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Nicola’s Sunday Shoutout: Bad Alpha @evernightpub #badalpha #eroticromance
Bad Alpha and Bad Alpha: Manlove Edition feature a select collection of stories with shifters so ruthless they will stop at nothing to protect their pack. These aren’t sugar-and-spice heroes. Our alphas are feared, inked, and don’t ask questions first. They take what they want, never give in to their enemies, and think love is for the weak—until they meet their mate. Are you ready to learn how to tame a savage heart?
Hey folks, Nicola here! I am extremely delighted to host both of Evernight Publishing’s newest anthologies today (and not just because I have a story in one of them). I asked some of the authors to tell me what inspired their stories about bad alphas and the mates who love them.
Doris O’Connor
From the minute the submission call for the Bad Alpha Anthology went up, I knew I would have to write something. I love shifters and bad boys. Combine the two…yes, I could not resist that, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when I woke up one morning with bear shifter Zayden growling in my ear.
He was a sought after assassin, and he came to me mid kill of his latest assignment. Cynical, deadly, this killer for hire has no time for tender feelings, let alone a mate, so when he finds out that the Alpha he’s been hired to kill, is his mate.
In his words…
Quinton Thorn was his fucking mate. The universe was having a great big laugh at his fucking expense. He’d come here to kill his mate. His bear roared at the mere thought, and Zayden shook his head. He could no more kill the man than he could have killed his own mother. He wasn’t a complete fucking animal, but the new tender feelings that had coursed through him when he’d shaken Quinton’s hand meant he felt like a fish out of water. He knew how to kill and fuck, but he had no idea what to do about these emotions.
Such a delicious conflict. What would Quinton do when he finds out that his mate is a killer?
L.D. Blakeley
When the call for submissions was announced for Bad Alpha: Manlove, I mulled it over for approximately 10 seconds before deciding, “Yep! It’s time to throw your hat into the horror/supernatural ring.” Later that evening, while picking out a movie to watch, my husband mentioned that the myth behind the 2001 French movie Le pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) might be fun to somehow incorporate into a story. So off I went, down the Google rabbit hole. There is a ton of info out there with regard to the Beast of Gévaudan. And with so much actual fact mixed up nicely with the fiction, the idea became all that more appealing. My story, “Destined”, didn’t take long to work its way onto paper (especially with Joe Manganiello and Gaspard Ulliel taking shape in my head as Marick and Caleb, respectively!)
Where to Buy
Bad Alpha
Evernight | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Bookstrand
Bad Alpha: Manlove Edition
Evernight | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Bookstrand
Bad Alpha
“For Blood” by J.R. Gray
The only way to end the war and stop the bloodshed is to marry the enemy. Every fiber of Roman wants to hate Victoria, but the more he sees, the more he craves her. Can he fight their past demons to be with her?
“Destiny Realized” by Khloe Wren
Leonardo has been the clan’s alpha for 300 years. Ruling his people has always been his one and only priority. Until he, along with his brother and sister, stop at a broken down car near their home in the Flinders Ranges on the edge of Outback Australia. The woman they rescue turns both Leo and, his brother, Valentino’s lives upside down. A mate was the last thing Leo wanted, and everything Val had ever hoped for.
Felicia is on the run. Again. Her baby’s daddy broke her daughter’s arm the last time he caught up with them so she’s desperate to stay ahead of him. But her car breaks down and trouble finds her. A killer takes advantage of her failing vehicle and she fears all is lost for her and her little girl, until another car stops and she finds herself in a whole new world where she may just have found the future she’s always wanted but never dreamed she’d have.
“Exiled Alpha” by Amber Morgan
Rachel Jacobs is a wolf on a mission. To save her pack from destruction, she’s turning to the werewolf who nearly destroyed it once before. Arkady Gusev is everything her father ever warned her against – so why does she find him so irresistible?
Arkady Gusev isn’t looking for a pack or a woman. But when Rachel walks through his door, she throws down a challenge he can’t resist. Is this exiled alpha about to come home?
“Drakon’s Prize” by Moira Callahan
Being the Alpha of a misfit clan of Dragons comes with its share of troubles. When the supernatural Council comes to Drakon Blackwood with yet another false claim against his clan he knows it’s time to make someone pay. Preferably with their life.
Allegra Hanson doesn’t work for the Council, and yet she’s been roped into assisting them in their investigation into the Blackwood clan’s supposed activities. Against her better judgment she goes to the clan’s lands to do what she can. What she never planned on was her visceral reaction to the Alpha.
The Blackwood clan land is valuable. Not for its location, but for what lies beneath the earth’s surface. Many will do anything to get it, one will stop at nothing, and is willing to kill Drakon’s woman to get it. Allegra is his, and there’s no way Drakon will lose the most precious prize of all.
“Tiger’s Mate” by April Zyon
Streak politics, and differences in opinions forced Kurt Owens to choose his own path. While it may be outside of the law in many regards he sees it as ensuring justice for the true victims of crimes when the system fails them. It’s his way of seeing the guilty pay, and keeping his own inner beast in check with the violence, and blood it craves.
Everyone thinks having a super power would be great. Alexa Harold would beg to differ. She’s been cursed to see ghosts, the dead not yet having gone to their final resting place, or judgment, or wherever they belong. They track her down, and harass her until she’s ready to go mad. Learning early in life what she needs to avoid has been the only saving grace in keeping her sanity intact.
Kurt never thought he’d find his mate outside of the streak, or streak functions. While those of a supernatural inclination aren’t exactly rare, they have had to be careful and keep their population down. Alexa is the woman for him the only one he could ever want or need. And when her life is put in danger by his own past Kurt won’t stop until everyone understands to get to this tiger’s mate, they’ll have to get through him.
“Dark Heart” by Elyzabeth M. VaLey
Ten years ago, Daryl Jones lost his pack to a group of demon vampires. Since then, he not only lost his will to battle for good, his life has become a spiral of drinking, fighting and fucking anything in sight. In his opinion, a pretty perfect existence. Until, he meets the new SOA representative sent to convince him to go back to the lab. With mile long legs, a tight little ass and a smile to kill for, when she offers him a bargain, how can he possibly refuse?
Silvia Adams, has one mission: convince Daryl Jones to work for SOA again. The agency needs him to get back into the lab and help develop a serum to neutralize the growing number of vampires. She knew it wouldn’t be easy task, but with her job on the line, she’ll do anything it takes, including, bargaining with the shifter and surrendering to her deepest desires. Only problem is, she might have bartered for more than she can handle.
