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Showing posts with label Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Series. Show all posts

14 May 2015

Review ~ Beast Series by Ella James

Beast Series Review

Beast, Part One

Blurb:

FROM HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY
At twenty-one years old, third-generation movie star Cal Hammond was on top of the world. He had more money than God and more women than any man could need. But when a night of debauchery ends in tragedy, he forfeits a life of luxury for a ten-year prison sentence at La Rosa, California’s most violent prison.

TO A BRUTAL BEAST
Eight years later, a ruthless, cunning man runs La Rosa from the inside. He is known simply as BEAST. All the wardens fear him. All the gangs obey him. He speaks to no one but his inner council. What he says is law.

NOW ONLY SHE CAN SAVE HIM
Annabelle Mitchell’s father is the warden at La Rosa. He deals as dirty as his trustees, and after years of smooth relations with Beast and the gangs he runs, Holt lands on the powerful prisoner’s hit list. That very afternoon, Annabelle pays a surprise visit to her father’s work, hoping to use her new counseling license at a place she thinks she could make a difference. When she catches Beast’s eye, he releases the warden and grabs the daughter. The price for the warden’s error is not death. It’s his precious Belle.
 



Review

What a seriously explosive start to this series!

Cal-Ricardo-Beast is in prison for killing three people. Sure it wasn't intentional, but the fact remain.

We learn about that fateful night and more importantly, how Beast and Annabelle first meet. And let me tell you, it's some first meeting.

Cut to several years later. Annabelle is taking care of her little sister since her mother is very ill and dying. She's on the way to see her step father about helping her get a job.

Great plan except for the fact that Beast is running the prison and her step father has betrayed him. Beast offers Annabelle a deal in exchange for sparing Holt's life.

Annabelle knows that she should say no but there's something about Beast she's drawn to. Frankly, I'm drawn to him too. He's tall, dark, dangerous, and incredibly sexy.

Their "arrangement" is utterly irresistible. I'd totally take that arrangement any day of the week.

Although Beast wants Annabelle, he gives her an out. She needs to know more about him. Does he remember her?

So many questions but what an exciting start to the series. Can't wait to see where this story will go!


Beast, Part Two

Blurb: 

Continue the dark, erotic journey of Annabelle, the warden's daughter, and the man she's pined for since her girlhood. No longer Cal Hammond, actor, Beast is a brutal man who runs the prison's gangs from behind a shroud of secrecy and lies. Can Annabelle's love save him from his tainted past, or will his deceit ruin both of them?

*Beast 2 is a serial novella. If you don't like novellas, or reading stories in installments, this probably isn't for you. It deals with intense subjects and features absolutely panty-melting sex. If you're on a bus, in the subway, in your office, or babysitting innocent children, I'd advise you to read this story later. If you just can't wait, be warned. Beast will make you wet.

*This story will be either three parts or four parts.
 



Review

This second installment is enlightening to say the least. We learn more about Beast and why he is the way he is. We also get to know a little more about Annabelle's life with her mother and sister.

They way Beast and Annabelle interact speaks volumes. He desires her like no other, so much so that he's kept tabs on her over the years. Annabelle's feelings for him continue to grow while also being somewhat scared of him. She also believes that there is so more to what's going on then he's lead her to believe.

I loved how this time when they are together, he's softer, sweeter, tender. He still gets a little rough with her, but their connection is growing. He wants her to leave him but he can't seem to let her go.

And the ending... wow! That was a surprise!

This trilling story captures you and won't let go until the end. And once at the end, you are left gasping for more. I look forward to see what happens next in this suspenseful, delicious series.


Beast, Part Three

Blurb:

Return to La Rosa Prison as Annabelle tries to save Beast from his grizzly fate. Her tongue and hands are doing most of the saving.

Okay, not really.

There's suspense and a healthy dose of smut, too. You know that's how you like it...



Review

Part Three picks up right where Part 2 end. Annabelle isn't sure what to do and she's scared. Scared for her life, but also scared for Beast. Who are these men that come to take? What do they want with her? What will happen to her mom and Ad if something happens to her?

This installment was thrilling. The what if's were abundant. The fact that Annabelle and Beast have only been together a couple of time but she's completely drawn to him and her to him, it's astonishing.

During this installment we get a little background on Annabelle and Beast, however we do get a lot of what Annabelle goes through to find out what is happening with Beast. And once that is discovered, she must decide to take fate into her hands to help a man is barely knows.

Throughout this series, Annabelle has grown into a very different person. At first she was just making it with her job search, her mother, and her sister. Now she's stronger, knows what she wants for her family, and who she wants in her future. The road is a bit bumpy at the moment, but she hopes for the best and will do anything she can to make it so.

Beast comes off this strong, no feelings type of guy at first, but as we've gotten to know him, there is more than meets the eye. Although he refuses to admit his feelings for Belle, he will protect her at all cost. That in of it's self, is heroic.

While this installment was a little less sexy than the prior two, the ending is shocking. Can't wait to see how all this will tie together and hopefully end with an HEA. 


