Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Release Day Book Blast: Outside the Lines by Kimberly Kincaid




Outside the Lines

by
 Kimberly Kincaid


Blurb
As an ivy-league ER doctor who eats double shifts for
breakfast (and lunch…and dinner), Blake Fisher has little appetite for anything other than work. Being on the staff at Brenstville Hospital means taking care of people, a need Blake understands all too well from losing his brother to cystic fibrosis eight years ago. When he’s asked to coordinate a carnival fundraiser for the cause, he jumps at the chance to help others with the disease…until it lands him side by side with the one woman he never thought he’d see again: his ex-fiancée.

Streetwise and rough around the edges, Jules Shaw is no stranger to earning a living through hard work. But when her job as the restaurant manager of Mac’s Diner puts her shoulder to really broad shoulder with Blake Fisher, she nearly balks. She’d rather dodge and deflect than admit the real reason she broke things off, but the catering contract for the carnival means big business for Mac’s, and feeding people is Jules’s lifeblood.

As Blake and Jules join reluctant forces, they quickly rediscover the spark between them. But the possibility of a future together hinges on coming clean about the past, with potentially devastating consequences. Can Blake and Jules overcome their drastically different backgrounds and learn to love again, or will they always be outside the lines?


Buy Link:    Amazon





Author Info
Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. When she's not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as "The Pleather Bomber", she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a 2011 RWA Golden Heart® finalist who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. She has written two digital novellas, Love On The Line and Drawing The Line, about hot cops and sexy chefs, with a third novella, Outside The Lines, due this summer. She is also thrilled to have collaborated on a Christmas anthology with Donna Kauffman and Kate Angell, titled The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap, to kick off her Pine Mountain foodie series with Kensington this October. Kimberly’s first full-length novel, Turn Up the Heat, will follow in February 2014. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

Visit her any time at www.kimberlykincaid.com or come check her out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kimberly.kincaid1) and Twitter (@kimberlykincaid).


Author Links




Monday, July 29, 2013

Author, author... Guest Tara Chevrestt + giveaway

...read all about it !!!  Please welcome a guest post from Tara Chevrestt



Losing My Sex Scene Virginity
When I first penned Love Request (my first ever romance), I said, “I’m not going to have a sex scene. Nobody needs it. We all know part A goes into part B.” And so I wrote a lovely little story about two people meeting, falling in love, all that, and though I had them “doing it”, it was closed door. They entered the room, shut door, kissed, said words of love, end of scene. The next scene was pillow talk.
This book got contracted with a romance publisher the first time around. I received my edits. To the right of my MS was a little comment box. “We don’t do closed-door sex. Tell us what happens here.” And even though there was a little smiley face with it, I gasped. “Noooo! I cannot write sex! My family will disown me!”
I said this to the editor. The editor asked the higher ups. They said, “No sex at all, not even implied OR the scene must be there.”
This being a contemporary romance and the characters being who they were, I needed them to have relations for the story line to reach the satisfying conclusion (yes, that’s a pun) I was aiming for. I felt between a rock and a hard place (another pun). I was deeply embarrassed and frustrated by this turn of events. A consultation with a very important person was in order.
I texted my dad. The conversation went something (not exact) like this:
Me: Dad! So I signed over this romance story I wrote, and they want me to add sex! And it’s already contracted! I’m so upset!
Dad: Why?
Me: Cause it’s SEX! How will you and Mom feel about me writing that?
Dad: Sex doesn’t have to be nasty. Make it special between two people that love each other. It will be a beautiful thing then.
And later, my editor said, “It will help show their relationship evolve.”
After two hours of pulling my hair, texting my dad, emailing my editor, and ranting to my pug, I finally sat down at the computer and wrote my first sex scene. When I was no longer with that publisher and I had an offer for the book from another publisher, provided I remove the sex, I didn’t want to, because it really was a special thing between two people who love each other. Hunter and Ciara...what they have is love, love that has transcended a hella lot of time.
I rejected that offer and I couldn’t be happier with its home with Pagan Writers Press now. And the relationship-evolving sex stayed. ;)
I’ve wrote many more since then. You could say I finally broke a barrier (bad pun!) that night.
But I’ll tell you a secret *lowers voice and glances around* as a reader, I often skip the sex scenes!

So, tell me, readers, how important is sex in a book to you? When is appropriate and when is it too much?

