🎃 Freebie Tuesday (Edition #195) 🎃

👻 HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 👻

Thanks for stopping by! I hope everyone has a fun halloween and enjoys the following horror freebies. As always I will be tweeting random freebies that I can find on any given day so if you're looking for more free books make sure to follow me on twitter @JackieBookWorld. :)

***Note that there will be some books that will be free for limited time only, so make sure to download them as soon as you can. Also if there is any specific genre that you guys want me to find books of, let me know in the comment section below. (:  Enjoy! 

*Older Editions will be linked on the menu section (above) under Freebie Tuesday:)

Berkley Street
by Ron Ripley
Release Date: May 25th 2017 by Scarestreet.com
Series: Berkley Street #1
Pages: 192
Genres: Horror
Author's Links: Goodreads

Shane Ryan returns to Nashua and the childhood memories that drove him to join the Marines. After a prolonged legal battle with his aunt and uncle, Shane has possession of the family home where his parents disappeared over 20 years ago. The house, a monstrous castle filled with ghosts and secrets, is more alive than its inhabitants. 

When his aunt and uncle come to town, then vanish, Shane's life takes a turn for the worse. Detective Marie Lafontaine immediately labels Shane as the prime suspect. And in a race against time, Shane desperately searches for clues about his parents. 

But there's something lurking beyond the walls and beneath the surface. Something sinister that has haunted him ever since he saw its face in the pond behind the house. And it isn’t happy that Shane is back. 

It isn’t happy at all.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

       

Frozen Past 
by Richard C Hale
Release Date: May 2016 by Three Thirty A.M. Publishing
Series: Jaxon Jennings #1
Pages: 328
Genres: Crime Fiction
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter

Luke is only fourteen. Eliana is his whole world and for a fourteen year old, the burden is immense. You see, Eliana is being stalked. Stalked by a madman who wants nothing more than to see her dead. The madman knows things that no one should know and sees things that no one should see. He tells them if they say a word to anyone, they will both die. And Luke can’t let that happen. Eliana’s past is catching up with her and Luke must do anything to save her. Anything.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

     

Happy Reading! 🎃

✯RELEASE DAY LAUNCH!✯ Fault Lines by Rebecca Shea {BOOK TRAILER + GIVEAWAY!}

Fault Lines by Rebecca Shea

Release Date: October 30th 2017 by Rebecca Shea Author LLC 

Genres: Romance

At eleven he was my first crush. At sixteen he became mine. At nineteen he broke my heart and destroyed me. That was ten years ago and the last time I saw Cole Ryan.

They say you never get over your first love...I beg to differ. I left my shattered heart buried in a town I never expected to return to. I erased every thought of him and buried the memories never to be found.

I moved on...now ten years later I have the perfect life, the perfect fiancé, the perfect career. Everything I ever wanted until I'm forced to go back and face my past and the man that destroyed me.

He won't stop until I know the truth no matter how hard I fight it. In the end, lies will be uncovered, hearts will be broken, and my life as I've come to know it destroyed. 

Purchase: Amazon Kindle, Amazon Paperback, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play

{BOOK TRAILER}

About Rebecca Shea:

Rebecca Shea is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Unbreakable series (Unbreakable, Undone, and Unforgiven) and the Bound and Broken series (Broken by Lies and Bound by Lies). She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters. When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons’ football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

✯BOOK BLITZ:✯ The Captain’s Rebel by C.B. Halverson {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

The Captain’s Rebel by C.B. Halverson

Release Date: April 3rd 2017 by Entangled Publishing LLC

Series: Irish Heroines #1

Genres: Erotica, Historical, Romance

Land. Power. Influence. Mary O’Malley knows these are the only things that matter in her war-torn country. Determined to win back her ancestral home, she must embark on a journey across the Atlantic disguised as a cabin boy. But her ruse brings her under the control of a dangerous sea captain who demands from her the one thing she will never give—complete and total submission. 

Captain Richard Grant runs a tight ship, and he didn’t claw his way up through the ranks of the Royal Navy to be undone by a headstrong Irish girl hell-bent on jeopardizing his mission and his crew. If she insists on dressing like a man, then she can take his punishments. He demands obedience, but his insatiable need for her leads to a complex game of sex, desire, and dominance not even he can control. 

Awakened by the passion Grant stirs in her, Mary finds herself falling for the stern captain. But when her false identity leads to rumors of her spying for the French, she must choose between her love for Ireland and the man who commands her body—and her heart.

