Excerpt & Giveaway! S.O.B. by J.C. Valentine

 

Levi Black is an s.o.b.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he’s a pretentious, obnoxious, womanizing jacka** who thinks the world revolves around him. He wouldn’t be wrong. A famous soccer player, his skills on and off the field have won him medals, trophies, women, and the cover of every heartthrob magazine in the country. He’s broken nearly every bone in his body and a few hearts along the way, including mine—his stepsister—and lived to tell about it. One night changed everything, and I’ve avoided him like the plague ever since. Just long enough to finish college, to bury the hurt, and to outrun the memories. But now that’s all changed. I’m back, and there’s no more running. My hands are supposed to be my livelihood, but now they’re my curse. Levi’s reckless ways have landed him in a sticky situation, and his father has given me an offer I can’t refuse. One month, and all I have to do is put my hands on his body. Easier said than done. The problem is, even though I know it’s bound to bite me in the a**, I can’t bring myself to say no to the s.o.b.

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~*~

When I open my eyes, I meet hers. They’re wide and full of confusion, maybe a touch of horror, too. 

“How—Why—Did we...?” She shakes her head then throws her leg over mine, scrambling off me. 

I watch her as she runs her hands over her clothes and through her hair, and her expression makes me laugh. “Did you know you snore when you sleep?” 

“I do not!” Snatching a pillow from the floor where I tossed it last night, she lobs it at my face, but I catch it one-handed before it can reach its target. 

“You’re right. You were too exhausted to do much more than drool.”

Her eyes flare and I can tell she’s about to scream, so I decide to take mercy on her and put her mind at ease to save myself the ruptured eardrum. 

“Don’t worry, princess. Your virtue, or what’s left of it, is still intact.” 

She scowls down at me, but when she speaks her voice is soft and filled with doubt. “We didn’t sleep together?” 

“Oh, we slept together,” I say as I push myself up and place my bare feet on the floor. “Just not in the way you’re hoping.” 

“Oh, get over yourself. Believe it or not, not every woman in the world wants to sleep with you.” 

With sharp movements, she strides toward the stairs. I watch her go for a moment before remembering that I can match her pace now, and then I get up and go after her. 

“You’re right. Not every woman in the world wants a piece of me. Although, they’d be crazy not to.” She glowers at me as we reach the top of the stairs, but her eyes betray her as they fall to my bare chest. She wants me just as much as I want her, and when she lifts her gaze back to mine, I wink at her. 

Huffing, she picks up her pace. 

“But you know what I’ve come to realize?” I ask. Taking two large steps, I reach her bedroom before she does and plant myself in the opening, blocking her entry. 

Her expression twists and I can see the rage burning in her eyes. “What?” she snaps. “What is this big revelation?” Again, her gaze drops to my chest, then falls to my abs, then comes back up, sweeping over my arms, which I cross over my chest because it makes the muscles look bigger. 

I love her attitude. It’s the right mix of pissed off and intrigued. She can’t resist me and she knows it, and that’s what’s got her all riled up. I can read the truth all over her. I decide to enlighten her. 

“What I’ve come to realize is that it doesn’t matter how many women want me, just which woman wants me. And there’s only one woman whose opinion of me matters right now.” 

I hold her narrowed gaze until dawning lights in them. For a split second, the little lines around her eyes vanish and I almost think she might smile, but she recovers herself quickly.

“Keywords: right now. I wasn’t born yesterday, Levi, so don’t presume me to be one of your nitwit groupies who can’t tell the difference between the truth and a crappy pickup line.” 

With more strength than I would have guessed her to have, Vista places her hands on my chest and shoves. Knocking me off balance, I fall back a couple steps, just enough to give her room to pass. 

“So you’re saying I need to work on my technique?” 

Gripping the door, she’s practically seething as she stares up at me. “I’m saying you need to find yourself a different practice dummy.” Then she slams the door in my face. 

A smile tugs at my lips. Vista has more guts than I realized. No woman has ever turned me down. Up until last night, I thought that was pretty damn awesome. I never understood why some men got off on chasing women around, dating, and buying them things to earn their attention. Now, I’m beginning to appreciate the thrill of the chase. Is that what Vista’s looking for, a guy who will chase her? 