Giveaway:  Our author is offering a Digital Copy of Love Request so please leave your comment below, including your email for a chance to win.  Tell Tara, 'how important is sex in a book to you?  When is it appropriate and when is it too much?'





Blurb
When Ciara Littleton takes the plunge and finally joins Facebook to
socialize without the limits that her hearing impairment gives her, on a whim, she looks up a childhood friend. In sending him that first message, she ignites the memories of a crush from twenty years ago. But can a simple friend request fix all that stands between them and lead to something more?

Hunter has a lot on his plate. A recent divorce, a pregnant sister, and now, he realizes he's in love with a woman who lives states away. Can he overcome the boundaries of Internet romance to make this desire turn into something real, or will adversity and distance be their undoing--adversity being in the form of his very own sister--the woman who bullied Ciara so mercilessly long ago? 


Buy Links:
Digital Smashwords & Amazon & Amazon UK &  Nook

Print  
Amazon & Barnes & Noble




Author Info
Tara Chevrestt is a deaf woman, former aviation mechanic, writer, and an editor. She is most passionate about planes, motorcycles, dogs, and above all, reading. That led to her love of writing. Between her writing and her editing, which allows her to be home with her little canine kids, she believes she has the greatest job in the world. She is very happily married.

Her theme is Strong is Sexy. She shares a website with her naughty pen name: http://tarachevrestt.weebly.com/index.html and they have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Chevrestt-Sonia-Hightower/218383211513877




Saturday, July 27, 2013

My Sexy Saturday

Welcome to My Sexy Saturday.

Saturdays are my favorite day.  Besides getting to sleep in, well actually maybe that's the reason :)  My hubby is always up so early during the week for work so come Saturday, it's absolutely sexy to feel him snuggled up behind me knowing we have nothing we need to do and nowhere we have to be.  Do you think Saturdays are sexy?

So,every Saturday, a great *growing* group of authors will post 7 paragraphs, 7 lines or 7 words from their published book or a current work in progress (WIP).  Today my 7 will come from...



Second Nature
(book 1 in the Second Series)

I'm sorry I don't have a cover but this work is 
currently in edits with The Wild Rose Press.

7 sentences...
(or thereabouts)


     Her hand shot out of nowhere and slapped him hard across the face.  Her finger tips trembled.  She’d never done anything like that before.

     Nick rubbed the red spot on his cheek, his mouth dropping open.

     “You’re an asshole!”  She proceeded to move toward the door, “I’ll walk home.

     His hand quickly snaked out and grabbed her wrist, whirling her about-face so fast she almost tripped over her own feet.  “I don’t think so, little lady.”  He then smothered her lips with his until she couldn't form a coherent thought.  She sighed in consent.

Damn.


Please stay tuned for cover and release information :)



Make sure you follow My Sexy Saturday on Facebook, and
don't forget to visit all the other My Sexy Saturday stops.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Cover Reveal: Weak at the Knees by Jo Kessel



Weak at the Knees

by

 Jo Kessel



Blurb:


“We got so busy living life that we forgot to live our dreams.”

Danni Lewis has been playing it safe for twenty-six years, but her sheltered existence is making her feel old ahead of time. When a sudden death plunges her into a spiral of grief, she throws caution to the wind and runs away to France in search of a new beginning.
The moment ski instructor Olivier du Pape enters her shattered world she falls hard, in more ways than one.
Their mutual desire is as powerful and seductive as the mountains around them. His dark gypsy looks and piercing blue eyes are irresistible.
Only she must resist, because he has a wife – and she’d made a pact to never get involved with a married man.
But how do you choose between keeping your word and being true to your soul?


Weak at the Knees is Jo’s debut novel in the new adult, contemporary romance genre – a story about love, loss and relationships, set between London and the heart of the French Alps.







Author Info
Jo Kessel is a journalist, working for the BBC and reporting and presenting for ITV on holiday, consumer and current affairs programs. She writes for several national newspapers in the UK including the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Express and was the anonymous author of the Independent’s hit column: Diary of a Primary School Mum.
When Jo was ten years old she wrote a short story about losing a loved one. Her mother and big sister were so moved by the tale that it made them cry. Having reduced them to tears she vowed that the next time she wrote a story it would make them smile instead. Happily she succeeded and with this success grew an addiction for wanting to reach out and touch people with words. Jo lives in London with her husband and three children. She loves traveling and since becoming a mother anything even remotely sad makes her cry. She’s a sucker for a good romance and tearjerker movies are the worst. She’s that woman in the cinema, struggling to muffle audible wails as everyone else turns round to stare.