Purchase: Amazon, Kobo, B&N, iBooks

{EXCERPT}

The sharp sound of his hand against my flesh sang through his chambers, and this time I nearly broke in two with release, my bound breasts jammed against the table, my chest heaving. He slapped me again, but then his fingers trailed down the curve of my arse, sweeping past the tiny hole he had explored yesterday, to seek out my inner folds. With a slow, creeping closeness, he settled his hand near my opening, teasing me, brushing me with his touch.

He leaned over me, his voice thick. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes, sir,” I gasped.

“You want my cock inside that secret little cunt of yours, don’t you?”

“Yes…”

He slipped a finger into my slit, and I let out a long, shuddering exhale.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir.”

He moved another finger into me, slipping back and forth through my slick folds. I whimpered, soft mewling sounds escaping my lips as he moved me to the edge. “What do you want? Tell me.”

“I want your cock inside me, sir.”

His fingers moved faster, playing me, drawing out my release. “And what are you going to do for it?”

“Anything!” I gasped, heat blazing between my legs as I moved my hips in rhythm to his fingers, so rough and furious against my delicate skin.

“Will you obey me?”

“Yes, sir,” I moaned, the flames rising in my core. “I’ll follow your orders. I’ll do what ask.”

“Then come for me,” he breathed, his tongue brushing against my earlobe. “Come for me right now.”

My body burst in an explosion that left me blind, a bright white light filling my vision for a moment before I collapsed against the table, burying my face into my elbow. His strong arm held me up, bracing me against the side table as I gasped and hiccupped for air. Minutes passed, maybe hours. I couldn’t tell in the long silence stretching out between us. Finally, he slipped his fingers out from my opening, and he turned me around, bringing them to my lips. I tasted my own essence, salty and musky, and I opened my mouth wider, sucking on them, wishing they were Grant’s cock instead. He stared down at me with his piercing blue eyes and studied me as I sucked harder, turning my tongue over the callused pads of his fingertips.

AUTHOR BIO:

Colleen Halverson is a writer, educator, wife, and mother of two. She is the author of the Aisling Chronicles and writes erotic romance under the pen name C. B. Halverson. She lives in the Driftless area of Wisconsin.

Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

✯REVIEW✯ The Boy I Hate by Taylor Sullivan

The Boy I Hate 
by Taylor Sullivan
Release Date: August 12th 2017 by Good House Publishing
Pages: 276
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Author's Links: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

Samantha Smiles and Renee Montgomery have been best friends for over a decade. They’ve shared laughs, secrets, and a mutual hatred for one person: Tristan Montgomery, Renee's older brother. He was the guy every girl wanted, and every guy wanted to be, and it wasn't uncommon they'd befriend his little sister just to get closer to him. Which was exactly how Samantha became Renee’s saving grace. She was the only girl Renee could trust not to fall in love with her older brother.

Until the one night Samantha spent with him alone, leaving her questioning everything she’d ever known about the blond headed heart-throb.

Years later, Renee asks Samantha to be her maid of honor. With no other option, Samantha is forced to drive cross-country with the focus of their teenage ire.

He was her first kiss.

Her only secret.

Can Samantha survive the trip cross-country with the reckless Tristan Montgomery? The guy who did what he wanted, whenever he wanted, without worry for tomorrow? Or will she discover a different side of him. One that’s sweet, funny, and maybe a little bit vulnerable. And fall completely and helplessly in love for the first time in her adult life with the one man who could cause her to lose her best friend forever?
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)
My Review:

Not having read any other works by the author before, I was really intrigued with the synopsis of the book. The Boy I Hate is a story about second chances that will leave you wanting for more. At the beginning of the story we get to meet Samantha Smiles, after being friends with Renee Montgomery for a while now, she is ready to support her friend in the next chapter of her life by being part of her wedding. Though they have shared so much, one thing her friend is protective of the most is of her older brother Tristan Montgomery. People would befriend Renee to get closer to Tristan and when Sam did the opposite they become really good friends. But after spending so much time together, Sam failed her best friend by developing a crush on her brother. Needless to say, he became the boy she hated the most for being unreachable. Until one night that everything changed that Sam realized that she needed to stay away from Tristan if she wanted to save her friendship with Renee. Years went by and being in a relationship has slowly helped Sam from remembering the boy the she had a crushed on. Yet, when he comes knocking at her door ready to accompany her on her drive to her friend’s wedding venue Sam starts to get those feelings back again and this time she won’t be able to deny the attraction that they have towards each other. 