Leaning in, I push my face close to the door so I know she’ll hear me. “You know what I think, Vista?” Her silence only spurs me on. “I don’t think you want me to go away. I think you want me to chase you. Well, princess, you’ve got your wish, because you’re the only dummy I want to chase.” 

Something slams against the door and bounces twice on the floor. A shoe? Throwing my head back I belt out a laugh. Damn, she’s a spitfire. Game on.

~*~

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn't sorry. J.C. earned her own happily ever after when she married her high school sweetheart. Living in the Northwest, they have three amazing children and far too many pets and spend much of their free time together enjoying movies or the outdoors. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor's in English and when she isn't writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors. Sign up for J.C.'s newsletter and never miss a thing! http://bit.ly/1KxXWWB

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Excerpt & Giveaway! The Second Chance, Inferno Falls #3 by Aubrey Parker

He left her alone. Now he’s back … but too much has changed.

Maya grew up with a big heart and even bigger dreams. She never thought she’d end up a single mother spending her whole life where she grew up—the small town of Inferno Falls. But things didn’t work out the way she thought. Grady, her high school love, moved away and left her alone to raise her daughter before the ink dried on their diplomas. Eight years later, Maya’s struggling to make ends meet. And when life gets too tough, she heals the void inside in the only way she knows … whether it’s right or wrong.

But then Grady returns. He’s finally grown homesick after nearly a decade of wandering America, seeing sights and having adventures like Maya always dreamed of—but could never reach for. And Maya holds out hope—more than hope, a need—that Grady is coming home for her, too. It could be just like old times, if she can keep a grip on her bad habits for long enough. Maybe she can finally have the man she’s always wanted, and Kylie can have the father she’s always needed.

Many of us get second chances, but never more than three strikes.

Maya makes the dangerous mistake of assuming everything is just the way it was before, despite the years that have passed. When Grady only wants to make sure they’re not moving too quickly, Maya sees rejection and disaster looms. Rather than preserving a perfect memory, it seems the years have changed them both too much, perhaps, to heal the past. But to earn the love and happiness she’s hunted for so long, Maya won’t merely need to learn to accept Grady … and will have to learn to accept herself, first.

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~*~

It’s amazing how comfortable this all is. 

It would be inaccurate to say dinner goes smoothly because these are my parents and they’re always saying or doing something that embarrasses me even when I’m here alone. But considering all the balls in play, it goes far smoother than it has any right to. 

Grady has been gone for Mackenzie’s entire life. I haven’t bothered Mac with the details of our past, of course, because it would only burden her, and it’s enough for her to think of Grady as an “old friend.” But my folks know it all. They know how we used to be. They know how we broke up, and how I hooked up with Tommy. Up until that point, I feigned virginity, and even after I pretended that I had no itches in desperate need of scratching. If my parents had their druthers, they’d still think I was snow white, but Tommy left me with evidence to the contrary. Grady might have come off as a saint compared to deviling, sex-mongering Tommy, but my parents still know Grady left me, and how angry I became. I think they shared a lot of that anger, and certainly helped me pull through. They know I was stressed when Grady returned. And if I force myself to think past their often-oblivious appearances, I’m sure they know deep down just how much I want him back. 

And yet nobody is showing a sign. 

Nothing is awkward. 

No one is walking on eggshells. Nobody is acting like they know secrets or like they suspect secrets being harbored against them. There are no signs of old grudges, old feelings left to molder in forgotten corners. My folks could be Grady’s parents, too, the way they keep henpecking him and weaseling his life’s details into the open for quiet, well-meaning judgment. 

Dad has thoughts on how to get maximum resale value out of the claptrap truck Grady used to tour the country, away from us. 

Mom wants to see photos of all the places he visited while I was sobbing into pillows, raging against Grady, Tommy, and the world. 

He accepts it all. I watch him absorb it and love him that much more. All the old feelings are coming back. Even if I wanted to stop them, I couldn’t. I feel myself warming from the bottom up, like a vessel filling with liquid. I start to smile and can’t keep a straight face even when I want to. 