Beast, Part Four

Blurb: 

If you read Beast part three, and you should have, since these are serials, I don't think I need to entice you to one-click this novella. Beast and Annabelle are f*cked - and you know they're f*ckING, too. Grab your guns and a few extra pairs of panties! We're on the lam, and it's sexier than ever.



Review

Annabelle meets Cal when she was just a teenage and meet Beast several years later and both times they are drawn together. Nothing either can do will tear them apart nor anything anyone else tries to do.

Now they are on the run fighting for their lives. Neither wants the other in jeopardy, so they are both trying to find a way to save the other. Therefore, Beast reaches out to someone that could help them, if nothing else, to keep Annabelle safe.

Things are bumpy to say the least, but they hope for a future. They have something more than just great sex, a deeper connection.

The journey these two have taken has been turbulent, but what a journey it has been exhilarating. Ella weaves a story that is provocative and entertaining. The characters are brilliantly written and complex.

At times the story may have seemed rushed or stalled, but overall the series was compelling. The way Ella brings the reader into the stories and keeps their attention is impressive. This was truly a naughty fairy tale for adults of all ages.


About Ella

Ella James is a USA Today bestselling author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone's parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella's books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella's projects and get dates on upcoming releases, questions or comments? E-mail her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.


***Teaser Borrowed From Ella's Facebook***

26 March 2015

New Release ~ G-Men The Series by Andrea Smith



The entire G-Men Series is together for a limited time box set! Yes, those hot, alpha FBI agents, and their ladies, along with the spin-off characters of 'These Men' are packaged together for this limited time offer. This is your chance to meet Slate, Taz, Easton, Eli and Cain Maddox
if you haven't yet had the . . . pleasure!

NOW AVAILABLE
Amazon US ONLY $0.99
Amazon UK ONLY $1.99


Excerpt #1
Diamond Girl (Book #1)

Slate was waiting for me at the bus stop when I arrived. I shamelessly flew into his arms as soon as I stepped to the curb. "I fucking missed you," I said, "And I don't want to hear shit about it, either."

He laughed softly, as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closely as we walked to his apartment.

Once there, we were like two savages that hadn't been together for months instead of days. I tore at his clothing, and he tore at mine. Once naked, he unceremoniously lifted me from the pile of clothing and placed me on his bed.

He lowered himself beside me, gently pulling me into his strong arms and kissed me softly all over. His lips brushed my lips, and then moved to my neck, peppering me with kisses as his tongue blazed a path to my breasts. His mouth suckled each one thoroughly, and soft moans escaped my lips as his fingers explored my wet pussy, and then dipped inside of me sending shock waves of pleasure throughout my body.

I watched as his hand moved from my pussy. He brought his fingers up to my lips. "Lick," he said, pushing his wet fingers against my lips. "I want you to see what you taste like."


Excerpt #2
Love Plus One (Book #2)

My mom looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. She couldn't figure out why I would ask about Taz. Her eyes lowered to the 'FBI' hoodie I was wearing and her look of puzzlement swiftly changed to one of suspicion.

"That isn't one of Slate's hoodies," she noted, "He only wears the tee shirts."

I looked down, my fingers plucked a piece of imaginary lint from the front. "No," I borrowed it from …Taz," I replied slowly, looking back up at her.

Her expression had now morphed into total confusion.

"Why would you borrow a hoodie from Taz?"

Ahh… geez.

"Because I needed something to wear to bed.

There. I'd said it. The secret was out and I was relieved.
               
"Lindsey, no," she said in a loud whisper, clearly horrified. Her hand had moved to cover her mouth.

"Mom, Taz and I have gotten…close. It's a caring relationship."

"On your part, I'm sure," she said, "But, honey--Taz isn't boyfriend material. I mean the stories I've heard from Eric," she breaks off, shaking her head.

I continued to watch her turning this piece of information over in her head. Waiting.

"So…I take it you're no longer . . . Uhm…"

Don't say it, Mom. Please. Don't. Say. It.

"A virgin?

Damn. She said it.

"That's correct, Mom," I replied, hesitantly. "That's no longer the case."


Excerpt #3
Night Moves (Book #3)

"Easton," I said, trying to feel him out. "I'm getting some very mixed signals here." I tried to pull my hands back, but his grip was strong. He didn't release his hold.

"It's simple, I've missed being with you."

"What do you mean? We were just together last night. We spent almost all morning together at the office, we had a working lunch together, and now you've hauled me out for dinner. I'd say over the last 24 hours, we've spent more time together than most married couples."

"Don't play with me," he quipped. "You know what I'm talking about. This doesn't bode well for me."

I sighed audibly. The truth was, my body ached for him as well as for his discipline, but these newly adopted scruples of mine were wreaking havoc with my better judgment. What else could I do but be honest?

"Easton I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the experience of being with you. It was something else, no doubt about it. But things have changed. There's no getting around that. I told you how I felt last night. I need to get my priorities in order. Nothing's a given for me anymore. I have to earn my success. I really want to put my best foot forward with my career. You seemed to understand that last night. It's just not a good idea."