“Resisting His Mate” by Lynn Burke
Warrick Keaton eludes a forced pairing with one of his kind. No one is going to choose his mate for him, not when he wants nothing to do with being tied down to a woman. He never expects fate to intervene in the form of a freezing, barely alive female. With his independence in jeopardy, Warrick fights his inner hawk’s desire to stake a claim on her.
Clare Byron longs to escape her domineering ex-husband, a jealous bear shifter determined to keep her prisoner. She seizes the opportunity to run and lands in the arms of another alpha—exactly what she doesn’t want or need.
For Warrick, Clare is everything he’s ever wanted in a mate and all that he’s run from. For Clare, Warrick is freedom in a way she never dreamed possible—the one man who will own her heart yet give her wings to fly.
“Alpha’s Vixen” by Jocelyn Dex
Dax is overwhelmed by desire when he catches the white fox trespassing on his land, and that totally pisses him off. He refuses to mate, no matter how much the fox inside him wants it, Dax definitely does not.
Opal is instantly enamored with the menacing black fox, but isn’t surprised when he chases her away—no one ever wants her, the freak-of-nature albino.
When theft and violence bring them together again, will they give in to passion, or will their hang-ups force them apart?
“Always Midnight” by Ashlynn Monroe
Taryne Michael is all her younger brother Travys has ever had for stability. When fifteen-year-old Trav doesn’t come home after he fights with her she spends the next week searching for him. He finally comes home he’s not the same boy who slammed the door the night he left. Something is very wrong and when she discovers he’s been transformed into a werewolf she’s at a loss as to what to do. The violent, angry boy isn’t the little brother she knows how to deal with. Teenage hormones are nothing compared to the animalistic young man emerging from the boy she’d raised.
Ax Greyson is a lone wolf, an alpha without a pack. He enforces laws non-shifters don’t know about. Celo Valley, is a place where two species co-reside. The werewolves keep the humans blind to their existence by being careful. Someone isn’t following the rules. Someone is killing, with no regard for secrets. When killing the woman seems like the only way to keep his people’s secret until Ax’s instincts find another way.
Mate…the word is the only thing that can scare a man like Ax.
“Becoming His Mate” by Harper Shaddock
After escaping an abusive ex, lone-wolf Brenna is looking for a fresh start. She never expected to stumble across a pack’s territory, or that the Alpha would claim her for a mate. Remy had enough on his plate dealing with a rival pack, but it was love at first howl and he’s not about to lose his mate…even if it means fighting her past her fears.
Bad Alpha: Manlove Edition
“Bully Boys” by Nicola Cameron
When Victorian solicitor Arthur Finter is forced to cut down a dangerous London alley after work, he stumbles upon pit bull shifter Alpha Gunner Jones in the middle of a dogfight with a rival shifter pack. The hard-nosed bully boy scents Arthur and recognizes him as his mate, but will events orchestrated by the other pack separate them before Gunner can lay final claim?
“The Alpha’s Assassin” by Doris O’Connor
Bear shifter Zayden Reid makes his living doing what he does best—killing people. The sought after assassin doesn’t have to think twice when he’s offered a lot of money to kill the Alpha of a wolf pack, until he scents his mate.
As the Alpha of his pack Quinton Thorn is used to giving orders. He may be gay, but that doesn’t mean he’s weak, and he’ll squash any challenge to his leadership with ruthless efficiency. When the threat comes from a source he trusts, however, can he afford to give into his feelings for his mate, knowing that he’ll endanger everyone under his protection?
The mating bond cannot be denied, no matter what the consequences, and they might well kill.
“Discarded Pup” by Angelique Voisen
Betrayed by his beta and abandoned by his pack, Cole Reyes wasted the last ten years of his life rotting behind bars. A cage is no place for a wolf, and wounds left open, fester. Cole has zero tolerance for mercy. The time Cole spent in prison didn’t just bleed out all the decency he once possessed. It broke him. Made him hard and unforgiving. Cole’s vengeance starts now, beginning with his beta’s new toy.
“Yellow Eyes” by Gale Stanley
The brutal war between shifters and humans is over, but each side still sees the other as a threat. The only thing they can agree on, is that they can’t agree. Humans live east of the bridge, shifters live west. Camden is a halfbreed, the product of a rape that happened during the war. Neither side wants him, but he lives with his human mother. The night she dies, Camden goes west looking for revenge. He knows he won’t find his father, and he’ll probably get himself killed, but he doesn’t care. As long as he takes a shifter with him, he’ll die happy.
Wyat is alpha of the pack living in the west. He’s a warrior who believes in separation of the races. Then on the night of the full moon, he discovers a half-breed hiding in the alley. The man’s scent makes him burn with lust, and against his better judgement, he takes him home—and discovers that sleeping with the enemy might just lead to a better future.
“Destined” by L.D. Blakeley
Caleb Stokes has had a shit night. Too bad catching his boyfriend in flagrante delicto with the club DJ isn’t the worst thing he’ll witness before the night is through. Marick Gevrees has no time for romance. He has even less time for a tipsy twink looking for a man to fill some Daddy fetish. But what the hell is he supposed to do when said twink wanders headlong into the middle of a bloody vendetta that could result in the exposure of his clan?
“Trouble” by James Cox
Tremarc is sleeping his way through the entire Bear Shifter Clan. He’s sent to the moon, under the colonized dome to stay out of trouble. When he meets sexy alpha Lyon and his mated human, Quinn his life takes a sharp turn that may just find him his happy ending or get him kicked out of yet another bear shifter clan.
“Outlaw Wolf” by Elizabeth Monvey
Dekker ran away from his pack in an order to protect his lover and Alpha, Grey, when he overheard two higher ranked wolves talk about killing him.
When Grey finds him six months later, Dekker tries to convince the man he loves to go away. But Grey won’t take no and as the two talk it out, their mutual attraction overwhelms them.
In desperation, Dekker renounces Grey as his Alpha. But when another force tries to punish Dekker by silencing him forever, Grey must choose which stand he’ll take…being the alpha for all his pack, or being the man Dekker needs, even if it means breaking the rules.
