers, but at the shameful expression marring his beautiful features.

“Chase—”

“It’s getting late,” he interrupted gruffly. “You’d better get some sleep if you still plan to head out early in the morning. I’d better gather some more firewood.”

Looking at the small pile he’d gathered when they’d first arrived, she sighed.

He disappeared into the darkness.

Killian hurried to her sleeping bag, settled herself on her side, and tried to forget what just occured. But try as she might, she couldn’t. No matter how badly she wanted to be with Chase, it was impossible. There was no way she could let herself get tangled into a web of seduction with him. She came here to give him his life back, not ruin it further. How could she have let let this happen?

Breathing deeply, she fought to get her raging arousal and confusion under control. As an angel, she’d never been left in the dark, had never been left questioning a mission or a feeling. Unlike now, where she was forced to act as a human, she always knew what she was doing was right.

“Twenty-four hours in, and you’re already lusting after your human,” she muttered to herself with a disgusted shake of her head.

She snuggled deeper into the security of her sleeping bag, and let her mind wander. What exactly was in store for Chase? Mick told her there was something special in store for the man, but what that something was, he wouldn’t say what. That, more than anything, rankled. Why couldn’t they trust her with that piece of information? She hated to admit it, but the fact they didn’t trust her with that information cut her deeply.

Killian squeezed her eyes shut and fought desperately to push the interlude with Chase from her mind. She could still feel the gentle slide of his fingers against her, within her. Squeezing her legs together, she tried to ignore the indescribable need lodged in her center, but the ache had taken up permanent residence, and she feared it wasn’t leaving anytime soon. At least not until it got what it wanted.

Moments later, a hard body joined her.

She jerked with surprise.

“Easy. It’s only me.”

She relaxed.

Chase wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest. Slowly, she turned to apologize for what she’d allowed to transpire.

“Go to sleep, Killian.”

His tone held no room for argument, and she decided it best to leave him to his thoughts. She certainly needed more time, because no matter what she told herself, or what she wanted to tell him, she knew without a doubt what they shared in the heat of the moment against that tree wouldn’t be the last time.

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, then finally drifted into the arms of unconsciousness.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chastity Bush is the author of several romance novels known for their spicy romance, suspense and humorous edge. When not hard at work on her next novel you can find her spending time with her husband and their two daughters. She loves to hear from her readers and personally answers all email she receives.

Send questions or comments to Chastity at: chastitybush@yahoo.com.

Find Chastity at: http://www.wix.com/chastitybush/1, http://chastitybush.blogspot.com, facebook.com/chastitybush, and twitter@chastitybush.

A Suspenseful Saturday Featuring Author Alexis Grant

I've got some Sizzle and Burn for today's Suspenseful Saturday! Alexis Grant is new to me author and one I feel forced to try out. The reviews in Amazon for her first book of her Delta Force release title Sizzle and Burn are very low with even lower quality comments so I have to see for myself. If you've read this book and have thoughts to share I'd love to hear them in the comments section below this post. 

So I just picked up Sizzle and Burn and I'll share an extended snippet below for you all to ger a taste of this author's writing style for yourselves. I know as a reviewer myself I should take all the low review ratings as a sign but I've also learned that I need to form my own opinion. I understand how some books are not to ones liking while others rave about it. 

Let's find out a bit before we decide...

Happy reading!

Sizzle and Burn

Alexis Grant

Men of Delta Force, Book 1

Back of the Book:

Alexis Grant brings you the first in an explosive new series featuring the dedicated, deadly, and dangerously sexy Men of Delta Force.  

Mia Santiago has fought long and hard to become an expert in weapons technology. But her successful career didn’t come without sacrifices, namely Ryan Mason, the only man she’s ever loved. When she and Ryan chose their careers over a relationship together, she thought their goodbye was for forever.  So running into him at a conference is both a dream come true and a disturbing distraction—how can she focus on presenting her research when the man who’s haunted her dreams for years is suddenly close enough to touch?     

