Feb 20, 2013

The Naked Truth



It’s amazing what one can find in strip clubs…

Josh Carter gets the shock of a lifetime when he shows up at a place of ill repute for a business meeting and sees the one that got away gyrating on the stage. Abigail Reese—the girl with so much potential, the girl that took his heart along with his body one night long ago—what brought her to this level?

Though stripping is not what Abigail set out to do, it’s putting food on the table and a roof over her daughter’s head. But just how much can she reveal to Josh without risking it all?

When Josh causes Abigail to lose her job, she has two choices: come clean about her past and her situation or push him out of her life as quick as he came into it. It’s up to her…only she has to think of her little girl too.





Excerpt:

Abigail removed the yellow gloves and went in search of water to curve her thirst. Whenever she was stressed out, she cleaned. As she sipped the water, pride filled her that her place sparkled and smelled of lemon and bleach. Now to get herself clean.

Setting the bottle down on the counter, she began to lift her shirt up over her head.

Knock knock.

Abigail pulled the edge of her tank top back down. She glanced at the clock and thought it was early for the mail man to be here, but he might’ve been ahead of schedule today. Then again, she wasn’t expecting a package at the moment, so it probably wasn’t the mailman. She stood on her tiptoes and peeked through the peep hole. Josh. What was he doing here?

Opening the door, she said, “Hailey’s at school.”

He held an envelope in his hand. He couldn’t possible have the DNA test results already. Then again, he had money, so anything was possible. “I’m here to see you. Can I come in?”

Abigail stepped back out of the way and let him enter.

“It smells good.” He glanced around.

“I was cleaning. I was just about to wash up before you showed up unexpected.”

He grinned. “I thought we could open this together.”

She eyed the white rectangle in his hand. “That’s for you. Not me. I know you’re the father. You were the last man I was with.”

“Before you found out you were pregnant?”

She laughed. “No, as in you’re the last man I’ve ever had sex with.”

“You don’t mean…”

“Oh, yeah, I mean it. I’m a single mother. I don’t have time to date.” He was quiet and she found it amusing. She could only imagine the thoughts running through his head. “Open it up.”

He set the envelope on the table next to him and closed the space between them. “It was five years ago that you and I were intimate. And in all this time, you’ve never gone to bed with another man?”

“You’re still on that?” Men.

His hand wrapped around her neck and he pulled her face to his. “Do you have any idea what it does to me to know I was the last one to touch you?”

She shook her head. “What does it mean to you?”

“How about I show you? Can I?”

She gazed at his lips and licked hers. Before she knew what was happening, she nodded and his mouth crushed against hers. He stole her breath when his tongue swooped in and met hers. She reached out and grabbed his shoulders, bringing her body closer to his.

Her body burst with pleasure, the same way she felt years ago. His arms wrapped around her and lifted her. Her legs intertwined with his waist. Josh spun her around, setting her on the same table the envelope was on.
He ended the kiss, but only to begin a trail on her cheek, to her chin, neck, and collarbone. “Oh God,” she murmured.

She arched into him as his tongue licked the top of her cleavage. Her core ached to be touched. She wanted this man badly. Instinct kicked in and she reached out, yanked a handful of his dress shirt, and smashed her lips to his. Her fingers began working his buttons. Once a few were undone, she slipped her hand inside his shirt and across his firm chest.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered before his thumb flicked over her nipple.

Abigail gasped and then went back to working on his shirt. Just as she reached the last button, she looked up at him and saw the passion in his eyes. But then she wondered what she was doing. Should she be doing this with him? She barely knew the man and for all she knew, when he returned home, she may hear from him again. She couldn’t risk it.

She pushed him away and hopped off the table.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“We can’t do this.”

He came up behind her. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Oh, she wanted to. And her soaking wet panties were all the confirmation she needed. But her heart couldn’t handle it.

“I think you should go.”

“What about the results?”

Abigail turned back toward him. “Like I said before, those are for you. I don’t need to see them.” She left the room for the shower she had originally set out for earlier.



