Author Archives: Nicola Cameron
Nicola’s Sunday Shoutout: Ela Stein
Today’s Sunday Shoutout goes to Ela Stein, who is our twofer for the day — not only is her debut novel Love’s Labyrinth available from Evernight Publishing and other retailers of fine erotic romance, but she also has the free read Pleasure Android 7.1 available at Evernight. Here’s what Ela has to say about her new publications:
Hello, everyone! I’m here today to talk about my two new releases with Evernight Publishing, but first of all, a very huge thank you to my blog hostess for having me. These are my first publications, so I am excited and a little scared 🙂 Writing has always been a part of my life, and getting published a dream and a goal, so it’s a cool feeling to have two books for my very first release date.
First, a little bit about my Free Read because… well, it’s free. So you can try out my writing at no risk, and I hope you enjoy it. This is a quick and short read, at a little over 5,000 words. “Pleasure Android 7.1” came about as the result of the eternal “what if” question. With all the advances we’re making in artificial intelligence and robots, it seems almost inevitable that this will be our future. I saw a video about the robots they are creating in China… they look like people, they talk, they make eye contact. It’s exhilarating, the progress we’re making, and a little creepy at the same time. Nico, the hero of “Pleasure Android 7.1” is definitely not the least bit creepy. He was created to be every woman’s fantasy and has the database to deliver (wink, wink).
Zola is dismayed to discover that for her 40th birthday, her friends teamed up to purchase her a hot sex droid. She refuses to let herself get attached to a machine, and tries her best to avoid the temptation. He is programmed to overcome such resistance and knows how to wear down defenses and sell himself like a pro using his perfect charms and impeccable skills. Though she suspects it’s nothing more than a sales pitch, she begins to question whether beneath his perfect manufactured exterior can lie genuine feelings and desires.
Story Excerpt
What the fuck.
A seven-foot-tall box occupied the middle of my living room. I stared at the prime male specimen behind the clear front panel. Well over six feet tall, with dusky skin, dark brown wavy hair, broad shoulders, aquiline nose, full lips—basically, he looked like a model, the kind you’d drool over in an ad for high-end products.
With his eyes closed, his long, thick lashes grazed his chiseled cheekbones. He looked as though he slept—an illusion of the most expensive kind.
I sighed, hands on my hips. My best friend, Lexia, had done it. For my fortieth birthday, she got me a sex droid. She’d joked about it, but I never thought she’d actually follow through. It had to be her—she was the only other person who had access to my apartment.
On the box, in large, blocky print, it proclaimed “Domestic Android 7.1” and underneath it, in fancy script, “For Your Pleasure.” Alrighty then. And what if it was my pleasure to get rid of it? I stalked to the box and circled around it. The back and both sides were solid panels of striking red. If it was supposed to be romantic, their marketing department missed the boat. I wasn’t a big fan of Valentine’s Day, and this was even cheesier than a heart-shaped box of chocolates.
Although, I could remember a time when chocolates, roses, and a little stuffed bear made my heart skip a beat. I had grown a bit jaded over the years, which was probably why my friends decided to gang up and torture me with this… thing. It stood there, like the proverbial elephant in the room. There would be no vid watching on my birthday, cuddled up with a bowl of ice cream. No relaxing in the tub with a good romance novel. Now I was too distracted, and I wasn’t going to be able to enjoy myself until I got this thing out.
A plan formulated: get the box outside and message his creator, Atlas Robotics Corporation, to come pick him up. No, not him. It. I studied the box. At five foot five, it had well over a foot on me. I tried to tilt it to the side, planning on then pushing it out the rest of the way. The damn thing was heavy. So heavy, it didn’t even wobble when I gave it my all.
Exhausted, I plopped down on my yellow pleather couch to glare at the box. I refused to build up a sweat today of all days. What a disaster my birthday was turning out to be. There was no getting the box out until Atlas Robotics agreed to stop by. Since they had no incentive to be eager to process a return, it could be days. Maybe even weeks, I thought miserably.
