Win Locked and Loaded by Samantha Cayto

I'd like to welcome Samantha Cayto to my blog. Sam has written a sexy story as part of the Cougar Challenge series! Please leave a comment or a question for Samantha, and you could win an ebook copy of Locked and Loaded!

Have a great weekend and good luck,

Taylor

1. How did you begin your writing journey?


I start with a germ of an idea, almost anything can trigger one. Then I start writing on page one and don’t stop until the story is told.

2. Do you have a ‘day job’ and if so, how do you balance your time between working, motherhood and writing?

Yes, I’m a lawyer, plus I’m married with three teenage children. I’m not sure how I fit everything in but I think part of it is that I’m half Greek. My aunt says that Greeks are good at multi-tasking.

3. At what point in your career did you decide to join Romance Writers of America and your local writing chapter?

Right from the start when I decided to get serious about writing. I found RWA and my local chapter, New England, on the internet. At my first meeting, I met Dalton Diaz, my writing partner for my first EC book, Illegal Moves. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be published now without RWA and NEC.

4. Are you a night owl or an early bird?

Let me put it this way, any day I can sleep in, I do! People like my husband who can wake up bright eyed in the morning mystify me.

5. Are you a plotter or a pantser? (Do you plot things out or do you fly by the seat of your pants when you write?)

Pantser, totally. I had to do a synopsis for Locked and Loaded before it was done, and that was hard for me.

6. Did you choose your genre or did your genre choose you?

One afternoon many years ago, I picked up a romance book for something to read less dense than legal documents. It was like a punch to the gut. I was hooked on romance. I love all of it – historical, contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi, erotica – and I write all of it. Contemporary erotica is just the first genre to be successful for me.

7. Can you tell us a little about your new release, Locked and Loaded?


It’s part of the Cougar Challenge series where women of a certain age have decided to take a chance and go after a younger man. I love the concept personally. The older I get, the hotter younger men become! My heroine, Grace, is a doctor who used to serve in the army and the hero, Mark, is an active duty soldier on leave. I’ve always been partial to the military, too, so this was the perfect opportunity to incorporate a service member into a story.

8. You co-author Illegal Moves with Dalton Diaz, can you tell us a little bit about how the process was initiated and how it worked?

Dalton has been a good friend for years, every since I joined NEC. We disagree on who first brought up the idea of writing an erotica together, but we took an old category story of mine and turned it into a MMF ménage. We had already critiqued each other’s work, so we knew that our writing styles, our voices, were very similar. We just passed the manuscript back and forth until we were both happy with it. The real trick is to not be so wedded to your own words that you can’t be flexible. We’re planning a sequel to Illegal Moves. We’d love to hear what the readers would like for Seth – woman or man?

9. What writing project are you working on now?

Aside from Seth’s story with Dalton, I’m working on an urban fantasy MMF ménage. I’m also planning on doing another Cougar Challenge story, probably a story about Sean from Locked and Loaded.

10. What is your one guilty pleasure, non-writing related, of course?

I hate to be clichéd, but I love to eat, especially chocolate. Throw in a couple of fingers of Maker’s Mark bourbon over ice and I’m in heaven.

11. Can you tell readers where they can find your work online? Website address, blog, links, etc.

I currently publish through Ellora’s Cave – jasminejade.com - and my website is www.samanthacayto.com. Also, please check out temptthecougar.blogspot.com for the other Cougar Challenge stories. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to be here, and good luck with your writing career!


Taylor

Thank you so much for having me, Taylor. This has been great fun.

Sam

Blurb:
Former army-turned-ER doctor Grace McKinnon is through with going to bed with nothing more than fantasies and a yearning to resurrect her personal life. She’s determined instead to take the Cougar Challenge with a flesh and hot-blooded younger man. She discovers the perfect opportunity steaming up the curtain of exam room four.


Captain Mark Bennington has been locked and loaded—ready for action—since meeting Grace. He’s on a mission to heat up the Boston nights while on leave. This sexy older woman is lighting his way, fulfilling double-time every sex wish he’s ever made. But it’s going to be the toughest fight of his life to convince her to take a chance on more than just a fling.

Excerpt:
By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.


