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Stage Fright by Pender Mackie

contemporary, ebook, erotic, GLBT, m/m, Pender Mackie, Publisher: Loose Id Add Comment

Stage Fright by Pender Mackie

Stage Fright

by Pender Mackie

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62300-057-8

A closeted male stripper falls for an out-and-proud bartender. Jesse Snowe has no trouble taking his clothes off for an audience, but if he wants a lasting relationship with his new lover, he’ll need to reveal more than just his body.

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Chapter One

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Laisser Le Rouleau du Bon Dom by G.G. Royale

BDSM, contemporary, ebook, erotic, G.G. Royale, holiday, m/f, Mardi Gras, Publisher: Loose Id Add Comment

Laisser Le Rouleau du Bon Dom by G.G. Royale

Laisser Le Rouleau du Bon Dom

by G.G. Royale

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-62300-082-0

Dominant Hollis and pedicab driver Brunhilda have little in common, but for some reason they can’t stay away from each other. Brunhilda doesn’t want another man in her life telling her what to do, but she agrees to give in to Hollis’s sexual demands for the Mardi Gras season.

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Chapter One

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Learning from Isaac by Dev Bentham

contemporary, Dev Bentham, ebook, erotic, GLBT, m/m, Publisher: Loose Id Add Comment
Learning from Isaac by Dev Bentham

Learning from Isaac
Tarnished Souls, Book 1
by Dev Bentham

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61118-800-4

A teacher falls in love with his student, only to find the young man is working his way through school in the most lucrative available way. Can a college professor and a former rent boy make a life together?

Note: Prologue omitted.
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Chapter One

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August Ice by Dev Bentham

contemporary, Dev Bentham, ebook, erotic, GLBT, m/m, Publisher: Loose Id Add Comment
August Ice by Dev Bentham

August Ice
by Dev Bentham

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61118-920-9

Working in Antarctica is beautiful and hard. On station Max Conway, an alcoholic ex-Navy Seal, lives in an inebriated closet. Then he meets Andre Dubois and must choose between the bottle and the man.

Note: Prologue omitted.
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Chapter One

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Seduction of the Captain by Silvia Violet

action/adventure, BDSM, ebook, erotic, m/f, Publisher: Loose Id, sci-fi, Silvia Violet Add Comment
Seduction of the Captain by Silvia Violet

Seduction of the Captain
Surrender, Book 3
by Silvia Violet

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61118-437-2

When Saida knocks on Kajinek’s door, he senses that she’s the partner he’s been looking for. He agrees to fly her ship under one condition; she must personally feed his darkest desires. Can Saida give in to what her body wants or will submitting sexually shatter the careful control she wields over the rest of her life?

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Chapter One

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Into Temptation by Lena Matthews

ebook, erotic, holiday, interracial, Lena Matthews, m/f, Publisher: Loose Id, Series: Wild Wishes, Valentine's Day Add Comment

Into Temptation
Wild Wishes Anthology
by Lena Matthews

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-59632-430-5
Print ISBN: 978-1596320260

Themed parties are never a good idea, especially when they incur the wrath of a God.

All Billie Fowler wanted to do was spend a little extra time with her office crush, Tomas Mendez. And if it was after hours at a party, where she could wear a little slinky number, even better…or so she thought. The notion that a small Anti-Valentine Day’s party might turn into the craziest night of her life never entered her mind, but on the other hand, she had never been on Cupid’s bad side before.