Not fair that here I was, suffering, while he—it!—stood there, all serene and peaceful. I jumped to my feet and approached the box. There was an easier way to do this. Turn him on and order him to take a hike on his own two legs. The more I considered it, the more I liked this plan. Quick, easy, smart.
Okay, I hope you liked the beginning of my free short story. Now, onto my novella, “Love’s Labyrinth”. I am a huge fan of fantasy, and this novella is very close to my heart. It’s set in the far future, on a colonized planet. Humans weren’t doing too well with surviving on it after a crash landing, but the Gods took mercy and intervened, helping them figure it out. The Goddess of Love left behind her magical Labyrinth, where once a year, those who participate get to meet the ones they’re fated to be with. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) the ratio of men to women is skewed, so it’s not uncommon with a woman to find more than one mate. As everyone knows, the Goddess makes no mistakes.
Auria enters the magical Labyrinth on New Year’s Eve, and its halls guide her to the two men she is fated to be with. Brener has loved her from afar since they were children, and Jhennen is a Warrior-Guard, commanding in personality and intimidating in physical presence. They share a life-changing, passionate night together, but come morning, they must decide if their one-night menage can be the beginning of something new. When trouble threatens to tear Auria away from her life and the two men she is starting to develop feelings for, their connection just might be her only hope for salvation.
Story Excerpt
Brener’s tongue flicked masterfully on my clit. He knew what he did to me. I held my breath, feeling my insides begin to gather, ready for that final moment.
But just before it came, Brener stopped and jerked back, leaving me alone. My pussy protested, my clit throbbing almost painfully. My eyes flew to him in protest, in supplication, but then my whole being froze.
Brener was sitting back on his heels, his lips wet from his ministrations, his body stiff with shock. The same shock I myself felt, as I stared up at the stranger that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
He was gigantic, appearing to loom like a mountain from my prone position. Whereas Brener had an athlete’s body, this stranger had a warrior’s body with a broad back and wider hips and his entire physique encased in bulky muscle. Blond hair, almost white, was pulled back in a long ponytail—I could see its bottom reached to his lower back. My eyes flew to his face, his cold, pale blue eyes. He seemed to regard me with some measure of amusement. A long pale scar saved his face from being almost pretty, as did the rough bump in his aquiline nose. Leaning against the green wall of the Labyrinth with one shoulder, his relaxed stance was at complete odds with the tension that gripped me.
I gasped and used my hands to cover my breasts, while drawing my legs up to cover my splayed pussy.
Seeing this, he chuckled and shook his head. “No need to cover all the loveliness,” he said, and his words held a hint of an accent, the difference in inflection conveying he was not from our village. It sounded like a northern dialect.
“Who are you?” I could think of nothing else to say in that moment. My heart jumped to action, pounding away like crazy with a surge of adrenaline.
“Jhennen,” he replied, as though we were out to tea, having a pleasant chat. As an afterthought, he added, “Jhennen Vayment.”
“What are you doing here?” Brener almost growled, coming to his feet now, bristling. With them standing, it was clear Jhennen was a couple heads taller. All the more sweet that Brener thought to protect me from him, dwarfed as he was by this man, who looked battle-trained and used to combat.
“I suppose the same thing as you are,” Jhennen drawled out almost carelessly. His stance was nonthreatening, but his eyes glinted with definite danger. “The Goddess brought me here, same as you. So stand down, and either watch or participate, your choice.”
Outraged, I sputtered, and would have flown at him to slap that presumptuous smile off his face, but remembering my complete nakedness, I stayed put. “What do you mean, participate?”
“Is it the word or the concept you’re not clear on?” He turned to me now, his tone light.
“You’re not participating in anything here, or with anyone here. Feel free to turn about and go back the way you came,” I shot back, angry now.
“I think not. The Goddess doesn’t make mistakes, and to be honest, I hoped we’d cross paths here.”