I remember how we used to be. How, on two or three separate occasions, he came here with me, playing the good suitor despite his somewhat unfair bad boy reputation, and how afterward I climbed out my window to meet him at the creek, where we made love on the bank. I remember the innocent joy of those evenings — the way the air held the day’s heat, the smell of soil under our blanket, the moon shining its blue light between the branches overhead. I remember the feeling of promise: that there were only good things waiting and that everything would be all right. 

A lot has happened since I last felt this way, but it strikes me how curious it is, the way things have come full circle. There was a time of torment and tumult between Grady’s and my innocent days, but that time has passed. I’ve been pregnant and alone, but now I’m a seasoned mother with a family around me. I’ve been angry and frightened, but today I feel happy and (at this table with Grady beside me, at least) secure and content. 

We’re no longer seventeen. We no longer have quite as many years ahead of us, and in some important ways, our eyes have been opened to the world’s truths. But that doesn’t mean we can’t pick up where we left off. There’s no reason we can’t still have that future, albeit with a decade lost to time in between. 

I watch Mackenzie. She doesn’t know this man, yet she fits with him like the missing piece of a puzzle. And I watch Grady with her, and I see how he’d be as a father. How he could have been as a father. How he is being a father, right here and now. 

Yes. I could be happy here. 

All the day’s problems feel far away. I don’t want to send my mind out to the things that were bothering me so badly earlier, but in an intellectual way I know they’re there … and yet I don’t care. Whatever is wrong, I have my family. Whatever happens, it will all work out. Whatever goes wrong, Grady will make it right. 

I wonder if I’m being stupid all over again. I have no idea how Grady feels, other than the inkling I first got from his text and the impression that’s continued with our shared glances since. Maybe he could love me again. Maybe he never stopped, the way I suppose I never really stopped loving him. Or maybe I’m building a house of cards that could collapse at any time. 

It doesn’t matter. Maybe I’m wrong to feel this way. Maybe I’m being an idiot. I simply don’t care. For now, it feels good. For now, I’m happy.

Maybe I’m setting myself up to get hurt all over again. But tonight it’s a chance I’m willing to take.

~*~

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Sale Blitz! Weakened & Wrapped, Manhattan Bound 1 & 2 by Juliet Braddock

Against the glittering backdrop of New York City, budding theatrical publicist Maxine Kirk, fresh off the bus from a small Pennsylvania town, stumbles into the arms of her beloved teenage crush, unleashing desires that she never imagined. Enter Drew McKenzie, a rising star on Broadway with dashing looks and talent to match, who masquerades behind the characters he portrays. Instantly, Maxine finds herself lured into Drew’s high society world only to uncover a complicated man beneath the glitz and glamour of his public persona. As soon as the curtain falls, Drew sheds his stage costumes to reveal a daring Dominant side. Titillated by his enigmatic life, Maxine clamors to discover a surreptitious and possibly perilous affair with Drew, all the while questioning her own preconceived notions on romance. Secrets surface, revealing haunting truths that test both Maxine and Drew of their own intentions. But in this high-stakes game of trust, only the strongest survive.

"Juliet’s writing style is just flawless and, ever since I began her book, I wasn’t able to stop. She managed to create a striking story that lures you in, with characters that seem so real, I felt like I knew every one of them."

~ Mikky's World Of Books

Sweeping through the glitz and glamour of New York’s high society and the drama unfolding in the dressing rooms of Broadway, Wrapped, by Juliet Braddock, continues the journey of a young theatrical publicist’s foray into submission under the tutelage of a dashingly dark star of the stage. Wrapped—the much anticipated sequel to Braddock’s critically acclaimed erotic romance Weakened—is the second book in the Manhattan Bound series. When Drew McKenzie presents Maxine Kirk with an ultimatum, challenging her to engage in his wanton brand of desire, she readily embraces her awakening hunger for a lifestyle that defies her perceptions of romance. Entranced by Drew’s charming appeal and by his sensual assault to her senses, Maxine clamors to discover every nuance of this new relationship, ravenous to explore verboten fantasies that seem possible to fulfill only with Drew. Along the way, he introduces her to his glamorous world of wealth and celebrity—where lavish galas and luxurious gifts are the norm—and entices her into his realm of control with his tender mode of domination. All the while, however, they both grapple with painful emotions brought about by the extenuating circumstances of their separate pasts. While Drew remains both confident and conscientious in his parlay of power over Maxine, his own tragic secret lurks in every shadow upon his path in life. Behind the façade of his stage persona and the origin of old Manhattan society, he struggles to hide the unforgiving reality he faced as a child. Just as Maxine finds the strength to conquer her own torment with Drew’s patience and guidance leading her toward closure, terrifying truths begin to chip away at the surface of his composure. As the nightmarish details of Drew’s unimaginable life emerge, he fears that this new world he’d begun to build with Maxine will crumble around him. As Maxine finds herself embroiled in the battle to save Drew’s tortured soul from the atrocities that continue to stalk his every move, two lost souls struggling to find comfort and completion converge. However, as Drew opens his heart to Maxine’s unwavering support, he questions his own bravery, wondering if she’ll take a bow and make her exit…or if she’ll stick around for the encore?