"Yes," he replied quietly, giving what I'd said some thought while rubbing my fingers with his. "Of course, you're right. It's not a good idea, assuredly. It would cross the line you set, which by the way, I totally respect and admire the fact that you're putting your career first, much like me, I suppose." His gray eyes studied me and my heart did a fast pitter-pat at the feel of his fingers intertwining with mine.

"I appreciate your understanding and thank you for noticing that I've taken this new role seriously. I don't want anything to jeopardize my ability to succeed," I said.

He was still holding fast to my fingers. My heart continued the pitter-pat rhythm.

"Absolutely," he replied, earnestly. "You're to be commended. Still," he said, his voice dropping an octave and his lips curling into that beautiful smile that couldn't be good for my pulse, "I just can't get that picture out of my head."

Silence…

"What picture?" I asked finally, squirming just a tad in my seat.

"The picture of your beautiful face after I've used the crop and when my lips softly place those little butterfly kisses on that very special spot of yours."

Oh holy Jesus!

"Which one?" I asked raising an eyebrow, immediately regretting it.

"The one right…here," he said softly, brushing his thumb against that sensitive area I had on my neck, an inch or two south of my earlobe. I knew the one. He continued to lightly caress it, his eyes growing darker.

"Ahh, yes," I said, remembering the way he'd made me tingle and my toes curl just with his soft kisses on that spot. "That spot."  I shifted uneasily.

Focus, Darcy. Disengage. I repeat: disengage!

"And then, you know, there's that other special spot of yours…," he murmured.

"Easton," I warned, my tone getting stern. I shifted nervously.

"You know the one, love? That very deep, sensitive spot inside of you that loves the feel of my fingers and cock rubbing against it. Such a shame you haven't had the pleasure of feeling my unsheathed cock. I'm betting my cock jewelry would likely put you over the edge. You've wondered about that, haven't you? When you're lying in bed at night, when the world gets slightly quieter as your imagination runs a little wilder…" His hand made its way to the nape of my neck, his fingers lightly drawing shapes across the sensitive skin. "I bet you have that night on replay, along with those thoughts of yours when you saw my piercing. And then you wonder what it would feel like to have it gently scrape your clit, slowly at first, but then I'd go a little faster. A little harder. Until I took it deeper and started all over again. And again."

By this time, I could feel the wet spot in my panties. My lips were dry, so I merely nodded in agreement.

"Oh," he said, smiling again, "Let's not forget those very enticing nipples of yours and the way they respond when I taste them, right before I take them full into my mouth to suck. Hard. Quite a rush, isn't it?"

Oh God!

The server approached, setting our drinks down, ready to take our order.

"Darcy?" Easton nodded, as the server waited, poised to write my order down.

"Uh, nothing for me, I'm still full from lunch." He turned to Easton for his order.

"Check please."


Excerpt #4
These Men (Spin-Off) M/F/M

And suddenly, there were another pair of hands in the mix. I hadn't heard Cain come in, but there he was, intent on joining us.

I felt his calloused fingertips gently rubbing my lower back, and smoothing down over my hips, where his thumbs hooked into the elastic band of my thong, and he slowly lowered it down, where it pooled around my feet on the bed.

Eli's mouth moved from mine, and I watched as Cain, already stripped down to his tee shirt and boxers, leaned in and captured Eli's lips with his, their tongues swirling together in a frenzied and familiar passion.

I watched, totally mesmerized by their rhythm and cadence, caught between them, and feeling the heat of their love wrapped around me like a cozy blanket.



Author Information

I was born and raised in southern Ohio, and with the exception of a brief stint in Dallas, TX, have been an Ohioan most of my life. My dream has always been to write a novel, and back in the early eighties I tried to do just that, having been influenced by authors such as Kathleen Woodiwiss, Johanna Lindsey, Rosemary Rogers and Laurie McBain. I remember writing to all of them through their listed publishers, and the only response I received was from Johanna Lindsey (who lived in Hawaii at the time.

Ms. Lindsey advised me to continue with my dream; and to submit to various publishers again and again. Of course, at that time, publishing e-books yourself was not on the horizon; there were vanity publishing houses of course, but she advised me to avoid those.

So my dream was put on the back-burner for more than 25 years until June of 2012 when suddenly I no longer had a reason not to write a novel. My sons were grown; I found myself without a career (blessedly) and the creative juices flowed once again.

I finished my first novel, "Maybe Baby" in September of 2012; the next two books in the "Baby Series" titled "Baby Love" and "Be My Baby" were published in early 2013. I learned a lot in my first endeavor with self-publishing. I've made so many friends as a result that it is over-whelming.

In the spring of 2013, I had an idea for a different type of Alpha, and wrote Book #1 of the "G-Man" Series, titled "Diamond Girl." This book was well-received, and I followed it with Book #2, "Love Plus One." These are stand-alone books.

I am finally doing what I love and I sincerely appreciate the wonderful readers who provide feedback and take the time to comment. I hope that with each book, my writing has grown and improved as I strive to publish quality fiction.