Chapter One

“Fuck Cupid.”
Startled, Billie Fowler looked up from her desk and into the beaming face of her co-worker, Jenna Fields, with amazement. She couldn’t have heard what she just thought she did. “Excuse me?”
“Fuck Cupid,” Jenna repeated with a smile as she jiggled an envelope in her hand. “That’s the theme this year for my annual Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. Fuck Cupid.”
Billie winced again. The obscenity grew louder every time Jenna said it. Quickly standing, she snatched the invitation out of Jenna’s hand and looked around over the walls of her gray cubical, hoping no one else had heard her insane colleague. “All right, girl, I heard you the first time. I was just hoping I hadn’t.”
“Oh, you heard me, all right.” Waggling her eyebrows, Jenna grinned. Decorum wasn’t a word in the extroverted woman’s dictionary. She was all about shock factor, the dirtier the better, but at eleven o’clock in the morning, it felt like a bit much. “So are you going to come to my party?”
Jenna’s parties were legendary around the office – hell, around the whole city. To the petite blonde, bashes were a way of life. No matter how much Billie tried, she couldn’t get Jenna to stop inviting her. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jenna, because she did. Billie just didn’t have the energy for the Sex in the City lifestyle that suited Jenna.
A girl had to sleep sometimes.
“I don’t know what my plans are yet,” Billie lied, trying her best to politely refuse. She knew exactly what her plans were. They included sweatpants, a Lean Cuisine, and her Dirty Dancing DVD.
A quiet, safe Valentine’s Day, where the only heart that could possibly be broken was her heart-shaped candy dish.
“Don’t give me that ‘maybe’ stuff. I want you front and center this year. There are going to be a lot of single people there, and no one is allowed to bring dates. It’s a get-laid-palooza. Even you can’t screw it up.”
“Thanks,” Billie scoffed. Was that supposed to be a selling point? It was a good thing Jenna was her friend, not her enemy. Lord only knew what she might say.
Jenna had the grace to look a bit embarrassed. “Ahh, come on, you know what I mean.”
Billie had a pretty good idea. “That I’m a hopeless shut-in with no future for a mate.”
“Not even. I’m just saying that it’s time you need to get out there. You know, embrace your inner wild child. Free your alternate you …”
“Shave my legs.”
“Exactly.” Jenna beamed, missing Billie’s sarcasm altogether. “So you’ll be there tomorrow night. Oh, wear red.”
Billie watched Jenna stroll away, bemused. Apparently no wasn’t in her dictionary, either. Looked as if Billie might be going to a party after all, whether she wanted to or not.
Shaking her head, Billie pulled the scarlet invite out and almost swallowed her tongue. The party theme was spelled out in large, bold, black letters, with a picture of Cupid being sodomized on the cover. Unfortunately, the wide-eyed cherub didn’t seem to be enjoying the plundering all that much. It was obscene, offensive … and so Jenna that it was downright hilarious.
“Jenna has a way with visual aids, wouldn’t you say, Holiday?”
Billie smiled as she began to place the invitation back in the envelope. The play on her name and the smooth Latin accent could only mean one person. “I agree; I think Levin should put her in charge of the ad department.”
“Somehow I don’t think that’s a good idea.” At his soul-deep chuckle, Billie looked up. As usual, when she was next to her handsome co-worker, Tomás Mendez, her heart did a silly little pitter-patter in her chest. It was sickening how drawn to him she was.
The uncomfortable silence between them lengthened as they stared at one another, both seemingly looking for something to say. Not that words were always a necessity; Billie was quite at ease with sharing stolen moments of peace with him as the world at large whizzed by them.
Unfortunately, in her moment of bliss, Billie didn’t realize she hadn’t put the card up completely and the dirty picture caught Tomás’s eye. “So can I see the whole picture, or am I just to look at the large … member?”
Tapping her finger against the card, Billie eyed him in amusement. She wouldn’t have classified Tomás as conservative or anything, but he did seem a bit above bawdy bathroom humor. “I don’t know. It’s a bit graphic.”
Her words came off more like a challenge, not at all what she had been intending. “If you can see it, Holiday, I think I can take it.”
“Suit yourself, Tomás, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Raising a brow arrogantly, he took the card from her outstretched hand. Their fingers brushed as he pulled the card away. The contact, although brief, led to them looking into each other’s eyes. One stared questioningly, the other surprised.
Of course the second he pulled the card out of the envelope, all unasked questions were forgotten.
“Oh, my God!” He choked on his laughter as he studied the card. As she watched him, Billie realized she was such a goner.
She couldn’t help it. Tomás Mendez was the total package. With wavy dark hair and smooth skin blessed with a natural tan, Tomás was the quintessential Latin heartthrob. He was handsome, charming, and successful – everything a woman could possibly want, and then some.
The only problem was, when she wanted to drool over him, she had to get in line. In the seven months he’d been there, he’d had the entire female staff – and some of the male staff as well – panting after him.
Where the other women were audacious about their wants, Billie was more comfortable with just sitting back and playing the cards where they lay.
She would never approach him in any way that wouldn’t be deemed friendly. She just wasn’t that type of person. And it was probably one of the reasons Tomás sought her out. He saw her as friend, someone he could speak to over coffee breaks with no risk of injury to his posterior.
“You’d think she’d have something better to do.” Shaking his head, Tomás shoved the invitation back into the envelope and handed it back to Billie, who was wearing an I told you so expression on her face. “What’s the deal with the Anti-Valentine’s Day party?”
“It’s a bitter single woman thing. You wouldn’t understand,” she replied, as she tucked the invitation into her purse.
“You’re assuming I wouldn’t understand, why?”
Leaning against her desk, she wondered where he was going with this. “Because you’re not bitter or a woman.”
“But I am single.”
That was good to know. “I’m sure Jenna has every intention of inviting you.”
“Should that scare me or make me feel better?”
“Now, that is the real question.”
Tomás leaned against the wall of her cubical and crossed his arms. “So you’re not bitter, but you are a woman, and single; are you going to rearrange your Valentine’s Day plans so you can go?”
Billie liked the way he didn’t assume she didn’t have plans. “I haven’t decided yet. What about you? You have a big night planned?”
“I’m still pretty new to the area. A little too new to have a Valentine.”
“I’ve been here for five years, and my big competing plans involve a frozen dinner and an old movie.”
“Sounds like it might be a hard decision to make.”
“It is my favorite frozen dinner and movie.”
“I guess it would be kind of hard to compete with the two of them.”
“It is.” She tsked. “Lesser men have tried.”
“That’s the whole problem right there, Holiday.” A slow, sensual smile spilled across the fullness of his mouth. “Lesser men. Not real men.”
* * * * *
No matter how much he warned himself to take things slow with Billie, Tomás couldn’t help the need he felt to put his mark on her and make her his. He’d only known the dark beauty for a short while, but time didn’t matter with affairs of the heart.
From the first moment they had been introduced, Tomás had been taken in by her warm personality. Her laughter was infectious. Her voice could make him hard from a hundred yards away. She was beautiful, sexy, and a fun person to be around, but the “just friends” vibe she was sending him was about to kill him.
Billie held her hands up to her cheeks, as if trying to keep her embarrassment at bay. “Damn, you’re smooth. Do you practice these lines in front of the mirror before you say them, or do they just come naturally?”
“Blame it on Cupid. The frisky little devil is up to no good.”
“Do you echo Jenna’s sentiments?”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head as he walked further into her cubical. Stopping a breath away from her, Tomás leaned against her desk, letting his arm brush against hers. “I believe in el amor. All Latin men do.”
“I thought that was Frenchmen.”
Tomás scoffed. “The French think love is pretty words and flowery gestures. Real love is dirty, hot, and overwhelming. There is nothing pretty about it.”
“Wow.” Billie’s hands slipped from her face as her large, doe eyes stared up at him in wonder. Despite the wall of friendship she had erected between them, Billie wasn’t immune to him. “That was …”
“Real.”
“Real’s a word for it, all right.” Her nervous chuckle stirred Tomás.
Then again, everything about her stirred him. From her coffee-tinged skin, so dark and smooth like a clear, starless night, to her thick, wavy hair that she wore twisted into spirals springing around her oval face.
She was the epitome of beauty; exotic, breathtaking, damn near irresistible. Just standing here next to her, breathing in her sweet scent, was giving him ideas that he didn’t need, especially at work.
“Are you going to go to the party?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“I think you should go.”
“You do?”
“Oh, yes.” There weren’t enough words to express how much he wanted to see her out of the office. Out of her clothing and stretched out on his bed would have been even better, but he would settle for what he could get.
“I don’t know,” she teased, her full lips spreading into a welcoming smile. “I’m not really into violating Cupid.”
“We could go together, as friends of course.” He added the last part just to ease her mind. The last thing Tomás wanted was for her to say no.
For a second it seemed like her warm smile slipped a bit, but before he could question it, Jenna came back towards them.
“Tomás, just the man I was looking for.”
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll run,” Billie whispered teasingly.
“Too late.”
Hurrying to where they stood, Jenna thrust an envelope with his name scrawled on top, out at him, “I was going to leave your invitation on your desk, but I wanted to hand it to you personally.”
Tomás was pretty sure the invitation wasn’t the only thing Jenna wanted to give him personally, but the perky blonde was a bit too much for him. “I was just discussing the party with Billie. She was just saying how much she couldn’t wait to go.”
From the corner of his eye, Tomás saw the thanks a lot look Billie shot him and grinned. There was no way he was going to a bitter woman’s party without her.
“Really?” Jenna shimmered with excitement. “That’s wonderful. You’re going to come too, right? I just won’t take no for an answer.”
“Then I better say yes.”
“There are going to be a lot of happy women tomorrow night.”
“Why, are you going to spike his drink?” Billie asked, tongue in cheek.
It took all of Tomás’s hard-won control not to burst into laughter. He was well aware of the come hither looks some of the women on the staff tossed his way. Their behavior was something he was used to Billie teasing him about; she just didn’t normally do it in front of people.
“Billie!” Jenna’s phony gasp was as transparent as her white blouse.
“Jenna!” Billie mocked back. “Come on, Tomás knows he’s a hottie. He can feel the stares on his cute derrière as he walks.”
Tomás looked at Billie with a grin of his own. “Cute, huh?”
“Downright adorable.” Her brown eyes twinkled with amusement. Tomás was going to have to pull her across his lap and teach her a little lesson. She was such a little hellion.
Wait a minute … spanking her … the thought had merit. Just the word spanking in the same sentence with Billie was causing an upheaval in Tomás’s body. It had been a long time since he had been with a woman, and even longer since he’d wanted someone as much as he did Billie.
If – no, when he got her under him …
“Well, I’m off.” Jenna’s nagging voice broke through Tomás’s lust-clouded brain. “I have a few more invites to pass out.”
Startled, Tomás turned his head back to look at her. She was still there. “Okay.”
Jenna eyed them with interest before walking away. There was something very predatory-like in her stare, only further driving home the point that Tomás didn’t want to be caught alone in a room with her.
“I think she likes you,” Billie teased. “Word to the wise, don’t drink the Kool-Aid.”
“I’d think I’d be wise not to drink the water either.”
“It must be nice to be the belle of her ball.”
Tomás lowered his voice, so they wouldn’t be overheard. “I have no desire to ball anything of hers.”
Billie’s sharp laughter drew several stares in their direction from people passing by. But the curious glances were all worth it just to see her smile. Glancing around at the attention they were receiving, Billie stepped away from him with a cautious smile. “You are going to get me fired.”
“Then I’d have no reason to come to work.” With a wink, Tomás stood up. On his way out of her cubical, he stopped and turned back to her. “Will you be there tomorrow night?”
“Do you want me to come?”
Talk about a loaded question. With an inner groan, Tomás willed his cock to stay down. “Most definitely.”

