Body, Ink, & Soul by Jude Ouvrard

Summary:
Phoenix Silverstone more commonly known as Nix, is a twenty-one year old that has finally discovered her freedom. After living under the strict rules and protection of her mother, Nix moved out with her two best friends in a quaint little Seattle apartment.  For the first time Nix is finally able to spread her wings and breathe. Together, they get a job working at a bar and for the first time everything is perfect.
Freedom, friendships, a great job and fantastic man on the verge of becoming hers. Tristan is the suave, intelligent, not to mention gorgeous law student that Nix has her eyes and heart set on. For the first time, she has her life together; that is, until her path crosses with Levi. The charming, tattooed and downright sexy bad boy that Nix knows she needs to avoid.
But when one of her friends moves out she is shocked to find that her new roommate is none other than Levi. Flirting. Desire. Undeniable temptations. Nix can’t deny the chemistry surging between them but she can’t forget her mother’s extreme hate towards bad boys.
Will Nix have the strength to listen to her heart? Or will her                                                        mother’s rules cost her everything?

I have to say that I like tattoos but I do believe there is a line between nice tats and going overboard with the ink.  Having said that, even though that's a personal preference, I do not let tattoos effect my opinion of a person.  So it was very easy for me not to like Nix's mother.  This story is well written with characters that not only worm their way into your heart, be it for hate or love, but they also could very easily be people you know.  As much as I love getting to know characters that I would never have the opportunity to meet it's a pleasant surprise when they can be someone down the street or around the corner too.  I loved watching Nix come to terms with her warring feelings of "do I follow Mom's preachings or my own heart?"  A definite must to add to your to-be-read list.  I am anxiously awaiting to see what happens next.



Rating:  

     ''Can I get you anything?'' I asked him, while taking all the empty plastic glasses off the counter.
     ''A smile. Give me that and you’ll get the biggest tip tonight.'' The slow seductive tone rolling off his shapely lips told me he wasn’t just fooling around. His green eyes were staring at me like I was dessert. This guy was hot and he knew it. The way his tousled light brown hair went every which way, hanging down onto his forehead, told me right away he didn’t care about his looks. He didn’t have to.
     He wanted a smile? I shook my head. ''You don’t want a drink? Just water, maybe?''
     ''No, just a smile. You're the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and it's just a smile I want.'' He brushed his hand through his hair, making it even more distressed.
     I knew I was blushing and biting my lips in embarrassment. His eyes refused to stray from mine, pinning me in place. I smiled, but not because he asked.  No, this was solely because this very random man had pulled one out of me on his own. I saw the humor in his eyes. He slid fifty bucks out of his pocket and onto the counter. ''Thank you, Princess. You just made my night.''
     He got up and walked away. I could see the hint of tattoos peeking out of his neckline and rolled up sleeves, but I was too astonished to call after him or say anything. He was wearing simple black converse, washed out jeans and a black long sleeve henley. There was something about him - mysterious and inscrutable. If he wanted to get my attention, well - he got it.
     Who the hell was that? I kept asking myself as he walked away. I knew he was the guy Tyler had been excited to see, but I had never seen him around here before. I knew I would have remembered that piece of man candy.
     He didn't give me his name and I didn't give him mine. Not that he had to ask - I had a name tag with my name on it. It was the strangest thing that ever happened to me. My eyes remained trained on him until he opened the door of the club and left. I found myself still watching the door, even after it was closed, like I wanted to chase after him – which was insane. I shook my head, willing myself to move on.
     I began wiping the counter, pausing to watch Val entertain her groupies at the station next to me. As I turned to grab more lemons, my eyes were drawn again to the door. Tristan walked in with few of his friends. I had never seen Tristan here before and even after our dinner date tonight, I still didn’t expect it. I couldn’t tell if I was excited by the surprise visit or nervous about it. I felt like he was parading a bunch of his buddies around my bedroom, looking through all my dirty laundry. This was my home away from home and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let him in—yet. Not to mention I was still shaken up from Mr. Mysterious.

Author Bio:
Jude was born and raised in a small village named Lacolle. She now lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful five year old son, Isaac and has spent the last twelve years with her boyfriend, Cedric.
French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. She has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.

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Also By Jude:
Under The Sun
Wonderland
Lost Dreams

Pre-order Branded: Bad Boy Anthology

Summary:
B.L.Wilde, Jeanne McDonald, Jo Matthews, Mary Elizabeth, and Sarah Elizabeth give us five good reasons why good girls love bad boys.  The men of Branded are sexy, adventurous, and troubled deep into their souls.  There may be no redeeming them, but at the risk of losing everything, these good girls must decide if loving their bad boy is indeed worth the cost.



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Expected Release:
August 28, 2014

Condemned by B.L. Wilde

Ten years served for a crime he didn’t commit. Ten years to lose everything he ever knew. Finally released from prison, Clayton McGuire is on a mission and nothing will stand in his way. He is determined to get revenge against the gang that set him up and take back what was stolen from him all those years ago.

Clay will stop at nothing to win back his honor and the heart of the only woman he has ever loved. Will she take him back when he finds her? Or will he be condemned to live a life without his soulmate?

Renegade by Jeanne McDonald

A chance meeting between a rookie cop and a common criminal who’s searching for a way out. 

An unforeseen circumstance.  An instant attraction.  A magnetic connection.

Tattooed, pierced, and foul-mouthed, she can’t help but be drawn to him.