An Excerpt From: LOCKED AND LOADED
Copyright © SAMANTHA CAYTO, 2010
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One

“Here you go, Doc Mac, the film for your next patient.”

Dr. Grace McKinnon took the x-rays from the emergency room nurse and flipped through the patient’s file. She raised her eyebrows. “Drunk and hitting walls at four o’clock in the afternoon. My, my, this young man is ambitious.”

Silvie, a veteran of the ER, merely shook her head. “I don’t think he’s drunk.”

Grace frowned and took another look at the patient’s chart. “It says he’s acting belligerent and had to be persuaded to get the x-ray.”

“That’s right. His friend brought him in under protest and cajoled him into being seen. There’s a lot of tension in that young man, but the good news is that the friend not only seems to have the upper hand, he’s also totally ripped. I didn’t feel the need to call in security or anything.”

“Great,” Grace replied with a complete lack of enthusiasm. She was at the end of her shift. Tackling an angry guy who may or may not have been drinking, and who was not happy to have her help was not something to look forward to. She braced for confrontation as she entered the treatment cubicle.

She stopped short when a set of hard eyes locked onto her. Light blue and crystal clear, they were set deep into a square-jawed face right above a strong nose with bit of a crook from a long-ago break. Every detail stood out starkly because the man’s blond hair was cropped short. Not quite a buzz cut, but close. He was tall and muscular, his impressive biceps visible under his t-shirt, and his hands jammed inside the pockets of his jeans.

The sight of this man took her aback. She stood staring at him, drinking in the primal perfection he provided. Her tired body perked up with interest, and she forgot what she was doing for an instant. He was military, had to be given his bearing and the hint of a dog tag chain around his neck. Seeing him brought her back to her own army days. A wistfulness joined the heat flaring in her belly. She had loved serving and loved soldiers, too. But the doctor in her couldn’t ignore the look on the young man’s face. His expression was both weary and concerned.

“Finally!”

Grace pulled away from the lure of the man in front of her and turned to the man who had spoken. He was sitting on the examination table, an ice pack over his right hand. This was her patient, not the guy she’d spent a second or two, or hell three, ogling. This one was equally well-built and made her think military, too. His face, though, was haggard and angry, his hair a shaggy mass of reddish curls and his clothes were worn. His expression was pure mad. She worked to be patient.

“Mr. Conroy? I’m Dr. McKinnon.” She put her best doctor tone into her voice, the one that said she was both the detached professional and the caring one. When he didn’t answer, she continued anyway, talking the film out of its folder and shoving it into the light box.

“I have your x-rays here.” She stood back to take a look at the film and bumped into something hard. Blue Eyes had moved up behind her for a closer look. He pulled back with an apology.

“Sorry, ma’am.” There was a slight Southern drawl to his voice. “I’m worried about Sean’s hand.”

“I understand we have you to thank for getting him in here,” she replied, keeping her tone even, trying not to show how his proximity unnerved her. He was only a kid, for goodness’ sake. She could have fifteen years on him, and damn her soul if that point didn’t tickle her deep inside.

Hands still in his pockets, he shrugged and glanced at his friend who stared at the floor, petulant look still plastered on his face. “I was afraid he’d broken it.” With a nod toward the x-ray, he asked, “Did he?”

Grace pulled away from the lure of the unnamed friend and concentrated on her patient’s test results. “No, fortunately not.”

“Shit, Mark, I told you so.” Conroy was surly and ungrateful. He was also suffering emotionally. It didn’t take a doctor to see it.

“Watch your language, mister,” the friend, Mark, retorted. “Sorry, ma’am,” he added with a rueful grimace aimed at Grace.

“Not a problem,” she assured him. “I’ve heard the word before. I served in the army for over fifteen years.” Now why had she gone and told him something so personal? It was unlike her, unprofessional. Mark’s face lit up at the news, however.

“Really, ma’am?”

“Who cares?” muttered Conroy, but he shut up and stared at the floor again when Mark shot him a stern look.

Okay, time for her to get her head out of her ass and get these guys on their way. Besides, there was something far more important for her to speak to this Mark about than her military service. “Mr. Conroy, I’m sending in a nurse to bandage your hand.” Turning to Mark, she added, “May I speak with you a moment?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave his friend another look that said, “Behave yourself” before following Grace out.

