Excerpt from USED

“So, that’s rule one. What do you think?” 
I shake my head and snap out of my reverie. “What?” I inch my way toward him and place my hand on his thigh. “I’m sorry. I got distracted. Tell me again.” Trevor’s jaw tightens. His eyes shift toward my hand. 
“You got distracted? I’m telling you the rules to our relationship, and you got distracted? How is that even possible?”
“I started thinking about last night and your lips on me. And that made me start thinking about your lips on me again. And that made me think about your hands on me. And that made me think about everything else on me.” Trevor stares at me with his mouth hanging open. 
“I swear, you never cease to surprise me, Sabra.” He grabs my hand and pulls me toward his chest. After a few moments, he uses his finger to gently lift my chin and brush his lips over mine. “Screw the rules. We’ll just wing it.” I smell his minty breath as he moves down my jaw with those magical lips and across my collarbone. Trevor’s fingers grasp the edge of my shirt. All I can think about is that same breath and those same lips scorching my skin again. 
I’m losing myself in his touch. His kisses. The sweet words he’s whispering into my ear. I’m lost in him. And then my phone rings, blasting through the room. Shaking us out of the moment. Trevor pulls back to look over his shoulder at the intruder. 
You have got to be kidding me. How is it possible the entire world seems to be calling me this early? 
I glance at the phone siting on the coffee table beside us and realize I don’t recognize the number. “I’m sorry. I have to answer this.” Trevor grabs my hand and settles it on his lap. I can feel how much he doesn’t want me to answer it. 
“Are you sure it can’t wait, Say?” He smiles his crooked grin and cocks his head to the side. “Can’t they leave a voicemail, and you call them back?”
“It could be my agent. I had that audition yesterday. I just need a second.” 
“Fine. I’ll go get a donut hole.” He grins and stands. “And then I’m coming back for yours.” 
“Ew, gross.” I snatch my phone and slide my finger across the screen, rolling my eyes at him as he walks into the kitchen laughing. “Hello?”
“Hello, Sabra. How are you, sis?” 
*****
No. No. Nooooo…NO. This can’t be happening. I yank the phone away from my ear and stare at it. Absolutely not. The air feels thin. My lungs feel like they’re about to burst. 
“Sabra? What is it?” Trevor stares at me with this look on his face, like he thinks I’m crazy. 
Did I say that out loud? 
I hit the end button and get up, pacing from one side of my extremely small living room to the other. This is a nightmare. No. It has to be a wrong number. He’s in prison. There’s a chant happening in my head. 
He’s in prison. He’s in prison. He’s in prison. 
“Sabra.” I flinch as Trevor touches my arm and instinctively move away. 
“Don’t touch me.” The hurt in his eyes is obvious. So deep. I might as well have slapped him. And I don’t care. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” I growl it at him. 
He’s in prison. He’s in prison. He’s in prison. 
“Sabra, what the hell is going on? What happened?” Trevor paces a step away and turns to look at me. “Who was that?”
“No one. A wrong number. No one at all.” 
But I know it wasn’t. He’ll call back. Come back for more. He always comes back for more. Dammit. How is he coming back for more? 
He’s in prison. He’s in prison. 
I fell Trevor’s heat before I realize he’s next to me. “I don’t believe that. It was someone.” He grabs me by the upper arms and shifts me back against the wall. “You’re shaking and white as a sheet. What’s going on? Who the hell was that?” 
I’m shaking? 
He’s in prison. He’s in prison. 
Wait. My mom called…
And I realize why she was calling so early. Dammit. Everything clicks into place. Tremors course through my body. I can’t control them. The chant changes in my head. 
He’s out. He’s out. Oh my god, he’s out. I. Can’t. Breathe. 
​

MORE ABOUT USED

At the age of seventeen, after a decade of lies, hurt, and severe abuse by her brother Lucas, Sabra Valentine is able to breathe. 

Lucas is behind bars thanks in large part to Sabra's quick thinking and self-preservation-even if that's one more secret she has to keep. 

Now, seven years later, life is moving forward, and Sabra is starting to heal, live, and love again with her friends and Trevor Collins by her side. He's tall, dark, and sexy, and he doesn't fall for Sabra's games. The future is finally looking bright-until one phone call shatters everything.


