Cover Reveal: Saving Their Princess by TL Reeves

A new book in the Beyond Fairytales Line from Decadent Publishing

Blurb: 
Sabine Babineaux, daughter to the mayor of New Orleans and waitress at The Three Princesses bar, has her life upended after a late night at work. Kidnapped, Sabine is determined to escape, but once she’s free her fight has only just begun.
Stuart Renwick and Kyle Novak, detectives with New Orleans police department, are assigned a kidnapping case with multiple victims. However, when one of the missing women, Sabine Babineaux, is practically dropped in their lap, everything they know about being detectives is tossed by the wayside.
Now, in a race against time to find out who the kidnapper is, and prevent anyone else being snatched, Sabine, Stuart, and Kyle must work together.
Sparks fly, between the three of them, but will it be their downfall?
With someone watching them, tragedy strikes when they least expect it. Will Sabine survive long enough to explore her feelings for both detectives? Or will Stuart and Kyle fall at the hand of her kidnapper?


Excerpt: 
The cab came to a stop some time later and she sat up. The world spun on its axis. The sound of bees buzzing filled her ears as she broke out in a cold sweat and she began to shake violently. Sabine tried in vain to make her body cooperate with her, but it was a no go. Her brain was muddled and nothing made sense anymore. Not even her body would oblige her and move. “Where am I?” Sabine whispered, licking her lips.

“The lady is right here,” the cabbie said, opening the door. “She bleeding and wearing next to nothing.”

A thread of embarrassment slid through her, but as quickly as it was there, it was gone. “Help me,” she croaked. The world around her was slowly floating away. No matter how much she tried to keep her eyes open, she couldn’t gather the strength needed to do so. “I…can’t…go…back.” Unconsciousness, blissful yet scary, drifted around her, cradling her into a void of nothingness.

“No you don’t, sweetheart.” A gruff voice called to her, drawing her out of the darkness. “Come back to us.”

Sabine’s eyes fluttered open, then shut again. She didn’t want to open her eyes. The darkness was safe.  It was comfortable there. There was no pain. No cages. Freedom lurked in the darkness.

“Ambulance is on the way,” another male said. His voice was an octave higher than the penetrating baritone of the first man. “It’s our kidnapping victim.”

Congratulations, you win the booby prize.

“Yeah it is,” person one said. “When did you say that ambulance would be here?” In the distance she could hear the warble of noise. Finally she could sleep. “Hey now.” The man’s rough palm patted her cheek. “Wake up, sweetheart. Stay with us.”

Sabine groaned and turned away from him.

“They’re both through and throughs, Stuart, and she’s lost a good amount of blood.”

So man one did have a name. Stuart. His name was both sexy and bold, invoking delicious images of the man holding her hand. When did he take my hand? How come I can’t remember how I got here?

“Damn it,” he cursed. “If they don’t hurry their asses up, we’re going to lose our victim. Call them back Kyle and tell them to double time it.”

Kyle. His name was just as delectable as Stuart’s. I wonder what he looks like. A part of her was using anything she could think of to stay right there, even though she could feel the darkness surrounding her.

Sabine groaned as she was jostled around. The prick of a needle in her arm caused her to whimper. “Stop.” With a weak gesture she tried to push them away and a hand appeared in hers, squeezing it.

“You gave me a scare girl,” Stuart said close to her ear. “Stay with Kyle and I. Don’t try going anywhere again.” What was he talking about? “Is she ready?”

“Yes, we’re loading her up now. Are you following?”

Sabine half listened to the conversation around her, trying to stay with Stuart like he asked her to do.

“I’m riding with you. My partner will give you the escort.” The soft cushion she lay on lifted up momentarily, jostling her around, then slid into something. In no time they were rolling. “Sabine, we’re going to get you fixed up. I promise.”