She gave the high sign to Sylvie before continuing farther away from the cubicle so she could talk freely. When she judged they were far enough away from Conroy, she turned and hit that wall again. Mark muttered another apology as he backed up a pace. He acted as flustered by the contact as she felt. But that was ridiculous. Her reaction was normal. He was young and ripped and designed by God to get a woman’s juices flowing. She was forty-two and while pretty and fit, also ragged from a tough shift in the ER. No way this guy was into her. A pity because as a younger man, he fitted her idea of a fantasy lover. This wasn’t one of those erotic romance stories she loved to read, however. She put aside her growing attraction and tackled the important issue at hand.

“Why isn’t your friend being seen at the VA hospital?” She crossed her arms as she demanded the answer, trying to put emotional distance between them. This wasn’t a bar, after all.

Mark opened his mouth and then shut it again. A few seconds ticked by before he finally answered. The look on his face told her he had waged some inner battle before picking a reply. “I had a hard enough time getting him to come here and it’s right around the corner from his apartment.”

“I’m not talking about his hand, Mr.…” She paused waiting for an answer. She was surprised at how interested she was.

“Bennington. Mark Bennington.” He cleared his throat. “It’s ah, Captain Bennington, actually, of the United States Army.” He grinned briefly, a boyish grin with a cute-as-a-button dimple on the left side. The kind of grin that said he was proud as punch. As well he should be because God, if he was older than his late twenties, he wore it well, and to have the rank of captain was a real achievement.

He extended his hand and she took it. “Grace McKinnon,” she supplied which was stupid because she had already announced that she was Dr. McKinnon. Everybody knew that doctors stressed the title because they were proud as punch, too, of their achievement and needed to maintain a professional detachment from their patients. Of course this was not her patient. Still.

His hand was warm and rough and squeezed hers with just the right amount of pressure before he let it go. In fact if she used a little bit of imagination, she’d think he held her hand a few seconds longer than necessary. Wow, she must be really tired to think a thing like that. Focus, Grace.

“Okay, as I was saying, Captain Bennington, why isn’t Mr. Conroy being treated at the VA for PTSD? You do know he’s suffering from it?”

His expression turned pained. He stared at his feet and rocked back and forth on his heels a few times before heaving a big sigh. “Yes, ma’am.” When he looked at her again, his eyes were clouded with worry.

It was a kick to her gut. Hot and vulnerable, a deadly combination. She wanted to wrap him in her arms and hold him tight, make everything better. Crazy but the urge was strong. Instead she went with the mundane. “You don’t have to ma’am me. I’m not in the army anymore.”

He shrugged. “I am. Habit. Besides, I’m from the South so I grew up calling every woman ma’am, from my mother to the gal serving me fries with my burger.”

“I understand.” To be honest, being called ma’am by this guy turned her on even more. Best not to think about it. She was revved up enough. “How long has your friend been out?” Yes, talk about your patient, Grace. That’s your job, remember?

“Almost a year. He was up and didn’t reenlist. I had hoped being a civilian would help him. The emails he’s been sending me said otherwise. I’ve got twelve days left of a two-week leave before I deploy again. I’m worried about him.”

“Does he have family around here?”

“Yes, ma’am. Sean’s from Boston, but they’re not much help. His father has always told him to man up and deal, you know?”

She did know. It was hard for men, especially military men, to face emotional problems. Yes, she had seen plenty of good, strong men fall prey to post-traumatic stress while serving. She was worried. It helped, though, to have a friend who cared. Sean was lucky to have Mark, if only for a few days. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her business card and handed it to him.

“Here. I’m not a psychiatrist, and I’d really like your friend to get the help he needs from the right people. But call me if things get worse and you need to talk to someone.”

He took the card and studied it for a moment before putting it into his own pocket. “Thanks, I will.”

He smiled and man it made him even more attractive and younger looking. Her body jolted in reaction, arousal erupting in all the usual places. Good thing she had crossed her arms. As a doctor, she understood she couldn’t help her body’s response. Her female parts were capable of imaging how good the captain’s male parts would make them feel. They didn’t care that his body wasn’t looking for her middle-aged one with its wrinkles and sags. It wanted an equally young, hard female body to rub against. Even if she was wrong about that and this was the perfect chance for her to take the Cougar Challenge that her friend, Elizabeth Winters, kept urging her to do, the situation was all wrong. Captain Bennington was not her patient, but his friend was and hitting on a guy in the ER was unethical if not downright illegal.