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Cara and the Draca by Louisa Kelley

dragons, ebook, erotic, fantasy, Host: GFP Book Tour, Louisa Kelley, m/f, paranormal, Publisher: Loose Id, shapeshifter 8 Comments

Cara and the Draca
Daughters of Draca, Book 2
by Louisa Kelley

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61118-695-6

Cara is haunted by recent memories of a warehouse explosion that took the life of her best friend and caught her in the blast. Desperate for a way to cover the burns scars on her shoulder, Cara heads for the mysterious tattoo shop in Portland everyone is talking about.

Aedhan, the gorgeous tattoo master, leaves her senses reeling and her knees weak. Just the touch of his talented hands brings welcome relief and a sense of release from her emotional pain. His charming, eccentric ways combined with his tangerine hair and odd accent create an intoxicating mix. To her delight, the incredible tattoo he expertly lays over her scar hides everything– and makes her long for more of his healing touch.

Soon Cara is pulled into an erotic journey of unimagined delight, terror and transformation. Dragons? In Portland? Magical and sexy beyond belief? Yet, something isn’t quite adding up. Is Aedhan really telling her the truth about what he’s doing in that shop? But she’s so crazy in lust and wonder, it’s hard to care.

Dragon shape-shifter Aedhan fully intends to follow the rules of his secret mission, number one being no sex with the human women in Portland. Then Cara shows up at his shop and her sweetness and delightful freckles almost stops his heart. When he perceives the sorrow in her life, he is consumed with the need to know more. Who has hurt her? After he gets a taste of her blood on his tattoo needles and discovers the extra special something in her fluids, he decides he must see Cara again, even if it means breaking the rules. And that’s when things start to go terribly wrong…or perfectly right.