Author Links

@jo_kessel



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Author, author... Lynn Crandall and Dancing with Detective Danger

...read all about it !!



Dancing with Detective Danger
by
 Lynn Crandall




Blurb
Uncovering secrets and exposing truth are all in a day’s work for private investigator Sterling Aegar. But when her latest case threatens to reveal her own buried feelings for an old love, Sterling runs for cover.

A body in the bathtub and pleas from a jilted wife to find her wayward husband mean a welcome break from the usual humdrum cases Sterling and her sister, Lacey, are called to investigate. But when Sterling’s old flame, Detective Ben Kirby, walks into the murder scene, she feels her world spin out of control. Danger from thugs and murderers poses no greater threat than the peril she’d suffer if she lets daredevil Ben get too close.

Seeing Sterling for the first time in two years is for Ben like drinking in a healing tonic. He could never forget the way it felt to run his hands over her delicious curves or the way she touched his soul. She remains the one person who can make the emptiness in his gut go away. Finding the murderer is his job, but protecting Sterling from seriously dangerous people is his mission.
As the case unfolds, Sterling and Ben not only solve the murder and locate the missing husband, they confront secrets that set them each free from a painful past.




Buy Links


Excerpt

Here’s a peek at the main characters’ first meet up in since their break up two years ago, told from the hero’s point of view.

Ben stood behind the richly embroidered drapes at the condo’s living room window and
discreetly watched Sterling walk to the car as he shuffled paperwork through his fingers. Her
petite frame, dressed in a slim gray suit, pulled his attention as though he had no control.

That’s the way it was with her. He hadn't seen her for two years, but all during that time he’d
been unable to will her out of his thoughts for very long. Seeing her up close and feeling her
presence today had stirred up old feelings inside him. After they’d gotten together, the terrible
aloneness he’d grown to live with had vanished. It hadn't mattered that before she’d come along
he’d had no one, no family, because she’d completely filled the emptiness in his gut. Then when
she left, he’d felt all the more alone for having known but lost her.

Sterling’s straight, chestnut-colored hair had grown longer, brushing gently against her slim
shoulders. He liked it. And the two years apart had worn beautifully on her fine-boned face. She
looked even lovelier than he remembered. In the brief moments he’d stood next to her, he’d
taken in everything: her shapely curves, her intense, blue-green eyes, her sensuously curved lips
the color of a rich Merlot wine.

Ben’s stomach tightened. It had to happen sooner or later, he thought to himself. Even though
Sterling had left his life, it seemed inevitable that they’d run into each other sometime while
working a case. He’d like to think it meant their destinies were intimately intertwined. That even
though their paths might occasionally diverge and meander, they were actually headed in the
same direction. She’d been emphatic at their breakup that there was no future for the two of
them—that they wanted different things in life—but he just didn't believe it. He believed in
possibilities, and though in the interim he’d given Sterling her space, the hope remained strong in
him that eventually, along the way, they would come together again, perhaps even stronger than
before.

Ben watched Sterling drive away and couldn't help himself. Was it too much to hope maybe
this time it could be different?






Author Info
Lynn Crandall started spinning stories as a child when she tried to entertain her younger sister at night when they were supposed to be going to sleep. In the dark, her stories typically took on a scary or paranormal element -- didn't do much to put them to sleep. Today, she hopes her stories still fail to put readers to sleep, but rather take them on a journey. That's what she’s been on since she decided to make writing her focus. As a reporter and magazine feature writer, she truly enjoys learning as she works on stories. As a romance writer, she enjoys doing the research and following an evolving story of the characters.

Author Links
https://www.facebook.com/LynnCrandallAuthor?fref=ts
@lcrandall246






Our author is hosting a Rafflecopter Giveaway 
($10.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card)








Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Review: Tigress for Two by Marissa Dobson **spoiler alert**



    Tigress for Two     


by

Marissa Dobson


A life lived in fear…

Kallie lived her life hiding from everyone and everything except selected members of her clan, fearing someone would discover who she was and what she had fled. She would not be tortured again, no matter if the cost was her life. When Taber enters her life, she isn’t sure if she should trust him or run as fast and as far as she can. His presence changes everything, and to let him in means she must remove the guards keeping her safe since her escape.