Mid Week Tease: Trickster: All In #MidWeekTease #MWTease
It’s Wednesday? Awesome! Because I have a little teaser for you from my new WIP, something I’m calling…Trickster: All In. Yes, it’s a sequel to Trickster, and yes it stars Delaney and Mark, but this scene focuses on another coyote shifter and how he kinda sorta cutes his way into his human mate’s tent during a rainstorm.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
Finishing his toilette by flashlight, Simon finally stripped down to a t-shirt and underwear and slid into his sleeping bag. He didn’t bother zipping it up, preferring to keep one foot out to regulate his body temperature. The rain drummed down on the tent fabric overhead but nothing dripped in, which was all he could ask for, really.
No. What I could ask for is someone to share my sleeping bag with. He’d eyed the other campers earlier, knowing they were doing the same to him, but none of them seemed to click. He resigned himself to a quick fantasy about Carlos the tour guide and was sliding his hand under his briefs waistband when something scratched at the tent’s zippered entrance.
Simon yanked his hand free and sat up. No, it can’t be. I’m not that lucky.
“Who’s there?” he called.
Another quick scratch. He fumbled for the flashlight and clicked it on, pointing the beam at the tent flap. Now he could see the fabric bulge gently as someone or something poked at it.
If it was another camper, they’d say something, wouldn’t they? Or are they—is he—trying to be discreet?
Feeling a flicker of hope, Simon scrambled out of his bag and crawled to the tent flap. Yanking the zipper up, he peered into the night. “Carlos?”
A whine answered him. He moved the flashlight beam, catching a glimpse of bedraggled fur. The creature flinched from the light but stayed where it was.
Simon stared out at the—yes, it was a coyote. What the hell was it doing pawing at his tent? And now that he’d opened the damned flap why wasn’t it attacking? More to the point, why was he just kneeling there staring at it?
The coyote just stood there, drenched by the downpour. It cocked its head to the side and whimpered.
“Shoo!” Simon hissed, waving a hand at it. “Go away.”
It whimpered again, then shivered. It looked, in a word, pitiful.
Oh, no. No, you are not going to be an idiot and do what I think you’re going to do. That’s a wild animal and perfectly capable of taking care of itself. You are not going to open the damned flap even wider and—
He lurched back just in time to avoid being drenched as the coyote shimmied, dispersing the rain from its coat. Only then did it slink into the tent. He could have sworn that the damned animal sighed in relief. All right, so it’s a courteous coyote. You’re still an idiot.
It was a popular campground, he reasoned fiercely as he dug around for his discarded clothes. Campers probably fed the local wildlife all the time, semi-domesticating them. The coyote simply wanted to get in from out of the rain. It wouldn’t hurt him.
He hoped.
Pushing the discarded clothes into a rough oval shape, he reluctantly laid his spare towel over it. “There. That should keep you warm,” he muttered. “Just don’t bite me, all right?”
The coyote climbed into the nest, turning around a few times in canine fashion before settling down in a curl, nose tucked under a bottle brush tail. It sighed again, then relaxed. All right, then. It’s going to sleep, which is what you should be doing as well. I’m sure it’ll wake you up when it wants to go out in the morning. If it doesn’t rip your throat out in your sleep, that is.
Cautiously, Simon slid back into his sleeping bag and curled on his side, watching the coyote. Yes, definitely an idiot.
****
The rain was still pattering on the tent canvas when Simon woke with a warm body wrapped around him. It stirred and muttered something unintelligible, shifting against him.
Something hard and warm poked his thigh. Still mostly asleep, he ran his hand up and over a muscled flank, sliding inwards. The cock wasn’t overlong, but nicely thick and veiny from the feel of things. The man in his arms moaned as he teased the silky flesh, stroking it in a loose grip.
He was about to try shifting onto his side so that he could bring his own cock into play when the other man stiffened, jerking away. That woke him up fully, and Simon found himself staring at a stranger.
An absolutely adorable stranger, with green eyes, kissable lips, and tangled dark hair that made him look like a sleepy cherub if a cherub could have morning stubble. A stranger that he would have immediately gravitated to if he’d seen him on the bus. How in God’s name did I miss him?
“Oh,” Simon said, momentarily nonplussed. “Um…good morning?”
The man gaped at him, then did the most extraordinary thing. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath through his nose.
Green eyes popped open again, frantic. “Oh, God, I was right,” the man moaned. “Oh, shit!”
Simon didn’t think he smelled too badly. “Is there a problem?”
The man stared at him. “Is there a problem?” he croaked. “Is there a problem? Oh, Jesus Hashimoto Christ, this can’t be happening.”
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Release Day – Bad Alpha: Manlove Edition #MM #BadAlphaAntho @evernightpub #shifter
Woohoo! The Bad Alpha anthologies are now available from Evernight and Amazon, and these books are absolutely smouldering!
A little bit of background about “Bully Boys” — I had just finished the BBC’s NORTH AND SOUTH when I saw the call for the antho, so I kinda had Richard Armitage in full Victorian fig lodged in my head when I sat down to come up with a story. Since I was already thinking Victorian, I figured, “Okay, let’s set it in Victorian London. Now what kind of shifter species would you expect to find in the Smoke way back then?”
Which is how I settled on bull terrier shifters. Personally I happen to adore pitties, but they’re tough dogs when threatened. I could see RA being able to shift into a Black Staffordshire bull terrier and leading a rough-and-tumble shifter pack in the slums of London.
Of course, then I had to come up with Gunner’s mate. *dimples* Let’s just say that I’m a fan of Peter Jackson’s latest trilogy and leave it at that.
When Victorian solicitor Arthur Finter is forced to cut down a dangerous London alley after work, he stumbles upon pit bull shifter Alpha Gunner Jones in the middle of a dogfight with a rival shifter pack. The hardnosed bully boy scents Arthur and recognizes him as his mate, but will events orchestrated by the other pack separate them before Gunner can lay final claim?
When Arthur awoke, he was in bed. The awful scene in the alley drifted through his memory, dim now from sleep. It was just a nightmare. Oh, thank goodness.
He tried to turn over, and couldn’t. Looking up, he saw that a length of hemp rope had been tied around his right wrist and woven with very little slack through an unfamiliar brass headboard. The other end of the rope had been attached to his left wrist, effectively pinning his arms wide.
Lifting his head as high as possible, he stared around his prison. It appeared to be a small bedroom, lit only by a coal fire in a blackened grate. A row of hooks on the far wall held various items of clothing, and an armoire hulked in the corner. A plain wooden table stood next to the bed, bare of anything except a candlestick with an unlit candle.
He flexed his feet and found that his legs were bound as well, with the same amount of slack given to his arms. To make matters worse, someone had removed his clothes before tying him to the bed and covering him with a thin blanket.