 

"An incredibly emotive read that will move with sadness, have you cheering with happiness with the successes, laughing out loud and much more."

~LBM Book Blog

Juliet Braddock loves eighties music, wine, food, theater and all things French. When she’s not exploring the big cities of the world—most notably Paris—she lives and writes in Manhattan, and is the proud cat mom to a very spoiled Russian Blue rescue.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! A Summer With Snow, Frosted Seasons #1 by Hallie Swanson

 

It was the summer of 2005, probably the most memorable summer of my life. I was twelve years old, six weeks we spent together, forty two days, in that time our friendship grew, and then without warning he upped and left. I always hoped he’d come back to us, I couldn’t let go of his memory. He became my first, my only teenage crush. Every day he was in my mind, and every night he was in my dreams. Ten years on this man is still my secret obsession no matter how many men I’ve met and dated, nobody ever measured up. Even today, all I can think about is the summer of 2005, the summer I spent with Snow.

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~*~

“Darcy, lift your arms above your head,” he says, standing directly before me.

His tanned physique is to die for. Steam wafts up from his broad chest. There’s a slight gap between us, yet he feels so warm. Standing here like this is everything I’ve ever pictured in my dreams; every sensation, every ounce of feeling rushes through the core of my body. The tips of his fingers take the edge of my T-shirt, and holding onto the cotton material they slowly glide up past my waist, past my breasts, and with my arms raised, past my fingers. I glance down as he drops my top onto the bed. Encased by his arms, he unclips the fastenings of my bra. I sense his chest has cooled as he leans his bare flesh against my breasts. I lower my eyes, expecting him to lift me onto the bed, and I’ve no desire to fight him. He rests his cheek against mine, and I flinch as his stubble rubs against my face. His lips part as they press against my ear, and I tilt my head ever so slightly so that they can move down to my neck.

“You shower, Darcy; I left the water running.”

His fingers, his lips slip away and he walks to the far side of the bed, still rubbing at his hair. Is he acting like the perfect gentleman or, after the way I’ve acted, is he just too scared to make the first move? As I look over his body the thought of him inside me is making me wet. I blush, feeling embarrassed at my own thoughts. What’s happening to you, Darcy?

Filled with frustration, I saunter into a bathroom of wall-to-wall mirrors. I step out of my trousers and my black lace panties, and from the cold tiled floor into the shower. Blinded by steam, I lean my head back against the striking white wall tiles. I blink, screwing up my eyes as they are hit by jets of hot water. Taking the lathered soap from its porcelain dish, I rub it between my palms, touching my face, my arms. I begin circling my hands over my skin, trying to wash my frustration away; on reaching my breasts I circle my nipples … they are hard against my fingers. Still covered in soap and water, my hands dip down to my waist and on between my legs; slowly I begin to rub myself. I take his advice and pretend that’s it’s not me here, but someone else. Losing myself in my head, I feel I’m also losing my inhibitions.

“Snow!” I cry out. “Can you come here?”

~*~

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Release Day Blitz! Unwrap Me, Stark Trilogy #3.9 by J.Kenner

From New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner comes an electrifying holiday eBook novella. In Unwrap Me, fan favorites Damien Stark and Nikki Fairchild get ready for Christmas—and this year they’re both on the very naughty list.

Includes a special preview of Dirtiest Secret, the provocative first novel in J. Kenner’s highly anticipated new trilogy!