I very much enjoyed reading the story, it’s evident from the start that they both have their issues to solve, but when they’re together everything seemed that it’s going to be okay. Tristan was the popular guy at school when Sam met him, he had everything he wanted but beneath all of that he struggled when his career was over. Underneath his serious facade, he is vulnerable and kind. He has always wanted Sam, but kept himself away because he didn’t want to hurt the relationship that her sister and Sam had. On the other hand, Sam is an struggling artist who doesn’t know quite yet what to do with her talent. Her boyfriend is often bailing on her and it’s gotten to the point where she starts to question her feelings for him. The drive to her friend’s wedding venue is supposed to make things between her and Tristan better, but when the both start to look back at the past and what they could have, it’ll be up to them to decide if a relationship is worth the shot. I enjoyed reading about their past, and the ending was really sweet. One could tell how much they both had changed for the better and it all worked out in the end. I would highly recommend this story, I will most certainty be reading more from the author in the future. :)

***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.***

My Rating:

Thanks for stopping by! :)

✯BOOK BLITZ:✯ Thigh Highs by Katia Rose {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

Thigh Highs by Katia Rose

Release Date: October 26th 2017

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Modelling lingerie for her annoyingly attractive arch-nemesis was not on Christina’s to-do list.

Then again, neither was he.

Aaron Penn might be the talk of the advertising school they both attend, but to Christina he’s just an egomaniac with a cocky smirk to match. Fast forward to the end of term, when a class project gone wrong has her stripping down to a negligee and letting Aaron photograph her to advertise a line of women’s underwear.

She expects suggestive comments and smarmy-eyed stares, but when Aaron gets behind the camera he treats her body like a work of art. Even though all she’s got on is a scrap of satin, the room suddenly feels way too hot.

As the tension between them builds to expensive-panty-melting-levels, Christina finds herself caught between falling for the complicated artist who knows just what poses to put her in, and wondering why he acts like such an irritating hotshot around everyone else. 

Purchase: Amazon

{EXCERPT}

“No way,” I gasp, staring at the very large, very professional-looking camera in Aaron’s hands. “Did you just steal that?”

He looks up after setting the camera down on the desk next to the carefully arranged lingerie.

“Really?” he demands, cocking a brow. “Is your opinion of me actually so bad that your first assumption is to think I stole this?”

I give him a look that suggests exactly that.

“I didn’t steal it,” he confirms. “It’s mine. I...”

His eyes drift to the floor and he takes a moment to heft the gear bag he has thrown over his shoulder onto the desk, turning away from me as he does.

“I do photography sometimes,” he continues. “It’s just a hobby. I was going to come back in here after the shoot and play around a bit.”

“That looks like more than just a hobby.” I gesture towards all his gear as he turns back to face me.

He shrugs, avoiding my eye. “I mean, I have to look good in all my selfies.”

“It’s like being a douchebag is just a reflex for you,” I sigh. “I almost can’t even blame you for it.”

He starts unzipping the bag and pulls out a few lenses. As I watch, it occurs to me that even though we’ve now got a camera and someone who knows how to use it, our problems are far from solved.

“So do you have a C cup model hiding in that bag?” I ask him. “Because if not, we’re still screwed.”

“You must be at least a C cup,” he responds, not looking up from the lenses.

I’m about to ask what that has to do with anything when the realization of what he’s suggesting hits.

Oh hell no.

AUTHOR BIO:

Katia Rose is not much of a Pina Colada person, but she does like getting caught in the rain. She prefers her romance served steamy with a side of smart, and is a sucker for quirky characters. A habit of jetting off to distant countries means she’s rarely in one place for very long, but she calls the frigid northland that is Canada home.

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

✯BOOK BLITZ:✯ The Billionaire’s Ploy by Allie Burton {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

The Billionaire’s Ploy by Allie Burton 

Release Date:  October 25th 2017

Series: Castle Ridge #5

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

All’s fair in love and business.

Billionaire Jackson Croft refuses to let anything interfere with his merger and marriage plans. His merger. His brother’s marriage. When Emory Barrington returns to Castle Ridge and catches his younger brother’s attention, Jackson needs to take drastic steps to stop the flirtation. Even if it means using himself as bait.

As a child Emory was infatuated with the younger Croft brother, so when he invites her to a party she can’t resist. Until Jackson interrupts their dance, tries to bribe her, and then steals a kiss. A kiss that vibrates to her soul.