​Used is a romantic suspense with domestic thriller elements. Please be aware that there are topics that may be triggers for some readers, and this work is meant for mature readers.
​

MEET AUTHOR KATE DUNBAR

Kate Dunbar is a wife, mom of three, and obsessive tea drinker who loves a great story. She’s
passionate about people and learning what makes them tick. You can find her eavesdropping,
people watching, and living her best life wherever the winds take her.

Follow Kate on Amazon Here

Excerpt from Interception

PROLOGUE

Zee

Nothing good can come from letting a guy ride you bareback.

Since the day I lost my virginity in the back of my high school boyfriend’s Camaro, I’ve had one rule:

If you’re not gloving it, I’m not loving it.

It’s a pretty simple rule, but you’d be surprised how many times I’ve broken it when faced with a raging lady boner, tequila, and a hot guy saying all the right things. I’ve been lucky.

But luck has a way of running out eventually…
​

MORE ABOUT INTERCEPTION

Becoming a baby daddy wasn’t part of the plan…

Cooper ‘Coop’ Danford is an NFL Titan and hot commodity to his female fans. Not one to settle down, Coop enjoys the spoils of fame and fortune. It's not until sassy, sexy, Zoey ‘Zee’ Porter literally shows up on his doorstep that he contemplates something more.

Zee is a woman who knows what she wants, and she's not afraid to take it. Thrown into the deep-end with her best friend, Faith, Zee unwittingly finds herself in the home of NFL heartthrob—lucky number seven—Cooper Danford. He's everything she likes in a one-night-stand. He's hot, ripped, and ready to show a girl a good time. After a sizzling weekend fling, Zee is keen to leave him behind and go about her life.

Coop has other plans.

Attempting to woo Zee, she keeps him at arm's length, unwilling to let herself fall in love. When the fates collide and the not-so-couple couple find themselves expecting, they're in for some sidesplitting adventures along the way.

What does love, lust, and family look like when these two find themselves in the endzone before Zee was ready to start the game?

MEET AUTHOR DAWNA RAVER

Smart ass by nature, writer by accident.

Dawna Raver didn't always want to be a writer, but now the voices in her head won't shut the f**k up and the stories keep coming.

When she's not spending time in her fantasy world, Dawna loves NFL football, reading all kinds of romance stories, and pretending she's a top chef in the kitchen---even though experiments often lead to ordering out.

Oh, and fawning over her dogs and husband, sometimes in that order.

Follow Dawna on Amazon Here

Excerpt from The Revelation of Light and Dark

​He has a point. Turning away from him, I scan the crowd. “So, what exactly is this event?”
“It’s an auction for rare antiquities. Some of them have magical properties, so that’s why there’s going to be some fae in attendance, hoping to come into possession of something.”
“Don’t they already have magic?” I ask.
“Talk to any fae,” he murmurs sardonically. “You’ll never find one who doesn’t want more power.”
I open my senses again, specifically seeking out the dark vibes that give me anxiety. “I’m not sensing anything dark here.”
Carrick’s gaze moves around the room in a fast sweep. “I don’t see any Dark Fae.”
This does not surprise me. He can see beneath glamours as he had no problem realizing the woman in the alley was a succubus. Nor did he have problems identifying supernaturals in that bar he took me to. In essence, he has the same ability as me to see past veils. Yet, he’s repeatedly said he’s never seen a “human” have that ability.
This means he is distinctly not human, a fact I’ve just decided to accept. A mystery I’m determined to figure out.
But for now, I don’t even bother asking what he is. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve asked, and I’m never given anything straight. It’s why I’m eager to meet and perhaps get to know other creatures who may be more open with me.
Of course, I still have to be careful. Carrick’s warning to me night before last when I trained with Titus still rings in my ears. I could easily be a target for both Dark and Light Fae if they knew of my abilities.
“The dress fits you well,” Carrick says, and once again, my head whips in the opposite way of the toothsome fae.
He stares down at me, face impassive.
I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or just a conversation filler. I think it might be more of a compliment to himself since he—or Zaid—picked it out.
I let my gaze drift back over the room. “Yes. Everything fit perfectly. Thank you.”
“I knew that color would be amazing with your hair,” he says, and this time, I almost throw my neck out as it slings his way.