The really dumb part was how much her brain was getting in on the act. Images of her tangled with all those perfect male muscles popped up unbidden. Her body didn’t care about the practical or the ethical. It only knew what it wanted and what it wanted at that moment was Captain Perfect naked in her bed. She mentally shook herself. The whole attraction was ridiculous under the circumstances. This was reality, not a romance story.

She was tired, that was all. All she really needed was to clock out, go home, order delivery from her favorite Chinese restaurant and catch up on episodes of 30 Rock. Then she could retire to her comfy, albeit empty, bed and read her latest book until her body exploded with a sleep-inducing orgasm. Wow that sounded pathetic. A little self-help once in a while was fine, but it had become her way of life. She needed to get out more and date real men, age-appropriate real men. Or, maybe she did need to take the Cougar Challenge. She’d been lurking for a while on the Cougars’ blog site. Those women were obviously happy with the way their challenges worked out. They inspired her, although she was still uncertain. She had always been such a sensible, duty-bound woman. Throwing caution to the wind and having a fling with a younger man was so unlike her. Could she do it? She didn’t know. Hanging around any longer with the tempting Captain Bennington wasn’t making her head any clearer. Seeing Sylvie leave the cubicle, she jumped on the opportunity to make a getaway.

“Looks like your friend is all set. Take care and good luck.”

Mark glanced over his shoulder, his mouth tugged in a hard line. “Thanks.” Wagging her card, he added, “For everything.”

“You’re welcome.” Grace wheeled around and walked away, trying not to hurry. It was hard. She sensed Mark’s eyes on her all the way down the hall. Damn, maybe she’d better pull out her DVDs and run a Johnny Depp marathon. She needed to put this guy out of her mind and fast.

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Keeping Track

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged. No, not so much lazy as busy as hell. We've gotten my son off to Alaska to work at a fly in resort for the summer, and I've had a few long distant doctor appointments. Not great news in the back department, but I'm not going to complain. Could be worse!

Some of my friends are going through a difficult time right now and it's really made me realize that I shouldn't complain about my life. In a lot of ways, I'm lucky. I just have to remind myself of that on a tough day.

So about a week ago I opened an Excel file to keep track of how much I'm actually writing. Some days are great, for me, some not so great, but the word count is so low that it feels like I'm stepping backward and not forward.

What a revelation! Over the past week I've written over 1,160 words.

Now this is from a woman who's had some major writer's block issues over the last year.

Looking at this little chart is almost like a reward. I even counted words I removed in the editing process, which stung a bit. I mean, subtract 200 words from your beginning total of that block of time and it hurts, but it's all laid out there as plain as day, and that's refreshing. Helps me look at the bigger picture.

Now, no matter how many times a day I open one of my books and write, I use the log in the beginning and at the end. Those bits of progress are like gold.

How about you? Do you keep track?

Have a fabulous weekend,
Taylor

Nothing But Sex by Fran Lee

Check out Nothing But Sex by Fran Lee if you're looking for a hot read!

Lee Blackhorse is hardly Cougar material, no matter what her friends over at Tempt the Cougar say. A forty-two-year-old woman who lusts after her thirty-year-old weekend helper is just plain nuts. Or is she? Mike Running Elk is the sexiest thing ever to don tight jeans and a second-skin t-shirt. She’s secretly yearned for the man for years.

Mike has no problem seeing himself in the role of Lee’s lover. In fact, if he can just get the hot-as-hell woman to realize he’s plenty old enough to ring her bells, he plans to do more than just clean her barn and mow her grass. He’s waited for her long enough.

When Mike shows up at her door with an injured hand, he notices Lee can’t pull her eyes off his naked, ripped chest. Mike can’t believe she’s as oblivious as she acts. The ice has been broken and he intends to heat things up even more…

Reader Advisory: Our poor heroine endures some mild violence, but don’t worry—the hero’s got her back.