To make up for the attempted bribe, Jackson offers her a job decorating his Denver penthouse. She’s just starting her interior design firm and can’t turn the business away even if it means working closely with the billionaire. The project turnaround is fast and the attraction between Emory and Jackson grows faster. She believes she sees the real man beneath the façade, but when she learns of his double-dealing her heart can’t take the betrayal.

In this take on the Sabrina story, can deception lead to love? 

Purchase: Amazon, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, Google Play

{EXCERPT}

“You are what?”

“Available.” With quick reflexes, Jackson bent his head and locked his lips onto Emory’s soft and surprised ones.

Magnetic energy sparked through him. He molded her body to his, lining up the interesting parts in all the right places. His mouth pressed against her shocked seam. Her lips were moist and yielding. He couldn’t stop himself from using his tongue to get a little taste. A taste of heaven.

For a second.

She broke away and slapped his cheek. “You jerk. What the heck were you doing?”

The sting on his skin was what he deserved. He was a dirty, jaded man. A guilty man. He deserved to be slugged or shot. He’d afflicted the man she was supposed to meet and expected to take his place? The thought scarred. He hadn’t been thinking when he kissed her. Only feeling and sensing and seeing.

High flags of righteous red shone on her cheeks. Her gaze turned stormy and dark. With a simple kiss, he’d changed her from light and innocent to shady and somber. That’s what he did to people. It’s what he’d done to himself.

He couldn’t show what he felt. He put a sneer on his face. “I wasn’t sure if it mattered which Croft brother you kissed.”

Except he knew it mattered.

But his brother loved Shey. They’d get back together soon, and it would be Emory’s heart hurting. In a way, he was doing her a favor. Stopping this attraction between her and Ryder before it got started.

“You surprised me.” She swiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared. “And it matters.”

Music from the party intruded into their silence. Wind blew through the budding trees. Her scent must have stuck to his skin when he’d pressed her body against his, because he still smelled apples. She continued to glare, completely unaffected by his kiss.

The checkbook burned against his chest, reminding him of his goal. “You’re correct. It does matter. My brother isn’t right for you.”

“And you are?” She scoffed.

“I’m not right for anyone.” Darkness surrounded his soul at the truth of his statement. He didn’t have the time, or the inclination, for a relationship. He certainly wasn’t worthy of her, especially after his next action. He took out the checkbook and pen. “How much will it take for this little flirtation to disappear?”

She reeled back and her eyes grew darker, except for the bright flash of anger. “You’re paying me off?”

“Twenty thousand? Fifty thousand?” The dollar amount meant nothing. He needed to save the merger. Save the marriage between Ryder and Shey.

Emory tilted her chin up in the habitual way, exhibiting curiosity and intelligence. “You’re joking, right? All we did was dance.”

“A dance. A kiss.” Jackson controlled the spear of jealousy remembering their kiss. “I’m trying to save an important merger.”

She shook her head in slow motion. “I have nothing to do with a merger.”

“Ryder does. If he and Shey don’t get married I’ve easily lost a million dollars, and even more if the merger doesn’t go through.” Jackson had to remember. This was for the merger and his brother’s future.

“The deal’s worth a million dollars?” The awe in Emory’s tone told him he’d won.

Everyone had a price, even innocent fairies.

Disappointment left him sluggish. He clicked his pen and started to write out the check. “I’ll write this for one hundred thousand.”

She slapped the checkbook out of his hand, and it hit a puddle with a splash. “You couldn’t buy me with all of your wealth.”

“I wasn’t sure if it mattered which Croft brother you kissed.” Except Jackson knew it mattered.

But his brother loved Shey. They’d get back together soon, and it would be Emory’s heart hurting. In a way, he was doing her a favor. Stopping this attraction between her and Ryder before it got started.

“You surprised me.” Emory swiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared. “And it matters.”

Music from the party intruded into their silence. Wind blew through the budding trees. Her scent must have stuck to his skin when he’d pressed her body against his because he stilled smelled apples. She continued to glare completely unaffected by his kiss.

The checkbook burned against his chest, reminding him of his goal. “You’re correct. It does matter. My brother isn’t right for you.”

“And you are?” She scoffed.

“I’m not right for anyone.” Darkness surrounded his soul at the truth of his statement. He didn’t have the time or the inclination for a relationship. He certainly wasn’t worthy of her, especially after his next action. He took out the checkbook and pen. “How much will it take for this little flirtation to disappear?”

She reeled back and her eyes grew darker, except for the bright flash of anger. “You’re paying me off?”