Carrick merely shrugs, taking in my obvious surprise over what was very clearly a compliment, and also an admitted fact he picked the dress out—not Zaid. “I have good fashion sense,” he says blandly, a way to explain the compliment.

“And it’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I quip, giving him a mirthless smile. “Stop doing that. It’s freaking me out.”
His lips twitch, right at the corner, and he actually turns away from me to snag a glass of champagne, but I suspect it was so he didn’t laugh.

“The dress is yours to keep,” Carrick says offhandedly when he turns back to me.
Wow. I figured I’d be returning it to him. I stare down at it, thinking it’s probably the loveliest thing I’ve ever worn. Pleased, I brush my hands along the skirt. Almost shyly, and without looking at him, I say, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”

I glance up at Carrick to find his golden eyes on me. “I do love it. At least I’ll have something beautiful to wear to my birthday party.”
“You sound slightly put out,” he observes. I mean, the man is super sharp and can read the slightest emotion.

I shrug. “Fallon’s throwing a big soiree for our upcoming twenty-eighth birthday. Well, actually… her fiancé Blain is throwing her a party, but she wanted it to include me, so now I’m stuck attending another high-style function where I’ll be miserable.”
“But at least you’ll have a beautiful dress,” he points out.
I grin down at the shimmery skirt. “There is that.”

​“Your sister invited me, but I have a conflict,” Carrick remarks, his gaze staying on the crowd.
That Fallon has him on the guest list doesn’t surprise me. He’s my business partner, but, moreover, Fallon and Blain like to develop friendships with the elite, and Carrick is at the top of that list. As much as I love my sister, she’s going to take advantage of my relationship with Carrick.

​The fact he won’t be coming bothers me, and I wish it didn’t, solely for the fact he’s never done anything to show me kindness or extend true friendship. Everything he’s done has been a means to an end for himself.

Let it go, Finley. Let it go.

MORE ABOUT THE REVELATION OF LIGHT AND DARK 

I always knew I was different.

From a young age, my mind has been plagued with things only I could see. Some hauntingly beautiful, others completely terrifying. Never knowing if these visions were real or just hallucinations, I learned how to lock them down and ignore them. I learned to take solace in the relative anonymity of city life and find peace in the rainy days my city of Seattle is known for. 
But just when I think my life is getting on track and my dreams are achievable, a moment of weakness causes me to learn a hard and fast lesson.

My entire existence has been a lie.

Now I’m faced with a new reality that’s as implausible as it is fantastical. Filled with realms and veils, light and dark, fae and daemons, gods and angels—things I don’t understand but am forced to acknowledge. It doesn’t help that the man teaching me about my unique gifts is the gorgeously handsome Carrick Byrne, one of Seattle’s richest and most powerful men.  He intimidates, annoys, and intrigues me all at the same time. I don’t trust him and yet there’s no one else to help me.
​
No longer certain who to put my faith in, what to believe, or how I fit into it all, one revelation is clear…

The world as I know it will never be the same again.

The Revelation of Light and Dark is book one of the Chronicles of the Stone Veil series and is best enjoyed if read in series order.

$0.99 SALE 
The Cardinal Brotherhood has been dormant for a thousand years—the seven deadly sins in physical form.
Once the strongest demons in the Underworld,
their power was weakened when Lucifer ordered the death of Luxure and his mate.
Book 3, Geir, is available for pre-order, now!
​

Excerpt from Luxure / Kadedus: Books 1 & 2 The Cardinal Brotherhood Series

​One thousand years ago...
“The Vollstrecker are coming. I can feel them. We need to get out of here, Luxure.”
I pull her into the shadows freezing time and space around us. The quiver in her voice is
causing a physical pain in my chest. “What’s wrong, Abiteth? Talk to me, my love. Why are
you so afraid?”
She wraps her small, cold hands around my cheeks pulling me down to meet her lips and enrapturing me in a mind-altering kiss. I get so lost in the feel of her—her taste and smell. I completely lose myself, and with it, my grip on time. Everything starts moving, and I can hear the Vollstrecker closing in.
“I love you, Luxure.” I can see the fear in her eyes as her body begins to shake in my arms.
“Abi, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
“It’s Lucifer. He’s angry with me. He thinks I betrayed him.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing. I swear.”
I search her eyes, looking for any indication that she’s lying to me, but all I see is love, honesty, and fear. I grab her hand and run. She’s not a warrior—her body wasn’t built for it—she is all soft curves and delicate features. If we stay and fight, there is no way I’ll be able to save her from the enforcers who are hot on our heels.