Read an excerpt
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Romance and Vajazzling with Jennifer Love Hewitt

I'm a huge fan of any TV show that deals with the paranormal or ghosts, so it's only natural that I love The Ghost Whisperer! My mother and I record it so we don't have to sit through commercials, and curl up with a bowl of popcorn, the remote, and a box of tissue to see Jennifer Love Hewett whisper to ghosts.

I've always loved Jennifer, think she's gorgeous, and was extremely happy that The Ghost Whisperer makes the cut and keeps returning season after season.

So, it was no surprise that Jennifer wrote a book on relationships. "How I Shot Cupid" is her own take on dating, and as a self-professed love-aholic, this is one self-help book I could probably read cover to cover!

The Ghost Whisperer deals with unrelenting love, and what happens to that love after death, er, what could happen, I should say. The romantic in me knows that love transcends death, and no matter how 'corny' my son says JLH may be in The Ghost Whisperer, I can't help but shed tears each time her character Melinda assists a ghost in crossing over into the light.

Maybe we could call JLH the queen of all things romantic? She has taken a bold step since her breakup with her co-star Jamie Kennedy. In doing promotional opportunities on various talk shows for her book she spoke about 'Vajazzling' and the fact that she herself has 'Vajazzled' her vagina.

What is Vajazzling? Well, it's just as it sounds. Jennifer had a Swarovski crystals tattoo glued above her vagina, and in fact discusses doing so in a chapter of her book.

http://www.vajazzlekits.com/ is the website where you can order your own 'Vajazzle' kit.

Way to go, Jennifer!

I couldn't see myself 'Vajazzling' , at this time in my life, but as an erotic romance writer I think the idea of doing so is just that, erotic as hell. I haven't used the idea in a book yet, but I can imagine it won't be long until many erotic romance heroines have been Vajazzled!

Would you Vajazzle?
Taylor

Hell On Wheels by Carol Lynne

Hi everyone, I'd like to introduce Carol Lynne, who has taken the time to answer a few questions, and leave an excerpt and cover of her new release, Hell On Wheels, which she is giving away to one lucky reader!

Just leave a comment or question for Carol, and you could be the winner of this sizzlin' erotic romance!     

Enjoy,

Taylor

1. Some authors begin writing at a young age, and some when they were quite older. At what age did you begin your writing journey?

I started writing at the age of 40. Actually, I received my first contract on my 41st birthday. I had no idea when I wrote my first story that I would soon be doing it for a living. When I told my mom and sisters I’d finished a book they actually had the nerve to laugh at me. Sad to say I was a horrible student in school. I had better things to do besides studying. Evidently all the years I’ve spent reading paid off. Maybe it’s that osmosis thing?

2. I read that you have two children at home, how do you manage to juggle your time between your career and your family?

Oh, there are definitely days when I drop balls all over the place. I’m incredibly lucky though because my girls understand “Mommy’s working so unless you have blood spurting or bones showing don’t bother me.” I try to write all day before I pick them up from school and then do the mommy stuff before returning to the laptop later in the evening.

3. Some people find that they are more creative at a certain time of day or evening, so does that make you a night owl or an early bird?

I’m definitely an early bird. I’m usually up and ready to go by 5:30 in the morning. I try to take care of all my emails and miscellaneous online duties before the girls wake at 7. By the time I get home from dropping them at school I’m ready to write. Yep, early mornings are by far the best part of my day.

4. Are you a plotter or a pantser? (Do you plot things out or do you fly by the seat of your pants when you write?)

A bit of both, I guess. I usually plot things out in my head from beginning to end before I start writing. The story occasionally, okay, usually, changes from my original idea, but I get points for at least having a plan. Right?

5. Did you choose your genre or did your genre choose you?


Oh, those men definitely reached out and grabbed me and refused to let me go. My first book was a M/M/F, and after I finished it, I realized I enjoyed the M/M scenes more than the others.

6. Please tell us a bit about your new release “Hell On Wheels”.

Hell on Wheels is the third book in The City series. The City is my version of Hell. I’ve found that I love writing this fantasy world. I’m only supposed to have one more book in the series, but it’s going to be sad to put Lu, don’t call him Lucifer, to bed. So, if you’ve ever wondered what Hell is really like, at least in my mind, give The City series a try.