Two people entirely wrong for one another, yet so perfectly right.

When their worlds collide, Lucy Diamond will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice as she embarks on the road of no return with bad boy Jude Wallace. 

Like a thief in the night, love will take them both by surprise.

Desolation by Jo Matthews

Liam Jenkins grew up with everything he ever wanted. At age 17, his world is ripped apart and he finds himself without a home, without a car, and without money. His support system is gone and he is left to fend for himself. Not having any other option, Liam turns to sex and small crimes to survive.

When a beautiful woman chooses not to turn him into the cops but invites him to her hotel room instead, Liam’s world is flipped upside down again and everything he’s learned on the streets ceases to exist.

What will happen when one night with her isn’t enough? When she haunts his thoughts and dreams? When his past finally catches up with him, will he be able to start over? And will his mystery woman be there to see him through?

Low by Mary Elizabeth
Lowen Seely has been forced into making bad choices his whole life but none as consequential ad the one that lands him behind bars.  He thought times were tough before he was locked up; the boy from the hood learns living a law-abiding life is nearly impossible with a felony record.
He finds hope in Poesy Ashby, the girl who kissed him through glass partitions every weekend for two years.
Not everything is simple, but in her he finds strength.
In her, he is brave.
Even crooks love.
When Lowen and Poesy stare poverty in the face, he has another choice to make.
And this time, she's driving.

Don't Let Me Go by Sarah Elizabeth

Based almost entirely on body language, intimate feelings can develop within less than a minute of meeting someone.

Additionally, meeting in a dangerous situation increases the chances of falling in love.

This is that fall.

Where meeting her eyes means seeing it through.

Following down from the start to don’t let me go.

From roll up to run.

Between old glory and new beginnings.

This is what happens when a lamb is carried to the slaughter by courage, instead of a cowardly lion.

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Paint the Sky by Lily G. Blunt

Genre: M/M, Contemporary Romance and Erotica 

Length: 65,000 Words/230 pages

Release Date: August 30, 2014

Summary:
A love of art...
A mutual interest in art draws two shy university students together. Ben admires Vinnie’s painting of the university building, so Vinnie invites him to an exhibition of his artwork. From a wealthy family, Ben purchases some of Vinnie’s art and arranges for the artist to personally hang the paintings in his apartment.

Starry, starry night...
Ben commissions Vinnie to paint his portrait, in order to spend more time with the artist. On the night of the sitting, Vinnie fingerpaints the starry night on Ben’s chest... and they kiss. They begin a relationship beneath the night sky, God’s own canvas.

But every relationship has its ups and downs and so it is with theirs. When Ben thinks Vinnie spends too much time with a fellow artist, his jealousy drives a wedge between them and forces Vinnie into the very thing Ben dreads.

Hold tight to your dreams...
Ben and Vinnie will have to walk through fire before they can find one another again. But if they believe, and if they keep their faith in the night sky and each other, just maybe they can make their dreams of love come true.

Vinnie led me across the room, pulling me by the shirt. “Lie back on the sofa for me and I'll paint you.”

As if in a dream, I settled my head against one arm of the sofa, my legs dangling over the other end, scarcely breathing now. Vinnie knelt on the floor beside me with an open pot of paint in his hand.

Teasingly, he dipped his index finger into the dark blue paint as if it were cream he would lick off. His finger connected with my skin and he made short strokes across my chest, the coldness of the paint making me shiver.

Mesmerised by the closeness of his beautiful face, the view of the night sky through the window, and the picture forming upon my chest, I watched as dab after dab and stroke after stroke he built up a mix of shades, until a dark night sky with the moon and stars were there to be seen—a masterpiece, drying on the warmth of my blazing skin, a transient thing of beauty. His fingers skimmed my skin causing gooseflesh to ripple in waves down my arms and thighs. My nipples pebbled in response to his touch.

And when he was done, his lips met mine in a languid kiss; how our first kiss should have been—sweet, innocent, and full of promise. He pulled away, smiling down at me.

This was the beginning of something special.

Author's Bio:

Lily G. Blunt writes contemporary gay romance and erotica. She loves to explore the relationship between two men and the intensity of their physical and emotional attraction. Angst often features in her stories as she feels this demonstrates the depth of the men’s feelings for each other. Lily is forever writing imaginary scenes and plots in her head, but only a few ever make it to the page—there never seems to be enough hours in the day despite having left the teaching profession to concentrate on her writing!

Lily discovered the wonderful world of m/m romance novels four years ago via fan fiction and went on to write stories in her spare time. With the encouragement of her friends and readers she decided to publish some of her work. 

Lily has several self-published stories available on Amazon. She is also published with Torquere Press and Wayward Ink Publishing.

Easily distracted from her writing, Lily makes videos using clips from gay-themed movies and posts gorgeous pictures of men kissing or making out on her tumblr and Facebook pages. Lily is also an avid supporter of GLBTQ rights and advocates equality for all.

Lily lives in central England with her rather bemused husband, two twenty-something children, and a ‘mad as a bag of frogs’ Shetland Sheepdog.

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Coming

August 30, 2014

Lessons in Discovery (Cambridge Fellows Mysteries #3) by Charlie Cochrane

Summary:
On the very day Jonty Stewart proposes that he and Orlando Coppersmith move in together, Fate trips them up. Rather, it trips Orlando, sending him down a flight of stairs and leaving him with an injury that erases his memory. Instead of taking the next step in their relationship, they’re back to square one. It’s bad enough that Orlando doesn’t remember being intimate with Jonty—he doesn’t remember Jonty at all.