The Vollstrecker are Lucifer’s army. They ensure his rules are followed to the letter, and if not, they enforce justice. There is no gray in their world. The guidelines are black and white, and if you deviate in any way, then they will see to it that you never disobey him again. They ensure you don’t survive long enough to try.

“Do you trust me, Abi?” I know what I need to do. We have to transpose—move through the planes of existence in the blink on an eye. Transposition is risky with another being, but it’s the quickest way to get us out of here.
“With my life.”
“Then close your eyes, hold on tight, and I’ll take you to Uitare.”
She stops dead in her tracks. “I can’t survive there. You know that.”
“I don’t have time to argue with you or explain right now. Take my hand. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” Her hesitation was all they needed. I can see at least fifteen of them closing in on us, and I act on instinct grabbing her around the waist, my fingers digging into her hips to make sure I don’t lose contact with her. I close my eyes, calming myself, ready to use
every ounce of power I have to get her out of here. I only need ten seconds, and we’ll be gone. They won’t be able to reach or track us. My body begins to vibrate, the force of will needed to transpose planes with another person is taking its toll.
I block out everything around us focusing only on Abi.
Four… three… almost there… two…
“LUXURE!”
She’s ripped from my arms as I begin to transition.
“No! Abiteth!” Her screams ring in my ears as I watch them drag her away, my name on her lips as she struggles in their hold. And then she’s gone. I’m gone.

I find myself in Uitare—alone. There is no sound in this plane. The silence is deafening. I scream and curse, but nothing comes out. I need to get back to her. I need to save my mate.

I quickly transition back to the Underworld freezing everything around me. The vultures are suspended in mid-air, and the flames surrounding me cease their incessant flickering. I’m frantic as I search for Abiteth and any trace of the Vollstrecker. They have vanished into the depths of Hell, and I have no option but to go directly to the source. I need to find Lucifer. I manipulate the space around me transposing from place to place until I find him.
“LUCIFER!”
He would know my voice anywhere. He’s my best friend, and I am his second-in- command.
He turns with fluid ease, a sly grin pulling at the corners of his lips. “Luxure, my friend. To what do I owe this honor?”
“Where is Abiteth? Your overgrown apes tore her from my arms just moments ago, and I can find no trace of her in the realms. What is going on?”
Shaking his head, he slowly makes his way over to me troubled by this turn of events. He snakes his arm around my shoulder, and a cold dread spreads throughout my body.
“I’m so sorry, old friend. I know she was important to you. But…”
I shrug his arm off my shoulder turning to face him head on. “WAS? Where is she?”
“She betrayed me, brother. She betrayed us all. You know the penalty for that. I wish it could be different, but I can’t make exceptions. It would set a bad example.”
I don’t believe him. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t kill my mate not without consulting me.
I’m his right hand, his friend, his brother.
His twisted, evil grin returns. “I told them to be quick. She didn’t feel much pain.” I lunge at him, rage consuming my every conscious thought, but he’s too fast. “Don’t do something you’ll regret, Luxure. I don’t want to have to send them after you next.”
“How could you do this to me? She was everything to me.” I catch him off guard, my fist connecting with his cheekbone shattering it with one punch. He’s up and on me in seconds pinning me to the ground.
“Do not cross me, Luxure. Remember your place. She was everything to you?” He leans down, his lips brushing my ear as he speaks.
“I’m everything to you and don’t forget it. She had to go. She made you weak. I need you focused and strong and doing as I say.” I flip him off my body, leaping into the air, and crashing back down on his chest.
“My loyalty to you died with Abiteth.”
“Then you can join her, you stupid lovesick puppy.” He turns his gaze to the assembling army. “Get him! And don’t make it quick. I want him to suffer.”