She muttered something and a sharp burning sensation raced up her arm, then everything inside of her mellowed out, relaxing her completely. Oh hell yeah, that’s the good stuff. Instead of fighting the darkness she went with it. It was light and peaceful. The pain that radiated through her whole body relented and she could finally breathe without feeling as though her chest was being squeezed to death. Just a little nap and then I’ll tell them everything. The heavy darkness wrapped its tendrils around her and she fell into the deepest sleep she’d had in weeks.

Author Links: Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website 

Funday Monday: What's New, What's Not, and What's Coming

It's been a long time since a Funday Monday post. A looonnnngggg time.

So let's get started with:

What's New

1- New is my awesome With This Kilt, I Thee Bed short story anthology coming in October. The current plan is to release October 14th. This is a self-publishing venture and I'm navigating the piranha invested waters like a motor boat with a clogged motor. I will say that I'm confident I'll figure the majority of the 'need-to-know's' before release day. In the meantime look at the SHINY Cover! Thank you to the fantastical G. Pendergast for the work and the beautiful Jenn LeBlanc and Studio Smexy for the stock photo.

2- The Season for Romance is now Smitten by Books! Oh, yes. I loved reviewing for The Season and it's a little bittersweet at the name change because I'm a huge Historical Romance fan. Yet, change is good (something I'm slowly learning) and I look forward to the new site. There will still be as many awesome giveaways and reviews as before. Also, take a gander at the site banner and you may catch a glimpse of some sexy Highlanders. :) P.S. The website is still being worked on. In the meantime you can still see reviews over at Smitten by Books Blog.

What's Not

1- I'm still closed to reviews here on the blog. I've received multiple emails and I'm really honored that you want me to read your book. Unfortunately, there's no time in my schedule for reviewing like I used to do in the old days. 

2- In the meantime Indie Books R Us is still looking for self-published and small press published books to read. We've got open dates for October, November, and December... of this year. It's almost unheard of, but the slots are there. So I encourage you to checkout the submission guidelines and submit. 

What's Coming

1- A new website, a new blog, and so much more. Yep, I working on a few changes. Alright several new changes. As I get them finished I'll be sure to announce them right here. Don't want to keep anyone out of the loop. 

2- Scream! For a Cure Charity Auction. Do you like paranormal, erotic romance, horror, YA books in paranormal and urban fantasy. Then prepare the pocket books for this upcoming event hosted by my fellow Indie Books R Us Co-Founder, Catherine Peace.  I'll have a more detailed post about this event coming later in the week or you can click the link above to find out more. 

New Cover and Sale: Hot Blooded by Kendall Grey

This week, Kendall Grey celebrates the re-release of her suspense/thriller, HOT-BLOODED, with a new cover, updated content, and a SALE!

If you’ve already read HOT-BLOODED, the plot is the same—nothing new or different there—but the book has been simplified to make it easier for readers to immerse themselves in the story.

For those who haven’t picked up HOT-BLOODED yet, you’re in luck! Not only do you get alternative content and a brand new, alpha female (MEOW!) cover created by Sara Eirew, but you also get a deal. HOT-BLOODED is on sale for just $.99 from now through Friday, September 19!

Here's the blurb:

When an accident claims her mother’s life, Keahilani Alana must take charge of her family or risk losing what little they have. With an underage brother to care for and no education, she has few options. The door to a heavenly hellish opportunity opens when she stumbles upon a valuable secret her mother left behind on the slopes of an extinct volcano—a legacy that tempts the family with riches beyond their wildest dreams. But the secret is much bigger and more sinister than they realize. As reality unravels and exposes eerie truths about the siblings that should have remained deep under the mountain, Keahilani must either resist the call of her blood or risk being consumed by its darkness.

Blake Murphy is an assassin working to infiltrate a new Hawaiian cartel. His investigation reveals that Keahilani, the sexy surfing instructor he pegged as an informant, is much closer to the drug ring than he thought. Passion ignites between them in the bedroom, but their ironclad ties to opposing interests pit them against each other everywhere else.

When tensions reach the breaking point and her family is threatened, the only cure for Keahilani’s hot-blooded fury is a loaded clip with a body bag chaser.