Back inside the introverted, sexually innocent shell he inhabited before he met Jonty, Orlando is faced with two puzzles. Not only does he need to recover the lost pieces of his past, he’s also been tasked by the Master to solve a four-hundred-year-old murder before the end of term. The college’s reputation is riding on it.

Crushed that his lover doesn’t remember him, Jonty puts aside his grief to help decode old documents for clues to the murder. But a greater mystery remains—one involving the human heart.

To solve it, Orlando must hear the truth about himself—even if it means he may not fall in love with Jonty the second time around…

After reading the first chapter in this entry, my heart was breaking for both Jonty and Orlando.  For Orlando, because he was missing the past year of his life, for Jonty, because he didn't know if his lover would ever be his again.  My heart pounded throughout the story wondering just how that part of the tale would work itself out.  As for the mystery put before the pair, I knew they would be able to come to the truth of the historic debate but when solving a centuries old caper would proof ever be able to be definitive?  You'll just have to read to find out.  Now I'm off to read book 4:  Lessons in Power.

Rating:  


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Cover Reveal for Do You Believe In Magic by Susan Squires

TITLE – Do you Believe in Magic

SERIES – The Magic Series

AUTHOR – Susan Squires

GENRE – Contemporary PNR

PUBLICATION DATE – April 7, 2012

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 302

PUBLISHER – Indie

Summary:
Tristram Tremaine has never fit in with his large and boisterous family. They believe they carry a magic gene that comes alive only when they fall in love with another who carries that gene. After disappointing his parents one too many times, Tris, the bad-boy brother, hits the road on his cycle, drifting away from his destiny.

That is, until he meets Maggie O'Brian, a spit-fire rodeo rider with a strange ability to calm wild horses. Maggie lives on the road too, avoiding relationships. Her mother left her, the boy she loved left her, even her dog left her. The last thing she wants in a man is a tomcat with “love ‘em and leave ‘em” written all over him.

But the connection between Tris and Maggie is instantaneous. After a mysterious accident nearly kills Tris, he and Maggie must learn to believe in their destiny and each other to stay one step ahead of those who will do anything to prevent them from claiming it.

     The sickening crunch of metal was audible even over her Ford’s squealing brakes. Two objects flew almost over her hood in an arc of spokes and.…
    Oh, God. The other flying object had a helmet on. Her truck swerved as she struggled with control. The big rig’s engine roared to life and it barreled away into the night. The semi driver must have felt the impact. The smell of burning rubber and brake lining filled her nostrils. Her chest hit the steering wheel as her truck screeched to a stop.
     For a long minute she just sat there, trying to get her breath. Her sternum hurt. But it was kind of a vague feeling. The highway was empty. The semi was only fading red taillights in the distance. Her breath came fast and uneven. How had she not seen that truck? And why didn’t the driver stop to help? Help.…
    The guy on the motorcycle.… Nobody could have lived through that. Could they?
    What to do? No cell coverage out here. She craned around to check the highway. No lights in either direction. Oh, boy. She was going to have to get out and look for the rider. Hands shaking, she pulled her rig slowly off to the shoulder. She swallowed past a lump in her throat and got out of the cab into the cool air of the high desert night. She had to steady herself with a palm on the side of her Ford. Her knees were wobbly. She took a couple of panicky breaths.
     Get hold of yourself. You weren’t the one hit, for God’s sake. She leaned back into her truck and popped the glove compartment. The flashlight felt solid in her hand. She flipped it on and began walking back, swinging the beam. It wouldn’t be him. It couldn’t.
     Low moaning drifted up toward her. She swallowed. Moaning is good. At least the rider isn’t dead. She cast her light down the shallow embankment. It caught a twisted mass of black and silver metal. The cycle’s front wheel was canted at the wrong angle. It spun almost silently.
     She stalked ahead, determined to be angry at being put in this situation, not weak or timid. She really, really didn’t want to see what that lump was in the sagebrush just beyond the bike. The flashlight stuttered over leather, helmet, jeans, boots. Uh-oh. One leg had an odd angle in it.
     I won’t think about that. She breathed in and out through her mouth and stumbled over the edge of the asphalt, sliding down the sandy dirt. As she got closer, she quit fighting her instincts. It would be her beautiful biker guy. She knew it. She shone her light onto the figure.
     Did I have to be right? He blinked against the light, the green of his eyes startling. They were swimming right now. He raised one hand ineffectually to block—what? Her? Did he think she was the one who’d hit him and was coming to finish the job? One leg was clearly bent at an unnatural angle below the knee. Was that something white poking out of his jeans? Bad. Very, very bad. She battled her rising gorge. Damn it, Maggie! You’re strong. Anger helped. Damn the asshole driver of that big rig. And damn her motorcycle guy for being in this situation.
     His cheek was scraped. Blood dripped toward his jawline. Lip split, chin scraped too. “It’s Maggie,” she said stupidly. “That truck hit you.” Understatement of the year.
     “Truck?”
     Of course he’d hit his head with a fall like that. Probably just as well he didn’t remember. She pushed through sagebrush and knelt in the dirt. This close she could smell the rich, metallic scent of blood. “You … you need an ambulance. I’ll … I’ll.…” What? What could she do?
     “You, uh, you feel any pain in your back or your neck?”
     “Just …” His voice was a croak. He cleared his throat and started again. “Just the leg.”
     “Well, at least you can feel your extremities. Could be worse.” Better to make light of it. “Let’s get this helmet off.” She released the chinstrap and gently lifted the helmet. “That okay?”
    “Yeah,” he whispered. His eyes closed slowly and reopened, as if he couldn’t quite get it together to blink.
     She tossed the helmet behind her. “Look, I can go for an ambulance. I figure you’re only alone out here for a little over an hour. Maybe three hours total to get you to the ER. Or …” She almost couldn’t offer it. “If we can get you into the truck, I can take you. Maybe an hour and fifteen total to the ER at Washoe Med.” She shrugged helplessly.
     “Gee, what should I choose?” he said, lips tight. He seemed more aware now.
     “We could screw you up worse trying to get you into my truck.” Truth in advertising.
     “In ten minutes I’ll start to feel this,” he said through gritted teeth. “I don’t wanna be alone. Call me chicken.”
     “I wouldn’t call you that.” He must know how painful getting to the truck would be. She looked up to the road. How the hell would she get him up the embankment? “Okay. How about I get my loading ramp? You roll on it and I drag you up the embankment?”
     “You got a horse in that trailer to pull it? I’m six-four, two twenty-five. Plus the ramp.”
     “You could push with your good leg,” she said doubtfully.
     He rolled his eyes to her. “You’re what, a hundred pounds?”
    “A hundred and ten, all muscle.” Well, a hundred and six. That rounded up to ten.
    “Get real.” In the baleful glare of the flashlight his pale, sweating face looked green. “I can hop if you can get me up.”
    That would hurt like hell. “Your funeral.” Not the best metaphor. “Let me get the truck.” She scrambled up the bank, trying not to think too far ahead, and ran for her truck, fumbled with the keys, and backed it up to where the cycle had gone over the edge.
     As she slid down the bank again she could see that he’d pushed himself up on one arm. His other arm hung limp from his shoulder. Not good. He hung his head. “Go away,” he rasped. Then he vomited into the dirt. She turned away lest her own stomach rebel in sympathy. Poor guy couldn’t even wipe his mouth with one arm out of action. She stripped off the flannel shirt she wore over her tee and knelt beside him.
     He turned his head away, but she cupped his cheek to pull him back around. The jolt that shot through her was like she’d touched a battery cable. Well, not quite. The charge was definitely sexual. What the hell was that? Slow down, girl. You’re kneeling in the dirt next to an injured guy who just lost it all over the desert. Not exactly sexy. She set her lips and wiped his mouth and then used the other sleeve to wipe the sheen of sweat from his forehead.
     “We’d best get to it,” he gasped.
     She surveyed the situation. Okay. Damaged shoulder was on the opposite side of the broken leg. Don’t think about how much this is going to hurt him.

