This is Kane’s trading card that I will be handing out at conferences this year as well as making available by mail to anyone who wants one.

Snippet:

It would be a cold day in hell before she begged for anything from him, but she thought about his other question. What did she want? Just him dead, right? She looked at him, really looked at him. It had been weeks since she’d seen him last, and unfortunately he looked even better than she remembered. His spiked, short hair had grown out since then and it was messier and in desperate need of a comb, or maybe her fingers running through it.

His eyes, glaring at her, were dark, like coal in anger. She stood too far away to make out the flecks of gold she’d seen before. The grim line of his lips against the square, firm jaw made her want to laugh out loud. He was damned irresistible right now. It wasn’t right for him to look so—so sinful. He made her think of sex. Sex on the floor, sex on the wall, sex damn near any which way she could get it.

She let out a slow, unsteady breath. She had to stop thinking about him like that; the time for fun was long gone.

“I’m tired of playing with you, cat. It’s time to end this.”

“What exactly is this?” His hands gestured around them. “You’re a criminal, Lara. One who now has a death sentence against her.”

“I’m not the one who deserves to die.” Her anger fired hot and she practically spat at him. “You and yours are the only criminals as far as I’m concerned. You’re just afraid for someone to finally expose you for what you really are.” She turned away from him. What she felt when she looked at him and what she knew were at odds, and it drove her crazy. Nerve endings sizzled as desire warred with the facts her brain wouldn’t let her forget.

“You aren’t making any sense. Make me understand what this is all about.”

She whirled back around and stalked across the room, careful not to get too close to the circle, which could weaken.

“Tell me something, Kane. Before you kill, do you even take the time to learn something about your victim?”

“What the hell kind of question is that? I don’t take lives because I enjoy it. I do it because it has to be done, it’s a duty—a job. Without order and rules our secrets can’t be maintained. And then people like you start hunting us, wanting to kill all of us because of fear of the unknown. We aren’t evil, you know. Hell, I’m standing in a spell you created with black magic, talk about evil. You of all people should understand different. So what exactly is your damage?”

“My damage?” She wanted to reach through the barrier holding him and slap the crap out of him, maybe knock some sense into that pretty boy head of his. What had she been thinking? “How can you be sure you aren’t killing the innocent? Do you ever question the validity and integrity of your precious council?”

“Why should I? Every case is presented and voted on by unbiased members of our clan. It’s their duty to ensure everyone a fair trial and our system has worked well for a very long time.”

“Like with me?” His blind faith burned in her gut worse than a wicked case of indigestion that wouldn’t go away no matter how many antacids you popped.

“I witnessed your treachery with my own eyes. The evidence is pretty cut and dry.” His voice had lowered, and if she didn’t know better she could have sworn she detected a thread of sadness. In fact, now that she thought about it, he didn’t seem all that angry about being trapped. Did he not believe she would really kill him? Would she?

“You’re nothing but a liar. An animal that wouldn’t see the truth if it bit him on the ass.” Power flared through her as the edge of her control frayed.

“That’s right, honey. I’m an animal and right now I can smell just how full of shit you are. You think you can hide your wet little pussy from me? That I can’t sense arousal?”

Don’t forget to follow the trail for more snippety goodness.

Emma Petersen
Jody Wallace
Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Selena Blake
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
Lauren Dane
T.J. Michaels

Today’s theme is reunions and I have chosen a snippet from one of my latest releases, Kane. Kane is the 2nd book in my black cougar trilogy. This is not a family reunion or a long lost lovers reunion. Instead its a reunion of two people who have only been apart for a few weeks and who are struggling with the hatred for each other as well as the annoying desire they seem to have.

Excerpt:

One black-booted foot entered a few seconds before he peered around the door. When he didn’t see her he pushed inside a little bit more and took the final step into the room she needed. Without hesitation she started
the chant. Quietly at first.

When in the circle that is mine
Safety’ gone and evil roams
Hold this being from within
So heed this call.

She whispered the words again and again, stronger each time until her voice was loud and clear and Kane stood in the doorway staring at her.

“What have you done?”

She glanced down at his feet and stared. He followed her gaze and a stream of curses flew from his mouth as he realized he’d stepped right into her circle and she’d just bound him to it.

“You bitch.”

Her lips spread into a grin she hoped was as wicked as she felt. “Don’t try foreplay with me, you’ll find yourself neutered faster than you can say that word again.”

“You can’t hold me here.”

His arrogance wiped the smile from her face as her brow arched in his direction. “Hmm, let’s see. You’re stuck there and I’m roaming free. In my book that means I do whatever the hell I want and you can’t do a thing about it.”

A low snarl sounded from his throat as sharp canines peeked from beneath a curled lip. “What do you want then? A chance to beg for your life?”