* HOT-BLOODED is a suspense/thriller that contains drug use and graphic sex, language, and violence. The story is intended to entertain, not to condone or glorify illegal or immoral activities. This book is unsuitable for sensitive readers and those under the age of 18.

Purchase your $0.99 copy at: Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Canada ~ Amazon Australia

Or request/purchase a print copy with the director's cut cover at: http://www.kendallgrey.com/?page_id=4666

Cover Reveal: If You Can't Stand The Heat by Taryn Kincaid

Blurb: 

Derek Dunne is a Cordon Bleu-trained food critic for the prestigious New York Monitor, whose scathing review of a popular Italian bistro has driven away all but the most loyal neighborhood patrons.

Lucrezia Serafina DiCicco is a clumsy business school drop-out, working as a chef and scrambling to keep her family's restaurant afloat, after her father develops diabetes and is banned from his kitchen for his own good.

Now, with The Monitor folding, Derek is searching for his next career path and longing to get back to his first love—cooking—while Lu is desperate for an influx of cash to save the struggling restaurant…even as her father puts his foot down about non-family employees.

Derek and Lu embark on a marriage of inconvenience to save the restaurant. But can Lu ever really trust the man who nearly destroyed her family, once noted her initials spelled “LSD,” and her food was like a “bad trip?”

Or will it be their hearts on the chopping block? 

Coming February 25, 2014 from Fated Desires Publishing!

Author Bio: Taryn Kincaid is a former award-winning reporter and columnist, covering everything from fires and homicides, to corrupt politicians and hero dogs. Nowadays, she haunts courthouses. Taryn reads all genres and writes erotic paranormal, contemporary and historical romance.

She is the author of the Sleepy Hollow series--LIGHTNING,THUNDER,FROST,HEAT WAVE and IN FROM THE COLD -- sexy paranormal romances for Decadent Publishing's popular 1Night Stand series; BLIZZARD, a short erotic romance for Decadent's The Edge line; HEALING HEARTS, a Regency romance from Carina Press, and SLEEPY HOLLOW DREAMS, an erotic paranormal romance from The Wild Rose Press. Books 1-4 of her Sleepy Hollow series, plus BLIZZARD, have been compiled in the SLEEPY HOLLOW edition, available in paperback and digital formats.

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest

New Release: A Model Hero by Sara Daniel #giveaway

Blurb: Gretchen Meyers is a full-figured woman living in a model thin world. Desperate to end her mother's constant, nagging stream of dieting and fashion “advice,” Gretchen tackles the challenge of reviving her mother’s faltering modeling agency. All she needs is to woo back Kyle Ramsey, once the hottest model in the country.

Making the preemptive choice to turn his back on his career seemed Kyle’s only option until Gretchen comes calling. He doesn’t care what she wants to offer him, the answer is no. Still, he’s intrigued by her refreshing personality and all her lovely, lush curves.

When tragedy strikes, Kyle finds comfort and healing in Gretchen’s arms. But he can’t trust her with his career-ending secret and she doesn’t believe their relationship will survive the long term. He’s perfect and she’s not even close. Can the fragile ties holding them together survive Kyle’s opportunity to become a true model hero?

Excerpt: 

The restaurant scene, then, had done its job. Gretchen would have to send Jamie flowers. No, she’d send a box of fattening chocolates instead. “Did you enjoy your evening after I left?”

Kyle’s gaze narrowed, he pushed himself out of the chair. “Did you arrange with Jamie to drop by our table?”

“How could I, when I had no idea where we were going for dinner until we were there?” Not to mention, she’d have preferred to sever essential body parts than ask Jamie Feldman for anything. But her irrational possessiveness was her own problem. “The important thing is you had a good time, and you’re ready to make up for everything you’ve been missing over the past year.”

“Those things aren’t important at all.” He advanced on her slowly.

She took a step back and came up against the door she’d closed a moment before.