7. You have several publishers, can you tell us about juggling deadlines and release dates?

LOL Well, it’s a constant battle with me. I never get ahead no matter how hard I try. I seem to have more ideas than time. I usually spend the first half of the month on my Total-e-bound books and the second half on my Resplendence books. My treat is finishing something early so I can pull out one of my pet projects and write on that until I have to move to the next scheduled release.

8. What writing projects are you working on now?

At the moment I’m working on my second book with T.A. Chase, Anarchy in Blood. I love, love working with T.A. On the days T.A. has the book, I’ve been working on Neil’s Guardian Angel, the next installment in my Cattle Valley series. I hope to have both of them done within the next week so I can move on to Seducing the Sheik, a Bodyguards in Love book.

9. What is your one guilty pleasure, non-writing related, of course?

I actually have two. I love to read, of course, but I also love watching series on Netflix. Since Christmas I’ve managed to work my way through Dexter, Big Love and I’m onto Six Feet Under. On the weekends when the girls are with their father, I love to indulge in several consecutive hours of TV. I always feel guilty about not working, but I justify the break as creative downtime. Yeah, that doesn’t really work either, but at least the guilt is pushed far enough away to allow me to concentrate on the show.

10. Can you tell readers where they can find your work online? Website address, blog, links, etc.

I have two websites, one for Carol Lynne and another for the Cattle Valley series.

http://www.Carol-Lynne.net and http://www.CattleValley.net

I also have a yahoo group full of absolutely fabulous people.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarolLynne_EroticRomance/

Please leave a comment or a question for Carol as she’ll be giving away an ebook copy of “Hell On Wheels” to one lucky winner!

Thanks,

Taylor

                                                                       The City Book Three
Cory Dylan takes his job as bartender at Ice Water in Hell very seriously. As far as he's concerned, he's the only person drawing the line between having a few drinks with friends and getting dangerously drunk. Refusing to serve a customer who had already imbibed too much has landed him a punch to the face more than once, but that doesn't deter him. When a customer attacks Cory on his way home from the club, his first reaction is to play the episode off as another quirk of his job. However, it soon becomes apparent the beating had nothing to do with his job and everything to do with his past.

Tao Kemoeatu works as the doorman and bouncer at Ice Water. His size often scares people away, including the one man he wants more than anyone. Watching Cory put his neck on the line every night has eaten at Tao. The sprite-like bartender barely speaks to him, yet Tao knows he'd walk through fire for the young man. He vows to protect Cory at all costs, but first he has to find a way to prove size really doesn't matter when dealing with the heart.

Excerpt
Hell on Wheels

Cory stripped off the stained latex gloves and smiled at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The expression drew even more attention to the healing split in his lip that he’d received from a drunk customer at Ice Water.

His gaze moved back to his white blond hair streaked with color. Although the temporary green dye was darker than the normal Kelly green of St. Patrick’s Day, Cory thought it brought out the green in his eyes to perfection.

Since his interrupted interlude with Nick, Cory had barely managed to keep his libido in check. He prayed he’d be able to find at least one hot guy at the bar that was still sober at quitting time. Drunks did nothing for him except turn his stomach.

After a final inspection, he turned off the bathroom light and crossed to his closet. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations always brought out the happy in people, and happy people were big tippers. He selected a skin-tight white T-shirt that ended right above his belly button, and his favorite pair of ripped blue jeans. For the first time since Ice Water opened, Nick and Dominic had relaxed the strict dress code for the evening’s celebration.

As much as he’d like to wear something sexy on his feet, biking to work was hard to do in boots. He settled on his normal pair of sneakers and studied himself in the full-length mirror. The small diamond in his belly button caught the light and appeared to wink at him. The four-leaf clover tattooed over one nipple could easily be seen through the shear fabric of his T-shirt. Cory shook his head and laughed. “If this outfit doesn’t get me the tips or the man I want by the end of the night, I’ll give up.”

* * * *

Cory got off his bicycle and chained his ride to the lamppost outside Ice Water. He’d been lucky. When he’d worked at The Inferno, his bike had been stolen on several occasions, but it was safe at Ice Water. Tao, the club’s doorman, kept a vigilant eye on Cory’s baby for him.