The Vollstrecker descend on me in droves, Lucifer disappearing from beneath me. I take off at a sprint fighting everyone who gets in my way. It’s do or die, and if I don’t get away now, I’m done for. I’m not going to let that happen. I won’t give him the satisfaction. I use every advantage I have to put some distance between the army hot on my trail and me. I’m
faster, my body less cumbersome, lither, but just as strong. I push myself to the limit glancing briefly over my shoulder to gauge how long it will take for them to catch up with me. If I’m wrong by even a second, they’ll use it to end my existence.

I come to an abrupt halt turning to face them—my arms outstretched in a show of surrender. It throws them off slowing them down just enough for me to concentrate. All I can see when I close my eyes is Abi—her face when she was pulled from my embrace. The pain is overwhelming, but I have to shut it out. I have to stop the onslaught of grief that threatens to take over if I’m going to get out of this alive.

They’re getting closer, more enforcers joining the chase with every passing moment. I ignore them, letting the familiar vibrations take over, breaking apart the pieces that form my physical body. I can sense how close they are, their bloodlust evident in the stench that emanates from every one of them. I keep my eyes closed and my breathing controlled hoping
beyond hope that this works. Their screams and hollers become louder, and the moment I feel the cool metal of a blade slice into my abdomen, it’s gone. They’re gone.

I made it.

Uitare is deserted but for a handful of Masuulka—the guardians of this plane. I drop to the ground exhausted and wounded. I’ve never transposed across planes so much in such a short space of time before, and my body is protesting as every muscle throbs in agony. I can’t self-heal quickly here, but I can’t go back to the Underworld, and if I go to Earth, they’ll find
me. My only option is to stay here and wait. Wait to heal and wait for them to stop looking.

I crawl across the rough terrain causing further wounds, but I don’t have the strength to hold my body upright. I eventually find a small cave to shelter me for the night. As I lay my head down to rest, it hits me like a lightning bolt—she’s gone—my Abiteth, the love of my life, the reason for my existence. He killed her. In the absolute silence, I fall apart, sobs wracking my body as I mourn the loss of my mate, my silent roars of grief lost in the void of the space between. When I become too weak to sustain the violent spasms of grief that rack my body, I slowly shut down allowing the healing process to begin. As I lose consciousness, there is only one thought going through my mind. I will avenge my mate. I will bide my time, and I will kill Lucifer if it’s the last thing I do. He won’t even see it coming…
Who am I?
I am Luxure, but everyone calls me Lux.
However, you know me as… LUST.
I am the deadliest of sins.
​

MORE ABOUT LUXURE / KADEDUS: BOOKS 1 & 2 THE CARDINAL BROTHERHOOD SERIES

The Cardinal Brotherhood has been dormant for a thousand years—the seven deadly sins in physical form. Once the strongest demons in the Underworld, their power was weakened when Lucifer ordered the death of Luxure and his mate.

Estranged from The Cardinal Brotherhood, Lux has been roaming the Earth for a thousand years, biding his time until he can avenge the murder of his mate. Once upon a time, he was Lucifer's second-in-command, and the most revered warrior of the Underworld. Presumed dead, he's been lying in wait, readying himself for revenge.

Lux is the deadliest of sins, but you know him as LUST.

The day Sirena Sovende crosses his path, her carefully constructed world begins to crumble, uncovering earth-shattering revelations that could threaten not only her life, but the very foundation of mankind.

As the reality of her existence unfolds, Lux begins to question everything he's ever known, and makes the decision to reunite The Cardinal Brotherhood.
-----
Kadedus's very existence is based on reading people, finding the one thing they want more than anything and exploiting it. You know him as ENVY.

With word that Lux is alive spreading throughout the realms, Kade must decide where his loyalties lie. When forced to trust Selma, Lux's best friend, she surprises him at every turn, making his decision that much harder. Will he
sell his brother out to ensure his own survival, destroying his own happiness in
the process? Or will he finally learn to control his primal nature and stand with
The Cardinal Brotherhood?

The Cardinal Brotherhood is a paranormal powerhouse series, and an incredible journey of humanity, spirituality, and romance. This box set includes books 1 and 2 of the series.

*These books are part of an ongoing series. Book 3, Gier, will release later in 2021, and is available for preorder.
​

Excerpt from On The Rebound

Zachary Messiah knew me; he knew my heart. I didn’t want to risk giving it to anyone else. Not when people had a history of leaving me.