Panic set in, making his heart lurch. “Help!” he shouted. “Please, I need help!”
The door opened and his hopes were dashed as the handsome werebeast sauntered in, carrying a wash bowl and water jug. He’d taken the time to rinse the blood from his face and slick his hair back, and an old, threadbare towel hung casually over one shoulder.
“Someone’s up, I see,” he said in an East-End accent.
Arthur fought down his fear and gave the man his best glower. “Untie me immediately, sir!”
“Can’t do that. At least, not just yet.” The man approached the bed, giving him an appreciative look. Arthur belatedly remembered his nude state, and cringed under the cheap blanket that protected his modesty. “I suppose you want to know why you’re here, then.”
“Indeed I do,” Arthur said, hoping he sounded braver than he felt. “I am a solicitor, sir, and if you do not untie me this moment, you will find yourself in grave trouble with the law.”
The man shrugged. “Won’t be the first time. Doubt it’ll be the last.” He moved to the bedside table and deposited the jug and bowl on it, then sat down on the mattress. That blue gaze trailed over him dispassionately, but there was a flicker of something else as well, something that tugged at Arthur’s senses and caused his breath to come faster.
The man grabbed the edge of the blanket, dragging it down to just below Arthur’s waist. The solicitor flinched as the cool air of the room hit his skin, causing it to break out in embarrassing gooseflesh.
“You’re trim. I like that in a bloke,” the man said conversationally. “Don’t spend all of your time on your arse, do you?”
Arthur gaped at him. “I—how—that’s none of your business!”
“Oh, but it is my business.” His captor sounded amused about that. “Everything about you, Mr. Arthur Finter, is my business. Now that we’re to be mates and all.”
The bizarre comment would have made Arthur laugh in other circumstances. “If you mean we’re to be friends, sir, I can assure you that I feel no such friendship with anyone who ties me to a bed and terrorizes me in such a manner!”
The man tilted his head to one side, and Arthur was forcibly reminded of his other shape. “You’re tied to my bed to make sure you don’t run away,” he said. “I know you saw what happened in the alley, and I’ll explain it in good time. As for terrorizing you, it wasn’t what I had in mind for us tonight.”
He reached out and touched one of the tiny nubs on Arthur’s chest, tracing a circle on it. The caress caused Arthur to gasp, an indecent zing of pleasure arrowing down to his groin.
“Thought so,” his captor said in satisfaction. “You long for the touch of a man, Mr. Finter. I’ll be that man for you tonight and ever after. We’re mates, you and me.”
Mid Week Tease: Deep Water #MidWeekTease #MWTease
It’s Wednesday? Well, we all know what that means! As Deep Water, the third book in my Olympic Cove series, is now available from Evernight and other online retailers, I thought I’d offer one last look at Olympic Cove and my first MMF trio.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
Poseidon, God of the Sea, has spent millennia alone due to a single terrible act. His consort Amphitrite has sworn never to forgive him, and he’s forced to live with the knowledge that he drove an innocent girl to her doom.
But when one of the Olympic Cove cottages gets an occupant with an all-too-familiar soul, Poseidon discovers that the Fates have given him a second chance. Now he must try to right the wrongs of the past and win back both his beloved consort and the mate he betrayed.
Assuming, of course, that the Mad Nereid Thetis doesn’t interfere…
Griffin twisted in the water. Something heavy slammed into his chest, shoving him backwards and driving the water from his lungs in one great whoosh. Dazed, he looked down and saw a thick wooden shaft sticking out of his chest.
And then agony washed everything away.
****
Amphitrite darted to Griffin’s side, catching him before he could sink to the lagoon floor. She stared in horror at the spear protruding from his sternum.
Then up at her sister Thetis. The First Nereid hovered in the water, tattered robes streaming out from her disfigured body.
“Well met, sister,” Thetis called, sneering. “Although I didn’t expect to find you slumming with landwalkers.”
Amphitrite’s lips pulled back from her teeth in a rictus snarl. “Thetis, you bitch!”
“Now, now, Ammie. You killed my pet,” Thetis called mockingly. “It’s only fair that I kill yours.”
Amphitrite tore her attention away from her gloating sister, focusing on Griffin. “Beloved,” she begged, “please, don’t leave me!”
There was a last flicker in Griffin’s aura as if in answer. Then it disappeared. Her newly found agapetos was dead, lost once again to her.
Amphitrite let them both drift to the lagoon floor, laying his body down as gently as she could. Her shaking hand closed his eyes. I will avenge you, beloved. I swear this.
Looking up at her smirking sister, she held out a hand. Her trident flew to it, the now-separate tines glowing with power. “I’m going to kill you for this,” she snarled.
“Oh, really?” Disdain and something akin to eagerness flickered over Thetis’s face. “You think you can do battle with me, sister? Then come and find me.” The Mad Nereid disappeared into a whirl of sickly grey, streaming out through gaps in the coral.
Amphitrite let out the underwater equivalent of a whistle. Sthenios and Skylla tossed their heads and pulled the chariot to her. She leapt into it, not daring to look at Griffin’s still form. The seahorses surged out of the lagoon after Thetis.
I’ll return for you, beloved, she thought, hoping his spirit could hear her on its way to the Underworld. Just as soon as I kill my sister.
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Mid Week Tease: Deep Water #MidWeekTease #MWTease
It’s Wednesday? Well, we all know what that means! As yesterday was release day for Deep Water, the third book in my Olympic Cove series, I thought I’d tempt you with the brand new, never before seen prologue. Heh, heh, heh…
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
Poseidon, God of the Sea, has spent millennia alone due to a single terrible act. His consort Amphitrite has sworn never to forgive him, and he’s forced to live with the knowledge that he drove an innocent girl to her doom.
But when one of the Olympic Cove cottages gets an occupant with an all-too-familiar soul, Poseidon discovers that the Fates have given him a second chance. Now he must try to right the wrongs of the past and win back both his beloved consort and the mate he betrayed.
Assuming, of course, that the Mad Nereid Thetis doesn’t interfere…
Poseidon, God of the Sea, glared at the shimmering silver net surrounding him. “Well, this is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into,” he said to the dolphin floating at his side.
Delphinus let out an offended squeak. It translated to, “It’s not my fault you plunged in here without looking, lord. I told you that fish was behaving oddly.”