Where To Buy
Pleasure Android 7.1
Evernight Publishing
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand
Love’s Labyrinth
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand
About Ela Stein
Reading was my entertainment and salvation as a child, and it transferred into a passion for writing. I am still very much a reader, and love many different genres, from erotic romance, to fantasy (and dark fantasy… Game of Thrones, anyone?), to historical fiction, and that love is reflected in my own writing as well (I don’t do contemporary very often). If you’d like to learn more about me, or chat about books and life, you can find me all over the web. I’d love to get to know all of you, and even though my blog is new, I post regularly and update on life and my writing progress. Thanks so much for stopping by today and reading.
Where to find Ela Stein
And we have winners!
I’ve picked the three winners of my Two to Tango release day contest and will be contacting them tonight to confirm prizes, addys, etc. Thanks to everyone who participated, and a HUGE thank you goes out to everyone who’s purchased a copy — I just found out this afternoon that TtT earned its silver Bestseller star on All Romance eBooks! If you heard a squeeing sound from the clavicle of Texas, that would have been me! 
Help Colby Do America (And Canada, Too)
As you know (Bob), I have the immense pleasure of knowing artist, blogger, and performer in Cinema Sans Culottes Colby Keller. In addition to meeting him in Baltimore last April, I also contributed to Cameron Stalheim’s merman sculpture that used Colby as the model, and participated in Colby’s poetry contests for National Poetry Month (and even won one!). He is an intelligent, talented, incredibly nice guy with an open mind and heart, and his mindset never ceases to fascinate me.
And yes, he looks nice naked. Well, it’s true.
Anyway, after becoming a casualty of gentrification and giving away almost everything he owned in a massive art project he called Everything But Lenin, Colby has left Baltimore and is about to start off on a grand adventure careening around this great continent of ours meeting his fans, making art, and having sex with hot guys (and recording it all for posterity). He plans to detail this adventure on his blog, but to do this he needs a reliable van, a decent mattress, video equipment, bandwidth, and funds for the occasional hotel room. Because sometimes you just want to sleep in a room with a shower and toilet, you know?
After much encouragement from his friends and fans (i.e. us screaming “DO IT!” at him on Twitter), he’s started an Indiegogo campaign called Big Shoe Adventure 1: Colby Does America…And Canada, Too to help raise funds for this endeavor. If you have a few spare shekels and like the idea of becoming a patron of the sexy arts, I highly encourage you to throw them his way. If you’re broke, spreading the word would also provide the support he needs. I guarantee you, the results of Colby’s adventure will be hot and thought-provoking.
What more can you ask for? Well, there’s something more! If you contribute to Colby’s campaign and send me proof (screenshot of your donation, confirmation email, etc.) I will add you as a character to my eco-thriller paranormal erotic romance series Olympic Cove (book one, Storm Season, is here). The best way I can describe this series is, “A rag-tag group of humans, gods, and mythological creatures must band together and stop an insane goddess from destroying humanity and remaking the world in her own diseased image. Oh, and there’s lot of sexy times, too.”
For you SF fans out there, you will recognize this offer as Tuckerization. Your character will appear in the M/M/M Breaker Zone or M/M/F Deep Water books (extending to books 4-6, depending on the popularity of this offer), and you can choose whether you’re a hero or villain, and what species you want to be (mer, triton, selkie, human, god, ilkothella, kelpie, satyr, nymph, oracle, etc.). Such a deal, people! So go, contribute, and become part of the adventure.
UPDATE: NINE! Nine donors have already signed up to be characters, and the first of them is going to get a very heroic death rescuing Nick and Aidan in Breaker Zone.
Fabulous Friday Reads: Taking Courage (Love Projects #2)
Let’s kick off this lovely weekend with my release day sister S.J. Maylee and her hot new erotic romance Taking Courage, now available from Evernight Publishing and other purveyors of fine erotic romance. Take it away, S.J.!