Damien Stark is my greatest Christmas wish come true. Immensely powerful and devastatingly sexy, he can undo me with the slightest touch, and with just one glance, he can see straight into my soul.

We both have dark secrets, twisted pieces of our pasts that only the other one understands. Though our fierce love and passion keeps me alive, sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if Damien and I hadn’t met in exactly the way we did.

How would my life have been different? Would another man have laid claim to my body and my heart? Or were Damien and I destined to be together no matter the cost?

Unwrap Me is intended for mature audiences.J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

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Praise for J. Kenner and The Stark Trilogy

“Kenner may very well have cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.”—RT Book Reviews 

"I love the captivating writing and passionate characters that pull me into every J. Kenner story. The raw intensity and scorching sexy times mixed with an element of intrigue always keep me on the edge of my seat. She’s a must read author for me." - Gretchen, About that Story 

“J. Kenner's writing is like a fine wine, expertly crafted into a melody of notes that will arouse your senses and warm you to your core. Her sinfully seductive men will command a delicious blush to your cheeks while breathing life into your every fantasy. The masterful attention to detail is what brings you back again and again, and makes her work top-shelf.”

- Hilary S, Bookalicious Babes Blog

Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, "chicklit" suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations" and by RT Bookclub for having "cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for him." A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). 

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Excerpt & Giveaway! The Match Of The Century, Marrying the Duke #1 by Cathy Maxwell

In New York Times bestselling author Cathy Maxwell’s glittering new series, wedding bells are ringing… until the return of a rake throws a bride’s plans— and heart—into a tailspin.

Every debutante aspires to snag a duke. Elin Morris just happens to have had one reserved since birth. But postponements of her marriage to London’s most powerful peer give Elin time to wonder how she will marry Gavin Baynton when she cannot forget his brother, Benedict.

Already exasperated at being yanked from the military to meet “family obligations,” now Ben must suffer watching his arrogant sibling squire the only woman he has ever loved. Joining the army saved Ben from sinking into bitterness, but seeing Elin again takes him back to the day they surrendered to their intoxicating desire.

As the wedding draws near, Elin tries to push Ben far from her thoughts. When danger brings them together, there is no denying their feelings. But can Elin choose love over duty…?

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~*~

Her mother led Elin to her dressing table. She gently pushed Elin to sit on the bench and then knelt on the carpet in front of her, taking her hands and holding them.

“My daughter, we have discussed this. I thought you’d forgiven yourself. It was not a good incident in your life but nothing terrible came of it.” 

“I have forgiven myself.” Elin’s voice sounded false to her own ears. “I just believe Baynton should know.” 

“That his brother took advantage of his betrothed? Is that what you want to tell him?” 

“I wouldn’t say who.” Especially since Baynton and his brothers had a turbulent history. 

There had been three Whitridge sons residing at Baynton, until Gavin’s younger, Jack, had disappeared one night from Eton. Some claimed he’d had run off. Others believed foul play. No matter what, he was never seen or heard from again. 

The disappearance had meant that the old duke had not wanted to let his last and youngest son meet the same end. Or have the same opportunity to escape. The old duke had been an exacting taskmaster. He had high expectations for his heir. Ben often felt he was an after thought. “A spare,” Ben had always claimed, oftentimes bitterly. “Always kept at bay.” 

Because of Jack’s disappearance, his father had kept him at Trenton, the family estate, and had him educated by a succession of tutors with only Elin as a companion. 

As an only child of parent who were often absent from the country, Elin had valued Ben’s company. She’d trusted him and to this day, could not believe he had taken her innocence to strike out at his oldest brother, as her mother had claimed. Everyone knew the brothers were highly competitive. The old duke liked them that way. 

However, to Elin, the loss of her purity was a small thing in the face of the betrayal of a trusted friend. She’d known he’d longed for independence. He’d yearned to buy his commission and set off into the world. 

What she hadn’t anticipated was that he would use her in such a deliberate way. That had seemed out of character. Her mother had assured her it was very much the nature of men and one of the reasons that from now on, her parents would protect her more closely. And so they had.

~*~

Don't Miss the Marrying the Duke Novella

A LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE

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New York Times Bestselling Author, Cathy Maxwell spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” It remains for her the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness. She lives in beautiful Virginia with children, horses, dogs, and cats.

