Excerpt from Summer Lovin'

Bonus Novella
Part of the NAUGHTY GETAWAYS boxed-set, available now!

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Blurb:
Cougar on the prowl, Larissa Cross is ready for a summer full of hot younger man lovin’. Rawr! Tattooed and pierced fireman JD Harmon is tempting prey but he intends to tame the wicked cougar and stake a claim on her heart. 
*This previously published title has been revised and reedited*

Genre/theme: Older Woman/Younger Man, firefighter hero, cougar romance

Copyright ©Nicole Austin, 2017

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Larissa Cross cruised along the coast with the top down, a warm breeze rushing through her hair. She turned on satellite radio and cranked up the volume as Steven Tyler’s signature scream blasted from the speakers. There wasn’t a cloud in the bright blue sky and the weather forecasters had rated the day as a ten on the suntan scale.

A picture-postcard-perfect Florida day and a great way to kick off her new life. Well, her new summertime life anyway. In the fall it would be back to “Mrs. Cross” and the comfortable routine of teaching elementary school.

But this summer she was going to have fun! Her son had left for college so Rissa was living alone for the first time. She’d sold the house, bought and decorated a new condo, packed up her “teacher clothes” and shopped for a new wardrobe, traded the minivan for a cherry red convertible and got tattooed. Yup, she now sported a colorful butterfly on her right hip—just above the bikini line—to symbolize her metamorphosis from Army widow soccer mom to cougar on the prowl. Rawr!

When you put all the changes she’d made over the past year together it added up to a rather frightening conclusion—midlife crisis. Scary stuff!

Dios, where the hell did all those years go?

Next month she would hit the big four-oh. Pretty sad she’d waited this long to finally rediscover herself. Better late than never though!

The changes had all started with the first erotic romance book she’d read. Then her friend Cami had told her about having a younger lover and challenged Rissa to find a hot young guy or two over summer break.

She grinned at herself in the rearview mirror. Nothing appealed to her more than the prospect of conquering a challenge. She couldn’t wait to try out some of the erotic acts that had gotten her so hot and horny when she’d read all those steamy books.

A truck full of young guys honked and whistled at her as they sped by. Hmm…maybe the challenge wouldn’t be too difficult. These boys looked way too young but their appreciation still made her smile and gave her confidence a boost.

With a wave to the boys, she turned into the jam-packed parking lot for the public beach. As she claimed one of few available spaces at the back of the lot, her car sputtered, coughed and gave a loud hiss before the engine stalled.

“Oh great!”

Rissa knew next to nothing about cars, yet even she realized the smoke billowing out from under the hood meant bad news. She jumped out and raced to the front, intending to pop the hood. That’s when she noticed the flames.

Thankfully the pickup had pulled in behind her. The teenage boys who piled out to help were on the ball, whipping out cell phones and calling for reinforcements while warning others in the immediate area to stay back.

In the few agonizingly long minutes it took for the cavalry to arrive, Rissa convinced the boys to salvage the contents of her trunk. Once they had her lawn chair, overstuffed beach bag, umbrella, towels, cooler and her precious e-book reader on the side of the road it looked like someone was having a yard sale. Or more apropos—a fire sale.

“Mrs. Cross?” one of the boys tentatively inquired.

Oh no. He must be one of her former students. Didn’t that just make her day.

“Yes.” She slid the dark sunglasses down her nose and peered over the tortoiseshell frames at him.

“Remember me? Tyler James. I was in your class?”

Prior students always failed to realize how much they’d changed or how many kids she’d taught and expected her to remember them. She played along to make him feel better. “Oh my gosh. You sure have grown up, Tyler. How’s high school treating you?”

Once the others learned she was an elementary school teacher they became a band of protective alpha-males-in-training and stayed by her side, assisting her through the crisis.

In a flurry of flashing lights and blaring sirens, a fire truck, ambulance and police cruiser arrived. The firemen quickly set to work and extinguished the flames while the medics checked for anyone with injuries and the police wrote reports. By the time the firemen were done, her crispy car appeared ready for the junkyard.

What now, Miss Smarty-pants?

Should she call a tow truck? How the hell would she get back home? Anyone she could ask for a ride lived over the bridge, at least a half hour away. She was in no mood to sit and wait that long.

There would be so much to work out now. Thank goodness she had insurance. She’d have to get in touch with the agent to file a claim. Damn, she really loved that car. Her first non-family car in two decades. Now she’d have to shop for another and get a rental in the meantime.