Janna’s ready to make over her life and get out from under the controlling thumb of her father. She doesn’t want another failed arranged marriage. She’s ready to do whatever it takes for the career she wants, enter the lifestyle she craves, and to earn the trust and love of the man that has captured her heart, but heartbreak and career hiccups seem to be her destiny.
Simon’s still recovering after his last submissive lied her way into his life. He’s not ready for Janna and how she pushes against his prejudices. He needs to decide if he’s willing to lose her or if he’ll fight for her love and submission.
Story Excerpt
“Head up now.” Something was agitating the tender bundle in his arms. Simon wanted to help her through it. He may have taken a step back on his training responsibilities since his last experience, but Janna felt perfect under his hand. He’d have to find out if she’d be back.
“Yes, Sir.”
“What’s troubling you, pet?”
“I forgot to mention something earlier.” She tucked the blanket under her chin.
“Oh?” He rubbed in big circles around her back. “Why don’t you tell me now?”
“This was my first time, Sir.”
“Your first?” His confusion was thick. She tried to hide her eyes from him, but he saw shame. Sometimes newer submissives struggled with firsts. “Is this your first time being a guest?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Is your home club much different?” The safe rules of BDSM clubs were pretty universal, a real gift to traveling kinksters, but sometimes a scene in a different setting could be unsettling.
“I don’t have a home club, Sir. Well, not one that I physically visit.” She rubbed the edge of her blanket. “I’m an active member of their chat rooms.”
He hadn’t heard her right. No. She felt like an experienced submissive. Was she just playing the part? Anger ticked a quick pace up his spine.
“Are you telling me I just gave you your first scene?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Why did you withhold this information?” When she didn’t answer he added, “Why weren’t you honest with me?” He pushed her slightly, in part to get some distance and to keep her safe from him. “Answer me, now.”
“I forgot. It all happened so fast, and I forgot one of my lines.”
“Lines.” He finished shoving her from his lap and stood. “I hope you had fun tonight.”
“I did, Sir,” she said as she stood to join him. She tugged at the edge of the blanket that had stuck in the couch. “Please, let me thank you for tonight.”
“There is no need. You lied to me, and you had your fun.” He scratched his brow. “Go home now.” He took two storming steps away and stopped. He forced himself to return to her, disgusted by how good it felt to see her face once more. He stopped within an inch, forcing her to look up. “Do yourself a favor. Enter that club at home, get yourself in a training program, and do not ever lie to a Dom again.”
He wanted to hit something. What was it with submissives and their lies? The lie might have been smaller this time, but it was still a lie.
He thundered past the scene areas and kept walking, increasing his speed. Folks saved themselves and moved out of his way. Fury radiated down his arms curling his fingers into fists, almost there.
Some members thought Keller was crazy when he’d installed the small gym next to the club. When the roster quickly filled, it was Keller that was laughing all the way to the bank. Simon had a regular date with the bag hanging in the corner. He may no longer enter the ring, but the regimented workouts kept him strong and centered.
A couple more steps and he’d entered the gym and saw the innocent bag hanging right where he needed it to be. He slammed his fist into the bag. Pressure reverberated from his hand straight to his heart, but it didn’t release the revulsion.
“Damn her.”
He needed to get this out and get back on the floor. One of his best friends was about to collar his sub. The bag swung around. He walked around it and rolled his shoulders back. He wanted to witness the happiness a pair could have when things worked out and no one lied.
It was just a scene, something he could shake off, and she was just a guest sub. There was no possible way she could have felt as right as he thought. The anger was tricking him. She was just another lying sub. A sub to forget. A sub he would never see again.
“Damn her.”
An image of her regret filled face tugged at his resolve. His fingers flexed as he remembered her velvet channel. His cock twitched, and he hit the bag again.
GIVEAWAY!
SJ’s giving away one $10 Amazon gift card and THREE swag packs. To enter: read the excerpt, answer this question in the comments, and click away on the rafflecopter.
Simon definitely sees Janna again. Do you think she’ll get a second chance with him?
Where to Buy
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
BookStrand
About S.J. Maylee
S.J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time.