Losing Mia is Ryan’s one regret in a lifetime of dangerous risks, even if he knows the work he’s done around the world as a member of the military’s elite fighting unit, Delta Force, has saved countless lives. Now he has to keep Mia from the terrorists bent on using her research for catastrophic violence—and bent of kidnapping her and inflicting unspeakable harm upon the one woman he’s never been able to let go. But outrunning danger isn’t easy when the fire between them can’t be put out. And this time, their future together is a matter of life and death…

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EXTENDED SNIPPET READING

The crush of the crowded elevator ensured that Mia’s body stayed within dangerous proximity of his. He could detect a light, fresh fragrance wafting off her hair. Military discipline was probably the only thing that kept him from lowering his nose to it and inhaling deeply with his eyes closed. Instead he stood at attention, kept his eyes on the ascending numbers, and firmly jammed his hands in his pockets.

He didn’t need to allow his palm to settle into that familiar, gentle sway in her back again. Didn’t need the tactile stimulation of the fabric that covered what he knew to be the unparalleled softness of her skin.

“You sure you want to do this?” she asked with a shy smile as the doors opened.

The question snapped his focus back to the crowded elevator car as a few men lowered their gazes with a smile.

“No problem,” he replied, trying to force all-business into his tone while ignoring the obviously incorrect assumptions being made by the other passengers. He could’ve sworn he’d heard someone mutter, “Lucky bastard,” as the doors closed, and was just glad that Mia hadn’t.

Finally out of the claustrophobic enclosure, he followed Mia to her room. Nervous energy made the muscles in his stomach contract as though waiting on a gut punch that never came.

“I promise to make it a quick change,” she said, stopping in front of her door and producing a card key. “I really appreciate all of this and you really didn’t have to do it. I was just being—”

“No apologies. Go put on your jeans and I’ll be down the hall,” he said, not allowing her to deride herself.

“Right,” she murmured. “I remember. No apologies.” Then she slipped into her room and shut the door between them.

He stood there for a few moments, slowly realizing how the Freudian comment had so easily rolled off his tongue. No apologies had been their motto … no apologies for wanting each other as passionately as they had; no apologies for making each other first in their lives when friends and family couldn’t find them for two weeks. No apologies for choosing the call of their careers when it was over.

Ryan made a crisp, military about-face turn on his heel and headed back down the hall. What the hell was he doing?

When he reached the elevator bay, sitting on the small padded bench was nearly impossible, but he forced himself not to pace. Each time a room door opened and slammed he steeled himself and refused to look around the corner like an eager teenager, yet was always disappointed that it was only the hotel’s housekeeping staff simply going about their daily routine.

To his surprise, Mia emerged from her room after only ten minutes—ten interminable minutes when he’d had to remember to breathe. But when she appeared around the alcove corner to join him at the elevators, for a moment his voice caught in his throat.

The transformation was heart-stopping. In ten minutes she’d let down her silky profusion of auburn hair, making his fingers ache to allow it to flow between them. She’d ditched her glasses and her mouth now glistened a kissable peach. Small gold hoops made him want to toy with her earlobes as he took her mouth. Gone was the suit; she now had on a pretty peach tank top that showed off the real curves her business attire hid. In that moment he decided, she always needed to wear jeans around him—good God Almighty. How could a woman become a totally different person in just ten little minutes? Had he known such an awesome feat was possible, he would have gladly waited an hour.

“Sorry it took me so long,” she said, coming up to him with a big smile.

He wanted to say Wow, but opted for a casual comeback. “Ten minutes, not bad. You’re giving women a good name. I’m impressed.”

She laughed and gave his arm a playful shove. All he could do was laugh to keep from crying as he pressed the elevator button. She was wearing Angel, his favorite scent on her. That was the sucker punch he’d been waiting for, and it practically knocked the wind out of him with the sudden rush of memory.

Then it dawned on him—she definitely didn’t need to know where his room was. Stupid, stupid, stupid! No telling what was actually going to go down in the hotel.

Remaining in character, he frowned and then said, “Hold up. What am I doing?”

She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

“Man … you don’t keep a fine woman standing outside your room waiting in the danged hall. Okay, on this I owe you an apology. My bad.”

Now she laughed hard. He’d slipped into old neighborhood slang to put her at ease and to strengthen their memory bond. What might seem like a lame excuse to her actually had true merit; it was just impossible to explain that right now.