“Twenty thousand? Fifty thousand?” The dollar amount meant nothing. He needed to save the merger. Save the marriage between Ryder and Shey.

Emory tilted her chin up in the habitual way exhibiting curiosity and intelligence. “You’re joking, right? All we did was dance.”

“A dance. A kiss.” Jackson controlled the spear of jealousy remembering their kiss. “I’m trying to save an important merger.”

She shook her head in slow motion. “I have nothing to do with a merger.”

“Ryder does. If he and Shey don’t get married I’ve easily lost a million dollars and even more if the merger doesn’t go through.” Jackson had to remember. This was for the merger and his brother’s future.

“The deal’s worth a million dollars?” The awe in Emory’s tone told him he’d won.

Everyone had a price, even innocent fairies.

Disappointment left him sluggish. He clicked his pen and started to write out the check. “I’ll write this for one hundred thousand.”

She slapped the checkbook out of his hand and it hit a puddle with a splash. “You couldn’t buy me with all of your wealth.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Allie Burton has always been a reader and writer. She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve when she was stranded at a hospital by a snowstorm. Receiving her first romance from her grandmother, she fell in love with the genre. As an adult, she read young adult books with her own teens and was excited to find something fresh and new. Now, she writes both.

Having so many jobs as a teen and adult became great research material for the stories she writes. She has been everything from a bike police officer to a professional mascot escort to an advertising executive. She has lived on three continents and in four states and has studied art, fashion design, and marine biology.

Allie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Romance Writers of America. She loves to ski, golf, and run. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.

Twitter, Website, Facebook, Goodreads

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)

✯BOOK BLITZ:✯ Whip Smart by Siena Noble {EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!}

Whip Smart by Siena Noble

Release Date: October 22nd 2017

Series: The Loft #1

Genres: Erotica, Romance

After freeing herself from her controlling, manipulative, and so-called "dominant" ex-fiancé, 24-year-old Teresa Bodnar returns to her hometown of Pittsburgh to try and put the pieces of her shattered life back together. Stuck in a rut and determined to prove herself capable of moving on with her life, Tera makes a bold move: founding the city's first BDSM club.

But opening a club for business proves to be no small task, especially where unexpected romantic entanglements are concerned. Since first meeting at a kinky costume party, the magnetic attraction between Tera and easy-going Dominant Eric Yun has been undeniable, and yet Tera finds herself denying it at every turn. She knows she has baggage to spare, and the high-strung submissive is taking no chances when it comes to her budding friendship with the sweet and seductive Eric, no matter how tempting he may be.

Eric Yun has baggage of his own. No one knows better than he does how to hide pain behind a joke and smile. He’s spent years learning to take life in stride, and just when he thinks he has it all figured out, Tera Bodnar sweeps into his life with her big dreams, stubborn determination, and soft submissive side. He’s wanted her more than anything since they met, and now it’s impossible to get her out of his head. But he can tell she’s hiding painful secrets of her own, and the more he learns about this beautifully complicated woman, the more he finds himself revealing to her about the Eric behind the smile…

As Eric chips away at her walls, Tera learns that there is much more to this man than his mouth-watering good looks and effortless charm. She’s falling for him hard and fast, but if life has taught her anything, it’s that the harder the fall, the worse the damage, and the risk of Eric becoming a casualty in the process is just too great. But how can she hope to resist him when she can’t even escape him in her dreams?

**Note: This book is the first in a series and ends on a cliffhanger to be resolved in the book two**

Purchase: Amazon

{EXCERPT}

No sooner had I pulled the menu off the fridge than an inhuman shriek rang through the apartment. “What happened?” I asked, whacking my elbow against the counter in my rush to get back to the living room. Alexis was kneeling on the floor, frantically shaking her laptop. Pop-up after pop-up invaded the screen, while a low, whiny buzz came from the machine. My heart thudded painfully, part of me wanting to laugh with relief, while the other half still expected her keyboard to burst into flames at any second.

“Jesus Christ, calm down!” Megan crawled over to her sister and attempted to pry her hands off the computer, but the inebriated Al swatted her away in a way that would’ve been funny if my mind hadn’t been racing at a hundred miles an hour trying to figure out how to calm her down.

“What. Happened,” I repeated slowly.

“I-I was j-just looking for the English subbed NC-17 theatrical cut like you said, but… but I clicked this one video and everything started going crazy!” Alexis sobbed.

“God, why don’t you have AdBlocker?” said Megan.

Why don’t you have better bedside manner? I thought, but I managed to keep my uncharitable thoughts to myself.