My eyes started to flutter closed, but Zach pinned me with a hard look. He needed to see me, to know this was real.

He leaned down, kissing me, sliding his tongue against mine in deep erotic licks. “I want to hate you, Calli, I want to hate you so much...”

“But you can’t.” I gave him a sad smile because I couldn’t hate him either.

Something flashed in Zach’s eyes, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he loved my body, silently telling me everything I needed to know.

Zach didn’t hate me.

He hated to love me.

And the feeling was entirely mutual.

MORE ABOUT ON THE REBOUND

​They say your first love leaves a mark. 

For Calliope James it didn't only leave a mark, it tore out her heart and left it bleeding on the ground.

He was her best friend.
Her first kiss.
Her everything.

Until one day, he wasn't. 

Zachary Messiah will never forget the girl with eyes the color of whiskey. But he's not that boy anymore. 

Cold.
Cruel. 
He's devoid of emotion. 

Their paths were never supposed to cross again. But love doesn't always play by the rules.

Now he's the King of Steinbeck University and she's the new girl on campus ... and the pasts they have fought so hard to bury are about to collide.

Only this time, they might not survive the fallout.
​

Excerpt from A Very Fumbling Merry Christmas

​“I didn’t get to tell you about my great idea yet. Hunter totally stole my thunder.” She grabs my hand and drags me over to the couch. I try to adjust my pants, but there’s no hiding the tripod I’m sporting right now.
“I can see why you chose Hunter to pop your cherry, girl. You’re lucky that monster didn’t split you in two.”
“Stop checking out my husband’s cock, Zee!” I love that Faith’s tone is jokey but with a possessive undercurrent.
“In my defense, it’s kind of hard to miss right now.” Coop’s brow furrows, but he keeps his mouth shut, which is so unlike him. Has he been replaced with an alien imposter? This guy has got it bad.
“Secret Santa!” Faith blurts out. She does that sometimes—shouts one or two words that really should be part of a coherent thought. I’ve gotten used to reminding her that I can’t actually read her mind.
“You’re going to have to elaborate on that thought, love.” I chuckle as she realizes we have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Yeah. So, I was thinking you and I could have a little wager.” The second I hear the word, I know I’m in for a crazy December.
“Another wager? You know how the last one turned out.”
“Exactly! I got the man of my dreams, and I won the wager. You cashed in my V-Card. You really punched it, stamped it, humped it to within an inch of its life.” Coop and Zee snigger as Faith goes off on one of her tangents.
“Love, please stop talking about your V-Card. What’s the new wager?” I know I’m going to regret asking.
“My favorite part of Christmas was never big or expensive gifts. It was the junk I got in my stocking. The silly games or some little trinket that ‘Santa’ knew I liked. I think it would be fun to have a Secret Santa wager. From now until Christmas Eve, we see which one of us can find the most ridiculous, funny gift for each other. What do you think?”
God, I love her sense of humor. This is actually a really good idea. It will certainly make the yuletide interesting. Not that it could ever be dull with Faith around. I hold out my hand to shake on it.
“You have yourself a deal, Mrs. Vaughn.”
“Oh, hold up!” Zee interjects. “We want in on that wager.” Coop looks as surprised as me.
“We do?”
“Come on. We could use some fun! If we’re all going to Aspen together, we should all be in on this wager. They got to have so much fun with their last one. Why shouldn’t we have some laughs?”
“I thought you weren’t sure if you wanted to keep me around until Christmas.”
“Don’t be a drama queen, Coop. Let’s do it, please?” One look at her pouty lips, and he’s a goner. They both turn to us expectantly, seeking entrance to another of Faith’s hair-brained plans.
“Wasn’t my idea. Not my call. What do you think, Faith? It’s your hair-brained scheme. Does this plan have room for two more?”
“I’d have gladly helped with the first plan if given the chance.” Coop thinks he’s being funny, but I want to throat punch him right about now.
“Say that again, and your Christmas present from me will be a shallow grave.” Faith is practically bouncing, she’s so excited at the prospect of a new game.
“Okay, okay. We can make this work. It’s going to be even better with all four of us. First, we need some ground rules.”
“We’re listening.”
“First of all, there’s a hundred dollar spend limit for any one gift. Second, you can only gift once a day. Rule three, this is anonymous in the spirit of Secret Santa. We don’t have to pick names out of a hat or anything. You’re free to gift to whomever you choose. On Christmas Eve, we’ll reveal who gave each of the gifts. Sound good?”
Coop immediately chimes in with the same thought as me. “Are we allowed dirty gifts?” Faith looks to me with mischief dancing in her eyes like sugar plum fairies before wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
“Anything goes!” She’s going to be the death of me.
“Are you sure about that? Coop has a pretty twisted sense of humor.”
“It’ll be fun. Yes, anything goes.” Then, I see the light go on in Zee’s eyes. She’s already thinking up something dirty.
“We need to add another rule. Whatever gift you receive, you have to use it.” I suddenly feel old as fuck.
“Are you all remembering that I’m an old man pushing forty?”
“All the more fun,” Faith teases. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Coop is going to crucify me.
“Okay, old man river. I’m going to be in my thirties next year. Is this what I have to look forward to?”
“I could still take you down on and off the field, Danford!”
“I just let you think that. I wouldn’t want you to bust a hip trying to keep up with me.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t want to injure myself walking to the closet to get my Hall of Fame jacket. You don’t have that problem.” Verbal sparring with Coop is one of my favorite pastimes. Only the three Fs give me more pleasure—Faith, fucking, and football.
Coop flips me the bird before grabbing four shot glasses from the kitchen and a bottle of tequila from my not-so-secret liquor cabinet. Handing us each a shot glass, he fills them to the rim.
“To our festive wager. May Secret Santa bring you everything you want this Christmas, and maybe some stuff you don’t. To us… the naughty and the nice!”