STALK Andrea
Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads


GIVEAWAY
$100 Amazon Gift Card



21 February 2015

Chapter Reveal ~ Scorch by Clarrisa Wild




Title: SCORCH (#3, Delirious)
Author: Clarissa Wild
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2015
Genre: Dark Romance





Synopsis

Sweet revenge keeps her alive … and drives her to kill.

I am the forgotten one, the girl who was left for dead.
In this mental hospital I call prison I plot my revenge.
I remember everything.
Their faces. Their touch. Even their smell.
What they did to me was beyond cruel. I’m going to return the favor.
In here I survive by using someone just as they used me. One of them wants to claim me as his own. A man without mercy, without a conscience, craving the wickedness inside me. But I won’t be a puppet for his desires. I will play his strings like a puppeteer and use him to escape.
And when I do … I will kill them all.


This is Ashley's story and the final book in the Delirious Series. This is a full-length novel. These books should be read in order.

WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, strong language, dubious consent, and graphic violence. 

Preorder SCORCH:






Prologue

Accompanying song: "I'm Dying" by VAST

Ashley

June 20th, 2013.

Flames engulf me.
They lick my skin, fill me to the brink with fear.
I’m trapped with no way out.
My eyes can only see darkness as black as my body will become if I stay here a second longer. My vision is clouded by smoke, the rooms and hallways turned into a ghostly scene. Screams come from all directions, whines and loud bangs following suit.
I don’t know where I’m going, but anywhere is better than here. I have to escape this sea of flames.
A torrent of fire scorches the walls, blazing through the doors. I jump over fallen rubble and molten wood, running through any visible gaps I can find. It’s here, it has to be here. The door to freedom … it’s supposed to be here.
Fire follows me everywhere, like a trail set to destroy me, but I won’t let it burn me. I chose this path. I was the one who set this chain of events in motion, and now I must find a way out of this hellhole before it swallows me whole.
It’s either this fire or this facility that will be my undoing, and I’d rather be turned into a crisp than spend one more second in this place. Everything I did was for my own freedom, and I won’t let anything ruin it, not even a fucking burning building.
Right now, I don’t care about anyone else but me. I did it all for me. That’s right, I chose to only follow my own instincts so I could benefit from it. I’m a selfish motherfucker, but I don’t regret a thing.
For once I deserve a little peace.
Forever do I deserve justice.
No one more than me deserves to get out of this place.
But this fire is catching up with me quickly, and I don’t know if I can outrun it.
My lungs burn as I suck in the last viable breath, trying to stop coughing. The smoke is killing me, but I won’t give up. I won’t stop running, won’t stop fighting, won’t stop screaming until I gave it my all and then some. I won’t go down without reason.
I won’t. I fucking won’t!
Adrenaline fuels my body as I rush past falling debris, crisscrossing through the hallway until a door comes into sight. Hope zings through my veins, giving me a rush as I make a sprint toward freedom. I jump over fire and lunge at the door, pulling it open as I go. There’s another door just up ahead. The exit sign is the only light that shines down upon me as I close the door behind me and try to open it.
The door is locked.
I jerk it a couple of times, but it won’t budge.
Panic rolls through me, making all the hairs on my body stand up, as I jerk the door again and again.
“C’mon,” I say. “C’mon you worthless piece of shit!”
I punch the door, but it’s no use. Nothing I do works.
I cry out as I pull on the door as hard as I can and ram my feet into the wood in an effort to break free. Fire has consumed the hallway behind me, and I can smell the smoke rising up from the hole underneath the door. It won’t be long until it enters this room and when it does I have to be out.
“Why won’t you fucking open?” I scream at the door.
If this damned door would open, I would be out of here by now, but it seems to be made of pure cement or something. Nothing I do works. I can feel the heat of the fire penetrating the walls, creeping in from underneath the door behind me. As I look over my shoulder the small gap is lit like the sun.
Oh God, it’s so close, I can almost feel it.
There’s no escape now. I can’t turn around and find a different exit. I’m trapped and the fire has come for me. And this fucking door won’t open, no matter what I do.
Salty tears enter my mouth as I yell and kick the door in a futile move to free myself. Nothing I do works. Nothing.
After a while, I sink to the hard floor, burying my face in my hands.
I’m done for.
This is it, this is the end.
I was the only one who could save me, who could get me out of here. This was my last chance and I blew it.
What ifs float through my head. What if I hadn’t listened to him? What if I didn’t let him use me for his own pleasure? What would have happened if I didn’t let him into my heart? Would I have made the same choices?
No, but I doubt I would’ve come as far as I have now.
Which terrifies me even more. All the choices I made or could have made would’ve led to only two outcomes. I would either remain here or in another facility as their sex puppet or I’d flee and probably die.
I guess I got what I wanted after all. In the end, I realize it’s what I asked for. I should’ve listened when he said there was no escaping this place … and him.
The only way out is death itself.
I should accept my fate with the last shred of dignity I have left, but I can’t fight this dread creeping into my soul. After all that planning, all that work, all that lying, cheating, stealing, and betraying, I ended up alone and trapped in a room as small as a fucking closet. I exchanged my body for a little bit of hope, and what I got was a miserable end to my suffering.
What a horrible way to die.

