Rule #1: Keep your head down and your eyes up. It makes you invisible. But not stupid.
Ace, a young cardshark, has worked her entire life to achieve one goal. Bring Burlone Allegretti to his knees. As the the head of a mafia family who dabbles in human trafficking, he’s far from innocent, and Ace can’t wait to exact her revenge.
As her plan is set in motion, the alluring head of a rival family, Kingston Romano, approaches her with a proposition. One that she’s desperate enough to accept.
Soon, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a war she isn’t prepared to fight. With a target on her back, and intimate feelings she refuses to acknowledge, she’ll have to decide if she’s all in, or if she’ll be taken for all she’s worth.
“Let’s play a game, Ace. After all, you’re good at games, aren’t you.” It’s not a question. “I mean, that is what got you here in the first place, isn’t it?”
Our gazes are still locked together as I search for a proper response. Part of me wonders what would happen if I refused, but the other part is dying from curiosity.
He must see the moment I decide I’m willing to play, because his wicked mouth tugs into a knowing grin. The mysterious man in front of me has piqued my curiosity. He’s like a puzzle I’m dying to put together, and his smile is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Perfect,” he mutters under his breath before saying more loudly, “You seem as curious about me as I am about you, so let’s make it interesting. You can ask me anything, and I promise to answer. The trick is, I’m allowed to lie if I choose to do so.”
With a question on the tip of my tongue, my brows pinch together, and he calls me out on it. “What’s your question, Ace?”
I don’t like how easily he can read me, but I ask it anyway. “What’s the point in playing a game where you don’t need to tell the truth?”
The sound of his masculine laugh has a weird way of making my heart pick up a notch and I push away the butterflies that swarm my insides when I realize I might like the sound.
Focus, Ace! I yell at myself.
Inching closer, he answers, “What’s the point of poker without a solid bluff? And you didn’t let me finish. The object of the game is to see how well you can read me. If you call me out for lying, then I have another chance to tell you the truth. But,” —he lifts his finger— “if you accuse me of lying when I’m telling the truth, then you aren’t allowed to ask me any more questions. Understand?”
I nod.
“Perfect. We each get to take turns asking each other questions until we both lose, or I decide I’m done playing.”
Sensing my agitation, he gently lifts my chin with his forefinger, making me look up at him. “My game. My rules, sweetheart.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip as I watch him get distracted by the throbbing bruise on my cheekbone. Clenching his jaw, he softly drags his fingers down my sensitive skin making my eyelids flutter for a split second. “Does it hurt?”
“Is that your question?” I bite out.
With a smoldering look, he volleys, “I suppose it is.”
“Then, no.”
His mesmerizing green eyes flare with amusement before shifting back to my swollen cheek. “Lie,” he murmurs. “Give me the truth.”
“Why would you ask a question when you already know the answer? Of course it hurts. I just got backhanded by a damn gorilla. What’s your name?”
“Kingston.”
Searching his face, I mutter, “Truth.” Calling it like it is.
He nods his approval before taking his turn. “How long have you been counting cards?”
“Professionally?”
“And recreationally,” he clarifies.
“Not long.”
“Lie.”
I grit my teeth. “As soon as I could afford a fake I.D.”
“Which is…”
“Six years. Why did you bring me down here? This isn’t exactly normal behavior for a casino.” I leave out even for one run by the mob.
He drops his hand from my face to his side but doesn’t step back. “Maybe this is normal casino behavior for The Charlette.”
“Lie.” My voice is absolute, brooking no argument.
Kingston grins before adding, “I’ve been looking for someone to help me with something, and you fit the bill.”
“And what bill is that?”
Tapping his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he tsks me. “Uh-uh, sweetheart. My turn. How often do you count at other casinos?”
“Often enough.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Depends on how badly I need money.”
He tilts his head as he inspects me, making me feel like I’m beneath a microscope with its intensity. “Half-lie. You like counting. You might play more often when you’re needing a little extra cash, but there’s more to it than that. You like taking the power from the casino who swindles innocent gamblers on a daily basis, am I right?”
“Not your turn, sweetheart,” I mimic his condescending tone from moments before.
With a laugh, he lifts his hand to silently offer me the floor. “My apologies.”
I circle back to my question from a second ago. “What makes me a good candidate for whatever you’re needing?”
Scrutinizing me, he answers, “You’re a pretty little advantage player, did you know that?”
What the hell? First, he used the term advantage player, which refers to a person who uses legal methods to gain an advantage while gambling, such as counting cards, but it can also be attributed to poker. No one knows I play poker. No one.
And second, he called me pretty. The word does weird things to my insides, making them turn to Jell-O in the blink of an eye. Subtly, I shake my head once in an attempt to focus and zero in on his face. His mouth. His eyes. His chiseled jaw. I’m looking for a twitch. An itch. A flicker of something that tells me he’s lying.