After making sure the lock was secured, Cory walked to the front door and knocked on the frosted glass. Within moments, he heard the lock disengage. The door opened and Dominic’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.

“Holy Fuck, look at you.” Dominic stepped back enough for Cory to enter.

“You could have this view every day if you didn’t make me dress up all the time,” Cory said with a chuckle.

Dominic ran a hand through his short hair. “Maybe I should think about uniforms for the staff.” Dominic shook his head. “Wow. I’m…uh…” He shook his head yet again. “I’m going to go up to my office and call Lu.”

Cory nodded. By the erection straining the front of Dominic’s jeans, Cory knew it was going to be a good night for tips. He just hoped Dominic didn’t tell Lu what had made him so horny. The last thing Cory wanted was trouble with the big guy.

Cory crossed the room to the bar. A quick glance at the clock told him he only had forty-five minutes to make sure the bar was fully stocked. He spotted Nick and Galen coming down the stairs.

“Hey, Nick, did you already hook-up the kegs of green beer?” Cory asked.

“Yep. Did it this morning so it would be good and cold. There are four more in the cooler if we need them, but don’t try and change them yourself. Get one of us or Tao if he’s on break to help you out.” Nick took up his favorite stool and pulled Galen between his legs.

“You’re looking awfully sexy tonight,” Galen commented.

Cory smoothed his hands down the front of his shirt, drawing even more attention to his leanly muscled chest. “I need a new couch. I’m hoping to get enough in tips tonight to buy it Sunday.”

Galen pressed his body back against Nick’s chest and began to squirm enough to let Cory know that Nick’s hands were most likely down his pants. The thought of Nick’s hands fondling Galen’s cock had Cory hard in nothing flat. It was yet another reason he needed to get fucked, and the sooner the better.

“Baz coming in later?” Cory began checking each glass to make sure they were spot-free. His friendship with the threesome meant a lot to him, and he didn't want to make any of them uncomfortable with his inappropriate arousal.

“He’s upstairs making dinner. He told the two of us to get out until it was finished. Something about how we were trying to distract him,” Galen said with a big smile.

“So you decided to come down and distract me instead?” Cory picked up a glass and began rubbing it with a soft cloth.

“What?” Nick appeared genuinely puzzled by the comment.

Cory rolled his eyes and released a snort. “You guys are so used to touching each other whenever the mood strikes. I don’t think you even realize you’re doing it half the time.”

Nick and Galen both glanced down. Nick’s cheeks started to turn a delightful shade of red. “Sorry. I guess we don’t.”

“I do,” Galen cut in. “I like it. Why wouldn’t I?”

Cory shook his head. “No reason. I can’t say that I blame you. If you can get it, go for it.”

Galen nodded. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the way I think about it, too.”

Lu strolled into the bar wearing tight black leather. His gaze immediately zeroed in on Cory as he pointed toward him. “I’ll speak to you later. First I have a little emergency to attend to.”

Cory ducked his head. Dammit. He couldn’t believe Dominic had told on him. Hopefully Lu would be in such a good mood after getting his brains fucked out, he would forget all about Cory getting his lover worked up.

Nick’s cell phone rang and he pulled it out of his back pocket. “Yep. We’ll be right there.”

Nick placed a kiss on Galen’s neck. “Dinner’s ready.”

Galen moved out from between Nick’s legs and the bigger man stood. “It could get crazy in here later. Don’t forget to ask for help if you need it.”

“I won’t,” Cory told Nick. “Enjoy your dinner.”

After Nick and Galen retreated to their apartment upstairs, Cory continued to ready the bar while watching the rest of the staff slowly trickle in. He wasn’t even facing the door when Tao entered the club, but he knew it the moment the large tattooed Samoan entered. Like always, Cory’s skin broke out in gooseflesh.

“Evening, Cory.”

“Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Tao,” he answered without looking up from the bottle of red wine he was uncorking. Cory wished he knew why the giant man had that affect on him. It wasn’t that Cory didn’t find Tao attractive. Damn, anyone with eyes would agree the man was hotter than hell, but Tao made him nervous. At more than twice his size, Tao represented the bullies Cory had more than his share of run-ins with. In Cory’s opinion, size did indeed matter. The bigger the man, the more they felt they had a right to push Cory around.