“I said I have it on Amazon; you didn’t have to look it up,” I told Alexis, immediately wishing I could take it back after realizing how condescending it sounded.

“I did have AdBlocker, I swear to God!” she wailed. “Oh my God, am I having a panic attack? Is this what it’s like to be you all the time?”

I inhaled sharply, trying my best to ignore the stab in my gut at the drunken words I knew my friend didn’t mean.

“Ugh, you’re not having a panic attack, you’re just drunk,” Megan muttered. “Tell her she’s being a big baby, Tera.”

I glared at her. “Like it only matters if someone’s actually having a panic attack?” I shot back. I patted Al on the shoulder as soothingly as possible. “Here, let me see, you probably just need to shut it down…”

She shoved the laptop away from me in alarm. “No, please! Please don’t. I can’t have it break on me, I just can’t.”

Megan threw her hands up and stood. “Christ, you need an expert here? Is that what you want? Tera, why don’t you just call Eric or something, he’s a computer guy, right?”

“What? No, I’m not doing that to him.” I stood up to face her. “He’s probably just getting off work, and don’t you think he’s probably sick of being everyone’s designated ‘computer guy’?” But even as I protested, the selfish part of me was pleading for an excuse to do as Megan said.

“Why, afraid you won’t be able to control yourself if he comes over?” Megan teased, looking so damn smug.

I suppressed the urge to defend myself, knowing it would only prove her point in her mind. She knew damn well she wasn’t playing fair, but even as much as she was starting to piss me off, she did have a point: the only way to coax Alexis out of her drunken freakout at this point would be to call in an expert ASAP.

“Fine.” I spit out the word like it was a curse. I didn’t relish the thought of Eric forever seeing me as the annoying, rude girl who begged him to fix a computer problem a monkey could probably solve, but I told myself that it would be more than worth it to help Alexis. My teeth dug sharply into my lower lip as I pulled out my phone. I hoped I’d have a few extra seconds to come up with a good way to phrase my request, but Eric picked up on the first ring.

“Hello there,” he said in a vaguely British accent. I think he was going for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Something warm fluttered inside me when I heard his voice. Damn, how could he still be so suave even when he was just joking around? Did he even know he was doing it?

“Hello yourself,” I breathed. Shit, I needed to keep myself in check. I cleared my throat. “I’m really sorry in advance for ruining your obviously good mood, but I, um, kind of have a computer emergency?”

He gave a little chuckle that sent another heated shiver through me. “What kind of emergency?”

“Look, I get that people probably do this to you all the time and you get sick of it… it’s probably and easy fix, but… my friend got drunk and accidentally clicked on a bad link, and now she’s panicking and won’t let anyone touch her computer.” I held my breath, grateful not to have to ask him for this favor in person.

“Give me your address and I’ll be there in twenty minutes, tops.”

“Really? Oh.” I sighed. “Thank you so much, you have no idea how grateful I am.”

“Don’t even mention it.”

I gave him our address and hung up, taking a few seconds to compose myself before turning back to my friends. Al was in a fetal position, staring a thousands yards through her computer. Megan, now holding the half-gallon of long island iced tea, nudged her, and she held out her empty wine glass without looking up. She chugged down the cocktail alarmingly fast, hiccuping loudly before turning her blank gaze to the kitchen and starting like a deer in headlights when she saw me.

“OK. Eric’s coming over. He’s going to fix this,” I said. Al’s eyes got even wider as she nodded furiously.

“Hooray for having a man solve all our problems!” Megan said, raising the bottle as if about to drink right from it.

“What the hell is your problem?” I took the bottle from her, picked up her glass from the coffee table, filled it, and handed it to her. “You’re the one who wanted me to call him!”

“What, can’t I just vent after a long day?”

“Venting privileges don’t extend to hypocrisy.” I scooped her sweaty scrubs up off the couch. “Go put clothes on, he’ll be here in twenty.”

She grabbed the wad of fabric and skulked to her room. “Yes, Mistress…”

I shook my head; I swore someday I’d sprain my neck from all the head-shaking I did. “Thank you, sweetheart!” I called after her affectionately. I looked down at Alexis, who was nursing the last few drops of the cocktail in her glass. “You OK?”

She nodded again. I didn’t like how much she was drinking, but I didn’t think it was my place to judge, since she was the only one of the three of us who’d never been so much as tipsy in public, or made any poorer choices while intoxicated than to click on a bad link. Still, now that I’d gotten over the hurdle of getting Eric to come over, I couldn’t help but be concerned that my friend might end up doing or saying something in the presence of our criminally-attractive impending guest that she’d be mortified by in the morning.