When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her caring for her garden, laughing with her two young sons, or dancing to her husband’s music. She’s a PMP (Project Management Professional), Nia instructor, and coffee addict.
As a writer she has a tendency to break hearts, but she always glues them back together.
Where to find S.J. Maylee
Blog
Twitter
Facebook Page
Google+
Goodreads
Pinterest
Amazon Author Page
Release Day: Two to Tango (and yes, I’m running a contest!)
Happy Thursday, you gorgeous people! I was planning on having a huge, splashy release day event, but we wound up adopting two young cats on Monday and I’ve had to be the Cat Whisperer and integrate them with the current feline population.
But enough of my new little fuzzbutts — today is the official release day for my rollicking romp of a SF erotic romance caper novel Two to Tango, now available from Evernight Publishing, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Bookstrand, and other purveyors of fine erotic romance.
Rory MacLellan, AKA the Highlander, may be the most successful interstellar art thief in the Known Worlds, but he still has a conscience. So when he runs into a suicidal museum worker during his latest job, he has no choice but to stun the man and rescue him from certain death.
Dr. Dmitri Grigoryev was an up-and-coming exoarchaeologist until a disastrous dig left his career in tatters. Hungry, broke, and desperate, the last thing he expected was a dashing thief to come along and save his life.
Thrown together by accident and with interstellar police on their tail, Rory and Dmitri reluctantly join forces for a major heist. But will their simmering attraction get in the way, or prove that they were meant to be together?
But wait, there’s more! I’m also running a contest with the following prizes:
- A $25 Amazon Gift Card
- A pair of 14K gold and opalite earrings from Belaurient Arts
- A grand prize package of all my ebooks, plus a sneak peak at the first three chapters of the second book in the Olympic Cove series, Breaker Zone.
To win one of these prizes, simply leave your name and email address in the comments below before midnight CST on June 13, 2014, and answer the following question: What is your favorite gemstone? You MUST answer the question to be entered in the contest.
Thanks for reading, and good luck with the contest!
Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone #MWTease #MidWeekTease
Happy Hump Day! Courtesy of Sandra Bunino and her Mid Week Tease, I’m bringing you yet another tense scene from my current WIP Breaker Zone. In this teaser, Nick’s been rescued from Barnard by his two sexy mers Aidan and Liam and is about to have a well-deserved minor breakdown, poor bastard.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
With his life in ruins thanks to a psychotic ex, Dr. Nick Gardiner winds up at Olympic Cove looking for sanctuary (and free beer) with his friend Ian. The last thing he expects to find is Ian living with two redheaded sea lords and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. Nick soon learns that the handsome mer and his partner Liam have their own plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.
A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in Ian’s battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.
###
“You moron,” Chiron snapped. “Why the hell did you decide to wander off on your own?”
“Yeah, hello to you, too,” Nick replied sourly. He stood in the middle of Ian’s cottage, the mers behind him, and the translucent centaur took up the other half. Ian leaned in the hallway leading to the guest rooms and kitchen, arms folded across his chest. “Just out of curiosity, when did you find out I was going to be in danger? Because some advance notice that my whackjob ex was in town looking for me would have been nice.”
His teacher shrugged. “I didn’t find out until it was happening. I’m a centaur, not Miss Cleo.”
“How did you find out?” Liam asked.
Chiron made a decidedly horsey-sounding snort. “Grandma decided to drop some knowledge on me. Since I can’t go among the slobbering masses I laughingly call humans anymore, I had to rope in the Tiny Titan for an assist.” He jerked his head at Ian, who gave him the finger. “He wanted to beam into the middle of the damned town and start looking for you. I talked him into calling you first.”
“I know where I can show up safely,” Ian grumbled.
“Don’t care. No apparating among the mundanes.”
“Back up a bit,” Nick cut in. “Grandma?”
“Gaia.”
“Who?”