Buy Links:    Amazon     All Romance eBooks    Barnes & Noble



About the Author:

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

Author Links:  Her Site      Twitter    Facebook



The Couple




A woman has one thing on her mind tonight…sex. Dirty, sweaty, kinky sex with a cowboy. With her man gone more than he is at home, she needs the release.
After being away for two weeks, a cowboy goes looking for someone to play with for the night. Being away is part of the job but not having someone to come home to is hurting his soul. Feeling disconnected in his love life, the red head will be perfect.
Once they meet, can one night of pure passion led to more than just a one night stand for either of them? Communication is the key to every relationship. Can these two find a way to connect emotionally or are they destined for heartache.


Excerpt
“What’s a girl like you doing at a bar like this?” he asked.
Her voice was a purr, like a cat well satisfied with its stolen pitcher of cream. “I’m looking for someone special.”
Hoping that she meant him he asked, “Did you find him yet?”
“Maybe.” The glint in her eye told him he was definitely in the running.  However, I’m not looking to hook up with just any old cowboy.  He must be able to go the full eight seconds and come back for more.”  She eyed him from head to toe.  “Think you can handle that?”
Oh, I can most definitely handle you sweetheart.
Not wanting to seem too eager he replied, “I’m not sure but I’m willing to try.”
“Do or do not.  There is no try.”  He struggled not to let his grin escape.  The fact that she was trying to seduce him made his dick twitch.
“Let’s just say I’m looking to burn off some pent up frustration. A little excess energy.  And I’ve got plenty to burn.”
The way she shivered at his words, he knew he almost had her.  He winked as she licked her crimson lips and blew out a small breath.  Damn what this woman is doing to him
He pushed her knees apart with his left leg and was rewarded with the amazing scent of her arousal.  The knowledge she was wet for him had him close to going off in his jeans. 
Houston, we have lift-off!
“Why don’t you have a seat cowboy and we’ll talk about it.”
She gasped when he shocked her with a brush of his lips against hers; fighting with everything he had not to deepen the kiss. 
Patience, patience.
He would play her game for the moment but sooner or later, she would be his.  Tied up and begging for more. 
He asked her, “Now about that eight second ride?”


About the Author: 

Growing up in Dallas, I never thought I would write. My goal was to teach the love of books to students. Now as a stay at home mom, I write and teach my son the love of books.

I live in East Texas and I'm married to my own hero who encourages me to write. I can't ask for a better mate.

Author links:     Site     Twitter    Facebook     Goodreads


Feb 13, 2013

Decadent Week: Accidental Romance by Jessica E. Subject


Decadent Publishing's new line, The Challenge Series. Here's a glimpse into Accident Romance by Jessica E. Subject.

Title: Accident Romance
Series: Challenge Series
Author: Jessica E. Subject
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Buy: Decadent Publishing 






At twenty-two, Leanne Declan has graduated from college and hopes to take over the family farm until a tragic accident changes her life forever. Unable to do the simplest everyday chores, she must depend on her family and friends as she learns to face life’s challenges. But when her fears threaten to destroy her future, can an unexpected love be strong enough to help her dreams come true?



Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, western romance

Heat level: 3
Word count – 16k

Cover art by Mina Carter






~Excerpt~

A million needles pierced her wrist. She had to get away from the fire. Leanne flicked open her eyes, screaming, longing for the agony to stop.

White walls surrounded her. Machines beeped. Taking in the new scenery, she closed her mouth, the pain forgotten. Bags filled with clear liquids as well as blood hung from a metal pole. She followed the tubes from the bags into her left hand. Was that where the burn came from? She glanced at the other arm, the end of which was wrapped in thick bandages. The image of spinning blades and her mangled flesh flashed before her eyes. She screamed again, tears falling down her cheeks. This can’t be happening.

Bodies rushed into the room, many in scrubs. With her vision blurred, she didn’t recognize anyone. All strangers. She was in the foreign place by herself. A nightmare. Has to be.

“Shh, calm down, sweetie. You’ll be okay.”