Kyle flashed a predatory smile. He took her purse and briefcase from her shoulder, setting them aside. Then he rested his forearms on either side of her head and stared into her eyes, his lips a scant inch from hers as he spoke. “I’m here for you. Our date deserves another shot.”

Her heart thundered. The thick eyelashes framing his gray-green eyes mesmerized her. He stood too near for her to formulate a coherent response. This much physical perfection and sex appeal should be outlawed. Her mind was not equipped to handle it.

“What do you say?” he asked.

Yes, take me. “I say, why me?” Her voice rose with an embarrassing squeak as she struggled to compose a rational argument and remind herself she was in her office, just feet away from her employees who’d never seen her anything less than one hundred percent professional. “I get why you went out with me on Saturday. You’d shut yourself away from the world, and I was the first woman to find you. But you’ve been reminded you can have Jamie or anyone else you crook your finger for. Why do you still want me?”

His gaze softened with a tenderness that pierced her heart. He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “How could I not want you, Gretchen? You’re smart and funny and beautiful and not afraid to let a guy who has no idea what you like order for you on a first date.”

Buy Links: Amazon ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Decadent Publishing

About the author: 

Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband. Connect with her online at: 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Pinterest

To celebrate A Model Hero’s release, I’m giving away a $20 Amazon gift card. Fill out the Rafflecopter form here or on my Facebook page to enter.

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Blog Tour: Restless in Peaceville by Pippa Jay #giveaway

Blurb: Welcome to Peaceville, population 2067 and rising...from the grave...

Luke Chester has had enough. He’s the school geek, the girls laugh at him, he’s lost his dead-end job at the pizza place, and in the midst of the world’s messiest divorce his parents don’t even know he exists. An overdose of his mom’s tranquilizers and a stomach full of whiskey should solve all his problems...
But they don’t. Instead, Luke finds himself booted out of the afterlife for not dying a natural death, with nowhere to go but back to his recently vacated corpse and reality. How the hell is he going to pass for one of the living without someone trying to blow his brains out for being one of the undead?
And it just gets worse. He’s got to fight his own desperate craving to consume the living, evade the weird supernatural hunter who’s having a field day with the new undeads rising, and there’s this creepy black shadow following him around. Add to that the distraction of female fellow undead Annabelle burning to avenge her own murder, and clearly there’s no rest for the wicked. Jeez, all he wanted to do was R.I.P.

Excerpt: 

I can hear the frogs. Above me, the moon is so fiercely white and full, it hurts my eyes. It's also jerking across the sky between the branches of the cypress like someone's hauling on the leash of a disobedient hound. I frown at it, and then realize it ain't the moon moving. It's me. Something's got a hold of my leg and is dragging me along.

Glancing down sets me yelling. A gator has my right ankle in its jaws as it pulls me down to the river. A small one as alligators go and probably why he hasn't dug himself a hole in the mud to hibernate. I guess he's planning to stick me under a log until I rot and tenderize a little more. But I ain't planning to end up in his stomach. Not when I might still be conscious all the way through digestion.

I twist and latch onto a nearby tree. I'm so slick with mud that sheer strength and bloody minded stubbornness are all that keep me clinging on. My resistance earns me a growling from the gator, and he yanks all the harder on my foot until I can hear my joints popping as they threaten to snap. He shakes his head, hoping to break my hold, and my damn fingers slip. I feel things parting in my ankle. Shit, I can't afford to lose my foot. I let go of the tree but I kick him in the head with my free leg, hard enough that he lets go. Most gators wouldn't give up a meal so lightly, but I hit a damn site too forceful to be classed as easy. He growls and goes for another bite, but my next kick breaks his jaw. Bleeding, several teeth missing, he scuttles away into the river, more than his pride hurt. I sit and stare until the ripples he made smooth out into stillness. Then I check the damage.