“That’s a non-answer,” I accuse.
He furrows his brows. “Excuse me?”
“It isn’t exactly a lie, but it isn’t really the answer to my question. You’re not playing by the rules, Kingston.”
Throwing his head back, he laughs. Hard. Apparently, Kingston must find me pretty amusing because for a guy so cold, he does that a lot around me. “I like playing this game with you. Fine. I’m needing someone to be a set of eyes and ears for me. Someone who can go where I can’t. Someone who can fly under the radar.” He motions to me with his hand. “You fit the bill. Why do you like sticking it to the casinos so much?”
An image of my mom flashes before my eyes. “I won’t answer that. Pick another question.”
Kelsie is a sucker for a love story with all the feels and enjoys a solid chick flick, too. When she’s not chasing words for her next book, you will probably find her reading or, more likely, playing with her three small children who love to drive her crazy.She adores chocolate, photography, and baking. And now that she’s actively pursuing her writing dreams, she’s set her sights on someday finding the self-discipline to not eat an entire batch of cookies in one sitting.
The first time I saw him, he entranced me and offered to help me forget my broken engagement. The second time was on a blind date with no last names and undeniable passion. The third time, I was eight months pregnant with his baby he knew nothing about. This time he’s not letting me walk away so easily.
Not thinking about it, just acting on instinct, I leaned forward and kissed her warm skin. She gasped, but I didn’t pull back. Especially when she didn’t protest, she smelled so good, like coconuts and sunshine.
“Hey, baby,” I said right against her skin. “It’s Daddy. I hope everything is going well in there. I know it’s getting tight, but soon you’ll be able to roll around in all the space you want.”
I peeked up at Carina to find her eyes glazed over again, and her lip firmly clasped under her teeth.
Another kick brought my attention back to her stomach. “That’s a hell of a kick. Are you going to be a soccer player? Or maybe that’s your arm, and you’ll play baseball just like Daddy.” Another kick and I was so excited; I just got lost in the moment. The next thing I knew, Carina was laughing—her whole body shaking—as I started doing baby-talk. “Who’s gonna be the best baseball player ever? You will. Yeah. You will. You’re gonna kick all their asses. Yes, you will.”
“Ian,” Carina reprimanded around her laughs. “Stop swearing at the baby.”
I smiled up at her, and I could have stayed there forever, but I didn’t want to press my luck. Pressing my lips one last time to her skin, I stayed close and whispered, “I love you.” Because I did. So much I ached in every bone in my body for this baby I hadn’t even met yet. But I knew I’d die loving he or she more than anything I’d ever loved.
Fiona Cole is a military wife and a stay at home mom with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. As much as she loved science she decided to postpone her career to stay at home with her two little girls and immersed herself in the world of books until finally deciding to write her own. Where You Can Find Me is Fiona’s debut novel and will hopefully be the first of many.
All the way from Cape Town, South Africa, Bella J lives for the days when she’s able to retreat to her writer’s cave where she can get lost in her little pretend world of romance, love, and insanely hot bad boys.
Bella J is a Hybrid Author with both Self-Published and Traditional Published work. Even though her novels range from drama, to comedy, to suspense, it’s the dark, twisted side of romance she loves the most.
Arya Lucas finally had her life back. After a nasty divorce and moving across the country; freedom was finally hers and she was enjoying it to the fullest. Her small consulting firm was finally affording her the life she’d worked so hard to achieve. She had everything ― or so she thought.
With the urging of her best friend Arya joins a dating site with no desire to start a relationship with anyone, until she met Detective Deuce. The sexy law enforcement officer was unlike anyone she had ever dated and definitely not her type.
But his enticing blue eyes and smirky boyish grin drew her to him. His witty sarcasm was undeniably charming. He was compassionate, kind, and sexy. He held a sense of mystery and adventure that she had never experienced before. She never knew handcuffs could be so sexy.
But what she hadn’t counted on was his impact on her entire world. How one day she would wake up and find herself in a life she no longer recognized; and realizing she could not have been happier about it.
A. L. Waddington completed her undergraduate studies at University of Texas Dallas and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. She graduated from IUPUI with a BS in Psychology. She is an avid reader, enjoys spending time in her gardens, and watching the Indianapolis Colts. A. L. and her husband, Ty have a son, two daughters, a spoiled puppy, and an oversized cat. They reside in Indiana.
Sweet, sassy heroines and their hot, stubborn men who will do anything to find their happily ever afters.