A familiar voice. She glanced to her other side to see her mom standing beside her, her eyes glassy. She held her hand, but Leanne couldn’t feel it, only the throbbing which had returned to her other one, the one that was…gone? She groaned, turning on her side, and pulled her knees up to her chest.

“Mom, is it really…?”

She brushed her fingers over her forehead. “Don’t worry about it right now. You need to rest.”

“It hurts so bad.”

“I know.” Her mother stroked her face again. “But the nurses will help it go away.”

“Leanne,” one of the nurses hovering around her said. “I want you to take deep breaths and count backward from ten.”

“Ten.” She sucked in air and cried out in agony. Between clenched teeth, she continued. Anything to stop the pain. “Nine.”

Ice traveled through her veins. “Eight.”

The throbbing slowly ebbed away. Seven.

Darkness swept over her and pulled her down with it.


Author Bio:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

She Devil by Melissa Kendall


FREE on Amazon February 13th – 15th


Constance is a Vampire with a heavy appetite, who works as a stripper to find her meals. She is wanton, luscious and wicked—she craves more than just blood.

Benjamin and Jonathon are vampire outcasts who exist by pretending to be as human as possible in order to remain hidden among humanity. When the town they live in starts to report that men are disappearing? They go on the hunt for the Vampire intruder.

Little do they know, the Intruder is one sexy-delicious Vamp. Connie will offer them more than just a hunt… she will pull them into a tryst of sensual heat and naughty thrills.






Feb 12, 2013

Decadent Week: Dragon Temptation by Kali Willows

Title: Dragon Temptation
Series: 1NS
Author: Kali Willows
Genre: urban fantasy, shapeshifters
Publisher: Decadent Publisher
Rating: 4/5
Source: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review
Buy: Decadent 

Cindy Dunham has become sexually emaciated, after a long dry spell and no prospect of romance in her near future. With her best friend’s upcoming wedding, loneliness is taking the lead, and she is starving for erotic rhapsody. The prospect of a blind date for the nuptials is embarrassing, but a necessary evil. The match Madame Evangeline finds for her leaves her reeling with conflict and jealousy. Will she ever get her carnal hunger gratified?

Yong Li, is no longer satisfied being the third wheel in his brother’s love life. Desperate to branch out and have an experience all his own, he is fraught with his ancient affliction that runs interference with the prospect of any normal relationship. Having had a life altering 1 Night Stand before, he seeks the help of his old friend, Madame Eve to find a new mate just for him.



~Excerpt~

“What is this place?”

“It’s a hot springs cave.”

“A cave? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Not when you’re with me, I’ll keep you safe, I promise.” The warmth of his smile melted the last of her cold exterior.

More solar lights illuminated the path to their destination. Although hesitant, she didn’t resist when he led her to the rocky archway. The exquisite aroma of the jasmine flowers clustered along the walls of the entrance lingered about them.

“It’s for the exclusive use of villa guests so….”

“What?”

“Since the reception is still going, I don’t think we’ll be interrupted.”

“Oh,” a shiver of excitement ran through her. Another chance of getting caught.

“There are some wrought iron torches along the stone walls.” Yong patted his pocketless jacket. “No matches.”

“I don’t have anything,” Cindy stopped. She wouldn’t follow even him into the blackness ahead. “I left my bag in my room, we’ll have to go back, we can’t see inside.”

“Hey, it’s no problem, I got it.” Yong stood close to the torch and blew on the wick. The glow emanating from his pursed lips ignited the lamp.

A surge of amazement rushed through her. “Oh, right, the dragon thing. Gwen told me all about it.”

“Hope it doesn’t freak you out.” Yong walked to the next one and repeated his magic.

“Not at all, actually, the first time I saw it was the night Gwen lost it on her ex. Then, I was freaked out, but it was like she was in a trance, and her eyes were….”

“Glowing?”

“Yes!”

“Yeah, that’s when the anger takes over. It’s like your body goes on autopilot. So, you’re okay with this then?” He leaned in to light another one.