Chapter 1

Accompanying song: "Better With You" by Of Verona

Ashley

February 12th, 2013.

Gray.
Everything is gray.
Not black. Not white. Not clear or unclear. Not good or bad. Just gray.
I’m gray. I’m not angry or sad. Not happy or depressed.
I’m in the middle where there are no decisions and no emotions.
Nothing. I’m nothing. Feeling nothing, worth nothing, doing nothing, staring into nothingness. And I don’t care. Not even a little bit.
My legs are cramped, but the pain soothes me. I wobble up and down … up and down … forward and backwards. My nails dig into my skin as I hold my knees close, staring at the wall in front of me. I watch the cracks, feeling like they’re changing in shape. I know each and every one of them from the head, but somehow this one particular crack seems unfamiliar, and it makes me curious.
Tempted, I lean forward and place my index finger on the wall. The nakedness of the structure creates goose bumps on my skin as I touch something for the first time in hours. I love the texture, how different it feels with each stroke. Each bump and each indent are like a map to me, I’ve studied them all. I know exactly where every nook and cranny is.
Except this one. It’s not familiar to me at all, which holds my attention like nothing else.
Was this crack always here? I wonder, and yet that’s not possible, because I know this cell better than the back of my own hand.
Maybe I am really losing my mind. As they say, surrounding yourself with crazies makes you fucked up too.
The thought makes me smile.
It wasn’t always that I believed I was crazy, that I was losing it, but now that I’m in here, I know the true meaning of going nuts. It suits me well.
There aren’t a lot of things that I’ve taken with me when I came here. Whoever I was before died the night they kidnapped me. They … the men who used me like I was some kind of whore. Like I was theirs to abuse. As if I wasn’t a person. They said I should be glad I’m still alive … I say they should be scared that I’m still alive.
In my corner, I wobble up and down, my eyes skimming the walls and ceiling for any new cracks that I might have overlooked. It’s important to keep track of any changes in my environment; who knows, it might come in handy someday.
Like, for escaping. Or, I don’t know, smacking someone over the head with some fallen rubble.
You never know.
I say I don’t feel anything, but maybe that’s a lie. A lie I tell myself so I can keep living and stay sane while I reside in pure insanity. There is only so much a human can accept and live with. I’m not going to claim I can take it all. I can’t, but at least I know the truth. That has to be worth something.
In this prison I seem like a girl who’s lost everything. And I can’t say I don’t agree. I have lost everything that I once deemed mine. My body, my freedom, my mind. But no matter the sacrifices, they will never own my heart or soul. Those are two things that remain untouched, two things I will use to destroy everything.
Yes … in this place where I sit like a dog in a corner, bumbling to myself like a lunatic I scheme … I scheme to betray all that is good in order to escape.
And then I will have vengeance.
I won’t die before they do. And if I do, so help me god, I will pull them down this hellhole with me.

***

Five hours later ...