*LIV* A new widow. A positive pregnancy test. And an old friend who offers a place to stay. I never imagined my life would end up this way. I thought I had everything figured out until I got the call my husband was killed in a car accident and that my period was late. Dead Husband: Check Positive Pregnancy Test: Check Screwed Beyond Belief?: Double Check
*BREEZY* A zero fraternization policy. A sexy new boss. And a girl who’s hell-bent on breaking the rules. Derrick made a big mistake when he told me he doesn’t date employees. It’s like he just placed a giant piece of chocolate cake in front of me and told me not to touch it. What else does he expect me to do? You think you can resist me, Derrick? Challenge accepted.
*JUDE* A girl with a dream who doesn’t need a distraction. And a guy who doesn’t give a damn. I’ve been asked to compete in an online gaming championship and I can almost taste the victory on my lips. But then my assistant coach arrives named Jude. I can’t get distracted. Not when I’m so close to achieving my dreams. But I can’t help but wonder… is my focus on the right prize?
Kelsie is a sucker for a love story with all the feels and enjoys a solid chick flick, too. When she’s not chasing words for her next book, you will probably find her reading or, more likely, playing with her three small children who love to drive her crazy.She adores chocolate, photography, and baking. And now that she’s actively pursuing her writing dreams, she’s set her sights on someday finding the self-discipline to not eat an entire batch of cookies in one sitting.
Kill those who betray you. Never trust someone with nothing to lose. Family is business.DeliaI watched my enemies murder my father.On the run, I plot to return home and lead my mafia family as my father did. But some would kill for my inheritance, and unearthing those people from the shadows would be impossible without Jackson. He rescued me, and has saved me over and over again–and could be the key to my survival.The problem is, his morals keep getting in the way.JacksonIt takes a lot to scrub bad deeds from a man’s soul, but God, I’ve been trying.All my efforts evaporate when I meet Delia. That woman has trouble written all over her, and she sucks me into the mud faster than I can throw a punch. Love has a way of blurring the lines, and Delia is igniting all of my old urges. I’m trying to be good, I really am. The problem is, I kind of like being bad.
I slip into the apartment. The living room is dark, a single lamp on in the corner of the room. Treading lightly, I move down the dark hallway, open Jackson’s door, and slide inside. I carefully lock it behind me. He stands by the window, immobile.
“You made it back,” I whisper.
He doesn’t turn around.
“Please forgive me.” For keeping my life a secret. For wishing you wouldn’t question it.
“Delia,” he says to the glass.
“I’m sorry.”
He doesn’t respond. Ice forms in my heart.
“Why do you want to go back to that?” he mutters. “Why can’t you come home with me? Be with me.” He spins now and meets my eyes. They’re wild.
I shake my head before I even realize I’m doing so. Go back? Turn on my family?
“Leave them like they’ve left you,” he says. “Be with me.”
“Jackson,” I whimper. He comes forward and takes my shoulders, walking me back until my spine hits the wall. I tilt my head up. “What do you want me to do?”
It’s much the same as he asked me—but somehow, I feel he would have an answer. He’d make one up, one to fit dreams of his that include both of us.
He’s in my dreams, too. I’ve never allowed myself to envision it fully, but the realness of it sweeps over me. He’d protect me. He’d protect our family.
“I have to go home,” I say. My hands glide up his arms, cup the back of his neck. I pull him to me and kiss him like I could love him. I bite his lip and he bites back, nipping my skin until I moan into his mouth.
“Stay,” he says against my lips, “stay.”
I kiss him harder. He lifts me by my ass until our faces are level. I put my legs around him and cross my ankles. This feels more like home than Vegas ever did. He feels more real. More transparent.
Home is filled with deceit. Lies.
“Stay,” he murmurs again, biting and sucking on my neck. I roll my head to the side, letting him mark me.
“I can’t,” I groan. “Come with me.”
He leans back and watches my face while his hand slips down my pants. My lips part as he runs his finger down the most sensitive part of me. He pushes a finger inside of me, and I suck in a sharp breath.
“Jackson,” I say, rolling my hips in small circles. The need for him is instant, stronger than I can control. My hands go to his belt, the button of his jeans. I free his erection and practically drool at the sight of it.
I palm it and watch his eyes widen. One finger inside of me becomes two, stretching me slightly, and I let my head fall back against the door. He drops my legs and lowers me back to my feet, then shoves my jeans down my hips. I kick them off and go for his shirt. He pushes my hands away and turns me around, pushing my torso down.
“Hold on,” he growls from behind me. I grab onto the dresser.
I scream when he slams into me, filling me so completely that it’s pain on top of bliss. He thrusts a brutal pace, hitting a spot deep inside of me that makes me cry out again and again. One of his hands slips in front of me and touches my clit, rubbing rough circles.
“Jesus,” I pant.
“Not quite,” he says, smacking the side of my ass.