“The way tonight is going; it’s just one more amazing thing.”

Yong took her hand and they went deeper into the tunnel.

A surprising sensation filled her palm. “Hey, your skin is getting hot.”

“Part of the parahuman lighter trick, I’m afraid. It’ll go back to normal in a few minutes.”


Review:
Kali Willows takes you back into the world of shapeshifting dragons. This time it's Yong's turn alone. Dragon Temptation is a flame hot read, with smoking chemistry, and the perfect ending for these two.


Author Bio:

When Kali Willows isn't busy being the married mother of two, certified trainer or counselor extraordinaire, she is shadowing worlds of paranormal passion & intrigue. Her goal in life? She has many, but her writing goal is creating emotional, compelling stories and characters you can't help but love, hate and cheer for. A good cup of tea with the crackling fire gets her creative juices flowing in the wee hours of the night, when the house is quiet and she can type away to her heart's desire.

Feb 11, 2013

Decadent Week: Eternally Yours by Kelli Scott


Title: Eternally Yours
Series: Edge
Author: Kelli Scott
Genre: Paranormal, contemporary, erotic, BDSM, Vampires
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Pages: 29
Rating: 4/5
Buy: Decadent Publishing









Years after Luke’s sweetheart was ripped from his arms on prom night, Meri’s loss still haunts him. Searching for her everywhere, he finds her only in his dreams and on the pages of a dark comic book he created in her image. But on the anniversary of her disappearance, she shows up on his doorstep without having aged a day. What can he do but invite her in?
Meri’s nights are all about surviving alone on the dark, seedy side of life. Once a year she treats herself to a night of tasty passion with her one true love. Is this the year to seal the deal and make their love eternal, or will she walk away to become just another fantasy?

~Excerpt~
A chill ran the length of his spine in spite of the warm air swirling around him. The dark, grainy picture looked overexposed where other areas seemed underexposed. But the resemblance to Meri appeared unmistakable. Her translucent skin against the dark background leapt off the screen. Her eerie red eyes, caused by a flash photo at night, haunted him, preying on what little hope remained after year upon year of heartache and disappointment. Touching the screen, he traced her features with his index finger.

Gooseflesh rose on his arms seconds before the doorbell sounded. The buzz jolted him to his senses. Anyone who knew him—really knew him—would leave him alone tonight.

Crossing the room, he opened the door, preparing to give someone a piece of his mind. Freezing instead, his extremities tingled but everything else numbed. Including his brain. Especially his mouth.

“Invite me in before you faint.”

“Meri?” Her whispered name on his lips barely registered due to his pounding heart.

“Luke.” Her tone mocked him. She peeked around the door and held out a bouquet of blood red roses like the ones he’d given her for Valentine’s Day way back in the day. “I guess we know who we both are.” Her eyebrows arched up. “Invite. Me. In.”

“I….” Teetering on wobbly legs, he staggered backward a few steps. Spots danced in his peripheral vision and a flash of heat swept through his trembling body.

“Don’t you dare pass out, Luke.” Her blurry finger waved as blackness closed in. “Invite me in, damn it! Can I come in, please?”

“Yes.”

“That’ll have to do.”

~Review~
Your probably thinking...a paranormal? Really for Valentine's Week, there is a method to my madness. I love the paranormal genre. Eternally Yours is so much more than that though, at it's base is that one person you can't forget, your first love. Meri and Luke both haven't forgotten each other over the years. And the anniversary of their Prom Night, is the one night a year, Meri allows herself to be with Luke. The love scenes are smoking white hot, you find yourself drawn into the story, and falling easily into Luke's shoes.

I give it a four out of five stars.