A debt that is owed…

Taber owes the Alaskan Tigers more than he could ever repay. They supported him and his Kodiak bear sleuth when they needed backing the most. He has joined their fight against the rogue tigers in order to repay his debt. Finding his mate among the Alaskan Tigers was unexpected. He always wanted a female bear as his sow mate, and to raise a few cubs of his own. What he didn’t need was a tigress with trust issues.

A love that could destroy them…


Finding his mate should be the best day of Thorben’s life, but when he comes to Taber’s aid and discovers his destined tigress mate is already his brother’s mate, brotherhood must overcome nature, because bears mate for life.


My Review:

First I need to say, this cover is gorgeous !!  
Second, what a great book from an amazing author!!

Wow, Tigress for Two was everything I'd hoped it would be after reading some of Marissa Dobson's other books. She packed a whollop, enticing the reader with angst, suspense, romance and suspense...oh did I say that twice?  Well good cause I meant to, because she did a great job of keeping the reader in suspense throughout the whole story.  I never new what was coming next but i was so intrigued I couldn't put the book down.  And I seriously never imagined mixing shifter species but it was done well.

I immediately loved Taber.  What an uber strong male.  He was kind and courteous to the Alaskan Tigers, there to help them because they were friends but was then gruff when he met Kallie.  However, his bear knew what it was doing and against his better judgment, he couldn't stay away from her.  I loved how the mating bond took hold and didn't let him stray, keeping on her until she realized it as well.  And Kallie, that poor damaged soul.  She'd been through a lot and to say she was skiddish was an understatement.  I think she could have been afraid of her own shadow but as the story unfolded, so did the bond between bear and tiger, the mating bond and Taber did his best to bring her from her shell, sheltering her as he needed and loving her as she'd let him.  

Ms. Dobson also did a great job interjecting Thorben into their lives and I have to say I was a little worried at first.  Kallie and Taber had created such a bond that i wondered how a second bear would blend into the mix after the fact but no fear...Marissa Dobson handled it with grace.  I then became proud of both those Kodiak bears for settling what turmoil was between them to make a life for Kallie.

It didn't hurt that the mating(sex) scenes were smokin' too :)  

This was book 3 of The Alaskan Tigers series and definitely a fantastic addition to the series.  I really hope there is a book 4 because I can't wait to see what little cats or cubs those three have together...

Marissa Dobson and Tigress for Two definitely get my 5 stars !!



Get your copy today...        Buy Links:



Print: Sunshine Press ~ Amazon




Excerpt:

Taber Brown rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand for the umpteenth time in the last twenty minutes. Hour after hour, they scanned every shred of evidence Adam’s team brought back from San Francisco once they seized Victor. They hoped to discover something that would lead them to Pierce, but nothing so far. Everything they discovered reinforced their belief—Victor only teamed with Pierce to further his own agenda.

Could Pierce be so daft he wouldn’t have seen Victor’s true motivation? That was the question haunting not only Taber, but the Elders of the Alaskan Tigers as well. If they could see through Victor, surely Pierce had as well.

The papers cluttering the table detailed Victor’s plans to bring Bratva—the brotherhood, a Russian shifter terrorist group—to the states. Over the years, it appeared Victor had been gathering followers from different shifter groups with like-minded beliefs.

Taber pushed papers aside, searching for his squeeze bottle of honey buried somewhere under the clutter. With hours left, before the day’s end, he needed his honey to see him through. Where did that damn bottle go?

“Bear.” Adam growled when Taber shoved more papers out of the way. “You finished your honey an hour ago.”

“Shit.”

“We stocked some for you in the compound’s kitchen. Go get a refill and then get some damn sleep. You’re grumpy when you’re tired.”

“I’m a bear, damn it.” He rose, stretching his long legs. To him being a bear explained everything, but to the tigers well it might have been another story, especially after Adam raised an eyebrow. At that moment, Taber didn’t care.

He’d swing by the kitchen for another bottle of honey before checking in with the men guarding Victor. He also hoped to find Ty or Raja before hitting the sack, to see if any progress was made gaining information from Victor.

The kitchen was on the far side of the main compound building, away from the private quarters of the Alpha and Lieutenant, giving them both seclusion and security. He slipped his hand into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, his fingers wrapping around his cell phone. As he turned the last corner, leading to the long hallway toward the kitchen, he collided with a woman.