MORE ABOUT A VERY FUMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS

​With the holidays looming, Faith and Hunter begin the festive season with a bang.

Join the new Mr. & Mrs. Vaughn as they embark on their first Christmas together, and nothing says Christmas like a secret Santa wager! Back to their old tricks, Faith and Hunter attempt to best each other when it comes to gift giving.

When their best friends want in on the wager, be ready for some fumbling, holiday shenanigans!
​

She is completely torn between a husband who will help her raise the baby she is carrying
and the rock star who she still loves, is the father of the baby, and set to go overseas for two years.
There's no easy decision in this equation.
Get NO COMMITMENT to discover her choice

Excerpt from No Commitment

“Why are you here?” he asks.

I glance at him, and I wish I hadn’t. The lust is written all over his face. His lips are swollen from our kiss, and he’s panting lightly—much like me. He wants this, wants me, and maybe he would’ve taken me right here on the patio if I hadn’t pushed him away.

But it’s not just that written in his eyes. It’s the disappointment...in me. I keep hurting people I care about, and I can’t seem to stop. I can’t seem to do much of anything right these days, and at this point, I don’t even know what right is.

“I don’t know,” I whisper. That hangs between us for a beat, and then I add, “I just had to see you. I had to know if it’s real and if it’s all still there so I can make the right decision.”

“You know what the right decision is,” he mutters, turning away from me and toward the fire. He says it so easily, like there’s not even a question.

That hurts more than it should.
​
He doesn’t get it. Yes, it should be him. The answer should be easy. But there’s someone else in the picture who’s thinking the exact same things: my husband.

MORE ABOUT NO COMMITMENT

No commitment. That was my deal with Tyler from the start, at least until his tour was over and we could be together. But thirty days filming a reality show here, two years overseas with his band there... Is it really any wonder why I didn’t tell him about the baby?

He comes looking for me once he’s back in the country, but he runs into the man I married instead. Eventually I agree to meet him so I can put the past truly behind me. When I see him, though, every feeling I held inside comes rushing back.

My husband and I vowed to raise this baby together. But as I find myself drifting away from the husband who stole my job and gravitating toward the rock star who stole my heart, I realize he deserves the truth.

I just have no idea how this rock star who doesn’t make commitments is going to react to the fact that he’s a father.

MEET AUTHOR LISA SUZANNE

Lisa Suzanne is a romance author who resides in Arizona with her husband and two kids. She’s a former high school English teacher and college composition instructor. When she's not chasing her kids, she can be found working on her latest book or watching reruns of Friends.