“Ryan … this is the twenty-first century,” she argued, shaking her head. “I can wait the all of five minutes it would probably take you to change.”

“No. Not having it. For real. I should have had a better plan than you cooling your heels in a dag-gone hallway. Can you tell I’m a little rusty and was making it up as I went along when I saw you getting tight around that dude by the door?” Ryan theatrically shook his head. “Come with me,” he went on, giving her his arm and leading her away from the elevators toward her room. He stopped in front of her door. “True chivalry demands that you hang out for five minutes in your room while I go change. Then I’ll come back here for you.”

“But—”

“No buts,” he said, lifting and turning his head in mock offense. Although her laughter was infectious, he tried to keep a straight face as mirth made her eyes sparkle with mischief. He waited until she finally complied with his request and dug in her jeans pocket for her room key. But he continued his self-directed rant to keep her laughing.

“What are you nuts, Mason?” he muttered loud enough for her to hear, causing her to laugh even harder as she opened the door. “I am really, really out of touch … dang. Just pitiful.”

Her mirth followed him down the hall as he rounded the corner and called the elevator again. Oh, yeah, he’d dodged a bullet—good thing Mia was a good sport. This was insane. Correction: I’m insane.

Pacing now, he needed something to do to spend the excess energy. The stairs were an option, but the last thing he needed was to go through a fire exit that locked on reentry or to run into one of his men or something.

But elevators at a hotel that was hosting a large conference were always a bottleneck to movement. So he had to wait. It annoyed him that it would probably take longer to get down to his room and back than it would to change. Regardless, the hotel wasn’t big enough for him and Mia to be sharing while he was working. In fact, all of freakin’ New York City wasn’t big enough.

Thankfully, before his nerves frayed and snapped the elevator came—and he almost said a Hail Mary that Ken and Ethan were nowhere in the vicinity to witness his temporary insanity.

Ryan jogged down the corridor the moment the elevator doors opened and entered his room as though someone was chasing him. In a flash he ripped off his suit and threw on a pair of jeans and collared golf shirt, then spent all of ten seconds deciding between penny loafers and running shoes. Running shoes won out. The entire process took under three minutes, which was a good thing considering that, had he spent time truly thinking about it, he might have done the logical thing and bailed. But his mind wasn’t in a logical mood and he’d developed enough convoluted justifications for continuing with what he called a fact-finding mission that he was on autopilot by now.

****

Thanks for stopping in for a little reading time. What did you think of our Suspenseful Saturday? Have you red this book or other works from this author? Let us know in the comment section and let's talk military romantic suspense!

Guest Author & Giveaway with Author Susannah Sandlin

Today we have author Susannah Sandlin with us to celebrate the release of Redemption, Book One of the Penton Legacy series. Below you'll find a blog post no reader can refuse and a fabulous giveaway to enter!

Welcome, Ms. Sandlin!

Alpha Males, Beta Males, and Vampires

Susannah Sandlin

Women love bad boys. Romance books, from contemporary to paranormal, are full of alpha males being brought to their knees by finding the one woman who turns those knees (and hopefully nothing north of there) to jelly.

(Now, in real life, most of these dudes would either be some woman’s worst nightmare or a semi-permanent resident of a prison or anger-management class, but that’s another blog for another day.)

In creating the vampires for my Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, I wanted a mixture of alphas and betas—and just to be ornery (which I am sometimes), I wanted a beta male to be the leader of my vampire scathe, or community. Meet Aidan Murphy, vampire beta male. He’s faster, stronger, bigger, and has some fierce fighting skills than your average bear, but he won’t eat your mama for lunch. 

Well, unless it’s in self-defense or she’s begging for it. Which she might. She might have to get in line.

In creating Aidan, I wanted a leader who could command other vampires’ respect by example, not by fear. Who could attract followers because he had a reputation for strength and fairness, not because he could kick butt better than anyone else. Who could defend himself with all the aggression and even brutality when it was called for, but who’d always choose violence as the last resort.

What better type of guy to put in a death-struggle against his own brother, with more than a hundred people depending on his willingness to play dirty. Redemption pits Aidan against his alpha-male brother Owen. It’s brother against brother, vampire against vampire, with one human woman stuck in the middle.