“Shit,” she said. Coffee covered the front of her shirt.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect anyone to be around here this time of the night.” Being nearly seven foot, he stared down at her. The white stripes sprinkled through her long, curly brown hair caught his attention. Did she do those on purpose? According to his cousin, they were highlights, but Taber couldn’t fathom why anyone would want such stripes painting their hair.

“You’re a damn shifter. You should have sensed me coming!” She growled at him, blotting the coffee stain with a napkin, but it only served to make matters worse.

“I said I was sorry, what more do you want woman?”

“Obviously nothing.” She snarled, shoving the napkins in her nearly empty coffee cup. She released a 
heavy sigh and moved to pass him.

He reached out, wrapping his hand around her small arm. She winced as if expecting him to cause her pain. He hated seeing fear resonating in her eyes. What happened to cause her such distress? “You’re right, I should have sensed you, but I wasn’t paying attention. Let me get you another cup.”

A sudden shot of electricity vibrated through their contact. He couldn’t tear his gaze from her.

This can’t be happening. My mate can’t be a tigress. I won’t have it. Especially a tigress with haunting in her eyes.

“So you can spill it over me again? I think not.” She pulled her arm free and pushed past him. He turned, his gaze following her as she sauntered down the hallway away from him. The sway of her hips drew his attention to her long, lush legs. The three-inch high heels she wore only served to add more sashay to her swaying hips. He wanted to run after her, to explore the electric jolt he received from her contact, but he instructed his feet to remain where he stood. He didn’t want a tigress as his mate, and he doubted he could help ease the pain within her eyes.

Buy Links again :)


Print: Sunshine Press ~ Amazon

Find more books by Marissa Dobson here.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Review: Taming Johnny by Kaylie Newell



Taming Johnny
by
 Kaylie Newell



Blurb
He's got the temperament of a lion, and she's just the one to tame him.
Police records clerk Emma Beaumont has always played it safe, never taking many risks. Quiet, shy, and a little overweight, she's convinced herself that she's comfortable with the way her life is. That is until she lays eyes on incredibly sexy Lieutenant Johnny Street. But she's never met anyone with such a terrible attitude. He's a jerk. Everyone thinks so.
Little by little, Emma is forced to uncover a stronger, spunkier part of herself, one that isn't afraid to stand up to him. As she gets to know him, she starts seeing glimpses of a very different man. A man who has known great heartache, and as it turns out, has good reason for embracing such bitterness. Behind his sharp tongue and harsh demeanor, lies a young man who's desperately afraid of losing what's left of himself.
As Emma's intense desire for Johnny turns to love, she will have to ask herself how far she'll go to chip away at his frosty heart. And at what cost.


Content Warning: contains sensual sex and strong language



My Review:

Well, it's official, I love Johnny !!  I've always had a thing for the strong silent type, the kind that looks so confident on the outside but inside has a heart of gold and a bruised soul.  He keeps his secrets and pain locked inside but appears the ever brooding alpha male on the surface.  Then of course there's the fact that he's a cop....just does it for me :)

I also really took a liking to Emma.  She's so quiet and shy but has a secret beauty about her.  She's the total opposite of the gruff hero but that's exactly what makes them perfect for each other !

Everyday events and real-life personal struggles add depth to this 100+ page novella, which is the ideally perfect length to read in one sitting, definitely my favorite!  I can't wait to add more by this fantastic author to my TBR pile.  

I recommend you run out and get this one right away !!  Kudos to you Ms. Newell!!





Excerpt 



Buy Links:     Amazon    B&N




Author Info
For Kaylie Newell, storytelling is in the blood.  Growing up the daughter of two gifted writers, she knew eventually she’d want to follow in their footsteps.  While she’s written short stories her whole life, it wasn’t until after her kids were born that she decided to shoot for the moon and write her first romance novel.  She hasn’t looked back since!
Kaylie lives in Southern Oregon with her husband, two little girls, two indifferent cats and a Chihuahua named Pedro.