It would be a cold day in hell before she begged for anything from him, but she thought about his other question. What did she want?  Just him dead, right?  She looked at him, really looked at him.  It had been weeks since she’d seen him last, and unfortunately he looked even better than she remembered. His spiked, short hair had grown out since then and it was messier and in need of a comb, or maybe her fingers running through it.

His eyes, glaring at her, were dark, like coal in anger. She stood too far away to make out the flecks of gold she’d seen before. The grim line of his lips against the square, firm jaw made her want to laugh out loud. He was damned irresistible right now. It wasn’t right for him to look so—so sinful. He made her think of sex. Sex on the floor, sex on the wall, sex damn near any which way she could get it.

She let out a slow, unsteady breath. She had to stop thinking about him like that; the time for fun was long gone.

“I’m tired of playing with you, cat. It’s time to end this.”

“What exactly is this?” His hands gestured around them. “You’re a criminal, Lara. One who now has a death sentence against her.”

“I’m not the one who deserves to die.” Her anger fired hot and she practically spat at him. “You and yours are the only criminals as far as I’m concerned. You’re just afraid for someone to finally expose you for what you really are.” She turned away from him. What she felt when she looked at him and what she knew were at odds, and it drove her crazy. Nerve endings sizzled as desire warred with the facts her brain wouldn’t let her forget.

“You aren’t making any sense. Make me understand what this is all about.”

She whirled back around and stalked across the room, careful not to get too close to the circle, which could weaken. “Tell me something, Kane. Before you kill, do you even take the time to learn something about your victim?”

“What the hell kind of question is that? I don’t take lives because I enjoy it. I do it because it has to be done, it’s a duty—a job. Without order and rules our secrets can’t be maintained. And then people like you start hunting us, wanting to kill all of us because of fear of the unknown. We aren’t evil, you know. Hell, I’m standing in a spell you created with black magic, talk about evil. You of all people should understand different. So what exactly is your damage?”

“My damage?” She wanted to reach through the barrier holding him and slap the crap out of him, maybe knock some sense into that pretty boy head of his. What had she been thinking? “How can you be sure you aren’t killing the innocent? Do you ever question the validity and integrity of your precious council?”

“Why should I? Every case is presented and voted on by unbiased members of our clan. It’s their duty to ensure everyone a fair trial and our system has worked well for a very long time.”

“Like with me?” His blind faith burned in her gut worse than a wicked case of indigestion that wouldn’t go away no matter how many antacids you popped.

“I witnessed your treachery with my own eyes. The evidence is cut and dry.” His voice had lowered, and if she didn’t know better she could have sworn she detected a thread of sadness. In fact, now that she thought about it, he didn’t seem all that angry about being trapped. Did he not believe she would really kill him? Would she?

“You’re nothing but a liar. An animal that wouldn’t see the truth if it bit him on the ass.” Power flared through her as the edge of her control frayed.

“That’s right, honey. I’m an animal and right now I can smell just how full of shit you are. You think you can hide your wet little pussy from me? That I can’t sense arousal?”

Lara ground her teeth at his gall. He was baiting her, messing with her head while he came up with a plan, or until she made a mistake and did something stupid. Neither of which would happen.  She’d lived for years making these plans with not a shred of doubt, until she’d run into Kane. She met his gaze, searching for a sign of what she didn’t know. Tension filled the room as they both realized this discussion had nowhere to go. Neither believed in the other. Problem for her was she’d suffered doubts and did her best to overcome them. Now,
with him here, her need to kill him had eroded and been replaced with something else. Something softer.

She broke the showdown, unable to stay focused when he looked at her with equal parts—I’m going to kill you, I’m going to fuck you.  Instead she watched the serene slash of his lips. He didn’t smile at her, but he quit frowning. Always the level-headed brother, able to take things in stride and move on, or so she’d heard repeatedly.

She imagined those full lips of his would be soft and patient when they pressed up against her skin. That image made her nipples tighten against her t-shirt, and she prayed he wouldn’t notice. He already knew too much. When her thoughts strayed to his neck and chest, the spots she wanted to lick the most, she thought she heard a noise not unlike a purr. A low rumble, so quiet she wondered if she was mistaken.

She had to be. He had hunted her. He wanted—

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not safe.”

“Like—like what?” Something had gone all wrong.  Now that he was here, she felt her control slipping fast.

Another rattling sound came from his chest, louder than before. Damn, he really is purring. Goosebumps rose along her flesh and a shiver trembled down the length of her body before she could stop it.

“Like you want to eat me more than kill me.” He whispered the words so low she leaned in closer to hear them.

Want to read more about Kane? You can read another excerpt on the book page as well as see a brief behind the scenes tidbit from me here.

Don’t forget to follow the trail to all the other snippety goodness.

Jody Wallace
Mari Carr
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
TJ Michaels
Eliza Gayle
Ashley Ladd