Chapter One

The tattoo really did seem to glow. Cara lifted her latte and took a sip, eyeing Ellen’s forearm and the dark, rich inks coloring the intricate design. She leaned closer for a better look, her heart beating inexplicably faster.
Ellen edged her sleeve up farther and sighed as she rotated her arm so they could admire the tattoo from different angles. “See? What did I tell you—un-freaking-believable.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Cara said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. What beautiful work—this guy must have a really steady hand.”
“I know,” Ellen said. “You should go check this shop out. Maybe this could help.”
Cara shrugged, looking down at the table. She knew exactly what Ellen meant. Didn’t mean she felt like talking about it. Ever. “There’s that little problem about me and needles, remember? Not a good thing.” Her needle phobia was well-known. Easy excuse. The fact that she near fainted anytime blood was drawn made her stay in the hospital especially traumatic.
“Come on, who’re you talking to here? I know what’s going on. If you won’t go the plastic surgery route, here’s the next best solution. He’s a flippin’ master tattoo artist. The absolute best I’ve ever seen. And you know what?” Ellen grinned, leaned over the table, and patted Cara’s shoulder. “There’s a bit of paranormality involved—just for you!”
“You mean the whole ‘he doesn’t have an address’ thing?”
“Exactly. No address, no hit on Google. Even if you post something on Yelp or Facebook or whatever, it’s gone the next day. No one knows why. I swear, you just drive into Old Town and somehow you find it. Old brick alleyway. Kind of spooky. And when you get there, you can’t believe you didn’t find it faster.”
The large burn scar on Cara’s shoulder throbbed, a constant reminder of the pain and guilt she carried with her every day since the explosion that had killed her best friend. Maybe Ellen was right—a big, kick-ass tattoo might be just the thing to hide her hideous scar. Dull the memories that still woke her with nightmares.
Maybe she could even get over her fear of needles if a tattoo would lessen some of this emotional pain.
“Do you think a tattoo would really cover this up?”
“I don’t know. I mean, it seems possible,” Ellen said. “Why don’t you give your burn doc a call and see what he thinks?”
“Okay.” Cara smiled a little at Ellen. “I’ll make that call tomorrow. Now give me some clues, girlfriend. If I’m really going to find this mysterious shop, I need some kind of directions. What’s the guy’s name, and what street should I start on?”
“Great!” Ellen leaned over the table and gave Cara a quick hug. “Okay, here’s what you do.” Ellen hesitated, eyeing Cara as if the next part might scare her away. “Now I know this is going to sound kind of weird, but just hear me out, okay?”
Cara nodded. She knew there was some kind of strangeness about finding this shop.
“Drive across the Burnside Bridge,” Ellen said. “Don’t take the bus. You’ll never find it on foot. Turn right as soon as you can. Keep going straight ahead. Feel the wheel under your hand, put your focus out to the streets, and open your mind.” She spoke with obvious care, as if each word was important to understand. “Imagine a small tattoo shop and have faith. You’ll find your way if it’s meant to be. And I bet, in your case, you will definitely find the shop. I mean, if anyone deserves the most beautiful tattoo ever, you do.”
According to the urban legend that had sprung up about the shop, not everyone who searched—even when accompanied by a former client of Old Town Tattoo—could find the place. People said the shop “called you.” If you weren’t called, you never found your way to the door.
Ellen was right about the attraction of something paranormal. Cara was crazy about fantasy and had recently started reading paranormal romance novels, to the huge amusement of her circle of friends. Somehow, the stories of sexy shape-changing wolves and magical fairies eased the long nights when nightmares about the bombing made sleep erratic at best.
“Okay, okay,” Cara said. “Sounds like an adventure.” She tipped her cup and finished her coffee, then stood up to lead the way out of the shop into a light spring drizzle. They both grimaced at the gray weather. Portland springs tended toward the dismal.
Cara gave Ellen a hug. “Thanks, girlfriend. For everything. You know, after… I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“No worries. Just go find that shop. And there’s a bonus, by the way. Something besides the amazing art.” Ellen gave her a mischievous grin and waved over her shoulder as she headed for the bus stop.
Feeling buoyed by her visit with Ellen, Cara set off for her car. A tattoo that could possibly hide her burn. Something beautiful to cover the ugly. Cara’s stomach clenched in need. For what? Relief. A breakthrough. Answers.
Why was Jackie dead? Such a sad ending to the last chapter of a life that had increasingly been filled with wrong choices. Jackie had finally been trying to get her act together and had found a job as an accountant, working for a mysterious boss who owned most of the adult video stores in Portland. Then a bomb had blown up the biggest porn warehouse on the West Coast and caught Jackie in the building, murdering her and destroying millions of dollars’ worth of merchandise.
Cara had gotten caught in the terrible explosion when she went to pick up Jackie for their lunch date. The experience left her with a hideous burn scar on her shoulder and arm. Small price to pay for making it out alive.
Almost anything would be better than going on like she had been. And having a bit of a “paranormality” adventure as promised by Ellen sounded intriguing, especially since it might result in the camouflage of her burn. Cara decided to throw logic along with her needle phobia out the window and just go for it. She could use a little fun, on so many levels.
* * * *
The next evening she grabbed her purse and left the house, feeling a bit foolish. Whatever. If she couldn’t find the place, she’d drag Ellen along with her next time. No way did she believe Ellen couldn’t find her way back, despite the growing urban legends. “Old Town, here I come,” she muttered and headed her battered compact car for the Burnside Bridge, crossing the Willamette River to the west side of town. The lazy expanse of the river, murky green in the setting light, wound between Portland’s east and west sides until it met the great Columbia River. Portland’s modest downtown skyline loomed ahead, and the evening traffic on the narrow city streets seemed lighter than usual.
As she drove, she thought about the conversation with her burn doctor. He actually sported a few tattoos of his own and proved very sympathetic to her idea. He had taken a minute to examine her scar and the way it sat on her skin and then had patted her with a fatherly gesture. “I think it will depend on the expertise of the tattoo artist,” he had said. “It might work, or the ink may have trouble sinking into the skin. But if you can stand the possible discomfort from the needles, and if you don’t faint while he’s using them on you, then I can’t see that it would hurt anything to try.” Cara had shared a laugh with him at the prospect of volunteering to let needles anywhere near her body.
Cara turned north once she got to the west side and drove slowly into the narrow streets of Old Town Portland. The scene was surprisingly quiet, even for a Sunday evening, giving her a perfect opportunity for slow-car sleuthing. As she traveled, a sense of which direction to go grew stronger. Her hands seemed to direct the wheel without her conscious thought. Interesting. Ellen’s hints of a slight paranormal quality to the search had intrigued her, but this was getting a bit spooky.
Century-old, faded brick buildings lined these streets, some deserted and crumbling while evidence of urban renewal showed in small pockets of construction. Seafood markets, Chinese restaurants, and liquor stores dominated the area. This was the oldest section of Portland, a mix of landmarks and history, shelters and food kitchens. The only people on the street besides her were small lumps of sleeping homeless folk, huddled under tarps and blankets against the brick sides of a social services advocacy office.
She drove on, looking for alleyways. Her stomach knotted in growing unease. This was crazy, right? Nothing weird at all about the fact that directions seemed to be whispering in her head? She’d almost talked herself out of continuing when she rounded a corner on a street she’d been down at least three times already and saw something new.
Slowing to a crawl, she peered at the corner of a narrow alley. Cracked and faded brick lined the street, which was clearly not city maintained. The entire look and feel of the area seemed like a remnant of the nineteenth century, very much as Ellen had described. No businesses here except one, at the far end. A yellowish porch light still shone, casting shadows on sagging wooden steps. Nosing her car into the alley, she peered at the dim sign hanging in the window, making out several Ts and an O. This must be the place.
Her heart rate picked up as she rolled to the alley end and parked in front of the shop. She pushed open the car door, and cool evening air greeted her.
Cara stepped up the creaky stairs of the quiet business. The sign said OLD TOWN TATTOO. Was it open? When Cara hesitated, her shoulder throbbed as if to say, Do something about me. She turned the brass doorknob and pushed the heavy wooden door slightly open.
She leaned her head in. “Hello?” She heard a crash from the back, like glass breaking. Someone uttered an oath.
“Be right there,” a distracted masculine voice called out.
While she waited, she took a minute to look around. Old-fashioned wallpaper in tiny flowers covered every wall; a faded rose velvet sofa and matching side chairs took up one end of the narrow room, giving the overall ambience of a quaint English parlor. The smells of old wood and smoke permeated the air, yet she couldn’t see any evidence of a fireplace or woodstove. It all seemed so…lovely. Not very Portland hipsterish at all, and certainly nothing indicated this place had anything to do with tattoos. Her curiosity about the whole situation grew even further.
AEDHAN SWORE AT the small disaster in his kitchen. Glass and irreplaceable indigo ink were strewn all over the floor. The devil take it—how could anyone have found him so unguarded? Leaving the mess, he strode to the front, still cursing under his breath. He had no doubt the wards had been powered; there should not have been any human capable of getting past them. So who the hell was in his shop?
He stopped short at the sight of his intruder. Female. Tall with long, long legs. Straight red hair and…freckles. Goddess. Freckles. The most delightful sprinkling of freckles he had ever seen covered her lovely face. His kind had never been graced with freckles.