His teeth have gone deep, leaving a pretty pattern and some of my flesh torn. Shit. I don't have nothing to patch it up, and I don't much care. I've lost Annabelle. I should have just let the gator take me. After I sit there feeling sorry for myself for I don't know how long, I rip a piece of my shirt and tie up the worst of the bite. I don't want it catching on nothing when I'm walking. If I decide I want to get up and move again.

Want a Copy of Restless in Peaceville? Go to

Lycaon Press ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ OmniLit ~ Bookstrand ~ Goodreads

Want to win an awesome Zombie Heart Necklace and a gift card? Register in the rafflecopter giveaway. 

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Bio:

After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include a YA science fiction novel—Gethyon—published through BURST (Champagne Books), a scifi romance novella—Tethered—published by Breathless Press, three self-published short stories (Terms & Conditions Apply, The Bones of the Sea, and Reboot), and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3^rd place), and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2^nd place).

You can stalk her at her website http://pippajay.co.uk, or at her blog http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.

Blog Tour: Rescued by Felice Stevens

Book Blurb: Ryder Daniels has spent the last year recovering from rejection: his parents couldn’t accept his sexuality and his lover chose drugs over his love. The only bright lights in his life are his younger brother and his rescued pit bull. But now his mother's punishment for his lifestyle has cut him off from his brother he loves so deeply. Devastated, he throws himself into the work of the Pit Bull Foundation he and his friends started.

Jason Mallory can no longer hide the dissatisfaction of his relationship with his longtime girlfriend. When her marriage ultimatum pushes him to break things off, he's determined not to jump into the dating scene. But when a group of injured pit bulls are found on his construction site, he can’t forget the guy who shows up to help.

After Jason adopts one of the dogs, he and Ryder become fast friends—until one night, Ryder lets down his guard and Jason recognizes his desire. Soon, they can’t deny the passion between them but will family differences and ugly prejudices keep them apart, or can they fight to prove that love is precious, no matter the flavor?

What People are saying about Rescued:

Via Barnes and Noble ~ Dogs + Romance = A Fantastic Read! Felice Stevens is a new author and I loved her writing style. I was hooked on page one and stayed hooked to the end. This a m/m romance full of love and discovery and I enjoyed every minute.

Excerpt: 
The pulse of the music pounded into Ryder’s brain. Why he allowed Connor and Emily to drag him here, he couldn’t say. They meant well, but he had no desire to chat up some random guy to have hurried sex in a bathroom stall or a dark hallway.

“Come on, let’s get some drinks. This place looks like it could be fun.” Connor pushed him toward the large glittering bar, waving at the shirtless bartender to get his attention. “Two beers, my man, with lime, and one Sea Breeze.” He grinned, and Ryder saw the bartender wink and smile at his friend.

“Another conquest, Con.” Poor guy would be sad to know Connor was here with his wife. And not into threesomes. Ryder accepted the mixed drink from his friend and passed it to Emily. She stood, facing the dance floor, enthralled by the men dancing, the light show, or both. “Em, here, take your drink.”

“Thanks.” Her hand reached out, but her gaze remained fixed on two men out on the floor. Their bodies were sinuously entwined, arms and lips pressed together. To Ryder, they looked hot, wild, and sexy as fuck.

“They are so free and beautiful, aren’t they?” He had to bend down to hear her. “I can’t see how anyone could think this is wrong.”

A tight little grin thinned his lips. “Well, obviously my parents do, since they have no desire to ever see me again unless I become ‘normal’ in their eyes.” He gulped half his beer, licking his lips afterward.

Connor draped an arm over his shoulder. “Screw ’em, I say. You’re doing nothing wrong. Live your life and find some happiness. We’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?” His friend’s arm tightened around his shoulder as Ryder nodded.

“They’ll come around one day, Ryder. You have to believe that. In the meantime, find someone to share your dreams with.” Ryder watched his friend’s gaze flicker over to Emily, who returned his look with her sweet smile. “It’s no good to be alone, man. It sucks the soul out of you.” Connor took his wife’s empty glass and placed it on a mirrored shelf next to where they were standing. “Now I’m going to dance with my wife, and I want you to find someone to dance with.” He took Emily’s hand and pulled her onto the floor.