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Release Day Blitz! Belong, Seven Year Itch #3 by Jennifer Foor

Ten years ago I fell in love with a married woman. I walked away so she could be happy, moving across the country to make sure I put space between us. We severed ties, and I promised myself I wouldn't look back. 

Since then I committed to someone else, and we have a child and a life many would wish for. Except, it's never been enough for me. There's always been something missing; something I never wanted to admit.

With my own marriage failing, I'm forced to go back to my hometown to bury the man who raised me. I never expected to see her there, and nothing could prepare me for what would happen the moment my arms wrapped around hers again.

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~*~

"You have every right to assume this can't be anything more than a temporary affair. I don't blame you for being cautious, but there is something I want you to know."

She turned around, finally looking right at me with those hesitant eyes. "What?"

"I still love you." I swallowed the lump in my throat as the words came out, silently praying she wouldn't force me to leave. It wasn't every day that I told someone other than my wife I loved them, but in this instance it was the truest statement I'd ever made. "I feel like I've loved you for a lifetime. It’s true. I have loved my wife, but it’s not the same. It’s always been you, Rach. You’re the only woman I know I’ll never be able to let go of. Staying away was my only option. I did it to protect both of our lives, but there’s nothing standing in the way anymore. Please don't deny us a second chance." I paused one more time. "I need you, just as much as I think you need me."

Her shoulders relaxed, and I watched her purse fall from her grip and hit the concrete ground. She shrugged while staring into my eyes. Her lips were trembling, allowing me to almost sense the connection between us. "I'm not strong enough to be with you again. I can't handle anymore heartache. Being close to you scares me, because I’m tired of the pain and suffering."

I took two steps forward, breaking the distance between us. "I'm not capable of hurting you again, Rach. If you give me this chance I promise I won't let you down. Let me be your friend again, and whatever comes with it will be determined by both of us."

~*~

Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. 

She is married with She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan

Mirror, mirror ... who's the fairest of them all?

I still cringe when I hear that line. A fairy tale that had girls pretending they were the fairest, the most beautiful, and the most entitled. A fairy tale most couldn't grow out of turned my haunted childhood memories into a living nightmare. Girls who grew up believing that pile of garbage became the meanest of all 'mean girls.'

And those mean girls were right - it was a line meant for all the beautiful people in the world - and I knew the answer would never be me.

The women with long legs, flat stomachs, and perfect chests.

The type of women Kane Masters gravitated toward.

Well, that's definitely not Willow Tate.

No. That will never be me.

Because I'm completely imperfect.

And ... I hate myself.

I have no idea what Kane could possibly see in someone like me when he could have them.

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~*~

“Are you nervous right now?”

I nod.

“Tell me why.” His demand, steady and calm, gives me the courage I need to tell him. To open a vein and bleed my insecurities.

“I’m not perfect,” I whisper.

“And neither am I, Willow. I don’t want perfect. What so many see as perfect, to me, is fake. Perfect isn’t achievable naturally. No one, and I mean no one, is perfect.”

I’m shaking my head before he’s even done speaking, but one long finger comes up and presses against my lips before I can speak.

“No, let me finish. There isn’t beauty in perfection. It’s as fake as the image the word projects. Beauty is found in imperfection, Willow, because to admit you’re not perfect means you’re admitting you’re not whole and absolute. When I think of myself, I see someone willing to admit he’s as far from complete as it gets because, in order to get to that perfection, I need to find the other part of me who will make my life better. To take all the faults I have and fill them, and only then will I be there. You see, the way I see it, the only way to become perfect is to find that perfectly imperfect person who brings it out of you.”

When he stops, I swear I might have stopped breathing. How am I supposed to respond to that? 

“Do you trust me?” he asks, his voice strong and sure.

“Yes, Kane. Nerves or not, I do.”

“Then let me show you what I see when I look at you.”

He brings his hands up, framing my face once again in a way I’m quickly becoming addicted to the feeling of. His warm eyes implore, begging me without words to let him continue. I do not intend to stop him, regardless of the butterflies currently taking over my system. I’m all in.

~*~

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed 'Estrogen Ocean', much to her husband’s chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero--the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn't take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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