There wasn’t much I could do to prevent that now other than to move the near-empty wine bottle and jug of pre-mixed cocktail out of her reach and to make the apartment as neat as possible. Everyone said guys were slobs, but one look around the place told me that there was no way Eric needed to see that our apartment was currently one step above a disaster zone. Books, magazines, and papers with my own shitty attempts at blueprints for the club had somehow ended up everywhere, not to mention scraps of thread and fabric from all the sewing Al had done to get our costumes for the upcoming Star Wars premier ready. Bbetween Megan’s hectic hospital shifts, Alexis putting in overtime to take a few extra days off work around Christmas, and my own time stretched thin between editing, club planning, and the liquor store, none of us had time to clean. Nothing better than a hot guy to get you motivated, I thought as I dashed to get the vacuum from the closet.

I could be almost robotically efficient when I put my mind to it, and I put my mind to it now. I swept the floor, carefully circling around Alexis and her laptop like two rocks in a zen garden, and indeed there was something oddly soothing about cleaning. It had always been that way for me, even if I didn’t always make time for it. I liked the purposefulness of it, the control it gave me over some small aspect of my life, the way I could let myself become absorbed in the task at hand and take pleasure in having done a good job at the end. But there was something else there this time: an warm, sensuous undercurrent to my growing calm as I organized the strewn papers into neat stacks and loaded the dishwasher, and as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I knew it had to do with the fact that my methodical cleaning was for Eric. To please him.

I knew that was the submissive side of me talking, the side of me that I needed to keep on a tight leash whenever he was around. By the time the living room and kitchen looked presentable enough for company I was warm all over, and it wasn’t just my lightning-speed cleaning efforts that had me flushed. I glanced at my phone; Eric would be there in four minutes or less, and I’d been so in the zone that I’d barely noticed that Megan was dressed and already ordering a pizza.

“Hey, should I ask for extra sausage?” she whispered to me with a wink. I raised an eyebrow, about to tell her not to do that to the poor delivery person, when there was a knock at the door. Eric was here, right on schedule… and just in time for me to realize that I hadn’t thought to put a bra on. Fuck.

Before I had a chance to decide between answering the door and running to my room to cover my perky nipples, Alexis suddenly leapt up and stumbled over to the door with impressive speed. From where I was standing, I was at the perfect angle to see Eric looking equal parts mouthwatering and totally cute in a leather jacket and red winter scarf when she opened the door… as well as her own reaction as she got an eyeful of him. Oh no. Her jaw couldn’t have been any closer to the floor if she were a cartoon character, and I could practically see here eyeballs bulging out of here head. Eric, for his part, was smiling his completely beguiling smile, dimples out in full force and somehow made even more charming by being half-covered by his scarf. I wasn’t sure if it was because of his good nature or the fact that he had to get that reaction from women pretty often that he didn’t seem particularly phased, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good sign that knowing it was probably the latter had me hot and bothered even as it raised my hackles.

“Hi, Eric Yun,” he said, breaking the silence after Alexis had had a few seconds to gawk at him. “And you are?”

“In love,” she sighed, her voice uncharacteristically dreamy, slouching against the door frame in a way that was probably meant to be seductive. Megan tittered with laughter behind me, and I could feel the blush seeping into my cheeks and something unpleasant curdling in my gut. Alcohol-induced out-of-character moment for Al or not, an unwelcome bit of jealousy still needled at me. But thankfully my common sense overrode it, as did concern for my best friend and sympathetic second-hand embarrassment for Eric. His eyes flicked over to me, and I felt guilty for not rescuing them both a moment sooner.

“Eric, this is Alexis Ortega, Al, this is Eric,” I said and I ushered him inside. “Thank you so much again for coming over, I’m really going to owe you for this.”

I’d said the words without even thinking, and the look he gave me as he took them in had my pussy suddenly throbbing and my nipples hardening even more. And the way his eyes glanced down ever so briefly told me he hadn’t missed that I was currently bra-less.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, his voice carefully neutral even as he gave me a little smirk. I offered to take his coat, wondering if my polite tone could be mistaken for something more submissive. He shrugged out of his jacket, his strong shoulders somehow making even that innocuous action incredibly sexy.