“Hello,” he said, grinning in unexpected delight. He held out his hand. “Excuse the delay. Welcome to Old Town Tattoo.”
She raised startled blue eyes. “If you’re not open I can come back later.”
“No…no, we’re open.” He didn’t mention he usually closed early on Sundays. She’d made it through the front door, so apparently his work continued. A surge of adrenaline rocketed up his spine, synapses waking, urging him to the ink. The shop had issued an invitation, or she wouldn’t be here. Taranis and Alwen’s newest trick? The gods of Draca were known for their capriciousness.
His surprise guest seemed anxious, edgy. And hurting. From what, he had no idea. Ah, a puzzle. How his gods loved puzzles.
“Come in.” He gestured her to the overstuffed couch against the wall. “How did you find me?” He mentally kicked himself for asking the question. She could not understand the significance of his inquiry.
“Good question. You know you’re not listed anywhere—like at all? Even Google didn’t have a single link.”
He grinned again. Google—she had googled him. He couldn’t help feeling a certain thrill, Google being one of his favorite discoveries about this strange human world. However, he had no need to explain why humans couldn’t find his shop by conventional means.
“My friend told me about you,” Cara said. “She didn’t have your address either, but you were so highly recommended I thought I’d give it a shot.” She licked her pale pink lips in a nervous gesture.
Aedhan watched in fascination as the tip of her tongue touched her lips, and something tightened in his groin.
She had the classic porcelain skin of a redhead, but the similarity to his family of redheads ended there. Her pale blue eyes shone with a subtle fae quality, her facial skin an almost luminous pale that spoke of hidden pain.
The sense of cosmic forces at work rocked him again. She had found him, when the spell of invitation he put out every night had long since grown cold. This had never happened before.
His brother self—his twin nature—snapped awake in Aedhan’s consciousness. “Keep her here.” The command whispering under his skin matched his own inclination. “Find out more.”
He sniffed; a delicate, spicy scent enticed him, tinged with her palpable unease. Intriguing. Nothing happened anymore the gods didn’t have a hand in. Aedhan had learned this the hard way during the past six months.
“Would you like to see some designs?” Aedhan said, reaching for his business manners. “I have several binders you can look at.”
“No, thanks. I brought my own.”
Out of courtesy he gave the scrap of paper she handed him a quick glance, then returned it to her. In the end all his clients received the design he, or rather, the powers chose for them anyway. He just let them think they’d picked it themselves. The spell dictated his hands and inspired the images he laid. Aedhan, along with his clients, simply followed along. “If you don’t mind, I need to do a little cleanup. Then I’ll show you to the procedure room. Can you wait a few minutes?”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.” Cara shrugged, although she seemed poised to run. He realized he didn’t want her to leave.
“What’s your name?” He stalled, wanting reassurance she wouldn’t bolt the second he left the room.
“Cara. And yours?” She lifted her pale blue eyes to his, and he caught his breath. Such need shone; his attention sharpened even further.
They were exchanging niceties like two regular people meeting. How surreal. “I’m Aedhan,” he said. “I’ll be right back.” He tore himself away and headed to the kitchen. He cleaned up his mess and then pulled together a new sterilized kit.
He could hardly wait to get his hands on her. Sanctioned touch—thank the gods! He was only allowed skin-on-skin contact with women during the tattoo process. His sex life had dried to dust, held captive by the mission rules of celibacy as laid down by his sister, Nareen. Nareen, who had cast the entire spell, insisted in no uncertain terms that he refrain from intimate contact with the women of this world—at least until he accomplished what he’d been sent here to do. She knew him too well, he thought ruefully. His reputation on Dracan the past year in particular had been well earned.
TATTOO GUY WAS gorgeous. She remembered Ellen’s laughing comment about a “bonus.” This must be what she had meant. Her friends went on and on about the tattoo, but about him, the one who designed it, not a word. Cara tried to quiet her absurdly racing heart. She gazed out the parlor window, past the sign with the faded lettering, while her mind whirled. The strength of her instant attraction kind of rocked her. Tall, buff, and eccentrically handsome didn’t even begin to cover it. One look at his crazy-colored tangerine hair, long and thick on his shoulders, gave her the first jolt, and then when his emerald green eyes met hers with such a knowing look—as if he was seeing something…more. Wow. Cara took a deep breath. Nerves that had been clamoring since she got out of the car zinged again. She mentally shook herself. She could do this.
He strode back into the room and smiled at her. She already loved his smile. He glowed with such cheery reassurance she found herself relaxing. A little.
“All set,” he said. “Come on back.”
She followed him down a long hall to a doorway on the left, admiring the rear view of her charming host. Faded jeans hugged an extremely nice ass. He ushered her in and invited her to sit in a large, cushioned chair next to a stainless steel table.
“What do you charge?” Cara asked, realizing she’d forgotten that part.
“Well, prices range depending on the time needed and complexity of the design. Usually around seventy-five an hour? How does that sound?”
“Really?” That seemed incredibly cheap.
“Why? Do you think it’s too much?” He looked anxious, as if afraid he’d lose her business with such a price.
“No! Actually, seventy-five is great.”
“Good,” Aedhan said. “So where would you like your tattoo?”
“Well.” Cara hesitated. “Here. On my shoulder.” She pulled up the short sleeve of her thin cotton blouse, revealing what she very seldom showed anyone.
“Ah.” Aedhan flashed a look of understanding. “Cover-up.”
Cara relaxed a bit more. He didn’t even twitch at the view of her angry red scar, burned into her skin with ridged and jagged lines. More remnants wrapped over her shoulder and trailed a few inches down her lower left chest.
“Can you tattoo over the burn marks? I was worried perhaps the ink wouldn’t take or something like that. I did talk to my doctor first. He seemed to think it would be worth trying at least.”
He leaned closer to get a better look. “Can I feel?” He raised his head, his gaze polite and nonjudgmental.
“Ah, yeah. Sure.” Wait, what was she saying? Cara moved as if to pull her arm away when he stopped her with a gentle touch.
Aedhan traced her scar with his index finger. His touch felt cool and impersonal, yet a subtle tingling rode under his fingertip as it moved along the outline of her burn. No one besides medical personnel had ever touched her there. He is touching my scar.
“I agree with your doctor. I have some special techniques that may work very well for this situation. And here’s a great idea for a design,” he said, straightening and dropping his hand. “Check this out.”
Her shoulder throbbed—not in pain, but with a startling sort of pleasure. He grabbed a sheet of paper from a stack on the ink tray.
He began sketching, his long fingers grasping the pencil and moving across the scrap of paper with smooth, swift grace. A design rapidly appeared, shaped in the rough outline of a shoulder.
Beautiful. Celtic inspired—always one of her favorite designs, what with her Irish ancestry and redheaded genetics and all.
“Nice,” she said, immediately abandoning her own idea. “I love it. What kinds of colors, do you think?”
“Hmmm.” Aedhan glanced at the rows of small plastic bottles, each filled with vibrant liquids, on a shelf over his workstation. “Purples and blues and emerald greens seem to be coming to me. How does that sound to you?”
“Great. My favorite colors.” How did he know just what was right for her?
“Well, then. Okay if I get started? I’m going to trace the outline in black first, then fill in with the colors.”
Cara gulped. Hard part coming up. Needles. “Uh, I should tell you…I’m a bit nervous around needles. Get a little faint-headed sometimes. You know what I mean?”
Aedhan turned from the tray and looked at her. His green eyes glittered in understanding. “I get that, but no problem here. I promise you will enjoy this if you relax and trust me.”
Cara took a breath and let it out. She’d enjoy it? A sense of anticipation nudged her stomach.
He was about to put hands and needles on her skin. On her burn.
She nodded. “Okay. Give it your best shot.” And then she started unbuttoning her blouse.
“RIGHT.” AEDIN CLEARED his throat. “Good.” Cara slipped the blouse down her shoulder and followed with her narrow bra strap. She modestly kept the rest of herself covered, but this didn’t stop Aedhan from catching a glimpse of the sweet swell of her breasts. With more freckles disappearing down their intriguing slopes.
He dragged his gaze away and focused on her shoulder. Reluctantly he pulled on a fresh pair of latex gloves, giving them a final snap at his wrists. He’d much rather be able to feel the soft flesh of her arm.
“This is disinfectant,” he said, swiping the area with a small towelette.
He pressed his special lining needle onto the machine and relaxed in some relief as the usual calm began to overtake him. Nothing could disturb his concentration once he entered the valley of the spell. He dipped and loaded the black, then turned back to his lovely client.
He poised the machine above Cara’s arm. He twitched a little at the sight of her toned biceps, her arm stretched out on the armrest. Despite the disturbance he sensed in her energy, she exuded a potent physical and mental strength. Very attractive to one of his kind.
Enough! Aedhan made himself focus on the foot pedal that controlled the ink gun. The low, soothing hum of the motor sang out in a familiar drone as he dropped the needle to her skin and silently sent out the call to the spell.
Aedhan’s eyes closed as the design signaled the beginning of the sacred invocation. He drew harder on the powers that started flowing through his hands, knowing that covering her burn would require some extra assistance.
She hadn’t asked why he didn’t lay a design tracing on her skin before he started. Her silence and lack of questions felt both welcome and strange; humans were usually so nosy.