Ryder chuckled and took another swallow of his beer. When he finished, he looked to put his bottle down, but instead caught the eye of a man who stood watching him. He recognized that look. It was one of heat, desire, and the need to get down and dirty as fast as possible. His groin responded, but he ignored it and instead returned to the bar to get another beer.

It took a while to make his way to the front of the bar and catch the bartender’s attention to order a drink. A large palm pressed against the small of his back. “Why did you turn away from me?” The voice murmured in his ear, sending tingles up his spine while a hard body pressed him into the wooden railing of the bar. An impressive erection nestled into the crease of his ass. He could feel the heat pouring off the man’s body.

Ryder froze. He took his change from the bartender, then spoke. “You need to take your hands off me.”

“Come on, I only wanted to talk and maybe get to know you better.” The man moved closer, rubbing himself against Ryder’s ass. In another minute the guy would be humping him in public.

That did it. Snarling, Ryder whipped around to face him. “I said back the fuck up, man.”

The stranger was extremely handsome. European, Ryder surmised, with a pale complexion, dark hair and eyes, and a full, sexy mouth that hinted at all things wicked. His six-foot-plus frame was clothed in an expensive suit, which did little to hide his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The thin shirt he wore pulled against the muscles of his chest, and Ryder could see the hard nipples poking through the silky fabric. Heat blazed in his glittering black eyes.

“I noticed you as soon as you walked in, so beautiful with your golden hair and skin and those bright blue eyes like a summer sky.” He licked his lips, drawing Ryder’s attention once more to their fullness. “I like your mouth too. I watched you drink your beer and wished your lips were wrapped around my cock instead of that bottle. Imagine, a grown man being jealous of a bottle.”

Ryder sucked in his breath. He’d never been so blatantly seduced. In his mind he pictured this man stripped bare, pale body, glowing damp with perspiration, draped over Ryder’s own naked flesh. If he wanted, he knew he could take him, lead him to the back, and have him on his knees within minutes. Ryder imagined sliding his zipper down, pulling out his dick, and stuffing the man’s sexy, full mouth.

Sex with a stranger, in a club. How predictable and fucking depressing.

Finishing his second beer, he reined in his temper. “I don’t like people touching me unless I give them permission first.” He leaned closer, catching a whiff of the man’s cologne, mixed with the faint aroma of tequila and sweat. “And I didn’t give you”--Ryder touched the man’s nose with his fingertip--“permission to touch me.”

A groan burst forward from the man’s mouth as he closed his eyes. Ryder took the opportunity to escape and join his friends on the dance floor. Emily slipped her arm around his waist. “What was that all about, sweetie? He looked hot and totally into you.”

Ryder shrugged and swayed his body to the music as he danced with his friends. “Nothing and nobody. Someone looking for a fuck buddy for the night.” The music changed, and he made a face. “I hate this song. Come on, let’s get another drink.” He grabbed her hand, pushing his way off the dance floor, Connor trailing behind them, grumbling about rude friends.

“I’ve got this round, Connor. What’ll it be?” It was so tight by the bar they overlapped shoulders. Connor, touchy-feely bastard that he was, clasped the back of Ryder’s neck, resting his hand there.

“Get me another beer and Em another Sea Breeze.”

He’d given the bartender his order when he came face-to-face with the man he’d left before. Only this time the sexy mouth was sneering, and his handsome face twisted in an ugly grimace.

“So you let this pretty boy touch you, but you disappear on me?” His anger had Ryder taking a step back, forcing Connor to grasp him around the neck. The man’s eyes flashed. “He came with a woman. I saw. You like it three way, maybe? I can arrange for that.” He stepped in closer, and Ryder knew he had to get out of there.