She would love to hear from you!  You can find her at: 





Link to Follow the Tour:  





Tour Wide Rafflecopter Giveaway 
(Three Digital Copies of TAMING JOHNNY)








Release Day Blast: Collared for a Night by



Collared for a Night
By: Susan Arden

Blurb
All it takes is one mistake to be marked. One bite, she crosses a line...into forever.
Diana Hambre's body is blazing. For days this leopardess shifter has spun through a body-searing heat cycle. Alone. Her senses reel when Shawn Barclay, her boss, walks into her reserved room at the Downtown Den, a stud club for shifters. He gives Diana a choice: spend the evening with him, give into his every desire, and she'll find out what it means to quench her heat-crazed thirst—or try her luck with a stranger, one of the club bangers.

Shawn hates when his back is against the wall. One sip of Diana’s pheromone-laced scent is enough to force his alpha hand. The tables have turned and it's Diana's back he wants up against a wall or any other surface for that matter.

As the moon rises toward midnight, Shawn and Diana come to understand the difference between sex and bonding. For a night, neither of them resist their primal instincts, blindly giving into carnal desire. Her wild nature fights being subdued and she risks spontaneously shifting without warning.

Now, bearing Shawn's bite marks, she can’t simply walk away from him; not when he has the means to teach her to harness her leopardess nature. Shawn accepts the challenge of training Diana to control her untamed cravings. Employing every method available in and out of the bedroom, he discovers he's on the verge of ensnaring himself in the process.

Warning: Erotic scenes hot enough to peel paint









Buy Links

Author Info
"I love to laugh. More than anything in the world, humor is food for the spirit."
Previously, a teacher in the field of special education and biology, now Susan pursues her dream of writing fiction with several releases this year. Crafting sweet and spicy tales, she writes hot love stories across romance genres including contemporary erotic, Western, and fantasy/paranormal. She also writes under the name of Susan D. Taylor. She currently lives in TN along with husband, two cattle dogs, two crazy cats, a gecko and a corn snake.


Author Links





Tour Wide Giveaway    ($25.00 Victoria’s Secret Gift Card)






Excerpt
Explicit Content: For Adults Only

She teased and nipped at his sweet spot, underneath his head, licking and sucking, and pushed past his dominance.

 “Suck me harder, sweetheart.” Shawn’s voice was an inhuman, hoarse whisper. He stopped tonguing her pussy and held her head. He fucked her mouth, pumping and thrusting across her lips.

She adored the feel of his cock in her mouth and did as he instructed. Diana ran her claws across his flesh.

He followed suit, rasping the tips of his nails over her skin. Shivers broke out from the tiny pain-pleasure scratches over her skin. His muscles quivered around her. His scent filled her mouth and head. She could savor him without fear and, at this moment, had to taste his orgasm. A savage hunger tore into her.

Previously, her mouth had been a safe spot on her body where an alpha’s semen couldn’t cross her physical barrier. Yet now, her whole body convulsed and shifted, a sign of error in her judgment. This man was different. Her leopardess nature pushed outward. She told herself she must absorb his musky scent and taste if only to recognize his marking in the world beyond this room. He pulled out of her mouth and her leopardess mind quaked in frustration, on the edge of claiming her mate.

“No,” she roared. Her pelt rippled and she shook, flexing feline muscles. Spontaneously she’d let go and shifted. The experience was more than exhilarating. On all fours, she crouched next to him on the futon. Her long tail slapped against the wall. Never had shifting felt this powerful. She licked his face, stared at him from behind twitching whiskers, and she flicked her tail, snapping his leg.

“Diana, reel in your leopardess nature. Come back to me.” His whispered command eased her nature.
 “Now, sweetheart.” He rubbed his thumb on the ridge between her eyes, then petted the side of her cheek. She could feel his essence without responding to the content of his words. Deep within her, primitive instinct was a force that drove her, and she responded by purring and rubbing up against him, marking her scent over him.

Shawn’s voice lulled her. She calmed instantly. Acquiesced. Her animal and human forms flickered.

The scent she released as leopardess would be near impossible for him to resist. She dropped beside him, blinking, and lowered her lids. For him, she began the process of shifting back. She hissed, and then moaned, curling up next to him.

“I’m sorry,” she said, opening her eyes and contemplating him. This was the first time she had shifted in front of an alpha male for over a year. Was Shawn taken back at her lack of control?

 Her fur receded, emitting sparks of energy over the length of her skin, tightening and smoothing into her human form. Her claws got caught in the futon. She tugged each curved spike free, then focused and steadied her nature. “I understand if we shift during sex, things will get away from us.”