The steady hum of his machine matched the building rhythm of his confident hands. Aedhan moved the needle up, down, and up again. Fluid welled to the surface, glistening with rare light from the ink. His body shuddered in reaction to the potent mixture. Between the intriguing woman and the power of the spell, he nearly forgot to stop and murmur the sacred words Nareen had taught him. Holy spells she had said came directly from the gods and then channeled through his hands into the ink, flowing in steady streams until nested in the responsive human flesh.
As the spell worked the familiar magic, a new sensation began pulsing through the instrument to his hand. Sorrow. Pain. This scar held memories that rocked the needle, pushing the fluid hard and hot into the reddened skin.
He gave a quick glance at Cara’s face. Her breathing had quickened, but her eyes were squeezed shut. Good.
He kept going, the ruined skin accepting the complex design in greedy gulps, as if in relieved welcome. Her shoulder freckles stood out in stark contrast to the black outline taking form across and around them.
Each time he lifted the needle to refill the ink, the design sank deeper. Little did she know of the true content of the ink. Aedhan pushed away old guilt at his need for secrecy.
He never failed to marvel at the seeds of life his own hands pressed into hibernation. Dragon blood and DNA nested together like twins with the human cells. This was Draca high magic—a bold experiment on chosen humans. Usually he felt no remorse at keeping the humans ignorant of his true intent. Success or failure hinged on the vital need for secrecy. No one could know of the powerful spell Nareen had taken such care to spin. Should humans find out about Nareen’s ultimate plan, everything would fall to ruin. So, by the gods, he would keep his vow. He had promised on his life to mind every rule, do everything Nareen and the spell required. He’d spent too many years larking about on Dracan, earning an indulgent, carefree reputation. The most remarkable chance to prove himself trustworthy to his kin had presented itself, and Aedhan did not intend to ruin his big opportunity.
His determination had never wavered—until now. Cara’s sorrow rang like small bells each time he touched her flesh. The healing power of life innate in the ink met and matched each rise of her secret pain. Aedhan’s hands shook a little with the force of the ink’s lock onto Cara’s scar. What had caused this? Who had caused this?
He flashed a look at her face again and saw a tear slide from one corner of her closed eye.
He stopped for a second and lifted the needle. “Cara,” he said, careful to keep his voice soft, “are you all right?”
She opened her eyes, the pale blue swimming with unshed tears. “Don’t stop,” she whispered, wiping her cheek. “Please. Finish this.”
Instead he straightened and put down the ink gun. “Perhaps a short break is in order? I need to change needles anyway to add in the colors.” How long had he been at this? Aedhan focused more closely on his handiwork and realized he’d finished a very complex design faster than any other time he could remember. The scar itself seemed to urge him on, anxious to relieve the pain beneath.
Cara nodded agreement and leaned her head back against the chair. Her face seemed so pale he wondered about continuing, yet the sense of the powers at work kept his hands moving. He snapped on the new needle and arranged the tiny cups of brilliant color. He gave her a few more minutes, finding things to clean up until she opened her eyes and gave him a shaky smile.
“I’m ready if you are,” she said.
“Good. Best part coming up.”
He ducked his head and pressed the ink gun in place again. But not before a sense of outrage over what could have caused her scar and accompanying sorrow nearly stopped his hands again. Taranis and Alwen had sent her to him for more than ink and magic.
Her skin rippled, alive under his gloved hands, speaking to him, needing, wanting…what?
Aedhan pushed more power into his fingers, his mind whispering the spell with each stroke, cajoling the ink to sink deep and hold against the uneven skin.
He completely lost track of time. When he’d glance up at Cara to check on her, her eyes remained closed. She held motionless no matter what he did, only wincing occasionally when he hit a particularly hard ridge. Aedhan rarely took more breaks than required to change needles. However, his clients usually wanted more. He offered to stop again several times, but Cara shook her head and urged him to continue. The look on her face said clearly to please just get it over with.
When his hands started to tremble on the ink gun, he knew he’d been at it for hours. Almost done. An odd eagerness overtook him to witness the final product. He’d never felt so involved personally before.
Finally he finished with a complex twist and paused, needle lifted, observing with satisfaction the colors sinking deep into her skin and even farther, into her very cells. Draca power stirred, and the matching DNA in his own veins sang bright approval. He had done well.
Delicate, twining, circling vines and colors painted a brilliant web over her entire burn. No trace of ugly scar remained. The trails of vines ended at her elbow. He’d added a few extra because she’d seemed to need just a little more than usual. Even he admired the beauty of the design.
This would help her more than she could possibly know. Pleased with his results, he gave her a smile, wanting to reassure her, and got a wobbly smile in return.
“Here, take a look at the back.” He handed her a mirror and turned her around to face the larger mirror mounted on the wall.
“Wow,” she murmured. “You really do great work. This looks fantastic. I never would have imagined—” Cara’s voice cracked. “You have no idea what you’ve done for me.”
Aedhan’s guilt rose as he handed her a tissue. One look at her grateful eyes made him want to avoid her glance. He’d never felt so awkward afterward. Stick to the mission, he reminded himself. Do. Not. Get. Sidetracked.
After he’d cleaned her up a bit and smoothed ointment over the new design, he covered it gently with some plastic wrap and tape for the ride home. He patted her shoulder as if to say, There now, all better.
Cara stood, sniffling a little, and pulled her blouse in place and buttoned it up. They did the money exchange, and then Cara shrugged on her jacket and followed him back to the parlor.
She held out her hand. “Thank you so much. You really are as good as my friend told me.”
Aedhan took her small hand in his. The shape of her slender bones fit perfectly into his wide palm. A sense of outrage filled him at who or what had hurt her so badly. He wished he’d asked her more questions, but too late now.
She had to go, and he had to let her. Rules were rules.
“Good-bye, Cara. It was truly a delight to meet you.” Without thinking, he bent over her hand and brushed a brief kiss across her knuckles. Delicious.
He made a mental note to find her again, as soon as Nareen released him from the mission obligations.
“Thanks again, Aedhan.” He noted with relief that Cara’s face seemed noticeably brighter, and then she flashed him a shy smile that nearly took him to his knees. “See you.” She gave a wave and turned for the front door. He watched until her car disappeared from sight, conflicting emotions roiling inside him.
Duty sent him back to the procedure room for cleanup. He arched his back, stretching his arms and rotating his shoulders as he walked. He’d just spent the last eight hours hunched over body parts. What good fortune the surprising end of the night’s spell involved such a completely tantalizing woman.
He eyed the remains of the session and then set about tidying for the last time. His shoulder blades itched; his other nature urged him to shift and take wing as his Draca self. Leave the physical plane and soar over the brown waters of the Willamette River in his most primal, dragon form. Yet he had no issues with this particular rule. Dragons couldn’t be seen soaring above a modern human city. Even Portland, a place known for its acceptance of all things quirky and bizarre, would have a hard time integrating a real dragon, let alone a shape-shifter.
“Hold on, my brother,” he spoke wordlessly to his other self. “I need rest. Later.” He had a sanctuary to fly in, but it took time to get there. Much too late now.
He lifted his needle set, and something urged him to take a sniff. An unusual scent flooded his nose. He brought the tip, still soaked with ink and Cara’s fluids, to his tongue.
A mini explosion of hot sensation rocked his mouth. Draca. Could it be? Oh, so subtle but definitely there. Not the DNA in the ink—he knew that signature taste. No, something very different.
His cock hardened as a vision of damp red curls at the apex of shapely thighs flooded his mind.
He dropped the ink gun and gripped the counter, head bowed. No wonder the gods had sent her here—if she carried a trace of ancient Draca DNA, sinking a tattoo into such a woman would serve to solidify her chances as a future mother of his race.
His fingertips lengthened to claws, gouging into the steel table. Need coursed through him. Pain like fire lit his shoulders.
“Help her,” the voice of his goddess whispered in his head as he struggled not to shift.
“How?”
When silence answered him, typical for these types of godly communications, his brother self whispered, “Did you not feel her sorrow?”
Aedhan’s knees buckled. He could barely get through the rest of the cleanup before staggering to his private quarters and bed.
Did he even get her last name?
Nareen’s harsh recitation of the rule book ran through his head in practiced memory. She had gifted him with a mission on behalf of his race, partly to help him redeem his reputation. He winced thinking of his years of blithe irresponsibility, pranks, and foolishness, not to mention the past year of constant sexual capers unlike anything in recent memory. Due to the spectacular results of one of Nareen’s recent spells, the entire Dracan nation had been sexually re-awakened after two hundred years of eroding libido. He wasn’t the only sex-crazed Draca. Still, Nareen had good reason for her rules when it came to him.
His arousal cooled. Right. No matter what, no involvement with women of this human word. He needed to earn the trust of his family.
What had really happened tonight? Something big. A shift in powers and intention. Right? A growl of frustration roiled in his throat. Nothing quite made sense.
He showered, letting hot, steamy water pound on his back while he puzzled over the twists and turns of the current situation. It held all the classic signs of Draca machinations. Contradictions. Secrets. Riddles. All natural as breathing to his kin.
Shower over, Aedhan stretched out on his black satin-covered bed, groaning at the comfort. He’d earned his rest this night.
A spark of anticipation about what tomorrow might bring laced his mind as he drifted near sleep.
The Draca games were afoot. And, lucky for him, this time he got to be a player.