“Hey!”
A loud banging noise pulls me from my wobbling trance.
“Are you even fucking listening?”
I glance over my shoulder, snarling at the guard who rams his baton on the glass. I give him a squinty growl and then return to my sulking. No use wasting energy on dimwits who can’t or won’t help me. Nobody in here will help me, which is exactly the reason why I should focus on my own plans.
And my plans are to survive … and then kill.
Every bang is another reminder of the noise inside my head, the screams, the pain that I bury. Their faces haunt me, and I lick the memory of their viciousness like a tiger licking its wounds. It feeds me, the rage … it keeps me alive, so that one day I can do the same to them.
“Whore …”
My nose twitches. Don’t react, Ashley. Don’t show them any emotion. Don’t give into their taunts. It’s what they want, what they need, and I won’t give it to them. If this is my final sliver of power, I’ll fight to keep it.
“Hey, see this?” he says. “Fuck you. Suck my dick.” He stomps the glass. “Don’t you fucking ignore me, you piece of shit.”
I swear, this is how they talk to patients in every normal psychiatric hospital. It’s normal.
I roll my eyes.
“Oh, fuck you. You don’t even deserve to live. Sad, worthless girl.” He laughs. “Pathetic …”
He stomps the glass a final time before he’s ripped away. I turn around to see if he’s gone, but a hand on the glass draws my attention. The door clicks open. My ears perk up. A shiny, black boot steps in.
Nobody’s stepped foot in here. Not since I arrived.
Something’s about to change. Big time.
I turn around and face the wall. Can’t show any interest. Curiosity is weakness, and weakness gets you killed. I don’t plan on dying just yet.
I know how dangerous this place can be. Even when I’m trapped in this pretentious building, I know who runs this place … who decides what happens with me. Those men who used me keep me captive here like a dog. The slightest action I take will be on camera, and then shit’s going to hit the fan. I’d rather pretend to be meek and easy. It makes it easier to stab everyone in the back later.
“Leave us.”
His voice is stern, authoritative. Confident, but not too cocky. Probably a higher-up, but not in a way that gives him any real power. The door slides open and he steps further in. The sound of his clicking shoes draw my attention, and the way he closes the door again, very softly, gives me the idea he likes to think he’s in control.
No one can control me. No one.
A metallic sound ensues. Something is placed on the small table in the middle of my cell.
And then he directs his attention toward me. “Your name.”
I don’t answer. There is no reason nor motivation for me.
He steps forward. I smash my lips together as I watch his shadow grow on the wall. The bright light emanating from the door is a little frightening when it lights him up like this, as if he’s a stalker creeping up to his prey.
“I said, your name.” His voice has gotten darker, more menacing.
I won’t allow myself to get scared. Not in here.
He stands behind me and I watch his shadow on the wall, waiting for him to make a move, waiting for him to explode.
Except he doesn’t. What he does instead makes me swallow away a lump in my throat.
He pets me.
With his hand on my head he makes soft strokes through my hair, sliding down toward my neck, and then back up to the top of my head. It’s eerie as well as totally unnerving that this man is touching me like this. Does he want me to resist? Or does he want me to fight? What is he expecting?
“You’re not quite the listener, are you?” he says.
I frown, but don’t answer him, and keep my eyes on the wall. I won’t give him an ounce of myself.
“That’s okay … I have plenty of time.”
My lips part, but then I shut them again. Goddammit. I’m almost tempted to ask questions, but it would only give him more insight into who I am. I can’t give them that luxury.
“Oh my dear pet …” He chuckles. “You have no idea what you’re in for.”
“What?”
Shit.
I shut my mouth the moment I realize I spoke. Fuck!
He laughs again. “Don’t worry, I’ll be good for you, as long as you’re good for me.”
“What the fuck?”
“Don’t try to understand. You can’t,” he says, continuously petting me like I’m a dog.
My muscles tense from his fingers suddenly curling into the base of my neck.
“I know you know what happened to you. I know you remember everything.” He pinches my flesh. “You know why you’re here.”
Yes, I do. I remember vividly what those men did to me, and for that I must be punished. I can’t be controlled, I can’t be made to think I’m insane, and that makes me a liability. That makes them want to put me in here. There is no mercy in this world. So I answer, “To be silenced and locked away forever.”
“Exactly.”
I sigh, trying not to feel threatened or angry by this admission, but it’s hard to ignore the bubbling rage.
“Stand up,” he commands.
His voice is unforgiving, to the point of me actually standing up. That’s a mighty feat. It’s not because I’m scared … more because I’m interested in why he has come to tell me news I already knew.
“Turn around.”
I slowly spin on my feet, my face completely blank as I face the man who came into my space. His longish, dark-brown hair falls beside his eyes like curtains darkening his narrow face. He has a cleft in his chin and strong cheekbones. His pitch-black eyes make me shiver. There is a slight smile on his thin lips. On his jacket is a peculiar pin button, one that I haven’t seen before. It’s one of the doctors, but not one I’ve seen before. They’re not all really doctors; some are, but most are fakes, meant to keep the patients in check. That’s all they do here; put up a show so nobody makes a scene, so everybody behaves.
Everybody but me, that is. That’s why they put me in this concrete cage.
“You are mine now,” he says.
“I am no one’s possession, just a prisoner,” I snarl.
He straightens my shirt which hangs slightly askew across my shoulders. I like it better that way. It’s my way to rebel in a place with so little possibilities to fight.
“You are a prisoner and I am the one who holds the key to your cage.”
I muffle a laugh. “So? That doesn’t make me yours.”
“It will. Sooner or later.” He smiles. “You’re my pet now. There’s no reason for either of us to pretend you will ever believe our words or forget what you know.”
“I won’t,” I interject. “But I’m not going to be a toy for you either.”
He squints. “You don’t have a choice.”
“Like you do. They are the ones keeping me here, not you. You don’t have me, they do.”
They gave you to me.”
“What?” Gave? Like I’m some sort of gift? The idea makes me want to hurl. “I doubt that.”
“They don’t have time to deal with difficult girls.”
“Good,” I say, swatting his hand away when he tries to grab a strand of my hair. “I’ll be even more difficult then.”
He laughs again. “I enjoy a challenge.”
“Is that why they gave me to you? I’m not some lion you can tame.”
“Your claws are sharp, though,” he muses.
I can’t stop the twitch in my nose. Goddammit, I want to kill this guy.
“Like I said, you’re mine now, and I intend to make you … less annoyingly difficult.”