“Oh, fuck me,” Chiron groaned. “Gaia, the Mother of All, the earth goddess, the avatar of the whole goddamn planet. For some reason she decided to step in and save your narrow ass from getting hauled off to Chi-town and turned into Barnard Whitfield’s personal pumpkin.”
“Shit.” The adrenaline rush he’d been riding since Barnard appeared finally began to fade, and he started shaking. “Shit. Why is all this happening to me?”
Chiron stopped, frowning. “Syncope. You two get him on the couch.”
Two arms slid around his back, easing him into a sitting position.
“Push his head between his knees. He needs to get blood back into that noggin.”
“I know, Lord.”
A large hand slid into his hair, gently cupping his skull and pushing it down. He found himself hunched over, staring at his sneakers and the area rug underneath them.
“Just breathe, Nick,” he heard Liam say softly, hand still in his hair and rubbing his scalp. Aidan performed the same motion on his back, rubbing in wide, gentle circles. “It’s all going to be okay.”
He huffed at that. “The fuck it is. I’ve got a psychotic ex-Dom who wants to carve his name into my chest, and a god’s staff that I don’t know how to use,” he said raggedly. “Oh, yeah, and apparently an earth goddess likes me. Woo fucking hoo.”
“More like the earth goddess,” Chiron said, “but whatever.”
Ian’s blue-jeaned knees appeared in his line of sight, then dropped to the floor. “I am so sorry, Nick. I never wanted to drag you into any of this,” his friend said regretfully. “And I know just how confused you are right now, trust me. But if it’s any consolation, you’ve got a lot of people who will help you figure out what you’re supposed to do, and I’m number one on that list.”
Taking in a deep breath, Nick slowly sat up. The mers’ hands tactfully disappeared, Liam and Aidan leaning back to give him space. He wished they hadn’t stopped touching him. It had helped keep his panic at bay. “Dude, I don’t know if I can do this,” he said. “I’m just an ER doc. I’m not a god, or a merman, or anything special.”
“Sorry to rain on your pity parade, Junior, but that’s not true,” Chiron said, clopping up to Ian’s side. “You’re the Bearer of Asclepius’s Rod. That makes you a pretty powerful player in this game.”
“What game?” he said, almost yelping the words. “Fighting a crazy goddess who’s pissed off at humans and wants to destroy the Earth? That game? Jesus, I don’t even know where to start.”
“I often find,” an urbane voice said, “that it’s best to start at the beginning.”
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Cover Reveal for Two to Tango
Finally, it’s here! My M/M SF caper erotic romance (say that in one breath, I dare you) Two to Tango will be out from Evernight Publishing on June 12, and this week I’m going to be holding a contest and offering some nifty prizes!
• A $25 Amazon Gift Card
• A custom piece of jewelry from Belaurient Arts
• A grand prize package of all my ebooks, plus a sneak peak at the first three chapters of the second book in the Olympic Cove series, Breaker Zone.
The fun starts tomorrow — stay tuned!
Rory MacLellan, aka the Highlander, is one of the most successful interstellar art thieves in the Known Worlds. Dmitri Grigoryev was an up-and-coming exoarchaeologist until a deadly dig left his career in tatters. Thrown together by accident and with interstellar police on their tail, Rory and Dmitri reluctantly join forces for a major heist. But will their simmering attraction get in the way, or prove that they were meant to be together?
Excerpt
Dmitri turned over, glancing down the line of their bodies. Rory’s erection was very obvious in his kilt, almost comically so. The other man must have been contorting himself to keep it off his ass. Of course, now that he was face up, his own erection started filling out nicely.
Rory started massaging his shoulders and arms, going nowhere near his nipples or other erogenous zones. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore. “Um, you’re hard.”
“I know,” Rory said evenly. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Kind of difficult to do that when it’s right over my stomach. Besides, so am I.”
Rory gave a half shrug. “Totally normal. Lots of guys get an erection during a massage. Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m going to make a move on you or anything.”
He didn’t understand why that admission annoyed him, but it did. “Of course not,” he muttered. “Why would you?”