Poseidon studied the coral walls around them with annoyance. He’d been out for a day of sport fishing with Delphinus, mainly to get his mind off his recent breakup with the Nereid Thetis. The weather was perfect for chasing down the canny fish that thronged the Mediterranean. After spotting a choice bluefin the sea god had set off in hot pursuit, Delphinus in his wake.
The bluefin had lured them on a merry chase before diving down into a thick knot of seaweed. Poseidon and Delphinus had followed, swimming straight into a small coral grotto thickly carpeted with lichen, seaweed, and sponges. The plant life had cushioned their abrupt stop, but neither god nor dolphin had noticed the enchanted net lining the walls until it snapped closed behind them. “You didn’t say it was leading us into a trap.”
“Why yes, this is true,” Delphinus said, rolling his eyes. “I humbly beg your pardon for not having godly senses that are supposed to detect magic nets like this one, lord. I’ll work on that in the future.”
Ignoring the cetacean sarcasm, Poseidon poked a finger into the gleaming net. It had only contracted at the entrance to the grotto, giving them more than enough room to move. But the silvery net wouldn’t tear, no matter how hard he pulled on it. Using the sharp tines of his trident to rip at the deceptively fragile strands had the same result. Whoever had created this cage was a clever being indeed.
And as soon as I get out of it, Poseidon thought grimly, I’m going to track down that clever being and beat him bloody.
“Problems?”
Both Poseidon and Delphinus startled, turning towards the figure that was now hovering just outside the grotto’s entrance.
“Amphitrite?” Poseidon said, drifting closer. “What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you,” the Nereid said, tucking a lock of dark hair behind one ear. She wore a clinging wisp of fabric that did nothing to hide her feminine curves, and her eyes were bright in a preternaturally lovely face. “Took you long enough to stumble into my trap, sea lord. I’m going to have to feed that bluefin for weeks, now.”
Delphinus muttered something uncomplimentary at that, and Poseidon glared at both of them. “Is this because I broke things off with Thetis?” he asked, annoyed. “I assure you I meant no insult to your sister, but I cannot marry her—”
Amphitrite held up a slender hand. “Because of the prophecy about her son overthrowing his father. I know. This has nothing to do with Thetis.”
That gave Poseidon pause. Brows furrowed, he studied the beautiful sea nymph floating outside his prison. Her father Nereus was a primal sea god, and he and his fifty daughters were allies of the Olympian Gods. Poseidon had considered himself a welcome presence among them.
Until now, that is. “If this isn’t about Thetis, then what is it about?” he said.
Amphitrite pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Two things. I wanted to ask you a question. And I want something from you.”
Poseidon kicked closer, curling his fingers into the silvery netting. “Locking me in a bespelled net isn’t making me feel forthcoming or generous, Nereid,” he growled.
She seemed impervious to his irritation. “I’m aware of that. But the last time I tried to talk to you in private, Thetis swooped in before I got the chance. The next thing I knew, the two of you were engaged.” Amphitrite tilted her head to the side, giving him an impish look. “I didn’t want that to happen again. Thus, the net.”
Poseidon tugged again on the strands, to no effect. She had obviously gone to some lengths in order to capture him. In a strange way, he supposed he should be flattered. “All right, you have my attention,” he said, giving her an imperious look. “What is your question?”
“Why did you court Thetis instead of me?”
That was not a question he had expected. Recovering, he said, “I needed a consort. Thetis was not only beautiful and accomplished, but she was also the eldest daughter of one of my strongest allies. I thought she would suit the role well.”
Amphitrite’s eyes narrowed. “And I wouldn’t?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you never considered me for the role of consort.”
Poseidon considered his delicate cage. Eventually someone would notice he was missing and come in search of him, and it wasn’t as if he could drown or starve. Best to tell the nymph the truth, harsh as it might be. “Actually, I did,” he said. “But Thetis struck me as more … biddable.”
Amphitrite snorted, silver bubbles streaming from her nose. “You obviously don’t know my sister all that well,” she said. “I’m aware she’s known as Thetis the Kind, but the last part is something of a misnomer.”
Poseidon remembered the unpleasant scene in Nereus’s private garden when he’d returned his Nereid’s Band to Thetis, explaining why he was breaking their engagement. She had flung the heavy silver bracelet at his head, screeching imprecations at him until he’d fled. “As I’ve discovered. Whereas you are known as Amphitrite the Wise.” He plucked a strand of the net meaningfully. “A wise woman wouldn’t trap a god in something as flimsy as a net.”
Amphitrite folded her arms across what he had to admit was a rather luscious cleavage. “She would if it was the only way of learning the truth. So you have no interest in me whatsoever.”
Poseidon sighed, blinking against the rush of bubbles. “I didn’t say that either. You’re lovely, and obviously you’re extremely clever. But you’re also very strong-willed, and I’ve heard tales of your skill with weaponry. The god who marries you will not have a quiet marriage.”
He had thought she would be offended at his assessment. Instead, she dimpled. “Is that truly such a bad thing, sea lord?” she said. “A pretty bedmate who will adorn your home is all well and good, but wouldn’t it be better to have a strong consort who will fight at your side and give you able children?”
Poseidon went very still. “And who will I be fighting, Amphitrite?”
Her dimples disappeared. “I’ve served at my father’s table far too long not to know of your struggles with the Titans,” she said, her tone serious. “You and your brothers and sisters will not be able to co-exist for much longer with Kronos and his ilk. Eventually, you will be forced to fight them for dominion. When that happens, I would prefer to be by your side, as I have fought by my father’s side.” She bit her lower lip. “I admit, sea lord, I do not wish to watch you die at the hands of the Titans.”
“I … see.” Poseidon had assumed that her earlier attentiveness during his visits was due to his status as guest and God of the Sea. Apparently he had been wrong.
He quickly reassessed his opinion of the Nereid. True, Thetis had seemed sweeter and more pliable than her headstrong younger sister. But Amphitrite demonstrated a loyalty and strength of character that would serve better in a consort.
And Gaia, she was lovely. “I had no idea you felt this way about me, Amphitrite. I wish you’d said something earlier.”
One corner of her mouth curved upwards. “As I already said, I tried. But Thetis got to you first.”
“But she doesn’t have me any longer.”
“No, she doesn’t.” Amphitrite smiled. “Which leads me to my second item.”