“How?” I say. “That’s going to take a lot of effort. Annoying is my middle name.” I snort.
“You’ll see how.” The grin on his face makes me want to slap the living shit out of him.
For a second, I contemplate on doing just that, but then I remind myself there is a camera in the left corner and someone behind is must be looking, waiting for me to bite. And then they can do even worse things to me. I won’t let it happen.
“Complicated cases are handed to me. Impossible ones even. Girls who refuse to bend.” He walks to the table and then turns around to face me again. “I break them.”
I study him for a moment. “Who are you?”
He cocks his head and points at the chair in front of him. “Sit.”
Of course, he won’t answer me. My eyes narrow. “Why?”
“I will tell you if you listen to me.”
Taking a deep breath, I take the chance and slump toward the table. Sitting down isn’t my style, I prefer throwing my ass into the chair. Just a little defiance keeps me going.
Only now do I spot the plate of food on the opposite end of the table. My mouth instantly begins to water.
“You can have it … if you behave.” He sits down on the table, in between me and the view of the food. I immediately look up at him, probably with the face of a troll. Right now, I’m too hungry for anyone to stand in between me and my food.
I lunge forward to grab it, but he’s so much faster than me, grabbing my wrists and jamming them to the table.
“I said, behave.”
“Fuck you. I don’t owe you shit.”
“You do if you want to live.”
Sighing, I sit back, sulking in my chair. Goddammit, I’m fucking hungry. They haven’t fed me properly since I came here. Small amounts of porridge and dry bread don’t get me through the day. They’re so fucking cheap, I sometimes wish they had just killed me instead.
“What do you want?” I say.
“You.”
The way he says it, so sure of himself … so sure that he’ll get what he wants, makes my skin crawl.
“Why? Why me?”
He glances behind him and points at the camera in the corner. “I’ve been watching you for some time.”
“Pervert.”
He smiles. “You probably don’t even realize how accurate that is.”
Oh my god. He has to be kidding … right?
He leans in and I lean back in my chair to get away. “You can’t escape this place, Ashley.”
My eyes widen at the sound of my own name.
“Yeah, I know what you’re called,” he muses. “Did you think I asked you because I didn’t know? Or because I wanted you to speak?” he growls.
“You wanted me to give you what you want.”
“Exactly.” He cocks his head again. “You’re beginning to understand.”
“Why on earth would I do what you want?”
“Oh, I have plenty of reasons, but an important one in particular.” He’s so close now, I can feel his breath on my skin. He whispers, “I can help you be free.”
That word makes me choke up.
“Why … why would I trust you? You can’t promise me anything.”
“You can’t, but you don’t have a choice. Either you listen to me and do what I say, or you stay in here … forever.”
Those words make me want to scream, but I don’t. It’s what he wants, I can see it in his eyes. That glint of amusement at his own victory. It’s the ugly truth.
“What do you want from me?” I ask. “Why did you come here? Why now, after all those days?”
He shifts his position on the metal table which creaks. “You’re separated, so you could calm down and we could observe your reaction to the environment.”
“I’m a Guinea pig.”
“Not entirely. You were just one of the few who didn’t go into full denial.”
“I would die before I would forget what those monsters did to me!” I yell, suddenly overcome by fury.
His eyes flare with excitement. “Hmmm …”
“Do you even know?” I ask through clenched teeth. “Do you realize what you’re doing?”
“I do.”
“Then you’re just as bad as they are.” I avert my eyes.
He suddenly leans forward, grabs my chin, and forces me to look at him. “I am not like them, and do not for a moment suggest that I am.” He releases me with a slight twitch of his hand.
Clearing his throat, he says, “For your own sake it would have been much better if you’d simply forgotten what you’d experienced, but unfortunately for the both of us, that isn’t the case.” He looks me straight in the eyes. “Now, if you wish to live, you will listen and do as I say. You know how they are … if you’re difficult, we have no other choice but to–”
“Kill me.” He seems caught off guard by my comment. “Yeah, I know what they’re like. Are you like that too?” I ask, leaning forward with my elbow on the table. “Because that makes you just as evil.”
For a moment, his eyes narrow slightly, and his tongue quickly darts out to wet the side of his lip, but it disappears as quickly as it came.
He turns his head and gazes at the food. “I think we’re done talking.”
He jumps off the table and fetches the food before I have time to react. He doesn’t give it to me, instead, he holds it in his hand and walks to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“If you’re not going to behave, why do you think you deserve this?”
“Because I’m fucking hungry, and I need it. Jesus Christ, I haven’t eaten a proper meal in days!” I shout, scooting the chair back.
“Sit. Down.” His voice echoes against the door.
I grind my teeth. “Give it to me.”
It’s quiet for a second. “Ask nicely.”
I sigh out loud. “Goddammit, can I please have it?”
He glances over his shoulder. “Is that your nice side?”
“As nice as it gets with me.” I fold my arms.
He laughs like he’s really amused by that. “We’ll have to work on that then.”
He turns around and walks toward the table again. I breathe a sigh of relief as he puts the plate back on the table and slides it to my side.
“This is because I’m nice now.” He smiles. “Not because you deserve it.”
I growl, but don’t respond, because I don’t want him to take this away from me. I immediately grab a fork and start gobbling up the mashed potatoes like a starving homeless girl.
“You see? Do as I say, and you get what you want. Simple,” he muses. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll bring you better food. I’ll make sure you’re left alone.”
“In exchange for what?” I ask, spooning up some applesauce.
He grins. “You’ll know soon enough.”
The way he says it sends chills up my spine. So eerily dark, laced with poison.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because I’d like to know who keeps me captive here. Who comes into my room every single time and makes me remember that I’m a prisoner to the sickest men on earth.”
He raises an eyebrow only slightly. “You want to know who takes care of you in here …” he muses, to prove his own point. Pathetic.
“No,” I say, holding my fork tight. “I want to know so I remember the name of the man I’m going to kill first.”
His eyes widen, and his lips part, but no sound comes out. Ha, gotya, motherfucker. It’s not a lie. I am going to kill him someday. I don’t care how, but I will, with whatever means necessary. And then I’ll murder the rest of them.
After a stare down of almost a minute, I continue eating.
“My name is Sam Bailey,” he says. “And when I’m done with you, I’ll be the only guy on this planet you won’t be able to kill.”