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Author Bio:
Susan Squires grew up among the giant redwoods of California. She thought she was being practical by changing her major in college from theater to English literature. Immersed in a PhD. Program, she slowly realized that none of her graduating friends had work. So she dropped out after receiving a Master’s degree to take a paying job in the business world.

As an executive in a Fortune 500 company, she returned to her love of writing while continuing to hold her day-job, much to the amusement of her fellow executives. Her novel Danegeld, had already been purchased by Dorchester by the time she accepted a Golden Heart for Best Unpublished Paranormal Manuscript from Romance Writers of America. It was the first of an eclectic group of historical and contemporary paranormal stories known for their intensity. Body Electric was named by Publishers Weekly one of the ten most influential paperbacks of 2002, for blending romance and science-fiction. Book List compared No More Lies to the works of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton, but it was also a Rita finalist for Best Published Paranormal Romance by Romance Writers of America.

Susan’s Companion Series for St. Martin’s Press, continued to garner attention with admiring reviews and several visits to the New York Times Bestseller List. Publishers Weekly named One with the Shadows a Best Book of the Year, and several of the series received starred reviews. Her books have won the many regional contests for published works of paranormal romantic fiction.

Susan no longer has to use tales of romance and adventure to escape budgets and projects. She finally left her day job, and researches and writes her books at the beach in Southern California, supported by three Belgian Sheepdogs and a wonderful husband named Harry who writes occult mysteries as H.R. Knight.


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Lessons in Love & Desire (Cambridge Fellows Mysteries #1 & #2) by Charlie Cochrane

Lessons in Love (#1)
Summary:
St. Bride's College, Cambridge, England, 1905. When Jonty Stewart takes up a teaching post at the college where he studied, the handsome and outgoing young man acts as a catalyst for change within the archaic institution. He also has a catalytic effect on Orlando Coppersmith. Orlando is a brilliant, introverted mathematician with very little experience of life outside the college walls. He strikes up an alliance with the outgoing Jonty, and soon finds himself having feelings hes never experienced before. Before long their friendship blossoms into more than either man had hoped and they enter into a clandestine relationship. Their romance is complicated when a series of murders is discovered within St. Brides. All of the victims have one thing in common, a penchant for men. While acting as the eyes and ears for the police, a mixture of logic and luck leads them to a confrontation with the murderer can they survive it?