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Also Available from Louisa Kelley:
Lydia and the Draca – Daughters of Draca Book 1, Loose Id

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Tag’s Folly by Eve Vaughn

ebook, erotic, Eve Vaughn, holiday, interracial, paranormal, print, Publisher: Loose Id, Series: Wild Wishes, urban fantasy, Valentine's Day Add Comment

Tag’s Folly
Wild Wishes Anthology
by Eve Vaughn

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-59632-430-5
Print ISBN: 978-1596320260

During a heated argument, Tag mutters, “I wish you’d leave me alone…” And soon discovers the true meaning of the words “be careful what you wish for.” Not only does Alex leave his life for good, she doesn’t remember their past year together. With Alex gone Tag realizes his folly; he’s loved her all along.

Prologue

Tag leaned against the side of his office building and took one final drag of his cigarette, relishing the smoke that filled his lungs before exhaling. He casually tossed the butt on the ground and smashed it with his heel. He should quit. It was a nasty habit, but he justified it because he only smoked in times of stress. There were months where he didn’t even think about lighting up, but lately it was becoming a crutch more often than he liked to think about.
His mind drifted to his live-in lover of the past twelve months. In his thirty-eight years, no woman had ever made him feel the way Alex did. She wasn’t beautiful in the conventional sense, but she was definitely striking. With just one look from her exotically slanted, light brown eyes, his cock would jump to attention.
Alex knew exactly how to use her God-given gifts to her advantage and turned heads wherever she went with her soft, medium-brown skin, full, bow-shaped lips, and an ass so round and juicy it was perfect for riding. Tag loved fucking her from behind and smacking that luscious ass of her while pulling on her glossy, shoulder-length black hair.
It was always music to his ears to hear her scream and moan his name as his cock plowed into her. Tag also loved to run his lightly tanned hands over her dark body, the color contrasts of their skin adding yet another erotic element to their lovemaking. There was nothing Alex wouldn’t let him do to her in bed. Nothing. She let him take her in any hole, in any position, and anywhere. Sexually, everything was perfect.
Their home life ran smoothly as well. She cooked all their meals, cleaned, never hassled him when he wanted to hang out with his friends, and watched sports with him. He wasn’t one of those misogynistic men who thought it was a woman’s place to do housework, but it just wasn’t his thing, either. When she’d agreed to move into his townhouse, he’d offered to hire a permanent housekeeper instead of the one who only came by once a week, but Alex had insisted that she could do it herself.
Tag supposed she did spoil him. He liked coming home and inhaling the aroma of the fruity-scented candles she favored. He enjoyed partaking of her home-cooked meals, and had become accustomed to having freshly laundered clothes, all folded neatly in his drawers. To him, things already were perfect. Tag’s philosophy in life was that if it wasn’t broke, and then don’t fix it.
But now Alex was driving him crazy. As far as he was concerned, things were in great working order. The problem was that Alex didn’t think so. On the anniversary of her moving in with him, she had brought up the “M” word. It had been only the first in a long series of heated arguments, and the last one had been particularly nasty. Why did she have to get on this wedding kick? Damn it, why did she want to mess up a good thing?
No one knew more than Tag that matrimony didn’t guarantee a happily-ever-after. Alex had argued that he couldn’t possibly know since he’d never experienced it. Well, one didn’t have to put their hand in fire to know that it was hot. His parents, sister, brother, friends – all miserable, and marriage was the reason.
He fumbled with his lighter. When Tag looked up, he saw an old woman crossing the street just as a Mack truck was bearing down on her.
Holy shit!
He was a renowned plastic surgeon but knew that even he wouldn’t be able to put that lady back together again if she got hit by that huge chunk of moving metal. He dropped his cigarettes and dashed into the street, grabbing the woman’s arm and pulling her out of the truck’s way even as its horns blared on the way past them. In the nick of time, thank God!
Their momentum sent the two of them flying to the ground. Tag immediately jumped back to his feet, holding out his hand to the elderly woman and helping her up. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
“Oh, my goodness, me! You saved my life.” She was panting and seemed really shaken up, which was understandable, considering how close she’d come to death.
“It was nothing. Do you think you’ll be okay? Maybe you should come up to my office and have a seat until you’ve had a chance to rest.”
“You’re such a nice young man.” The woman looked up at him with a weather-beaten, wrinkled face, but her hazel eyes were surprisingly clear and youthful. They didn’t seem to fit her old, old face. “Oh, no. I couldn’t. I have to meet someone. I’ll be fine.” Her voice sounded young, too.
“Are you sure?” he asked, concerned. She appeared really feeble.
“Of course, but I must repay you for your kindness. My name is Psy– I mean, Sally.” She held out her frail-looking hand, which he immediately shook.
“You don’t have to repay me, and I’d rather you didn’t.”
“But I must. My husband would be furious if he knew I was here like this.”
“Really, ma’am, I don’t need any kind of payment. Just knowing you’re okay is rewarding enough.”
Sally grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly tight grip. “I’m not what I appear to be. One wish. Anything you want will be yours. You just speak the words and I’ll make it happen.”

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Soul Seduction by Lori Toland

demons, ebook, erotic, Host: GFP Book Tour, Lori Toland, m/f, paranormal, Publisher: Loose Id, urban fantasy 12 Comments

Soul Seduction
Slayer’s Mate, Book 1
by Lori Toland

Loose Id

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61118-441-9

Ashlee Bennett has her priorities straight. Fighting demons is at the top of the list until she meets her sexy neighbor, Luke Byrne. Even though he is human, she can’t stop dreaming about his buff body and sexy grin, until her dreams turn to nightmares.

Her world is turned upside down when Luke follows her one night but instead of being afraid, he is only more determined to stand beside her and fight. Ashlee knows she needs to keep her distance from Luke, not just to protect her virginity but her heart as well. But Luke may be the only one who can save her from the night, and her dreams.