Poseidon realized he’d never seen Nereus’s second daughter truly smile before. Her glorious sunburst of an expression made him feel as if a bolt of his brother’s lightning had pierced his heart. “Yes, you want something from me,” he said, unable not to smile back. “You don’t strike me as the type to ask for trinkets like pearls or jewelry. Do you want a trident of your own? A chariot? Or perhaps an island to rule as queen? I suspect you’d do well with that.”
The Nereid laughed softly. “Nothing as complicated as all that. I want a kiss.”
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Deep Water is now available
Hear ye, hear ye, Olympic Cove fans! Deep Water (Olympic Cove Book 3) is now available from Evernight Publishing and Amazon. It should be available at All Romance eBooks and Bookstrand by Wednesday and I’ll post links here as soon as I get them.
Poseidon, God of the Sea, has spent millennia alone due to a single terrible act. His consort Amphitrite has sworn never to forgive him, and he’s forced to live with the knowledge that he drove an innocent girl to her doom.
But when one of the Olympic Cove cottages gets an occupant with an all-too-familiar soul, Poseidon discovers that the Fates have given him a second chance. Now he must try to right the wrongs of the past and win back both his beloved consort and the mate he betrayed.
Assuming, of course, that the Mad Nereid Thetis doesn’t interfere…
But that’s not all! This Friday evening L.D. Blakeley and I are throwing a Sweet Sizzling Reads Release Party at Facebook from 6 to 9 PM Eastern Summer Time to celebrate our respective new releases. There will be much fun and frivolity, plus we’ll be giving way Amazon and Evernight Publishing gift cards, nifty author swag, and custom jewelry throughout the party, so make sure you stop by.
Mid Week Tease: Behind the Iron Cross #MidWeekTease #MWTease
It’s Wednesday? Well, we all know what that means! Courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino, I’m sharing another teaser from Behind the Iron Cross, my delightfully kinky historical MMF romance set in 1923 Berlin. Here’s a flashback sequence where an 18-year-old Kat learns what her uncle’s Parisian friend Giselle really does.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
In the aftermath of World War I, Berlin has become a hotspot of decadent pleasures, and American millionairess Kat Tracy is determined to enjoy each and every one of them with Sam Hellman, her late brother’s lover and her convenient “fiancé.” But when the two of them meet Friedrich von Bader, a former German Army officer turned reluctant prostitute, their wicked games take on a new meaning.
Dinner had been just as splendid as predicted, and Giselle had promised to take Katherine out at some point for tea and shopping. But Uncle William had run into some company owners at dinner and was inveigled into an impromptu business lunch the next day. Bart had slipped out of the hotel at a ridiculously early hour (or simply hadn’t come back in the first place, Katherine guessed). Her lady’s maid/chaperone Alice was pleasant enough (a huge improvement on the unfortunate Jane), but the poor woman was also a martyr to migraines. One of the dreadful headaches had struck just that morning, and Katherine had insisted that Alice go lie down in her room with a damp rag over her eyes until the dratted thing had run its course.
Which left Katherine at loose ends. She mused over the idea of visiting Notre Dame or the Louvre, but neither idea held much appeal. It wasn’t until she found one of Giselle’s letters in her trunk that a wonderful idea came to her.
It had been even easier than she’d thought. The doorman of the hotel had been more than happy to summon a large black taxi cab for her, giving the address in the ninth arrondissement to the crabbed driver. Feeling wonderfully daring, Katherine had made sure to tip the doorman, and the driver when he finally pulled up in front of the beautiful cream stone building with green shutters and black ironwork balconies full of greenery.
Surely visiting times in Paris didn’t differ that much from Bridgeport, Katherine reasoned as she went up to the large green door with its immaculate paint and gleaming brass trim. And Giselle had invited her out, after all. If the Parisian woman was otherwise occupied, the arrondissement’s collection of shops and galleries looked intriguing enough for an afternoon’s browse.
The door opened, revealing a maid in the classic black French uniform. She gave Katherine an oddly bold look, scrutinizing her from head to foot. “May I help you?”
“I’m here to see Madame Giselle, if she’s available.” Katherine held up the envelope with Giselle’s address on it in lieu of a calling card.
The maid smiled, her manner relaxing a bit. “You must be the new girl. Come in. But make sure you use the rear entrance from now on.”
Katherine frowned. The new girl?
Before she could say anything the maid stepped back, waving her through into a pretty little foyer tiled with a black and white chessboard floor and decorated with a huge arrangement of fresh flowers on a polished wooden table. The delicious scent of the flowers perfumed the air, but Katherine barely had time to appreciate it as the maid turned on her heel and headed up a flight of wide marble stairs. She had to hurry to keep up, grabbing her skirts as gracefully as possible and lifting them as she followed the maid to the second floor.
“Excuse me, I think I should explain—” Katherine tried to say as the maid stopped in front of a polished oak door.
“No need,” the maid said cheerfully. “Madame Giselle pays me very well. What happens here is no business of mine.”
Katherine tried to make sense of the words as the maid swung the door open, ushered Katherine into a little office that overlooked the boulevard. “Madame is busy with a client at the moment, but I’ll tell her you’re here as soon as they’re finished.” With a nod, she closed the door.
Boggled, Katherine turned in a circle to study the room. It held the unmistakable stamp of Giselle’s taste, from the comfortably upholstered green velvet chair behind the Louis XIV desk to the Tiffany lamps that would light the room at night. What it didn’t hold was an answer to the maid’s nonsensical phrases.
Madame is busy with a client. Katherine had assumed that Giselle, who always wore the most stylish gowns in a variety of greys and blacks, was a rich widow of one of Uncle William’s business partners. Now, however, she realized that she didn’t know very much about the elegant Parisian woman at all. Perhaps she teaches piano, or is a singing teacher. With Giselle’s warm honey voice, Katherine could easily imagine her as a retired opera singer who only took the most promising pupils. Did she think that we would look down on her for being an instructor? I can’t think of anything more wonderful and romantic than being an opera singer.
A muted sound, almost a cry, came from the far end of the office. Curious, Katherine headed there, studying the bookcases that lined the wall. After a moment she puzzled out that the central bookcase was actually a door painted to match the bookcases on either side. At eye level was a little circular flap attached to a small screw.
A brief touch revealed that the flap swiveled up, revealing a peephole. Katherine put her eye to it.
And gasped.