Follow Lisa on Amazon

Excerpt from Licked

​I’m warm, warmer than I usually am when I’m in bed. Add in the fact that there’s a hand holding my breast and a hard cock wedged between the cheeks of my ass. I’m not complaining, especially because I know they belong to Ryder. 

It sucked that he came over dead to the world last night, and that he was so exhausted we barely whispered good night. His hours are definitely on the weird side, but I see how Aspen and Jasper make it work, and his are even worse. We’ll make this work no matter what time Ryder makes it in. 

“Ryder.” My voice is still scratchy with sleep. I moan as he rocks his hips into mine, his fingers pinching my taut nipples. 

“Morning, sugar.” He moves our bodies until I’m lying flat on my back and wedges his hips between my legs. I let out another moan. My eyes are already rolling back as I feel all kinds of ecstasy coursing through my body. 

​“This has to be the best way ever to wake up.” I arch up into him. It causes my shirt to ride up, the undersides of my breasts showing now. 

MEET AUTHOR TORY BAKER

Tory Baker is a devoted mother to her two children, who keep her busy with their abundance of energy and sports. She's a dog mom to her Weimaraner, Remi and her Beagle, Gunner. She lives in sunny Florida where she enjoys the sun, sand, and water anytime she can. Most of the time you can find her outside with her laptop, soaking up the rays while writing about Alpha men who love their women with everything they have to give and puts them first in everything they do with a guaranteed happily ever after.

Follow Tory on Amazon Here

Excerpt from Garnish With a Candy Cane

My good mood instantly dissipates when I enter the building. Some asshole leans too damn close to Noelle, staring at her instead of the monitor as she points out something on her screen.
I’m not into men but even I know he’s attractive. Tall and tatted with that silver fox, daddy vibe going on that girls like, especially ones who have lost their parents and need someone to take care of them. Like this bastard seems to have figured out with Noelle. Motherfucker wants my Duchess. “Don’t think I won’t kill you if you don’t get the fuck away from her.”
I thrive on the terror blanching his face from my threat, and he jerks back from the counter, and most importantly, from my girl. Who unsurprisingly shoots up from her chair, horror bursting on her face from my fury.
“Whoa.” His palms fly up in quick surrender. He’s a pansy ass coward, but at least smart enough not to challenge me. “I just wanted to order–”
“I don’t give a fuck what you wanted. Leave or die, your choice.”
With fear rolling through his body, he shakes his head and hustles past me. Two seconds later the bell jingles before the door slams shut. Her gaze follows his path until slowly returning her huge eyes to meet mine.
“What in the world are you doing?”
She sounds absurdly shocked. As if she doesn’t understand what happened. As if she doesn’t realize what’s happening between us. “He was ogling you.”
“He was ordering a cake for his work!”
I stare at her in awe when I realize she genuinely believes the bullshit she’s spouting to me. I love my sweet naïve Duchess. She really has no idea how fucking magnificent she is. “Bullshit. No man orders a cake for his work.”
All rowdy with her little fists on her hips as she stares up at me. I like when she challenges me.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do know that. Men do everything for two reasons – money or women. He was pretending to care about icing flavors when he really wanted to devour you. When I walked in here, he was looking down your dress instead of at the pictures on your computer. He didn’t give a fuck about getting anything but you.”
Her head falls forward studying her neckline before her trembling hand pushes the gaping material flat against her chest. Shame floods her expression when she looks up again with the realization he could see the curves of her luscious tits peeking out of her bra. She stares at me, examining me to search for honesty or insanity or rationality. Finding all three, she shakes her head. “You are unbelievable.”

MORE ABOUT GARNISH WITH A CANDY CANE

Deals made when you're drunk don't count, right? 
Wrong. At least according to mob boss Duke Toscani. Our alcohol-induced agreement is simple – He's mine and I'm his.
What he doesn't realize though is I'm a package deal. My grandmother took care of me when I was orphaned, and now it's my turn to take care of her. Even if I have to work three jobs and skip a few meals and good nights' sleep to do it. She may believe in Christmas miracles, but I'll need a lot more than Santa's elves to save me from the man on the very top of the naughty list.