I was blown away by this story that before I finished it I went and ordered the remaining entries in this series.  I will admit that it took me a couple of chapters to really get into the flow of the author's writing style and keep straight in my head.  Going back and forth between using their first names and their surnames, depending on the setting the characters are in had me a little confused at first but I quickly got the style meshing with my thinking and then everything just was amazing.  That is the reason I am giving this book a 4-1/2 bookmark instead of 5.  The mystery is interesting and got my detective skills percolating.  I can honestly say I don't know who I love more, Jonty and his wit or Orlando and his innocence?  They both have captured my heart and can't wait to read more.

Rating:  

Lessons in Desire (#2)
Summary:
With the recent series of college murders behind him, Cambridge Fellow Jonty Stewart is in desperate need of a break. A holiday on the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey seems ideal, if only he can persuade Orlando Coppersmith to leave the security of the college and come with him. Orlando is a quiet man who prefers academic life to venturing out into the world. Within the confines of their rooms at the university, it's easy to hide the fact that he and Jonty are far more than friends. But the desire to spend more time alone with the man he loves is an impossible lure to resist. When a brutal murder occurs at the hotel where they're staying, the two young men are once more drawn into the investigation. The race to catch the killer gets complicated by the victim's son, Ainslie, a man who seems to find Orlando too attractive to resist. Can Stewart and Coppersmith keep Ainslie at bay, keep their affair clandestine, and solve the crime?

This entry finds our two young lovers on vacation.  Jonty is his usual vivacious self, Orlando at first is also his usual cautious, sometimes overly cautious, self but he begins to grow more confident as their vacation goes on.  Their love is also growing and with it, they also find themselves at a few crossroads, only some of which concern the murder mystery they find at their vacation abode.  Once again we find our young sleuths in the middle of everything.  Can't wait to read further entries in this wonderful m/m historical/mystery/romance series.

Rating:  

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Walk Into Me by Jill Prand

TITLE -- Walk Into Me

SERIES -- The Walking Series #2

GENRE -- Adult Contemporary 

RELEASED -- April 26, 2014

AUTHOR -- Jill Prand

Summary:
I know I will never get over her. Watching her walk away with him ripped my heart out and left it bleeding on the floor. But I can’t hide anymore. I have to face my life without her. ~ Brad

Brad has been in love with Lisa for as long as he can remember. One night years ago they took each other’s virginity but while it was the best night of Brad’s life, for Lisa it was a way to forget about Bobby. Or was it?

Brad re-emerges right when Lisa needs him most. Only Brad knows everything about her and when Lisa’s insecurities come to the surface the shoulder Lisa needs is Brad’s. Now Brad has to decide if he has it in him to trust his heart.

#1 Brad & Lisa -- all ages
She graces me with an awesome smile while putting packages in my arms and hanging gift bags from my fingers. In minutes, she has almost the entire contents of the table loaded on me. The only thing left are cards and your gift. “I’ll take these,” she says as she smirks at me. “You good?”

“Yeah, I can handle it,” I follow her to her room trying not to drop anything. I make it into her room just as one of the boxes starts to slip. I try to save it, but by doing that two others are falling.  I sprint to her bed and open my arms, and all but the one that was originally falling land on the bed. “I hope that wasn’t breakable,” I comment as I glance at the gift on the floor.

I hear her laugh behind me. God, I love that sound. “I’m surprised you only dropped one,” she chuckles. “You should have seen your face.”

She comes over to the bed still laughing and clears off a place for us to sit. I drop down next to her and pull her into me; I just need to hold her. I breathe her in and I am instantly hard. Why do I always react this way to her when she has no interest? “I missed you,” I whisper.

She keeps her head on my shoulder. “I missed you, too, and I’m sorry.” She sits up and pulls away from me so she can look in my eyes. “I never meant to leave you like that, but when Bobby showed up I couldn’t think of anything other than getting in his arms.” She looks down at her hands before speaking again. “I know that hurts you and you have no idea what I would do to take that pain away.”

I can’t stay mad at her; I never could.  I know she is hurting for me and I love her all the more for it.  If she just turned away from me and locked me out of her life, maybe I could get over her.  Our lives are intertwined now, her friends are my friends.  The only people I talk to from high school are the same ones she talks to; so unless I want to cut ties with all of them, I need to figure out a way to deal.  I take her hands in mine, she looks up at me with tears in her eyes and I just want to pull her into my arms and tell her everything is alright and I will be here for her forever. Instead I say, “I know you don’t want to hurt me Lisa, but I can’t tell you that seeing you with Bobby is easy for me. At the same time, I want to see you and be a part of your life.”

The tears fall from her eyes and she leans against me. I put my arms around her and hug her wishing I could pull her onto my lap, but that would be hard on both of us. I stroke my hand up and down her back hoping it will be comfort enough because if I touch her any more I won’t be able to stop. I pull back slightly. “Why don’t you open your present?”

She grabs the box behind her shaking it lightly; she can hear jingling. I know this is something that she will appreciate and give her a place to go if she needs to think. She looks up at me before opening. “What is it?” She asks me quietly.

“Open it and find out,” I tell her with an evil smirk.

She rips the paper, opens the box, and gasps at the contents. “Are these keys to your boat?” She takes out the keys attached to a floatable buoy. Her eyes light up and I know I picked the perfect gift.

“Yes, I made you a set. You can take it out whenever you want, just make sure you gas it up when you use it. I don’t want to get half way down the river and run out,” I say as I smile at her. “I want to take you out the first time to show you the channels so you don’t run aground again, but after that you have free reign.”