Start reading the Delirious Series now!

SNARE (Book 1)

SEIZE (Book 2)

SCORCH (Book 3)
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Giveaway!
About the Author



Clarissa Wild is the Amazon Bestselling Romance author of FIERCE, a top 200 and top 15 New Adult Romance novel. She is also a writer of erotic romance such as the Blissful Series, The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite meals.

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04 February 2015

Blog Tour ~ All of Me (Inside Out Series) by Lisa Renee Jones



ALL OF ME, the sixth and final novel in the INSIDE OUT series is
NOW AVAILABLE
 
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/WkXpmr


BLURB

Passion. Mystery. It all collides in the breathtaking conclusion to the New York Times bestselling INSIDE OUT series, ALL OF ME.

He's rich and famous, his past dark, but so is hers. Can they save each other? Or will the darkness tear them apart?


Excerpt

Entering the kitchen, I find Chris leaning on the marble countertop by the coffeepot, shirtless and in his pajama bottoms, the long strands of his blond hair a wild, sexy mess I’m pretty sure I created last night.

He glances up from the paper he’s reading, then picks up his coffee cup. “Morning, Ms. McMillan.”

“Morning, Mr. Merit,” I reply, grinning as I join him.

He offers me his coffee cup and I happily accept it, taking a drink of the perfectly flavored coffee and creamer. Sharing a cup with Chris has this sexy, intimate feel to it that always does funny things to my belly.

“Your last day as a free woman,” he comments.

“Why? Are you planning to tie me up sometime soon?”

He covers my hands on his cup. “Is that an objection, or wishful thinking?” He tilts the cup and drinks, his eyes never leaving mine.

“I plead the Fifth. It’s more fun that way.” 

“That it is,” he agrees, but a sigh follows. “I wish I could do the same, but you’d better look at the newspaper.” He sets the cup on the counter, then hands me the Arts section of the local paper.

Dread fills me as I read the headline: “Acclaimed Artist and Philanthropist Chris Merit to wed Sara McMillan on Valentine’s Day in Star-studded Event in Sonoma.” I set it down. “We went to so much trouble to get the press off our backs before the wedding, and now they’ve found us! I knew when all these famous people showed up on the guest list, it was going to turn into a zoo.”

“Walker Security anticipated the press, and they’re staffed and ready for it. It’ll be fine. We’ll be shielded.”

Nerves the size of birds, not butterflies, attack my stomach.

“We should have eloped.”

“We still can. Let’s do it. Now. Today.”

“We can’t elope,” I say, sounding appalled, as if he’d suggested it, not me. “People who respect you are coming a long way to see us. And Katie has planned this for months.” 

“Baby, we can do whatever we want. This is our day.”

“No. We can’t. Not this far into this. Which reminds me— you can’t stay here tonight. It’s bad luck to see the bride the night before the wedding.”

“I told you how I feel about that. We make our own luck.”

“Chris—”

He kisses me. “I’m staying here tonight, and I’m fucking you like I won’t see you ever again, just to be sure you walk down that aisle.”

“If you’re waiting for me at the end of that aisle, I’ll be there. And if you’re staying here tonight, we can use separate bedrooms.”

“Does today count as part of that eve-of-the-wedding rule?”

“Yes.”

He scoops me up and I yelp. “What are you doing?”

“I’m a renegade, baby. Let’s go break the rules.”


SERIES READING ORDER & SALE LINKS

Haven't started the INSIDE OUT series yet?

Get the first 4 chapters of IF I WERE YOU plus
BONUS CONTENT FREE
for a LIMITED TIME ONLY!

 If I Were You (bk 1)

 Being Me (bk 2)

Revealing Us (bk 3)

His Secrets (bk 3.1)

Rebecca’s Lost Journals Box Set
(bk 3.2 & 3.3 and includes Master Undone)

My Hunger (bk 3.4)

No In Between (bk 4.5)

My Control (bk 4)

I Belong to You (bk 5)

All of Me (bk 6)


About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.
 
Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE
 
Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.
 
Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.
 
Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.
 
STALK HER: 



GIVEAWAY
INSIDE OUT Prize packs (5 Winners)
$25 Amazon gift card
$15 Starbucks gift card