Rissa plopped down on top of the cooler with a heavy sigh as her wonderful plans for the summer disintegrated. In need of some emotional support, she longed to call Cami.

What would she do in this situation?

A wicked grin tugged at her lips. Cami would tell her to check out the emergency workers and if possible get pictures. She’d also tell Rissa to flirt her ass off and get one of those hot young studs to take her home.

“Who owns the car?”

She looked up as one of the firemen headed in her direction while scribbling information on a battered clipboard.

“Uh…me. I do.”

Oh yes, I do. Please and thank you!

Damn, the man was gorgeous. Tall, at least six-one, with a shaved head. A bit of dark stubble covered his scalp, ran along his square jawline and above his mouth. A plump, sexy mouth. He had to be in his mid-twenties by her estimation. Not too young or old. Perfect age to pop her cougar cherry.

“Name?”

Yes, what is your name, hot stuff? Please tell me.

Broad shoulders blocked out the sun as he moved to stand before her. What she wouldn’t give to have him strip off the fire gear and let her ogle his body. From his solid build she guessed he had lots of yummy muscles. Maybe even a six-pack. She pictured running her fingers over his tanned skin, feeling the sinew ripple beneath her fingertips.

“That’s Mrs. Cross,” Tyler, her proud protector, stated. “She’s a teacher in Tampa. Elementary school.”

What a wonderful, helpful boy. Go away now, you brat.

The fire god nodded toward the police officer ready to ticket the boys’ pickup. “If that’s your truck, you might want to move it.”

“Aw crap,” one of the boys groaned. The group loped off, leaving Rissa alone with the hunk, whose sharply focused attention suddenly made her nervous and fidgety.

He might have been preoccupied earlier but now she had his undivided attention. Coal black eyes took a slow journey from the top of her head down her see-through cover-up, pausing at breasts nearly spilling out of tiny bright blue triangles before dipping down to linger on her tattoo then stroke along her legs. And boy did his gaze ever have the impact of a physical caress. Everywhere his eyes touched her skin tightened and long-ignored nerve endings tingled.

If he can do that with a look, imagine what he’d be able to do with those big, strong hands.

Excerpt from An Unexpected Discovery by Regina Kammer

Part of the NAUGHTY GETAWAYS boxed-set, available now!

Naughty Getaways Ebook

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Blurb:

A Parthian princess searching for the lost throne of her kingdom engages the services of a palace eunuch and discovers a treasure far more precious.

Genre/theme: 

Historical, Ancient World Parthian romance, princess, eunuch, Parthia, throne

Copyright ©Regina Kammer, 2017

They entered her apartment from the women’s gallery, stepping through the office to the antechamber. Nisa opened the door to the audience chamber, and Roedogune followed.

A flush crept up the back of her neck the moment she saw him.

He was young, about her age. Tall and slender, standing with confidence. Under his cap, black hair in perfect plaits fell to just above his shoulders. He wore the costume of a courtier, for that he most certainly was, his robe and tunic rich in decoration. Jewels glinted from the rings on his fingers. Gemstones hung in strands around his neck.

Amidst all his magnificent arrayment, one feature stood out.

He was beardless.

Of course. A eunuch. For such a man was indeed allowed to be alone in the presence of the princess.

“You are dismissed, Nisa.” Roedogune waited for her maidservant to leave before addressing the man.

She paced, studying him. His nose was strong and straight punctuating his confident demeanor. “My husband sent you?”

“Yes, my lady.” His voice was not deep and gruff as that of Gotarzes, but melodic with a masculine edge.

Roedogune stood directly before him. “Your name?”

“Arashis, my lady.”

Seeing a man’s cheeks and chin and mouth was something of a treat. The Roman soldiers of her captivity had been clean shaven, despite the fashion of their emperor Hadrian. A beard could create an illusion of vigor and virility. But here, laid bare before her, was an elegant strength, angles set off by the curves of luscious, full lips.

“Did my husband explain why he sent you?”

The briefest flick of a tongue wet the seam of his mouth. A delectable distraction until he spoke with that lulling voice.

“He said you had spent time in Rome. That you intended to maintain your communications with contacts you had made during this time. That you might require the services of one who knew the languages of the Parthian and Roman empires.” He shifted on his feet, bending slightly to reach behind him. He turned back holding a basket of scrolls.

Apprehension rattled her. “What are those?”

“Communications, my lady. From your contacts beyond our kingdom.”