Chapter One

“Are you Ashlee Bennett?”
I cringed. Usually no one saw me dressed like this. Most people saw me during the day, dressed as a nurse and looking respectable in scrubs instead of garbed in black jeans, a black shirt, and my thick leather coat. Tonight I was dressed for hunting, not an impromptu meeting with my neighbor. Busy as I had been, I didn’t have an extra minute in my hectic life to go over and introduce myself.
And right now wasn’t the best time, anyway. I thought about walking inside and pretending I hadn’t heard him. But he cleared his throat, and I realized I was just standing there, staring at my door. So much for being antisocial.
Shit. Cursing because I hardly looked presentable, I turned around and tried my hardest to become invisible. That was no easy task when the walls outside my apartment were boring beige and I looked like a Goth hobo, even if not taking into account that I appeared to have been wrestling with animals in the woods.
When the owners of my apartment had told me about their neighbor before they left, I imagined a nice older gentleman. Nothing they’d said prepared me for the hot stud standing in the doorway.
“I’m Luke Byrne,” he said, holding out his hand.
His lyrical accent did odd things to me. I heard the Northern England inflection all the time since moving here, but there was something about the way he spoke that made my belly flip-flop and my toes curl.
My mom had warned me that a guy as suave and good-looking as Luke would break my heart. Tall and muscled, with dark, wavy hair, he nearly made me drool. I met his gaze and watched a self-assured smile spread across his lips. As handsome as he was, I steeled myself to be indifferent to his stunning good looks. Guys who looked like him were often cocky and rarely interested in me. They usually went for slutty bimbos.
So I pasted on a smile and nodded as I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Once I spoke, he raised his eyebrows. “I don’t hear American accents all that often. Only in London from time to time,” he said.
I took in a deep breath and let the intoxicating smell of him wash over me. Even though my nose was working overtime, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was about him that I found so thrilling. He didn’t let go of my hand, but he did pull back a little to look me up and down. I thought I saw interest in his eyes, but I was probably kidding myself.
My nipples tightened as I breathed in his musky scent mixed with cologne. I didn’t recognize the brand, but it spoke to something inside me. It whispered come closer, and my heart pounded harder. Everything about him — his self-confident stance and the way his lips parted — excited me, even though I knew my chances with him were nil. If he was interested in me, the attraction would be bittersweet. I already knew he was human; his aura told me that.
I nodded and tore my gaze away from his hot body to look him in the eyes. They were a perfect clear and light blue, and they reminded me of the sky after a long, hard rain. “Yeah. I’m here on a nursing visa, working at Broadgreen Hospital.”
He gave a short nod. “Don and Dottie left me a voice mail telling me to keep an eye on you and see if you need anything while they are away.”
How about your hot body in my bed? The blood rushed to my cheeks, and my pussy started to throb. He narrowed his eyes as he checked me out, and his gaze lingered on my breasts a second too long.
It wasn’t just his body that caused me to respond; it was his scent too. I shook my head. I needed more than just that to clear it. I managed to pull myself together long enough to say, “Nothing right now, thank you.”
“Are you sure you don’t need me to take you outside for a good scrubbing?”
His comment drew my gaze down to my boots. While I had already washed them off once tonight, mud still clung to my jeans from my knees to my ankles. I was mortified, but his teasing tone took the sting out of his words.
Even though I was a mess, I didn’t need any help from him. What I did need was for him to stay out of my way — for his own safety. “Don’t do me any favors.” I hoped the bite in my response would let us leave the conversation there.
But instead he leaned against the door frame. God, he looked sexy. “I’ve seen you come and go, Ashlee, and you’ve been dirty every time you’ve come back. You need a keeper.”
That last word — “keeper” — put me on high alert, and my heart pounded. Did he know what I did when I was out there? I used a special, hidden entrance I’d found when I visited the catacombs to hunt, and while the church grounds weren’t locked, there were signs to deter people from entering the area.
I gritted my teeth. “And you think you’re just the guy for the job?” I cocked my eyebrow at him. “Because I don’t think you can handle me. I’m a tough girl, Luke.”
He frowned. “How do you get into so much trouble?”
I stared at him, wondering if he was being flippant. Then the words tumbled out of my mouth before I could bite my tongue. “I’m a demon slayer. I kick some serious demon ass. Are you sure you want to mess with me?”
He recoiled, and for a moment I wondered wildly if he would call someone to have me shipped off to the funny farm. But then he laughed. His whole face lit up, and he was even more beautiful than before. “That’s funny. I’ll keep my eye on you.”
The way he said that made me shiver, and if I were a normal woman, I would have jumped at the chance to flirt with him. Sadly I didn’t even know how to bat my eyelashes at a man. Not that it mattered much, though: slayers and humans didn’t mix, which was too bad, because he was sinfully gorgeous. He would definitely be starring in my dreams from now on.
“Oh thanks. That’s just what I need,” I drawled, glaring at him as I stepped through the doorway to my apartment, wanting the solid steel door between us. I couldn’t figure out why he smelled so good to me, his woodsy scent coaxing me to reach out and touch him.
He smirked before looking down at my feet. “Don’t track mud through their house.”
I groaned as I shut the door. I needed a long shower because I was more hot and sweaty than usual after my nights out, thanks to Luke. I usually made it to bed before the adrenaline crash, but already my vision was swimming.
Slaying the gray, slimy creatures always gave me an intense high, even if the English weather usually rained on my parade, but tonight a full moon had made my job much easier. As I sliced and diced demons, I dreamed about hopping into the shower, putting on a pair of warm, dry pj’s, and drifting off to sleep. My life was all about simple pleasures.
I glanced in the mirror. At least I didn’t have any leaves in my hair. I had checked on my way home. I tried not to think about bad first impressions as I took off my coat and patted it.
The hard steel of my swords beneath the thick leather was obvious to me now, and I hoped he hadn’t seen the outline of my weapons. Back home in California, I’d usually throw them into the trunk of my car, but I didn’t need one here, since the catacombs were so close.
I had sewn a scabbard into my coat so that when I walked along the street, I didn’t look out of place. But even after taking all precautions to blend in, I still felt the stares. This girl doesn’t belong here. This girl is different from us. As if they could see who I really was. I was different; ever since I hit puberty and my slayer genes matured and took over my body, my whole existence centered on killing demons.
Okay, that was a bit melodramatic, but I did kill crazy, weird creatures that had been haunting mankind for millennia. Some of the demons I slew were nightmarish, and some had become urban legends. Even though I led a dangerous life now, I grew up in an average household with a boring, normal life, or so it would seem to anyone looking in.
I took Luke’s advice and stripped out of my jeans in the entryway after I kicked off my boots. I had tried to clean them off outside at my first chance, but with the rains over the past few days, the mud was insane out by the catacombs. I balled up my jeans and threw them in the washing machine before heading to my room.
The clock on my bed stand showed it was after three in the morning. It seemed awfully late for Luke to be up. On nights like this, I ran into club-goers, and I’d seen the walk of shame more times than I could count. Maybe Luke was just getting back from a rowdy night out with the boys. Not that I cared. It wasn’t any business of mine.
I walked into the bathroom and pulled off my T-shirt, then took a good look in the mirror at the bruises gracing my limbs and torso. Most of the marks were from tree branches I barely felt as I ran through the forest. I took in the corded muscles of my shoulders and arms as I twisted to better study my injuries. Soon I wouldn’t even remember them, because my body healed faster than a human’s did.
I hopped into the shower. I wanted to be clean so I could just slide into my bed and be comfortable once again. Luke had offered to give me a good scrubbing, and my pussy grew wet as I imagined him following me into the stall. As I slid the washcloth over my body, I visualized his long fingers caressing my skin. I heard my moan echo against the tiles.
He tweaked my nipples as he kissed me, rolling the buds between his fingers while I begged for release. He listened to my moans to know exactly where to touch me. He glided his fingers down my stomach, eliciting a giggle as he ran his hand over my ticklish spot on his way to my pussy.
I was sopping wet there, my juices flowing all over my fingers. What would happen if this were the real deal? I’d want him to finger-fuck me to get me ready for his hard cock. He would push my back against the wall and lift me up to the perfect level for him to fuck me.
I slid my finger into my pussy and shuddered with pleasure. I edged closer to my peak with every stroke. Luke wouldn’t need to be gentle with me. He couldn’t break me. He could lose control and fuck me hard until we both came.
My orgasm rolled through me; the image of Luke taking me fast and hard had brought me to the finish line that much quicker. My body throbbed from the release, but my cheeks burned with embarrassment. Hopefully I wouldn’t see much of Luke from here on out, lest I be reminded that I thought of him while masturbating.
Sadly I was fooling myself. Making love to Luke couldn’t happen. Slayers mated for power, not for love or pleasure. To be more powerful, I had to remain a virgin until I found another slayer to mate with. Once I did, our souls would bond, and we would be nearly indestructible.
But it all came with a price. Luke wasn’t a slayer, and therefore he needed to stay out of my life. He was tempting, but I couldn’t afford to hook up with him. He was a threat to everything I was.
I shut off the shower and dried off. The night had taken its toll on me, and with my orgasm, I was weak with exhaustion. Once I was under the covers, I quickly slipped into a slumber. I needed my body to rest, because I had another morning shift at the hospital.

Buy Now:
Loose Id

Also Available:
- Trust In Me, Loose Id
- Home For The Holidays: A Replacement Guitarist Christmas, Dreamspinner Press
- Landfall, Dreamspinner Press
- The Furry Matchmaker, Dreamspinner Press

Learn More About Lori Toland:
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