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Mid Week Tease: Behind the Iron Cross #MidWeekTease #MWTease
Guess what? I’m not posting anything from Behind the Iron Cross this week! I know, I know, but it’s because I’m deep in edits for Deep Water and I decided I wanted to mix things up a little bit. So here’s a tease from a WIP I’m calling Pharaoh’s Desire, in which hunky grad student Kellen Fox accidentally summons a time-traveling pharaoh and his queen and winds up being pressed into personal service between the pair. In this scene, Kel thinks he’s hallucinating, but Pharaoh Senekenre is about to set his mind straight (so to speak) about that.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
“I know this is going to be a weird question, but has anyone ever told you that you look exactly like Pharaoh Senekenre?” Kel said.
The man smiled. “Well, yes, seeing as I am Pharaoh Senekenre.” His smile widened, becoming a thing of sexy delight. “Who did you think I was, young scholar?”
Kel found himself grinning back at the handsome man. “Well, a hallucination, to be honest. So you’re telling me you’re Senekenre. Fourteenth king of the 17th Dynasty. You’re a genuine Egyptian Pharaoh, and you’re standing in front of me. Alive.”
Something flickered in Sekenenre’s eyes, sharpening them. He gazed around the chamber, finally spotting the deconstructed bed, and went pale under the bronze tan. “Gods above and below,” he whispered. “It worked?”
“What worked?”
The pharaoh spun back to Kel. “Amhemet’s plan,” he said, fear and excitement warring in his expression. “Have I traveled to the future as he promised?”
Kel blinked. “Uh…”
“He said he would use his magic to send us to another time for a single night.” Senekenre stepped to the display case holding the hematite scarab, pressing his palm against the glass. “It was the only way to secure a future for my queen and myself. He said that when the right man found the spell and invoked it, the bridge would be formed, and we would be transported.”
The words hidden inside the scarab blazed through Kel’s mind. Amhemnet, first advisor to Pharaoh Senekenre, calls on you, O Ra. Help me build a bridge for Pharaoh and his Queen.
His brain blipped into neutral for a moment. “Wait. You’re telling me this Amhemnet guy used magic to send you to another time? To this time?” he managed.
“Yes, thanks to you. I take it you invoked the spell?”
“If you mean I read it out loud, yeah. I didn’t know it was a spell.” Swallowing hard, Kel forced himself to reach out and touch Senekenre’s arm. It was warm under his fingertips. “Oh, shit,” he whispered. “I’m not hallucinating. You’re real. You’re really here!”
“Yes, I know.” Senekenre came closer, stopping just a foot away from Kel. At this distance, Kel could see the dark five o’clock shadow under the other man’s tan skin, and Senekenre’s thick, sooty eyelashes. “You thought I was a dream, young scholar?”
“Uh, yeah.” The logical part of Kel’s brain screamed at him to step back, get the hell away from the exhibit space and its time-traveling visitor. The rest of his brain just wanted to ogle Senekenre’s broad shoulders, cut abs, and sleekly muscled legs. The man wasn’t bulked out like a gym rat, but he was definitely in prime condition. “I mean, we don’t get a lot of visitors from the 17th Dynasty, you know?” He winced at how idiotic he sounded. “I’m sorry. This is all a big shock to me. Could we start over again, sir? Sire? Your majesty?”
“Sire will do, young scholar.” Senekenre’s head tilted to one side, openly considering him. “But what land is this, that produces such beautiful men?”
Aaaand the long-dead pharaoh is flirting with me. Holy shit. Kel couldn’t remember anything in the research materials about Senekenre being gay or bi. But that didn’t make it impossible, either. His pulse sped up at the pharaoh’s jaw-droppingly sexy smile. “Uh, you’re in the United States of America, sire. It’s a country far to the west of your kingdom, across a large ocean. It didn’t exist in your time.”
“Oh. And are all the men here like you?” Senekenre said, stepping closer. He reached out to stroke the line of Kel’s jaw. “Such pure, smooth skin, and your hair, the color of a winter sunset. If you were of my time, I would make you a member of my court, simply so that I could look upon you every day.”
Kel licked dry lips, willing his cock to behave itself. “Just look?”
Senekenre smiled. “Hmm. Perhaps … kiss?” He leaned forward, brushing his soft full lips against Kel’s.
Oh, holy God, yes. Kel relaxed, letting himself sink into the kiss. The pharaoh’s lips were masculine, but full and very warm. Senekenre’s tongue slipped between his lips and he met it eagerly, licking and teasing. Senekenre devoured him in return, sending shocks of need along Kel’s nerves and straight to his groin. His arms slid around the pharaoh’s waist, fingers playing along the hard, ridged small of Senekenre’s back.
They both pulled back at the same time, panting and grinning. “Wow,” Kel said. “If that’s how royals kiss, I can understand the interest in William and Harry.”
“Who?”
“Never mind.” He dove back in, sucking one firm, full lip between his own, then the other. The pharaoh chuckled against his mouth, tongue darting in and out in an achingly sensual tease. One hand came to rest on Kel’s chest, then trailed down his body, brushing against his hardening cock.
Kel gasped softly, twitching. “Oh.”
Senekenre made an approving noise. “You like that, I take it?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Good. I have never seen this type of clothing before. How does it come off?”
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Mid Week Tease: Behind the Iron Cross #MidWeekTease #MWTease
It’s Wednesday? Well, we all know what that means! Courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino, I’m sharing another teaser from Behind the Iron Cross, my delightfully kinky historical MMF romance set in 1923 Berlin. Yay — sex!
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
In the aftermath of World War I, Berlin has become a hotspot of decadent pleasures, and American millionairess Kat Tracy is determined to enjoy each and every one of them with Sam Hellman, her late brother’s lover and her convenient “fiancé.” But when the two of them meet Friedrich von Bader, a former German Army officer turned reluctant prostitute, their wicked games take on a new meaning.
The Fräulein wiggled past him and sat, hands resting on the chair arms. She’d taken off her tailored suit in the bathroom, and was only wearing a grey silk chemise now. He could smell her perfume and the scent of her skin, and a hint of something warmer, more intoxicating underneath.
She peered down at him, bistre eyes revealing nothing. “Have you ever kissed a woman between her legs, colonel?”
The idea was dizzying. “No,” he confessed.
“Good. I can teach you the proper way to do it, then.” Her hands moved to her lap, sliding the grey silk up her thighs in a slow, teasing movement, like a curtain rising. His mouth went dry when he saw the tops of her stockings and the black satin garters revealed, and then the dark curls he’d fantasized about.