Rory stopped at that, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know.” He turned his head, staring at the bulkhead. “Never mind.”
“Hey.” Long fingers cupped his chin, urging it back. “I’m not making a move on you because I don’t believe in hitting on someone when they don’t have a way out of the situation. I mean, yes, I think you’re incredibly hot, which should be obvious by the fact that my cock can now cut diamond.” Rory glanced down at his crotch and grinned. “But that’s my problem, not yours.”
That’s what you think. Dmitri could feel Rory’s body heat moving through him, lighting up nerve endings. He’d been sure that his life would be one long, slow slog through museum workshops, getting older and more bitter with each passing year until he was shunted off to some sterile senior station to die.
Instead, he had been kidnapped during a heist by the Known Worlds’ sexiest antiquities thief, rescued from CAPOD by said thief, been given the chance to restore a shattered Saolao ceremonial bowl, and now had the same sexy thief kneeling over him with a rock-hard erection after giving him the best massage of his life. Except he’s backing off like I’m a nervous virgin.
It was time to take matters into his own hands, quite literally. He cupped his palms over Rory’s exposed knees, feeling the other man twitch from the unexpected contact. “What if I said yes?”
Rory frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“What.” Dmitri slowly ran his fingertips under the tartan, up Rory’s thighs. “If I.” He pressed the heels of his hands against the soft prickle of hair and the lean muscle underneath, continuing his upward slide. “Said yes?” His fingers reached the top of each thigh, dancing over the crease where leg met groin. The skin was smooth there, but he could just feel the beginnings of crisp pubic hair brushing his thumbs, and the heat from what had to be an aching cock.
He wouldn’t let himself touch it. Not until he was sure they both wanted this. “Or do I have to spell it out for you?”
“Nooo, I think I’m catching on.” Eyes gleaming, Rory leaned over and kissed him. “Is this all right?” he whispered, each word the softest puff of breath against Dmitri’s lips.
“Definitely.”
“Good. Because if you don’t put your hand around my cock in the next thirty seconds, my head is going to explode.”
Dmitri couldn’t help chuckling. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”
I have a cover and release date for Two to Tango!
Two to Tango will be available from Evernight Publishing and other fine retailers of smut on June 12. I’m going to hold off a little and do a cover reveal this weekend, but in the meantime let me tease you with a couple of ads!
Mid Week Tease: Breaker Zone #MWTease #MidWeekTease
Happy Hump Day! Courtesy of Sandra Bunino and her Mid Week Tease, I’m bringing you yet another tense scene from my current WIP Breaker Zone. Nick’s been cornered by his dangerous ex-Dom in a secluded park in Olympic Beach, and things do not look good for our ER doc.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
With his life in ruins thanks to a psychotic ex, Dr. Nick Gardiner winds up at Olympic Cove looking for sanctuary (and free beer) with his friend Ian. The last thing he expects to find is Ian living with two redheaded sea lords and learning how to be a storm god. Adding to the confusion is a wounded merman named Aidan who washes up in the cove, requiring Nick’s professional help. Nick soon learns that the handsome mer and his partner Liam have their own plans for the ER doctor — to claim him as their agapetos, their destined mate, and fulfill his need to submit.
A chance encounter at a local junk shop reveals that Nick has his own role to play in Ian’s battle against the insane Nereid Thetis. Under the reluctant mentorship of Chiron, Nick must master the use of the Rod of Asclepius if he wants to rescue his mates from a ghastly fate and help Ian save the planet.
###
“You were the very devil to track down, you know,” Barnard said, sounding amused. In his Armani button-down and tailor-made linen slacks, he looked cool and in control in the June warmth. “I had you all the way to this dreadful little town, and then you disappeared. Poof, like smoke.” Slim, elegant fingers flickered in the air like a dissipating cloud. “I was afraid I’d have to call in some favors and have your cell phone tracked, but here you are. It’s almost a sign from God, don’t you agree?”