Author Bio:

Left for dead in an enchanted forest, Kelli was raised by wolves, which explains her thick coat of fur and keen night vision. As an adolescent, she was exiled from the pack due to her love of well-done steak smothered in ketchup (her penchant for blackened beef has also caused her ejection from several fine eateries). On her own, she roamed the streets, eating from dumpsters and sleeping in abandoned dog houses. Cold, starving and destitute, Kelli turned to the oldest profession—writing. Since her fall from grace, she has penned several smutty stories for which she has received many accolades. And despite her limited vocabulary, inability to punctuate properly and her well-documented spelling disability, Kelli has collected an assortment of awards (some of them for her writing). But what she wants most in the world is to return to the enchanted forest and her pack. As soon as she figures out north from south and east from west, she will do just that. Until then, happy reading.

* I received a copy of the book from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Now all this week, any comment left will be entered into our giveaway, any Decadent ebook (bundle packs not included) of your choice. So drop your email into a comment, and come back tomorrow for another chance to win.

Decadent Week: Introduction Post


It's only a few days until Valentines Day, Thursday to be exact, perfect for our Decadent Thursday. Though I had a do a little something extra, and so a whole week of Decadent was born. Decadent Publishing has released quite a few new lines recently, and this gives us the perfect time to showcase several different ones. And stayed tuned with us all week for giveaway.

Monday: Edge Erotica Series

Tuesday : 1NightStand Series

Wednesday: The Challenge Series

Thursday: Prepper Romance

Friday: Western Escape

With Saturday being our last day, we'll end it with an giveaway.

Checkback later today for our first review of the week.

Feb 10, 2013

Cover Reveal: 'Til Death do Us Part

With a doting husband and a new job training a vampire military, Lily Drake was living up to the prophecies of being the best.  Her life was seemingly perfect, until tragedy strikes bringing her a loss she's not sure she can endure.
The hard-working super mom / vampire slayer, Lily Drake, has just learned problems still exist even after you become immortal.
As everyone knows, even if you find your soul mate, you don't always get a happily-ever-after.  Lily may have found temporary happiness being a newlywed, but the honeymoon is over.  When she finds her husband going out for late night bites with another woman, Lily has to fight to try and regain what she wants most, love and a happy family.
If Lily thought being a single mom was hard, she’ll find being married can be a bloody mess.

Life and Death of Lily Drake – Have you read the first book yet? You wouldn’t want to miss Lily Drake kicking some serious vampire butt.

Check out more about this series here! – Life and Death of Lily Drake

About the author:

T. Michelle Nelson is a native of Benton, Kentucky and a graduate of Murray State University holding a degree in Education.  Currently she resides in picturesque Mount Vernon, Ohio, which is also the setting of her Lily Drake series.  The first book in the series, Life and Death of Lily Drake, is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Kobo, and your other favorite online book stores in paperback as well as e-reader formats.  The second book, 'Til Death Do Us Part, is being released by Inkspell Publishing in April of 2013 and currently, T. is working hard to finish her third book.

When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her singing out of key while playing Rock Band with her husband and son, watching B-Horror movies or wrestling with her two ill-behaved fur babies, Buddy Perro and Bunchie.


Giveaway 

Giveaway is open for US, UK, and Canada. Inkspell Publishing is giving away some paperbacks, ebooks AND Valentine swag! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feb 8, 2013

Life in Suitcases by Melissa Kendall




After a tragedy changes the course of Elise Morgan’s life leaving her without a family and in foster care, she meets Anthony Scott. It doesn’t take long for them to become fast friends and they do everything together. When Elise manages to get a scholarship to college and Anthony doesn’t. They find themselves separated. As the years pass, they lose touch.

Feeling restless with her life, Elise sets about trying to find what is missing in her life. After breaking up with her boyfriend she takes a trip home hoping to find a sense of peace. One hug reveals that what Elise thought she was missing wasn’t a place or a thing it was a person.

Can she find true love with the one man she thought she might never see again?

Excerpt:
At thirteen, I was too old for most people to consider adopting. No matter how hard Mary looked, she couldn’t find me a foster home. I went from having everything to having nothing. My parents weren’t well off. They were just your average middle-income family with a mortgage. Once the house was sold and all the debts were paid, I wasn’t left with much. There was just enough money to buy a second-hand car when I was old enough and two suitcases full of personal possessions, including a few photo albums. That was all my thirteen years of life added up to: two suitcases.