Laughing she says, “Well, I wasn’t driving last time we ran aground, but I have no problem going out with you to make sure it won’t happen to me.” She hugs me before adding, “You have no idea how much I need this, thank you.”

#2 Lisa & Brad -- all ages

Brad walks in and I hadn’t even heard his car pull up. When I get up and give him a hug, it hits me again how much I’ve missed him. “I’m so glad you came over,” I murmur.  It just slips out in a whisper; I didn’t really mean to actually say it.   I try to cover it up. Pulling him with me to the couch and down next to me just like usual. Only I’m not close enough. I need to be touching him for some reason. I lean into him and he puts his arm around me and there is the feeling I need, secure at peace, I sigh. He hugs me tighter to him.

John says something to him, but I missed it because I’m so caught up in being in his arms. I hear him answer and his voice is hesitant. Is he here because he wants to be? Am I being selfish? I don’t want to hurt him anymore, but I need him.

Jodi tells him how everyone missed him and I realize that it’s not just me that he pulled away from but everyone. My actions cut him off. How did he get through it and do I have the right to put him through it again? My heart breaks for him knowing that he had no one to help him through the pain. I can feel the tears coming to my eyes and I look up at him. “I’m sorry,” two words that I seem to say to him over and over.

He caresses my cheek and puts his lips to my forehead and whispers, “It’s okay pretty girl.”

He hasn’t called me that in years! I don’t remember when he started the name, but I know when he stopped. After we had sex and I wouldn’t be with him. When I broke his heart the first time, the first of many times. How can he stand to be around me?

Tears flow out of my eyes. I hear Jodi and John get up and go into the kitchen then I look up at him. “Am I still your pretty girl?”

I see the indecision in his eyes. He wants me, but he knows he can’t have me. I want…I don’t know what I want. I want to take his pain away. “You have always been my pretty girl, and you always will be.” He wipes my tears away, but more fall. “Please don’t cry. You’re ripping my heart out with your tears.”

I see his pain, can feel it radiating off of him. He drops his hands and moves to get up. “No!” I can’t let him leave! I need to get this out and in the open. I need to be near him. “Please don’t leave me. I know it’s not right, but I need you here with me. I need you.” My body moves on impulse alone and I’m straddling him. This is an intimate position. I put my hands to his face, but my eyes don’t move above his lips. The lips that tell me the truth, that comfort me when I’m hurting. I move forward slowly, if he stops me I’ll let him, but I really want to feel those lips on mine. Just once. Just for a second to see how it feels. I lightly touch his lips with mine, quickly pulling away, but that wasn’t enough. I go back and press my lips to his and there is that flutter in my stomach again and it makes me sigh. As my mouth opens Brad wraps his arms around me, drawing me closer to him and his tongue is in my mouth. Stroking, exploring and I feel him get hard under me. I want to grind myself into him, but I can’t. I’m not free to follow this and I do want to follow this. What does that say about me? Tears stream down my face, my heart is fracturing in half. One side has attached itself to Bobby, but the other half has just ripped out of my chest and given itself to Brad. I’m broken and I don’t think I’ll be whole again.

Brad feels the tears and pulls back. “Did I hurt you?” He asks. It’s not what he thinks.

“No, but I can’t do this,” I say. His hands drop from my face and his eyes get hard. Struggling to explain, I say, “I want to do this and I’m confused.  I feel like my heart is being cleaved in half and I’m scared.” I’ve always been truthful with Brad. He will understand. He may not like it, but he’ll understand.

He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He puts his hands on my thighs and I don’t know if he is going to push me off him. I wouldn’t blame him and I would let him go this time. If he needs to think away from me I will give him space. Suddenly he pulls me to him and buries his face in my neck. My hands move to him, one stroking his hair, the other fisted with his shirt on his back. I just hold him and let him gather himself. He needs this, the closeness, he’s scared, too. I know it, I know him and I will give him anything right now. 

We stay this way for what feels like an hour, but in reality it was only minutes. His breathing slows and he starts stroking my back. He lifts his head and looks at me. His eyes...his beautiful blue eyes are filled with unshed tears. My hand releases his shirt and moves to his jaw, covered with stubble, and I stroke it. I don’t know what to say to him so I just let my eyes do my talking. Questioning him and hoping that he understands that I want him, but I want Bobby, too, and I don’t know how to choose one of them. I need them both and it will probably end up killing us all. We will all end up bleeding in the end and I wish I could walk away from both of them, but I’m not strong enough for that.

#3 Lisa & Bobby -- 18+ only

He raises his head and the pleading look in his eyes undoes me. I grab him, pulling his face up to mine as I open my legs for him. The second our lips meet the fire bursts between us. My body aches for the touch of his hands on me, the feel of his mouth, his length inside me. All thoughts of the talk we need to have vanish and it is just Bobby and me, doing what we do best. Our bodies know this dance, but it always feels new. I tug at his shirt unable to get it off fast enough. He pushes off me, kneeling between my legs as he grabs the back of his shirt the way men do, and throws it on the floor. My eyes drink him in; he is so perfect. His body is built like a swimmer’s, not too much muscle, but clearly defined. He has just a smidgen of hair on his chest and a happy trail that leads to nirvana. Scars mar his beauty reminding me of the perils of his work. The need to touch him overtakes me and I reach up to him. Taking my hand he pulls me up, “Your turn now baby. I need to see you, too.”