“Gods above,” she muttered. Gotarzes had been holding on to the missives all this time. She picked up a scroll. The seal was unbroken. She exhaled relief.

“My lady, if I may be so bold, you seem agitated.”

She lifted her head only to gaze upon the kindness in the depths of his rich brown eyes. “It seems I have a great deal of correspondence to catch up on,” she said, tossing the scroll back in the basket.

Excerpt from Dirty Diana by Francesca Hawley

Part of the NAUGHTY GETAWAYS boxed-set, available now!

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Blurb:

It’s Amateur Night at Gunnar Thorson’s strip club and Diana Rav intends to rock his world. She’s lush and sensual with generous curves she’s not afraid to move. Not anymore. She’s learned to love her body and is out to win Gunnar back with a sexy lap dance.

Genre/theme: Rubenesque romance, contemporary romance, reunion, burlesque dance, strip club, light BDSM

Copyright ©Francesca Hawley, 2017

Excerpt: 

Chapter One

“Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome our next contestant this evening. This sexy lady runs a dance studio here in the cities, so she can teach you to dance hot enough to melt snow in January. Please welcome Miss Diana DeFox!”

The lights dropped to nothing as the guitar downbeat of Dirty Diana rang out. Gunnar Thorson groaned and rolled his eyes at his cousins, fellow judges, and club co-owners Andy, Livvy and Stig Larson. This was the third rendition of Dirty Diana so far tonight. He just prayed this dancer fared better than the first two.

Livvy leaned close. “I know this one. She’s good.”

“It can’t be worse than the others,” Gun said.

“Are you sure?” Andy asked. Stig just laughed.

So, would she be dressed like MJ or the groupie, he wondered, as he debated cutting these amateur nights once again. The problem was they always drew a crowd. Whether it was the students just barely of age, the capable dancers or the awkward first timers, they always brought their own cheering section and the way the room erupted, this one had brought her fans in plenty. At least fans drank well.

A spot dropped on her and he smiled. She faced away from the crowd but her head was turned to the side with just a hint of her profile visible. She had the fedora and the sparkly glove, but that’s where the imitation of MJ ended. The rest of her costume was pure Mae West. The white glove extended up her arm and her black silky gown skimmed and hugged her abundant curves with a sweet slit up one side. She wore strappy black stilettos and moved with a confidence that set him on fire. Ladies without any confidence in their beauty made him sad, mad, and tired, all at once.

Her arms raised. Her body shimmied. She took her time to entice. When she reached behind her back and removed the glove, his breath quickened. He could imagine holding her hands in place while he removed the gown himself. When she threw the glove and spun, he expected to see her face, but she kept it hidden. All the more intriguing. She leaned against the first pole, hugging it and knelt, then as she stood, she rocked her hips against the pole. She made it sexy, not vulgar. Totally old school. She flipped around and slid down the pole, snapped her thighs apart, closed and then rose.

Teasing. Hinting. Still he couldn’t see her face and her hair was tucked up under that hat. He was starting to hate the damn hat. He wanted to become Master Thor and climb onto the stage and take her for himself. There was only one other woman in his life he’d ever felt that way about—Diana Räv. But this could not be the same woman. His Diana had never strutted in her life. She was ashamed of her curves. Thought she was fat and ugly. Never knew why he chose to date her because he was so pretty and she thought she wasn’t. The capper was that she would only make love with the lights off. He was a visual guy and liked to watch. This could not be his Diana.

But he wished it was. He watched her grip the pole with confidence and fly around it with grace. Her weight didn’t matter. To him it increased the sex appeal. Full breasts and big butts were his wheelhouse and she had ’em.

Livvy leaned close. “You look like you’re going to go grab her and carry her off stage,” she teased.

He glanced at her, barely, before turning his attention back to the stage. She let out a low whistle. “Well, I hope she knows what she’s about.”

“Who?”

Livvy shrugged then chuckled, returning her gaze to the stage to watch the rest of the performance, which was stellar. He’d hire Diana DeFox to dance here in a heartbeat but he had a strict no interaction policy with his dancers. Damn. He wanted to interact with her. Often. Therefore, he wouldn’t be hiring Miss DoubleD.

The rest of the dance played out with her flying around the pole. Finally, she strode forward and slid down the zipper on the side of her dress. She held it closed. Teasing the audience as she danced until they begged her to drop the gown. When she did, the reveal was worth the wait. Pale skin, pasties covering large areolas, rounded belly, ample thighs and when she turned, his cock popped to attention. Now that was an ass! Heart shaped and spankable. He couldn’t prevent himself from whistling. His cousins nudged him because judges were supposed to appear impartial. He was not impartial. No fucking way.