She spread her thighs, revealing the glistening flesh there. The warm scent intensified, wafting into his brain and lighting it up with desire. “Isn’t it pretty?” she murmured, running a slender finger down and up the dark pink lips, catching on the tiny nub that crowned them. She rolled her fingertip around it, humming at the sensation. “Oh, that feels so nice. I want you to kiss me here, on my clit.”
She eased closer and he stretched until he could feel her heat on his lips, smell that rich, earthy scent that was the core of a woman. Hesitantly, he brushed a kiss over the tiny nub, catching it between his lips a little and dragging them across it. A louder hum was his reward.
“Do that again,” she purred, “then lick it.”
He followed her orders, surprised at the salt-sweet flavor of her. He tried running the flat of his tongue across the nub, flicking it with the tip of his tongue. This time, she gasped.
“Initiative. I like that,” she laughed. The instructions continued; mouth the supple outer lips, tease the delicate frilled inner lips with little sucking nibbles, slip his tongue deep inside her and press hard against the upper wall. He did it all, feeling his face grow wet with her juices as he licked, sucked, and kissed her.
He returned to her clit, stroking it now with his tongue and listening to her little encouraging whimpers and moans. He almost gasped into her when a warm, wet finger stroked between the cheeks of his ass, carefully pressing against the furled muscle there until it was allowed in.
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Mid Week Tease: Behind the Iron Cross #MidWeekTease #MWTease
Courtesy of the lovely and talented Sandra Bunino, I’m sharing another teaser from Behind the Iron Cross, my delightfully kinky historical MMF romance set in 1923 Berlin. There’s no sex in this one, but we do get to see a peek into Kat’s kinky past.
Enjoy, and make sure to hit the list after the teaser to see other great Mid Week Teases!
In the aftermath of World War I, Berlin has become a hotspot of decadent pleasures, and American millionairess Kat Tracy is determined to enjoy each and every one of them with Sam Hellman, her late brother’s lover and her convenient “fiancé.” But when the two of them meet Friedrich von Bader, a former German Army officer turned reluctant prostitute, their wicked games take on a new meaning.
Kat leaned back in her chair, keeping her expression as bland as any of the men seated around the table. Inside, though, she was triumphant.
The meeting with Tracy Electrics’ latest acquisition, Borchard Maschinenfabrik, had gone like clockwork. The company’s board, none of them fools, had seen the wisdom of accepting the buyout proposal that would save their crumbling company. One of them, a Heinrich Arnö, wasn’t present but the other members assured her that his vote would be the same as theirs.
Next to her, Arthur made a few last notes in his files, before closing the folder with a snap. “We’ll have the papers drawn up and messengered over to your office this afternoon, gentlemen,” he announced, getting to his feet. “Tracy Electrics looks forward to working with your company.”
The other men followed him with some alacrity, and Kat made sure that she was the last to rise. She’d taken the colonel’s advice this morning, selecting a smart jacket in a quasi-military cut this morning and pairing it with an equally smart dress in dark grey. The reaction from the board members had been subtle but noticeable, reacting less to her as a woman and more as a potential business partner.
Even Arthur had given her a thin, approving smile when he saw her, and now he leaned closer as the other men moved out of the conference room. “I hope you have more outfits like this one,” he murmured.
She pursed her lips to hide a smile. “I will by tomorrow.”
“Good. Not that I don’t like your other frocks, but this one is more…”
“Authoritative?”
“Very much so.”
The board members who had filed out of the conference room ahead of them were gathered in groups of two and three, quietly talking amongst themselves. Kat gave them polite nods as she and Arthur passed. Ahead of her, flanked by two of the older board members, she spotted a tall, handsome man in his late forties. Grey streaked his temples, giving him a wonderful gravitas that was tempered by the amused gleam in his hazel eyes.
They focused on her now, widening. “Fräulein…Tracy?” he said, stumbling a bit over her last name.
Kat’s heart leapt as she recognized him. Heinrich, her first pet, from that wonderful week in Paris when Madame Giselle had helped her explore her desires. One week of rigorous, intense, absolutely delicious training in the art of dominating a man, before Uncle William had spoiled it all and whisked her back to Bridgeport.
It was hardly surprising that Heinrich had hesitated on the Tracy. The last time they met, he’d known her only as Maîtresse. And to be honest, she wasn’t even sure if Heinrich was his real first name, either.
Taking a deep breath, she came forward. “I am. And you are?”
He gave her a little bow. “Heinrich Arnö, fräulein. You have my apologies for missing the meeting. My auto decided to pick this morning to be recalcitrant, and then there was an accident that required my driver to reroute us along a rather convoluted path.”
“Quite understandable, Herr Arnö.” She forced herself to calm, to treat the man standing before her as if he was yet another business partner. “We’ve concluded our business and will be sending the acquisition papers to your headquarters this afternoon. The other board members gave us the impression that you would be in agreement about this.”
Heinrich’s gaze sharpened, but never lost their humor. “Quite so. I’m not so foolish as to pretend that we don’t need Tracy Electrics.”
The double meaning of his words weren’t lost on her. “It will be Tracy Electrics’ honor to work with your company and help restore it to its former capacity,” she said sweetly. “Would you care to review the agreement while you’re here?”
“If that wouldn’t be too much of a bother.”
“Not at all. Arthur, I’ll speak to Mr. Arnö in the conference room.”
“Of course, Miss Tracy. I’ll have Horst bring the car around,” Arthur said, handing her his files with full deference. His body language said something else again.
Folder in hand, she waited for Heinrich to open the conference door for her. As soon as it was safely closed she leaned against the large oak table, considering him. “So Heinrich really is your first name?”
“Yes it is, Maîtresse.” He clasped his hands behind his back as she’d taught him in Paris so long ago. “I apologize for not kneeling, but there’s no lock on the door.”
“That’s all right. I have no wish to embarrass you. The years have been good to you, pet.”
Color rose in his cheeks, and his eyes twinkled. “They haven’t done a thing to you except enhance your beauty, Maîtresse. I’m very happy to see you again.”
“I’m happy to see you as well.” The thing that had pricked her conscience for so many years surfaced. “Did Madame Giselle explain why I left so suddenly?”
He sobered. “She said it was a family issue and you wouldn’t be able to return to Paris. I was…disappointed. But she said you’d had no choice in the matter.”
“I didn’t. But I apologize anyway. If it had been up to me I wouldn’t have left you like that with no word of explanation.” She moved closer, holding out one hand. He took it with reverence, bringing it to his mouth and laying a respectful kiss over the knuckles.
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Nicola Cameron Writes 