Aidan’s not a pushover, though, and he’s smart enough to surround himself with lieutenants who complement his strengths. That’s where Mirren Kincaid, the hero of the second book, Absolution, comes in. Mirren and Aidan are best buddies, in a vampire kind of way, but they’re very, very different. 

Mirren snarls at people. Aidan listens. 

Mirren’s nickname is The Slayer, and he earned it. Aidan kills when he has to.

Mirren doesn’t much like people. Aidan actually has decent social skills. 

Mirren acts. Aidan thinks first, then acts. (Okay, sometimes he thinks too much.) 

Mirren’s hobby: taking machines apart and putting them back together. Aidan’s? He grows night-blooming exotic plants.

Aidan is a very good leader. So is Mirren—they just take different routes. (Oh, and did I mention they’re both 400-year-old master vampires from Ireland and Scotland, now living in a small town in Alabama?)

Aidan is his own worst enemy, his own fiercest critic. He’s ready to fall on his sword to save those he’s taken an oath to protect. 

So imagine his horror when, in order to save the people who look to him for protection, he’s forced to kidnap a young human doctor? Imagine his horror when it becomes clear he has to send humans in to do some of his fighting for him? Imagine his horror when young human woman forces him to face lies and secrets he’s been running from for four centuries?

It ain’t easy being beta.

REDEMPTION 
Book One Penton Legacy series
By Susannah Sandlin

Back of the Book:

Following a worldwide pandemic whose vaccine left human blood deadly to vampires, the vampire community is on the verge of starvation and panic. Some have fanned into rural areas, where the vaccine was less prevalent, and are taking unsuspecting humans as blood slaves. Others are simply starving, which for a vampire is worse than death—a raging hunger in a creature too weak to feed.

Immune to these struggles—at first—is Penton, a tiny community in rural Chambers County, Alabama, an abandoned cotton mill town that has been repopulated by charismatic vampire Aidan Murphy, his scathe of 50 vampires, and their willingly bonded humans. Aidan has recruited his people carefully, believing in a peaceful community where the humans are respected and the vampires retain a bit of their humanity.

But an unresolved family feud and the paranoia of the Vampire Tribunal descend on Penton in the form of Aidan’s brother, Owen Murphy. Owen has been issued a death warrant that can only be commuted if he destroys Penton—and Aidan, against whom he’s held a grudge since both were turned vampire in 17th-century Ireland.  Owen begins a systematic attack on the town, first killing its doctor, then attacking one of Aidan’s own human familiars

To protect his people, Aidan is forced to go against his principles and kidnap an unvaccinated human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time since the death of his wife in Ireland centuries ago. 

Dr. Krystal Harris, forced into a world she never knew existed, must face up to her own abusive past to learn if the feelings she’s developing for her kidnapper are real—or just a warped, supernatural kind of Stockholm Syndrome in which she’s allowing herself to become a victim yet again.

Susannah Sandlin’s REDEMPTION is the first in the Penton Legacy series. Book two, ABSOLUTION, will be out September 18, and book three, OMEGA, on December 18.

Click below to add this title to your Goodreads or Purchase in e-Book or print:

Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

6 Redemption Prize Packs, with a signed book and swag, and 

one $50 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author: 

Susannah Sandlin is the author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! A journalist by day, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch, and always fancied herself living in Cornwall (although she’s never actually been there). Details, details. She also is a fan of Stephen King. The combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana. Her novel Redemption won the paranormal romance category in the 2011 Chicago North RWA Fire and Ice contest, and is the first of three in a series that debuts this year.
Website/Blog: http://www.susannahsandlin.com

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Indie Bound

Book Review: Blood Betrayed by Gabrielle Bisset

Don’t have time to read this review? No worries! Download HERE in PDF for free and save to your computer and read at your leisure or transfer it to your reading device and read on the go!

Happy reading!