“Not really,” Nick said tightly. “I thought I told you we were over, Barnard.”
The other man tsked. “You’re still upset about my slip-up. Well, I suppose I can’t blame you. But in all honesty, pet, I didn’t hear your safeword. If I had, I would have stopped immediately, you know that.” Tilted teal eyes shone with innocence. “I’m a Dom, not a monster.”
Yes, you are a monster. I screamed at you to stop, and you smiled and said ‘just a little more.’ “I don’t care. Blood and knife play are my hard limits.”
The bastard had the nerve to tut at him. “You know it’s a Dom’s responsibility to push his sub and find his true boundaries.”
“You don’t involve hard limits in a scene, Barnard. You know that,” Nick fired back. “And I told you when we started, no knives and no fucking blood play.”
The other man’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and squeezing the bones there. “Language, pet,” he warned. “You know better than that.” He frowned suddenly, staring at Nick’s neck. “Are those … bruises?”
Shit. Nick wrenched his wrist loose, stepping back. “I am not your pet. I withdraw my service. You are not my Dom anymore.” His gut churned, but he spat out the words anyway despite Barnard’s increasingly cold expression. “Now get out of here and go back to Chicago. I’m sure you can find plenty of pain sluts who would love to have your name carved into their chest.”
“Of course I could, but I don’t want them. I want you, Nicholas.” Barnard smiled, a shark’s grin. “You’re so delightful, with your exceptional responsiveness and desire to serve. And such smooth, pale skin. I just want to bite it until it bleeds.”
Nauseated, Nick took another step back, the terrier following him. “You’re sounding a lot like Hannibal Lecter right now.”
The smile disappeared, and Barnard’s eyes went glacial. “I don’t enjoy being compared to a cannibalistic psychopath, Nicholas.”
“And I don’t enjoy having my safeword ignored. I’m not coming back. Ever. Get that into your head.”
Unexpectedly, the Dom’s expression changed. He snapped his fingers. “Oh. Now I understand. You’re staying with that writer friend of yours, aren’t you?”
Nick went cold. “What does Ian have to do with this?”
“That man puts the oddest notions into your head. He never liked me, you know, and I haven’t the faintest idea why.”
Because he could tell right off the bat that you were dangerous. I was fooled by the nice clothes and the fancy car. “I’m not staying with Ian, so leave him out of this. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
He tried to step around the other man, but Barnard deftly cut him off. “Nicholas, don’t make this difficult. I have a plane waiting. Come home with me and we’ll forget all about the last three days, yes?”
Short of a lobotomy, there was no way he would ever forget the events of the last three days. Sea gods and mermen and Rods, oh my. “Get out of my way, Barnard.”
His former Dom sighed. “Oh, pet. I’m afraid you’ll have to pay for that.”
Norma started barking loudly, dancing on the edge of her leash and baring her teeth. Something moved beyond Barnard’s shoulder, coming into focus.
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Note to self
Must stop haunting the Evernight website to see how close Two to Tango is to the top of the Coming Soon list (it’s currently at number 3, by the way). The final edits have been turned in with a most appropriate dedication, I dare say, and I know Sour Cherry Designs are currently working on the cover, so I could have a cover and publication date any time now.
Checks inbox.
Yep, any time now. Aaaaaaany time now.
Have I mentioned how much I love ebook publication? It soothes the impatient 3-year-old in me.
Okay, on to other news — as of yesterday I hit the midway point on Breaker Zone (also had an almost 6K day, which was astounding), which means it’s all downhill from here. I really was hoping to have the MS done by tomorrow, but when you get handed not one but two sets of edits to be turned in within two weeks those get first dibs on your time. But it’s all okay because with any luck I’ll be typing The End in a week or so.
And that’s just fine with me because, Lord, Iron Cross is singing a siren song and I really, REALLY want to polish that baby off and 1) get it sent off to my betas, 2) clean it up, and 3) start the submission process to agents. I’ve got a really good feeling about this one, people.
Nicola Cameron Writes 