My first few weeks at Abbott’s were probably the worst of my life. I spent my days  just going through the motions at school. At night, I would cry in bed until sleep finally claimed me. After about three weeks of feeling as if I was drowning in a never-ending pit of despair, I met Anthony. I felt the bed dip behind me one night as I was lying on my side and sobbing particularly hard. I was so upset I didn’t immediately register that it meant someone was lying with me. Then I felt an arm wrap around me and heard a soothing voice in my ear telling me everything was going to be okay.

When I woke up the following morning, I rolled over to see just who had climbed into bed with me. A skinny boy with short brown hair grinned at me.

“Anthony Scott.” He held his hand out.

“Elise Morgan,” I replied. “Thanks for last night.”

“Ain’t nothing.”

We talked for a little while longer, getting to know one another. Anthony was the same age as me, but had been at Abbott’s since he was six. His parents were drug addicts, which caused his removal from their care. After telling him how sorry I was that had happened, I explained my story. It was still so hard to talk about, but I got through it and only cried a little bit.
After that day, Anthony and I were inseparable. We were the best of friends. We did everything together. When I tried ballet, he did too, no matter how much teasing he got from the other boys. When he took up guitar, so did I, even though I sucked at it. Barely a day went by that we didn’t see or speak to each other at least a hundred times. I doubt I would have survived my teenage years if it weren’t for my best friend.
Though the days were fairly easy to survive, the nights were always tough. Curled up in bed alone, the reality would hit the hardest. Memories of families lost and dreams of what could have been plagued each of our thoughts. We spent many a night in each other’s beds providing comfort. Those were always the nights I slept best.

For five years, it was Anthony and me against the world.

All that changed senior year. Anthony and I had both been working toward Cornell. We were in all the same AP classes and had the same GPA. We both applied for scholarships, knowing that was the only way we’d ever get to go to college. When I got a scholarship and he didn’t, reality came crashing down around us. I told him I wasn’t going without him, that it had been our dream. Anthony, always the strong one, told me I needed to go follow my dreams, that I deserved to go to Cornell, and he wasn’t going to let me waste my one chance to get the hell out of San Francisco.

After graduation, we agreed to have one last hoorah over the summer before heading off on our separate paths. We had the best time. We found a little apartment in the city. It was really only big enough for one person, but since it would just be Anthony’s apartment come fall, I didn’t mind it being a bit cramped.

We did everything we ever wanted to do together that summer. We visited museums and art galleries, rode the cable cars, and spent hours upon hours running around Fisherman’s Wharf. We even went to the beach and the zoo.

All the while, our separation loomed. It was constantly present in our thoughts, as if we knew it was going to be our last summer together. We were heading in two different directions come September and might never see one another again.

On a sunny day in the middle of August, I packed my two suitcases and a duffle bag into the back of the beat-up truck I purchased with the money left from Mom and Dad’s estate.

There, in front of Anthony’s apartment building, I said good-bye to my best friend and the closest thing I had to family. Hugging him tightly, I resisted as best I could the tears threatening to fall.
We said I love you and promised to stay in touch and visit when we could. With a kiss on the cheek and yet another hug, he told me to go spread my wings and become the beautiful butterfly he had always known me to be.


 Buy Links:    Amazon      Barnes&Noble



About The Author:
Melissa is a 37 year-old stay at home mum and part-time Software Support Consultant. She lives in Perth Western Australia the most isolated capital city in the world. 
She’s always loved to read and write and spent most of her teens scribbling poetry and short stories on any scrap of paper she could get her hands on. Over the years as daily life pressures got in the way she lost the passion for it. After her son was born, she discovered online books and her interest in writing was rekindled. It has been a large part of her life ever since.

Author Links:   Site    Twitter
  
Giveaway:
Melissa is Giving away a digital copy of Life in Siutcases. To enter to win just fill out the Raffllecopter below.



              



Feb 4, 2013

Given by Ashlynn Monroe




In a world without choices, one woman will find herself caught in the middle of six men and the emotions they develop for her.