This book was reviewed for

Night Owl Reviews
Blood Betrayed
by Gabrielle Bisset
Series:
Sons of Navarus Book Two
Release Date: May 19, 2012
Publisher: SP
Source: Author
Age Group: Adult
Category: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Pages:  225 pages in PDF format
Available Formats:
Kindle | Nook | Print | Goodreads

My Rating:


Back of the Book:
I am everything forbidden. I am vampire.

Haunted by betrayal, Saint hides in the human world, giving his heart to no one and finding the only solace from his past in the arms of human women. Now as the Archons begin their takeover of the vampire world, this Son of Navarus has been marked for death. 

Summoned to defeat the Archons by the world that shunned him, Saint must face his past and Solenne, the woman he loved and lost a century ago, for only in accepting her will his body and soul finally find salvation.

Teaser:

Saint pulled her to him and kissed her hard. In some way, he wanted her to feel what was eating him up inside without having to tell her. He didn't want to have to speak the words because to say them would be like torture. Somehow, if she could know without him having to feel that pain, he could feel better.

First Line:

Real betrayal — the kind that tears the heart and soul out – is never a solo endeavor. True betrayal needs another villain to share the guilt. Together, two can harm so much more than one.

Plot & Characters:

Blood Betrayed is another sure-to-please treat guaranteed to satisfy paranormal romance lovers! Layered with passion and suspense, Gabrielle Bisset has written a tale of betrayal that will take you by surprise. To add more depth to this story the author has also expertly woven in Greek mythology that makes the story come to life in a way beyond just simple writing. From the very beginning her world building for the SONS of Navarus is uniquely strong, carrying throughout the entire book of Blood Betrayed.

Bisset introduces us to Saint, one of the SONS, that has been cast out by his own people but for reasons some do not understand and others try to forget. Destined to live alone for over a decade, Saint has learned how to deal with his loneliness, but with a price. Rumors of his chosen life style of only taking what he needs from humans have spread, earning him a price on his head from the Archon-vampires that have taken it upon themselves to fulfill the Prophecy of Idolas and begin the takeover by first ridding the world of the SONS.

There’s only one person that can pull Saint from the tormented darkness surrounding his heart and soul, but she’s also the person that put him there. I devoured the entire book in one sitting, determined to know if Solenne would be able to save Saint from a certain death either by his own doing or by the Archon. As the ending approached, twists and unexpected truths revealed a story far deeper than I suspected the author had in mind. I love her sense of timing, delivery and engrossing dialogue. Her form of writing truly delivers a roller coaster ride of emotions that leave you wanting to know what happens next!

Writing:

Attuned to her world building, Ms. Bisset writes with great detail to bring her paranormal world of vampires to life for her readers. She gives just enough detail for us to paint the picture without weighing the story down with sentence after sentence of description of setting. Her writing style allows the characters to tell their story and I also admire Ms. Bisset's attention to proper editing and grammar throughout the book. 

Summary:

Gabrielle Bisset has created a paranormal romance series that has grabbed my attention and has me wanting more. Thank goodness she doesn't keep us waiting long between each installment! 

Thank you for stopping in to check out my review for Blood Betrayed by Gabrielle Bisset! I hope I've helped you find your next read.

A Contemporary Thursday Featuring Author Marliss Melton

Today I have some US Navy SEALs for our A Contemporary Thursday! Author Marliss Melton is the feature author today and I've chosen her SHOW NO FEAR to share from today. It's the seventh book in her romantic suspense series, NAVY SEALs TEAM TWELVE. I'd also like to make note that the author has some very touching true stories to share on her site here that inspired many of her stories for this series. Definitely worth checking out!

Now for some romance reading!

Show No Fear

Marliss Melton

Back of the Book:

FEAR HAS A WAY...

Lucy Donovan always gets her man. As a fiercely independent CIA agent, she's survived hundreds of death-defying missions. But her latest may just get her killed. Weighed down with a secret she's desperate to keep, the last thing Lucy needs is to be sent undercover with a man who brings out the best—and the worst—in her.

OF GETTING YOU KILLED

Navy SEAL Gus Atwater never turns down an assignment, even if it means working with the only woman he's ever loved and lost. So with a volatile mix of desire and distrust, Lucy and Gus confront their tangled past. Pretending to be man and wife is risky enough, but now the clock is running out. As their mission escalates from desperate to deadly, will Lucy's secret expose them both?

Click below to add this title to your Goodreads or Purchase in e-Book or print:

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EXTENDED SNIPPET READING

Lucy’s muffled cry came just in time to keep Gus from suffocating her.
“Lucy!” His hoarse, spontaneous use of her name made him even angrier. Jesus! He whirled her around, put his nose to hers, and ground out, in Spanish, “Don’t you ever sneak up on me like that!”
He could feel her heart hammering against his chest as fast as his own heart was racing. She shoved him with two hands, securing her freedom. “Why the hell did you sneak out without me?” she demanded.
“Because two of us would’ve been heard. We’ll be lucky now if we’re not caught,” he answered furiously.
“Oh, yeah? So much for teamwork,” she hissed.
“You were finally sleeping. What was I supposed to do, wake you up?”
“Of course.”
Damn her, she was right. They were professionals first.
“Where’d Buitre go?” she added, peering around.
“I don’t know. He headed up the trail alone with a rifle and a lantern.”
“Did you find anything?”
“A map and a dagger,” he confirmed, patting his thigh. “Come on. We need to leave.” They’d stayed too long already. “I’ll go first. When it’s clear I’ll give a whistle.” Without thinking, he planted a distracted kiss on her lips. “Sorry,” he muttered as her eyes widened in surprise.
With a self-directed grimace, he let himself out, slipping from the building into a distinctly brighter environment. The jungle quivered with birdsong and monkeys leaping through the branches. He crossed the compound casually, heading toward a clump of trees where the men were known to relieve themselves.
The coast looked clear. Giving a low whistle, he ducked behind a bush and watched as Lucy stepped from Buitre’s hooch. At the same moment, a rebel rounded the long lean-to under which the soldiers slept. Shit! It was David. He spotted Lucy at the same time that she spied him. To her credit, she didn’t stiffen or flee. Setting her shoulders, she bore right down on him.
When caught red-handed, go offensive. Lucy had acted on her father’s advice more than once over the course of her career, and it had always paid off.
“Where is Buitre?” she demanded, stalking up to David while gesturing with annoyance at the empty hooch. “The Turkish woman has a fever, and I need the aspirin he took from my backpack. Where is it now?”
The suspicion that had creased David’s brow eased. “Your goods belong to the people now. I’m sure your aspirin was handed over to one of our doctors, who will distribute it equitably,” he said quietly.
“Equitably?” She propped her hands on her hips and sent him a dubious smile. “You mean everyone gets the same treatment?”
“Yes,” he insisted. “We are all equals. No one person should have more than another.”
“What about the hostages,” she inquired sweetly. “Do they get aspirin, or are they not considered people?”
He opened his mouth to defend his ideals, realized she had found a flaw in them, and closed it.
Didn’t think so. “So, there’s no aspirin here.”
“No,” he said with a shrug.
“No medication of any kind.”
“Sorry.”
She heaved a long-suffering sigh. “All right, never mind.” With that, she marched straight for the bungalow, hoping Gus had witnessed the encounter. Maybe it would erase any lingering doubts he still had about her.
Lucy Donovan could handle even the slipperiest situations.
“Hurry up,” Lucy urged. “Show it to me,” she added, casting a glance behind them as they slipped into the forest on a potty break. They weren’t being followed. Both the rebels and the UN team were still finishing their breakfast. Gus and Lucy had a minute to themselves.
“Ten more yards,” he answered, holding her tightly as they scrambled down the steep, wet slope. At last he pulled her behind a tree, withdrew a folded square of paper from his pocket, and handed it to her. While Lucy opened it, he fished the sat phone from his boot.
She eyed the crude ink drawing with puzzlement. “These must be the names of the camps,” she determined, noting the words written over four X’s. “Ki-kirr-zikiz,” she pronounced slowly. “Do you think that’s an Incan word?”
“Doubt it,” said Gus. As he powered up the sat phone and waited, his look of hopefulness faded.
“No signal,” Lucy guessed.
“No,” he corroborated.
“So if it’s not Incan, what is it? Cecaot-Jicobo,” she added, making a face at her poor pronunciation of a second camp.
“I think it’s an encryption,” he said shortly.