“’Sup,” said Megan, grinning widely as she leaned against the kitchen counter. Eric waved at her, then briefly scanned the living room before his eyes landed on Alexis’ laptop on the floor. Alexis was still staring at him, but shook herself out of it long enough to pick the device up gingerly and hand it to him, like she were handing off a newborn baby. Eric raised his eyebrows but seemed to humor her as he sat carefully on the couch, Alexis sitting beside him with her leg pressing against his and her hands folded tightly in her lap in so that that had her breasts were squished together by her upper arms. He moved away from her ever so slightly, which was strangely gratifying, although I might’ve just been imagining it.

Megan sauntered into the room. “Yeah, she gets pretty thirsty when she drinks,” she laughed, trading a teasing look with me that I chose to ignore.

“Is that right?” Eric muttered as he worked his magic on her laptop. Alexis pouted but didn’t seem to have heard Megan’s comment, judging by how her eyes flitted back and forth from Eric’s face to his busy hands as she slowly bent over to pour herself another glass of wine, then nestled against him as she sat back, in a way that I’m sure she thought was subtle.

“By all means, make yourself comfortable,” he said, a cheeky half-grin lighting up his face. He glanced up at me. “It’s your house, after all. You can sit down.”

His eyes flicked up and down, and I felt my nipples tighten again. I literally need to calm my tits, I thought as I quickly sat down on the other end of the couch, putting more distance between us than Al seemed willing to give him in her fragile and star-struck state.

“There, good as new,” he said in seemingly no time at all. “Although if you really want it operating at max efficiency, I’d be more than happy to uninstall a bunch of those junk programs that come with it from the big box store.”

“Yay!” Al squealed, nearly knocking the much larger man over as she threw her arms around his neck. Eric gave me an adorably pleading look that had me smiling despite my flash of envy, though he didn’t seem to need much saving as he effortlessly and swiftly pried her hands away and placed them on her lap. Now that really made me jealous, as well as more than a little aroused. That casual display of dominance, the easy way he took control…

OK, time to jump off that train of thought. I stood quickly, paranoid that he would smell my raw lust if I stayed too close to him. “Thank you so much for coming over,” I told him emphatically. I had my checkbook ready on the coffee table, and I picked it up, determined to pay him for his time and not waste any more of it, no matter how much I wanted him to stay longer. “How much do I owe you?”

Eric shook his head as he stood up. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Please, you have to take something.” I was starting to feel antsy.

“We’ll pay you in pizza if you stick around for the movie,” Megan said far too sweetly. What the hell was she playing at? I shot her a stern look as Eric glanced between the two of us. He crossed his arms, but judging from his quick answer I wondered if it was only a token gesture.

“Depends on what movie we’re watching,” he replied, though me met my eyes as he said it.

Somehow I held back my ridiculous sigh of relief. “Remember when I said one of my favorite movies is Lust Caution?”

A dangerously enticing grin slowly spread across his face. “Am I about to find out why?”

I smiled cautiously back at him. “You don’t have to stay, I don’t want to hold you back from anything.”

“But now I’m intrigued,” he said, settling back down on the couch and throwing one arm across the back of it. “Unless that’s your way of trying to kick me out.”

My quick heartbeat was no longer due to anxiety at this point. Bad idea or not, I did want him here. “By all means, make yourself at home,” I told him, mirroring his words from earlier.

“Wait, you’re staying?” Alexis squeaked, finally seeming to catch on. Oh Lord, poor Eric would probably be fending off her drunken advances all night, but as he exchanged a what-have-you-gotten-me-into look with me as I sat down again, something more pressing that jealousy prodded at the back of my mind: what would I do when it got to that part of the movie? I did my best to shake the feeling. Maybe Eric was clouding my judgment, but I’d cross that bridge when I came to it.

AUTHOR BIO:

A proud Pittsburgh, PA area native, Siena Noble has explored and inhabited all kinds of fictional worlds through her writing since age ten. Although she’s always been a sucker for a good love story and possesses an incredibly dirty mind, she never imagined that her publishing debut would be erotic romance. What started as a silly short story idea quickly became something much bigger, a demanding Master of a manuscript whose every whim Siena submitted to.

When she’s not busy reading, writing, binge-watching Game of Thrones, or doing a million other important things, Siena enjoys traveling, archery, and getting lost in the woods (also known as “hiking”). She and her better half/writing buddy/sometimes Sir/sex muse live together in Pittsburgh. Their dream is to relocate to the middle of nowhere and build a castle capable of withstanding the impending zombie apocalypse.

Website, Goodreads, Twitter

{GIVEAWAY!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! :)