I pull my jersey over my head and it joins his shirt on the floor. I unclasp my bra, letting the straps fall off my shoulders, but holding it in front. Bobby moans, “Take it off baby. Now.”

Grinning wickedly at him, it makes me feel so powerful knowing how I affect him. I slowly remove my left arm from the strap. Switching hands on the cups I repeat the process on the right, never taking my eyes off him. “Lose the pants and I’ll drop it.”

He’s off the bed in a flash, pushing out of his shoes and undoing his pants, his eyes never leave mine as I move back to lean against the headboard.  He pushes his pants and underwear off in one smooth motion, kicking them to the side, as I drop the bra. I cup my breasts and pinch my nipples. “Show me what you’ve got for me, doll. Stroke it for me.” He growls, but complies with my wishes, it’s not often I take control of our lovemaking, but when I do I know just how to drive him to the edge. He strokes his impressive cock and I can see he’s having trouble holding back, there is already pre-cum pooling at the tip. I continue to pull on my breasts in time to the rhythm of his hand on his erection drawing a moan from my mouth. God, he is beautiful, and all mine. I can’t take any more of this torture, “I need your mouth on me.” It comes out as practically a whisper, but he hears me.

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Walk Into Me (#2)

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Watch Me Walk Away (#1)

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Summary:

At the age of seventeen, Lisa was broken when Bobby left. He was supposed to be her first. First Love. First Time. First Everything. No word for six long years. She moved away from the painful reminders sacrificing her relationship with her best friend Brad. She struggled to rebuild her life.

Now six years later she returns as a strong, successful woman grabbing a job at one of New York’s hottest marketing agencies. She is dating a gorgeous guy with his eyes on a corner office. But it all changes when she sees Bobby again.

Can she risk another heartbreak from Bobby? Will she be able to repair her friendship with Brad? Lisa will have to decide between the man she's with, and the two men that want her.

Who will she be with, and who will she tell to "Watch Me Walk Away?"

#1 -- Bobby & Lisa 

I hear his car pull up and am out the door like a bullet. I wave to Arthur in the front seat and the back door open and he is here. I freeze and just look at him. God he looks good enough to eat. He shuts the door and walks up to me and stops. I want to throw myself at him and shove my tongue in his mouth. 

“Hi, Beautiful.” He lifts his hand to caress my cheek. “God you look good. I missed you.” And that’s it. I grab his hair and pull him down for a kiss. We both groan when our mouths touch. His arms go around me and he picks me up and holds me close. Our mouths open at the same time and our tongues battle for dominance. All thought has left my mind I just want to get closer to him. I wrap my legs around him and use my thighs to push up so my mouth is above his. One of his arms goes under my ass to hold me up. Both my hands are now in his hair my elbows resting on his arms. He nips on my lower lip and I counter by sucking on his tongue. I press my core into his abs and rub myself up and down. He groans against my mouth and squeezes my ass. Finally I need to take a breath and pull away.

“Hi, Handsome,” I pant. I release the pressure of my thighs a little so I am more eyelevel with him. 

“Wow that was some welcome.” He smiles at me. His hand is rubbing my ass sending shivers through my body. 

One of my hands releases his hair and I caress the five o’clock shadow on his cheek. “Well I missed you too.” I smile back.

I kiss him again. I can’t stop. My whole body feels like an electric current is running through it. My hands alternate running from his neck down his back. He is all muscle and I feel his reaction to me as his skin shivers as I go over it. His hand is on my neck holding our mouths together as his tongue searches my mouth. His other hand is kneading my ass almost between my legs. I want his fingers on me, in me. This time it’s him who breaks the kiss and I moan as his lips move away. We look at each other both breathing hard.

“You have two choices” he pants. I raise my eyebrow in question. “Either we go inside or I have Arthur drive us back to the city.”

As he is talking my hand moves from his back up over his shoulder and is now unbuttoning the top of his polo shirt. Just as he ends his ultimatum my hand moves against his skin between his pecks. His eyes flare and his pupils are so dilated I can’t see any blue at all. It makes my panties even wetter knowing that I’m affecting him like this. He grabs my left leg to get me down and I surprise him with hooking my right leg between his and using his body like a pole to slip down until I’m standing.

I haven’t answered him yet and he’s just about to say something as I grab his hand and take a step back towards the house. “We’ll go inside. But we’re going to have to be social for a few minutes. We were watching a movie.”

He stops walking and releases my hand. “You have to give me a minute if I have to be around other people.” He looks down with a sheepish look in his eyes and my eyes follow his. I can see his problem bulging out in the front of his pants and I give him a small giggle. “Not funny” he growls. At that I break out into a huge laugh. He looks at me like I’ve lost my head.

When I’ve calmed down enough to talk I say, “So nothing’s changed since high school. How many times were we caught together where I had to stand in front of you to block someone’s view?”

Now it’s his turn to laugh, “I guess you’re right. But you’re not going to be cruel and wiggle your fine ass against me while we stand there now are you?”

I give him an evil grin, “Now why would I do that? It’s not like I enjoy torturing you.”

He rolls his eyes and grabs me. “God I’ve missed you. No one else teases me or makes me laugh. And I have never wanted to spank anyone else.” He whispers that last line into my ear and my whole body quakes. “I will swat that sweet ass if you don’t behave.”

I look up at him and he is smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. I have to admit it feels so natural this banter with him. I’ve never been this relaxed and turned on at the same time with anyone else. I have to smile back at him because I just feel happy. “I’ll be good. I promise” and this time I mean it.