I jump, surprised at the bolt of electricity that goes right to my core.
“Dirty,” he mutters. His rhythm picks up, as does his finger. My orgasm shatters through me at the same time his does. My forehead presses against the wood. He’s angry, but I like it. I want all of him, all of this. I’m not ready to admit that I want him forever. That I might be falling in love with someone I’ve only known for a few days.
I close my eyes and hold onto the wooden dresser, even as he pulls out of me and presses a kiss against my spine.
I don’t want to miss him, but this feels final. I straighten and look at him over my shoulder, only to find that he hasn’t moved. He’s close enough that I see the flecks of brown in his blue eyes in the dim light. I can smell the sweat on his skin.
I turn fully around and he lifts my shirt off of me. I pull his off and drop it to the floor. Silently, he lifts me and carries me into the bathroom, setting me on the counter and spreading my legs wide. My head falls back against the mirror.
He washes me clean, cleans himself, and takes me to bed. His body fits like a glove behind me, his lips pressing for a moment against my shoulder blade.
S. Massery is a new up and coming author. She was raised in western Massachusetts and got her Bachelor’s in English Writing and Literature from a school in Boston. After a brief love affair with the state of Wyoming (and more specifically, the writing-inspiring Grand Tetons), she is back in Massachusetts with her dog, Alice. She loves good writing, grammar, and the Oxford comma.
We were destined to be childhood sweethearts, but that was stolen from us.AvaOur parents were friends. But when my mother and father were killed in a fire, Caleb’s mother took him out of Cuba to keep him safe: fatefully handing him over to a family with a billion-dollar fortune.Now he’s back to find the parents he never knew and collect the billions he’s due. That is, until he meets me. He thinks he needs to protect me, but I don’t need him or his money. I’ve built a successful life from the ground up. He’s hot as sin and our chemistry is powerful, but so are my enemies.CalebWhen my Dad dies, I discover I was adopted. In order to get my part of his estate, I must go back to the country I came from and make it better somehow. In Cuba, I find my bio-Dad and then I meet the one – Ava.Years ago, my father became her guardian angel when her parents were killed. She’s a ball-buster. Built like a brick house – all curves and bags of confidence. She’s done well, despite the communists. She doesn’t need my money, but she needs my protection. The forces trying to keep us apart are putting her in danger and I’ll be damned if they touch her. She is meant to be mine and I’m taking her.
Molly Sloan is a second generation Irish American who traded her early modeling career for a career in public relations. After 10 years developing business strategy, branding and crisis communication for some of the world’s largest companies, she is living her dream of being a writer. “I love the psychological motivation behind the characters and exploring the emotional and intimate sides of relationships,” says Molly, “my books are an escape, I hope readers think so too. Every book is a standalone story with a happy ever after ending.” Molly lives in Oregon with her hot husband of 20 years and her little black kitty.
KANEShe wants to be my buddy. You know, the naked type—no strings attached, no awkwardness. Friends who are lovers but with no relationship hassles. To a man who has nothing to offer a woman except pleasure, it’s an offer too good to refuse.Days of laughter and nights full of hot searing passion. It can’t last. I need it to end, my life depends on our demise.But I miss her clothes on my bedroom floor. As she looks up at me from her knees, my heart … the distraction … I just can’t. She’s here in front of me, so how do I keep her safe?LILLYHoly hotness! It’s a crime to be that good-looking, surely. It’s not just looks, I’m certain. His skills in the bedroom keep me awake dreaming of more. I don’t want to be attached, but I’m not ready to let him go. I come up with the perfect plan.Friends with benefits, an arrangement with rules.F… buddies—his name and his rules. A name he takes seriously and lives up to. I’ve never known life to be this good but just as I fall under his spell, he’s gone.The rules say I should too. But I won’t because his love is worth fighting for.I’m about to make him see that too.
Karen Deen has been a lover of romance novels and happily-ever-after stories for as long as she can remember. Reaching a point in her life ready to explore her own dreams, Karen decided now was the time to finally write some of her own stories. For years, all of her characters have been forming story lines in her head, just waiting for the right time to bust free.Sitting up in the early hours of the morning with her cups of tea, chocolate and music she gets lost in a world of sexy, alpha men who are challenged by some funny, sassy and strong-willed women. Bringing you unexpected laughs, suspense and a little bit of naughty. Karen is married to her loving husband and high school sweetheart. Together, they live the crazy life of parents to three children. She is balancing her life between a career as an accountant by day and writer of romance novels by night. Living in a beautiful coastal town two hours south of Sydney, Australia, Karen loves to enjoy time with her family and friends in her beautiful surroundings. Of course, when she is not shut in her writing cave bringing you more words to devour.
DEFIANT 
Who you Callin a book whore 