“I’m out.” He spoke over his shoulder to Connor. “See you tomorrow.” Ryder pushed past the man and hustled out of the club. The cold wind bit through his shirt. Shit, he forgot his jacket inside. He texted Connor to get it from the coat check and take it with him when he left. There was no way in hell he was going back in there. Hailing a cab was simple, and within minutes he was hurtling down Broadway back home. Another disaster. Letting his head fall back on the headrest, he closed his eyes, and as always when he was alone and depressed, his thoughts turned to his former lover, Matt.

Was the man even alive, or had the path he’d chosen--drugs over his love--sent him to an early grave? What a waste of life. Matt had been so vibrant and healthy when they’d first met at the gym. But his easygoing, California-surfer-dude mentality hid a dark side. Drugs had always been prevalent in the music industry, but Matt wasn’t into weed. He was into the hard stuff--heroin. Ryder begged him to get help, to go to rehab, but his boyfriend insisted he didn’t have a problem. Working for an Internet radio station gave him easy access to all the drugs he could ever want.

The last ugly episode, when Ryder came home to find Matt passed out with a needle on the floor, would remain forever scalded in his brain. Never in his life had he been so scared as he was at that moment.

“Matt, Matt.” His earsplitting screams had no effect on his unconscious lover. Waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Ryder thought he’d go mad. He tried slapping Matt, pushing him, anything to rouse him out of his stupor. But Matt remained unmoving.

Three days later in the hospital, still looking like shit, Matt tried to joke it off. “Come on, dude, it wasn’t so bad. I promise I’ll cut back.” He grinned that wide-open smile that before had always melted Ryder’s heart.

Not this time.

“I can’t do it anymore. You have to make the choice.”

Matt’s grin faded. “I don’t know, man. It makes me feel good. And life is about feeling good, you know?”

No, Ryder didn’t know. “I’m sorry, but no. I don’t want any part of it.” He stared at the man he thought he loved. Did he even exist anymore, or had the drugs leeched into him too deep to let go? Was he wrong, forcing him to choose? “Aren’t I enough to make you feel good?”

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t make me choose.” Matt’s face tightened in anger, and his brown eyes darkened. “But it’s no problem, dude. I’ll pick up my stuff and head over to Troy’s. He’s cool with me.”

Pain sliced through Ryder’s chest. He gasped. “Have you been sleeping with him?” Though they always practiced safe sex, he didn’t want to know his lover had cheated on him.

A sigh of relief escaped him when Matt shook his head. “Nah, man. Troy’s not gay. We’re friends.” His face softened. “I’m sorry, Ry. We had fun, though, right?”

Fun. That was all their year together meant to the man? Matt didn’t love him, never had. Ryder turned on his heel and left Matt’s room and the hospital.

He never saw Matt again.

The gruff voice of the cabbie interrupted his thoughts. “Hey, buddy. We’re here.”

Swiping his credit card, he tipped the driver, then took his receipt. He scrambled out of the cab, anxious to get inside and out of the cold night air. By the time he made it to the entrance, he was shivering. Clarence, the doorman, pulled open the door.

“Mr. Daniels, where is your coat? It’s freezing tonight, sir.”

Ryder chuckled. “Clarence, you’re like a mother hen. Connor has it, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow. I trust you had a nice holiday?” He pulled his keys out of his pocket.

The elderly, gray-haired doorman smiled. “Yes, all the grandchildren were there, and they kept my lap busy. I trust you had a nice holiday, sir?”

Ryder nodded and knew his strained smile didn’t fool the man. “Well, good night, Clarence.”

“Shane wanted me to tell you he walked Pearl and fed her tonight. He even stayed and played with her a bit. Good night, sir.”

“When you see him, tell him how much I appreciate it, please.” Ryder took the elevator to the sixteenth floor and was greeted by a whining Pearl. She hated being left alone. Ryder gave her some treats, drank two glasses of water, and after shedding his clothes, fell into bed. Within moments he was asleep, his arm around his dog.


Purchase Rescued at: Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo ~ AllRomance Ebooks