#2 -- Bobby & Lisa

I wake to the smell of coffee and bacon. I am alone in the bed. I stretch and smile, I am a little sore after last night but my body getting used to Bobby’s size is so worth the discomfort. I get up and go to the bathroom, oh a Jacuzzi tub big enough for two we will definitely have to try that out later. I wash my face and use my finger to brush my teeth my bag is still in the guest room. 

I go to Bobby’s closet to find something to slip into. Hmm a black button down shirt will do nicely. I roll up the sleeves and do the last three buttons. I love dressing in men’s clothes in the morning. I run my fingers through my hair and walk towards the kitchen. I hear Bobby humming along to The Killers’ ‘Here With Me’. His back is to me and I can see more scars where the bullets came out. I am so lucky he made it back.

My man is hot! The song changes to The Lumineers’ ‘Ho Hey’ and he moves his hips in time to the music. I lean against the door frame and just watch until I can’t resist touching him anymore. I start walking towards him just as he turns to reach for something and spots me, “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed,” he says smiling at me. He reaches for me and our lips meet, he tastes like coffee and toothpaste. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, I reach up to caress the stubble on his face, he looks so hot when he doesn’t shave. 

When he ends the kiss I just want to pull him back, “I see you raided my closet, damn girl you look hot in my clothes.” 

I run my hands over his chest, “And you look hot out of them.” I look at his body and trace his abs down to the open button of his jeans. His breath catches as my fingers start exploring right above his zipper, “I am hungry, but not for breakfast.”

#3 -- Lisa & Brad #1

“Wait,” I look up at him. “We need to get some things straight between us. I’m sorry that I screwed us up. I never should have asked you to be with me just because Bobby rejected me. I was angry and hurt but that did not give me the right to use you. It was not my intention to change our relationship and if I could go back to that night I would do it because I lost my best friend that night and I want him back.”

“You didn’t lose me Lisa. You could never lose me. Do I want more than friendship with you? Yes but I wanted that before we slept together. If all I can have of you is friendship I’ll take it. Do I fantasize about you waking up one morning and seeing that Bobby is not worthy of your love? Hell yes because I don’t want to have to pick up pieces of your heart again. And I owe you an apology too. After that night you needed me to be your friend and all I wanted was to be with you again. I couldn’t see that by not letting you heal first I was pushing you away. I wonder all the time if I had just stopped and not pushed you to give me what I wanted if somehow we could have eventually come together. So now I will be your friend because not having you in my life at all is worse than having to be just a friend.”

The tears are running down my cheek and he pulls me into his arms. He doesn’t say anything else just rubs the back of my neck. Why can’t I love this guy? How can my heart want anyone else? I put my arms around his waist and hold tight which is a good thing because just then we run aground. The boat stops suddenly and we are pitched forward. Brad puts the engine in reverse but all that happens is brown silt is churned up by the outboard motor. Brad cuts the engine so we don’t burn it out.

“Looks like we’re stuck here for a while,” he says as he puts his arms back around me. “High tide is in about an hour so we shouldn’t have to wait too long to get free.”

I can’t help but laugh. It starts out as a chuckle but starts to build. I feel his responding laugh starting as I pull away and look up at him, “Well this is a familiar dilemma. But I am not jumping in the water to get us unstuck. If we need to lighten up you are going in.”

“It’s my boat and I have to drive it,” he is still laughing.

“Yes but you weigh almost two of me so we will rise twice as far. And you’re stronger than me, you can push us off. And I have driven this boat before.” I point out. 

“Like seven or eight years ago,” he says. “It’s a moot point anyway, I don’t mind waiting on the tide.”

I walk to the bow and sit on one of the benches there, “Fine we will wait for the tide.”

He comes and sits opposite of me, “Well then finish telling me about Bobby and Stuart.”

And just like that I have my friend back. I tell him everything, all my feelings and fears. The fact that my body still reacts to Bobby when he touches me or even looks at me. That I’m scared he’ll break me apart but more scared that if I don’t give it a chance I will regret it for the rest of my life. I tell him about my night with Stuart and that I can’t see myself with him this time next month. 

Then he asks me a question that floors me, “Out of all the men in your life, who can you see still being there with you in five years?”

My only answer, “You.”

Author's Playlist:  Spotify

If stuck on a desert island this is what the author wishes she has with her:

Top 5 Movies:

Pride & Prejudice 

My Fair Lady

Practical Magic

Grownups 

Silence of the Lambs

Five Books on my Kindle (okay I’m cheating on this one a little):

Thoughtless Trilogy by SC Stephens

Anything by Nicole Edwards ** this one will update every time a new one is released** 

Anything by Olivia Cunning  ** this one will update every time a new one is released**

Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day (All five – even though only 3 have been released)

Bronte Sisters – The Complete Novels

Author Bio:
Living in Northern New Jersey originally from Long Island, Jill Prand is a wife and mother of two girls. She's been an avid reader all her life, spending Sunday afternoons curled up with a good book. "We had a huge bookshelf in our den when I was a child with a diverse set of authors like Ayn Rand, Stephen King, Mario Puzo & Danielle Steele. I cut my literary teeth on Walter Farley, Judy Blume and SE Hinton before raiding my parent’s library." Jill is currently working on the Walking Series as well as a standalone novel. She loves to hear from readers.


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