She glanced at him sharply. “Really?” she asked, intrigued. Looking back at the names, she tried to see a pattern in the strange words but couldn’t. “I wonder if that’s the river we crossed,” she mused, noting the drawing of a waterfall.
“You can’t make that assumption. There’s water all over this mountain,” Gus refuted, angling the phone in the chance of getting a signal.
“How come this camp’s not named?” she wondered, pointing to an X near the top of the mountain.
“I don’t know,” said Gus, giving up on getting a signal. “Maybe that’s the radio station.” He accessed the phone’s internal camera. “Hold the map against the trunk so I can get some clear shots.”
“How can we upload pictures without a signal?” she asked, holding the map against the tree.
“We can’t. The pictures won’t go anywhere till we can get coverage.”
“Do you think they’re worried that we haven’t checked in?” she asked as he snapped off several close-ups. She was getting anxious. Their assignment wasn’t exactly going according to plan.
“As long as they have us on radar and we’re moving around, they won’t worry,” he assured her, stepping back. “Fold that up for me, will you?” he asked, bending to put the phone away.
“When are you going to shred it?” she asked, folding it the way he had.
“Not until I know the JIC got the pictures. I may have to break the code myself.”
Remembering how incredibly smart he was, Lucy gave him a nudge. “You can do it,” she said with confidence.
“Thanks,” he said, quirking her a smile as he struck the heel of his boot, shutting it. “We’d better get back before we’re missed.”
When a shout came out of the jungle hours later, Lucy’s first reaction was relief. She hadn’t agreed to this assignment just to sit around and wait for something to happen. The morning had been a lesson in boredom. At last, there came a distraction.
But the rebels responded with alarm. The youth manning the machine gun let loose a stream of bullets that sent leaves and bark flying. Lucy hit the dirt, just in case.
Buitre flew at the youth, shaking his fists in the air and roaring for him to stop.
One minute Gus was playing cards with Carlos and Bellini in the shade of the orange tree. The next he was hauling Lucy off the ground and pulling her behind the brick hooch, where he pinned her between the wall and his bigger body.
A taut quiet fell over the camp. Even the chickens seemed to listen. As Gus peered cautiously around the corner, Lucy eyed the pulse in his powerful neck. Having a partner wasn’t all that bad, she reflected. This defensive positioning wasn’t necessary in her opinion, but it was fun dodging bullets together.
“Who is it?” she asked, reading puzzlement in his golden-brown eyes.
“I don’t know.” He loosened his grip so she could see what he was looking at.
A band of men in solid green fatigues led four mules into the clearing.
“I hope that’s food,” said Lucy, eying the sacks on their backs.
“Check out their uniforms,” urged Gus. “Those aren’t FARC.”
“Then who are they?”
“I don’t know. ELN, maybe?” Colombia’s National Liberation Army was a notorious rebel faction, smaller than the FARC but equally ruthless.
They watched as Buitre waved his own soldiers over to take the sacks and carry them to the kitchen lean-to that housed the cooking utensils.
“Why doesn’t he just bring the mules over?” Lucy asked.
“Good question. Maybe he doesn’t want us rubbing elbows with those guys. Let’s see what happens when we wander closer,” he proposed, grabbing her hand.
Together they walked toward the newcomers.
They hadn’t made it past the fire pit when David stepped into their path. “Stay back,” he warned as he lowered a sack marked “Frijoles Negros” onto the growing pile inside the lean-to. Black beans.
“Perhaps we can help,” Gus inquired. “I can carry two at once.”
Rebels ran back and forth, huffing and puffing under their fifty-pound sacks.
But David just shook his head. “No,” he insisted. “Stay over here.”
“Who are they?” Lucy called as David turned away. “Are they ELN?”
With a resolute set to his shoulders, the youth ignored her and plodded back to the mules.
In minutes, the foodstuffs were all unloaded and the little entourage turned and melted into the forest, leaving Gus and Lucy with more questions than answers.

So where do you stand on hunky Navy SEALs? Love to read military romantic suspense? Who is your favorite author? Have you read Ms. Melton's Navy SEALs series? Talk to me! :)