“I like your hair. It’s fun,” Tao said.

Cory shrugged. “I thought it was appropriate for the day. I used to do it all the time before…I came here.”

Cory glanced up at Tao before quickly averting his gaze. Tao looked damn good in a suit, but in regular clothes, he was crazy sexy. Cory’s eyes went to the clock on the wall behind the bar. “It’s about that time.”

Tao patted the bar with one large brown hand. “Yeah. Guess it’s show time. Take care of yourself tonight, and call me if there’s trouble.”

“Will do. Thanks.” Cory watched Tao walk toward the front door. Tao’s back muscles seemed to ripple under the tight black T-shirt as he walked. Just because men of a larger size were intimidating to him, didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy the view.

* * * *

Tao put up a hand. “Sorry, sir, we’re at maximum capacity at the moment. You’ll have to wait.”

“Are you fucking joking? I’ve just waited two hours in this stupid line. I doubt one more person is going to bring the whole place down.”

“Sorry, but I can’t do that.” Tao didn’t get upset with the man even though the guy was screaming in his face. For the most part, Tao had always been even-tempered. Besides, the patron was right, he had been waiting a long time. Tao felt bad he couldn’t let everyone in, but overwhelming Ice Water with too many people would only cause problems for the wait and security staff.

The man tried to hand Tao a hundred dollar bill. “Can’t you please see if there’s room for one more?”

Tao fisted his hands at his sides. “Please put your money away before you offend me.”

As luck would have it, a small group of men and women exited the club laughing and singing one of the Irish jigs that was playing inside of the club. Tao stepped to the side and gestured for the obnoxious man to enter along with five others.

Before turning back around, Tao’s gaze sought out Cory. He couldn’t help but smile as the slighter man appeared to be singing for the patrons surrounding the bar. The large jar set on top of the bar was already stuffed full of money. Tao shook his head. If he weren’t on duty, he’d give an entire month’s wages to sit at the bar and stare at Cory all evening.

The man seemed to know just how far he could go in the flirting department to insure a nice tip without attracting unwanted trouble. Tao sighed and turned back to the long line of people still waiting to enter Ice Water.

He’d watched Cory flirt time and time again with perfect strangers while the good-looking man could barely bring himself to make eye contact with Tao. Lately, he’d wondered if it had something to do with his tattoos. He knew the tribal symbols decorating his body were misunderstood by most people. They were part of his culture, one he took great pride in. The fact Tao also chose to ride a motorcycle also helped in giving people the wrong impression of him.

Tao could do little about others’ perceptions, but where Cory was concerned, the misunderstandings hurt. Tao would do anything Cory asked, if only Cory would see him as a man, and not a monster.

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Lovers' Refuge

Lovers' Refuge by Anny Cook is available in print at Ellora's Cave and I just had to share this magnificent cover with everyone!

So if you haven't had the pleasure...

Buy Now

Taylor

Everything Lovers Can Know

Prequel to the Mystic Valley series.

From the time they were children, Baron and Jade were heart-bonded and mind-linked. But children don't stay young forever and when they reach adulthood, they yearn for more than a mind-link. They yearn for the bond of physical love.

When Jade's secret plan to seduce Baron backfires, their families separate them using coercion and blackmail. Jade goes on to a successful career as a musician while Baron completes medical school and begins his internship.

Now, three years later, Jade has a new plan to end their separation. Baron arrives at the isolated cabin where Jade is waiting to find out once and forever if the fierce longings and desire they had for each other before are enough to make them truly two-as-one.

                                                               Read an excerpt

Sunday Afternoon

It's a bit rainy today, and not feeling much like spring or an early summer at all because it's 43 degrees or so outside today. It is, however, perfect writing weather. We do have a BBQ planned for later in the day, but for now it's me and my coffee, and I'm trying to focus on writing, on pulling this manuscript together.

Two, actually, I have two books to work on, but I'm not one of those people who can NOT divide my time between projects. Hell, after this writer's block, I'm luck to be working at all, so I'll take it as it comes and be grateful as hell for it!

What do you have planned on this Sunday afternoon? Family plans, relaxation, shopping?

Whatever it may be, enjoy it fully.

Taylor