He wanted that. Right the fuck now. Instead, he clapped with the crowd as she finished and he cursed the damn hat. It hadn’t fallen off. She hadn’t taken it off. Nothing. He’d expected a reveal, but she knew what she was doing. Hiding her face tantalized the crowd. It sure worked with him.

Excerpt from Terracotta Warrior by Berengaria Brown

Part of the NAUGHTY GETAWAYS boxed-set, available now!

Naughty Getaways Ebook

Naughty Getaways in Print

Blurb:

Branden loves Sloan but he’s bisexual and craves a woman too. Will adding Naomi to the mix be a disaster or the solution they all need? 

*This is an enlarged and re-edited version of a formerly published story.*

Genre/theme: MMF menage, travel, working vacation

Copyright ©Berengaria Brown, 2017

Excerpt:

“Only a fucking asshole like Shannon could imagine for one moment that we’d be able to do a brand new test without spending several days running trials and recalibrating the equipment,” said Naomi to her best friend Alison in the lunchroom at the scientific laboratory where they both worked.

The usual noisy chatter of the lunchroom had dropped to deathly silence as Naomi spoke, and now that hush was broken by multiple gasps, snorts and sniggers. Alison’s mouth was hanging wide open, her eyes filled with horror.

“What’s wrong?” asked Naomi. But Alison only rolled her eyes and worked her jaw until it finally closed.

“Would you care to retract that comment, Miss Hunter?”

“Oh shit!” Naomi spun around and there in the doorway was Shannon himself. Mr. Shannon Charles, Head of the Organic Chemistry Division of PVT Chemical Industries—and everyone in the room’s boss. Her head spun, her cheeks blanched and her gut churned, but Naomi knew what she’d said was correct. Incredibly stupid to say at work, but nonetheless accurate.

Pulling her shoulders back, and her spine ramrod straight, Naomi took a deep breath, and then, very deliberately, threw her job away. “No, sir. I will not retract what I said. As you know perfectly well, I am one of only three people in the state qualified to sign off on the tests we do, and these new samples will not be accurate enough to pass the annual audit unless we spend several days doing trial tests and calibrating the machines properly. Our reputation for accuracy will be in the toilet.” Like my job.

Shannon pulled his cell phone from his blazer pocket and clicked through his address book. “Julie, make up Miss Hunter’s pay sheet right now. She’s leaving us.” He clicked again and said, “John, get to the lunchroom now.”

No one in the room moved in the brief few minutes it took for John from Security to arrive. “Yes sir?” His hand was on his weapon as if he expected to have to break up a fight or apprehend a criminal.

“Miss Hunter is leaving us. Escort her to her desk and make sure she takes only her own possessions, then take her to Julie’s office to get a printout of her salary entitlements and sign for them. That is all.”

A few more gasps came from around the room, but Naomi marched through the door, head up, looking neither to the right nor the left as she set a fast pace to the Organic Chemistry Laboratory where her little office was. There she collected a large, empty cardboard box, and packed her things by simply upending her desk drawers into the box, dropping the few personal items from the top of her desk into it, then balancing her potted plant and purse on the top of everything else.

Anger was burning through her at her own insanity at voicing the comment, and at the rightness of it. She snagged her jacket off the back of her chair, remembered to collect her log book, lab coat and safety goggles from the lab itself, then nodded to John who had stood well back from her, totally silent.

“Is that it, Naomi? None of your stuff in the bathroom or on anyone else’s desk?” he asked carefully.

“No. I could delete my personal files off the computer but Shannon might say I took proprietary information. This way you are witness that I didn’t touch it and I don’t care if anyone reads my emails anyway,” she replied, shrugging. Besides, her personal files were on her flash drive so it wasn’t a big deal.

John nodded. “I’ll carry the box for you. You take the plant.”

When they reached Julie’s office the paperwork was ready, waiting for her sign. Julie’s face was alive with curiosity but Naomi simply said, “Goodbye” and “Thank you”. She knew Julie would be on the phone to Alison as soon as she’d left.

John walked her to her car, loaded the box into the trunk for her, and she could see him still standing there, watching her leave, as she exited the gate and turned onto the highway. She drove for a couple of miles toward her home, then pulled off into a side road, switched off the engine, folded her arms across the steering wheel, and burst into shattering sobs as the anger and tension, exploded from her body.