Krista Damiani is one of the last women on Earth, and her patriotic duty is to make babies. On her twenty-first birthday, the government holds a lottery drawing to determine the men who will control her destiny. Her “six”, the men who win the right to call her their own, know they have to impregnate her quickly or risk losing her to a new “six”. 

As society fills with additional violence and unrest, her men keep her sheltered in a fortress of maximum security. When a mysterious man arrives and offers her the chance for freedom, will she be willing to leave the life she knows behind or will she remain “given”?

Content Warning: contains voyeurism, multiple partners, ménage and anal sex



Excerpt:

"She's here." Jared's words came out in a whoosh of anticipation. They watched the black SUV with tinted windows as it pulled up to the front of the building. They stood in front of the grand capital tense, quiet—waiting.

A uniformed solider opened the front passenger side door and stood, surveying the crowd. He opened the back door. Max sucked in a deep breath and the sound broke the spell the other five men seemed to be under.

The crowd suddenly began shouting and the rabble of voices grew chaotic. The six men turned to watch a tall, grubby-looking man sprinting across the green grass of the capital lawn, running toward the SUV and their woman. A police officer tackled the man and the two rolled onto the ground. More officers swarmed the desperate man.

"I just want to touch her!" the wild-eyed man wailed as they cuffed him.

* * * *

Krista stepped out, and the screaming men frightened her. She saw a police officer tackle a man only a few yards away. She started to get back into the SUV, but one of the soldiers grabbed her arm gently.

"It's time, miss."

"I'm afraid."

"We'll protect you. It'll be all right. It's always like this on Giving Day. Don't worry. We will see you safely until you are under the guard of your private security."

This was everything she'd feared, only worse. She hadn't expected the protesters. Someone shouted the word "whore"; she knew the man's hateful word meant her. How any of them could think she'd asked for this was beyond her imagination.

Six young, well-dressed men stood in front of the steps of the large, white, domed building. They were looking at her with…possessiveness. The moment she saw them she knew that these men were her six, or more accurately, she was theirs.

Everything had been sort of slow motion, but then as the crowd grew more agitated, the soldiers quickly ushered her up the sidewalk. The governor didn't come out for the official ceremonial signing of The Giving right, too many threats to his life and ugly behavior had changed this day. As men who couldn't qualify grew angrier with the government, The Giving ceremony became less pomp and more circumstance; and the circumstance was, until they had the woman away from the crowd, they were all in danger. A secretary rushed out and handed the men the last of the paperwork to sign.

There wasn't a single introduction as the security, soldiers, and six young men surrounded Krista and rushed her around the corner and into a waiting limousine. They all hurried to get inside as the soldiers held back the men running toward them. Even inside the car, Krista could hear the angry shouting. The trunk slammed shut. Krista saw the driver slide into the front seat and the engine roared to life.

****

They left her alone. She sat down on the bed and air whooshed from her lungs. She shook a little due to nervous anticipation. Oh God, who should I pick? Choosing felt so very wrong to her. She may belong to these men for a long time, and the idea of alienating any of them, or getting off on a bad start, twisted her stomach in knots of nervous anxiety. She stood up and unpacked her few belongings. The closet looked so empty after she'd put her scant possessions into it. She began walking down the stairs and she heard their voices. Krista paused to listen, feeling a bit evil for eavesdropping.

"It's only right that she pick."

"We've all waited so long, shouldn't we draw straws or something?"

"For God's sake, she's a human being, not a new toy. Let the girl have her pick. We'll all have a chance."

"What if we all share her tonight? Then it's fair to all of us."

"It wouldn't be fair to Krista. If she was your new bride, would you want to pass her around to five other guys?"

"There's no more marriage, so the question isn't valid. The world isn't nice and romantic. The fact is, she'll have to sleep with all of us."




About the Author:

Ashlynn Monroe is a busy wife and mom. She enjoys writing about anything and everything paranormal or fantasy related. She spends most of her time daydreaming up her next tale of romance.

Connect with the Author: