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Business and Pleasure

Hi everybody! To celebrate the release of The Right Kind of Wrong (Rags and Riches Series #3) you can get Business and Pleasure for just $0.99 for the entire month of August!

Blurb:

Can mixing business and pleasure ever result in a happy ending?

When sexy, rich Lawrence Russo asks Mia to come and work for him in Italy for two weeks, she jumps at the chance. After all, it beats pole dancing, and the salary he offers her is practically obscene.

A relationship quickly begins to develop between the two, but Mia can't help but wonder if Lawrence's feelings for her are genuine or if he feels he's just paying for a service.

Even if their relationship is strong enough to survive her insecurities, what will happen when somebody from her past shows up and threatens to reveal her deepest, darkest secret?

Content Warning: explicit sex

Excerpt:

Lucy looked around nervously. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I…don't know," Mia admitted. Perhaps she was just being paranoid.

"Mia." She heard a familiar drawl coming from the shadows. Her heart raced in anticipation as she turned to see the speaker. He walked out of the shadows and toward them like a jaguar stalking his prey, but Mia didn't feel intimidated, only excited by his presence.

"You shouldn't go sneaking around in the darkness. You could give a girl a fright." Mia laughed.

"I could leave, if that would please you," he purred. She loved the way he emphasized please. He gave no indication that he was going to leave. Mia was glad.

"Er, maybe I'll just go wait around the corner," Lucy said awkwardly. Mia nodded to acknowledge her, feeling a little guilty, because she had actually forgotten Lucy was still there.

"So, what are you doing here?" Mia tried to seem nonchalant, despite the fact that her body was having some kind of chemical reaction to his presence.

As if from nowhere, the handsome man produced the bottle of champagne he had purchased earlier that night. "I do believe we have plans to share this." He took a step closer to her.

"Oh. I would, it's just we aren't supposed to socialize with the clients outside of the club," Mia said teasingly, although it was technically true.

"Tell me, Mia, do you always do what you're supposed to do?" It seemed as though he had expected her reaction.

"No, I guess not."

"I've been watching you, Mia."

"I've noticed." She took a step in his direction and looked challengingly into his dark eyes. "So, do you like what you see?"

They were close enough to touch, and Mia's every nerve was tingling, hoping to feel his fingers on her skin. He swayed forward and, for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but he leaned toward her ear instead. "I have a business proposition for you," he breathed, sending a shiver through her body before he pulled away from her.

It took Mia a moment to compose herself, and his eyes sparkled with amusement, no doubt he was enjoying her confusion. "Business…a business proposition?" Mia attempted to sound as casual as she possibly could.

"I'm returning to my home in Tuscany tomorrow," he announced.

Mia felt her heart sink, but was determined not to let it show. "Oh, it must be beautiful in Italy this time of year. But what does that have to do with me?"

"I was hoping you would accompany me."

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Author Info: 

I have always believed that the best stories are the ones that you can't put down, the ones that transport you to a different place and make you believe in the characters. This is exactly why I write… I have always loved the escapism that reading and writing provides, and there is nothing more exciting than imagining your own set of characters, and then letting them practically write the story for you. Writing has always been a dream of mine, and I'm lucky to have the kind of people around me that have always nurtured and encouraged my passion.

I live a cozy little life in Wales, and when I'm not writing I'm taking care of my young family, and studying for a degree in Classical Studies. I love traveling to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new things…it's all great inspiration for my books!

Saturday's Spotlight: Jess Buffett, Honor James & After Dark Writers

Saturday's Spotlight: Hazel Gower & Shae Shannon

Saturday's Spotlight: Ariel Tachna

Ariel Tachna

arieltachna (at) gmail (dot) com

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | AMAZON | DREAMSPINNER PRESS | TWITTER

BIO

Ariel Tachna lives outside of Houston with her husband, her daughter and son, and their cat. Before moving there, she traveled all over the world, having fallen in love with both France, where she found her husband, and India, where she dreams of retiring some day. She’s bilingual with snippets of four other languages to her credit, and is as in love with languages as she is with writing.

OUTLAST THE NIGHT

Sequel to Chase the Stars

Lang Downs: Book Three

Office manager Sam Emery is unemployed and out of luck. When his emotionally abusive wife demands a divorce, he contacts the one person he has left, his brother, Neil. He doesn’t expect Neil to reject him, but he also doesn’t expect the news of his divorce—and of his sexuality—to be met with such acceptance.

Neil takes Sam to Lang Downs, the sheep station Neil calls home. There, Sam learns that life as a gay man isn’t impossible. Caine and Macklin, the station owners, certainly seem to be making it work. When Caine offers Sam a job, it’s a dream come true.

Jeremy Taylor leaves the only home he’s ever known when his brother’s homophobia becomes more than he can bear. He goes to the one place he knows he will be accepted: Lang Downs. He clicks with Sam instantly—but the animosity between Lang Downs and Jeremy’s home station runs deep, and the jackaroos won’t accept Jeremy without a fight. Between Sam’s insecurity and Jeremy’s precarious position, their road will be a hard one—and that’s without having to wait for Sam’s divorce to be final before starting a new life together.

EXCERPT

“Bloody hell,” Neil spat. “What is he doing here?”

Before Sam could ask what that meant, Neil was striding across the room. The man who had caught Sam’s eye saw him coming and stood, hands at his side but clearly braced for a fight. A third man, one who looked as hard as the granite beneath their feet, interrupted Neil’s progress. “Don’t blame one man for his brother’s faults.”

“What’s he doing here?” Neil repeated.

“Working,” the older man said. “Caine hired him this morning, so unless you want to argue with him over it, back off.”

Sam tensed, knowing how badly Neil reacted to those kinds of orders when his temper was high. His jaw dropped when Neil shook himself and took a step back. “If Caine hired him, I won’t make trouble, but if he starts anything, I will finish it.”

“That’s fair, Macklin,” the other man said from his place against the wall. “You know I’m not going to start anything, so as long as he keeps his word, we’ll be square.”

“I keep my word, Taylor,” Neil ground out. “Unlike some people.”

“Neil, that’s enough.” Another man entered the conversation, a younger one, with short dark hair and an American accent. Sam figured that must be Caine. “Jeremy asked for a place to stay and a job after he left Taylor Peak. I’ve given him that. I’d appreciate it if you respect that.”

“Yes, boss. I’m sorry.”

“Introduce me to your brother.”

“Caine, this is my brother, Sam. Sam, my boss, Caine Neiheisel.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Sam said, even though Caine was probably Sam’s age. He owed the man the roof over his head and maybe a job. Sam planned to mind his manners.

“Please, call me Caine. We aren’t formal here. Welcome to Lang Downs.”

“Thank you. I appreciate you letting me stay for a while.”

Caine smiled, and Sam felt warmth bloom inside at the kindness he saw there. It wasn’t sexual. Sam knew Caine was with Macklin, and if Macklin was indeed the man who had kept Neil from attacking Taylor, Caine wouldn’t look twice at someone like Sam. It felt almost familial, like he’d been adopted and hadn’t known it. “Get something to eat and get settled in tonight. Tomorrow I’d like to talk to you. I have some questions, and Neil thought you might be able to help.”

“I’m happy to help,” Sam said. “I don’t know a lot about sheep, but other than industry-specific regulations, the laws don’t vary that much from one business to another. I should be able to help you out. And if I can’t, I might know someone who can get the information we need.”

“Good to hear,” Caine said. “We’ll talk about it after breakfast tomorrow. Did Neil warn you what time the day starts around here?”

“No,” Sam said.

“Early,” Neil replied. “Breakfast is at five. You don’t have to come down then, but if you don’t, you’ll only get cold cereal. Kami has no patience with people who don’t get their lazy arses out of bed.”

“I’ll be up,” Sam said. “I don’t want anyone to have to go out of their way for me.”

“I’m going to finish my dinner,” Caine said. “I’ll look for you both in the morning.”

Sam turned back to Neil as Caine walked back to where he had been sitting before Neil exploded. Sam would ask again later about Taylor and the reasons behind Neil’s animosity. For now, the food smelled delicious, and Sam was getting hungry.

“What’s for dinner?” he asked, smiling at the aborigine behind the counter when he approached.

“Wombat curry,” the man—Kami, Sam thought Neil had said—replied.

“I’ve never had wombat before,” Sam said, holding his plate while Kami ladled a thick stew onto his plate.

“You aren’t having it now either,” Neil said. “It’s either beef or mutton, probably mutton. Kami likes to take the piss with blow-ins.”

“And I fell for it.”

“You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last,” Kami said. “You want some naan with the curry?”

“Kami makes it fresh,” Neil said. “It’s as good as anything you ever got in town.”

“Sure, I’ll have a piece,” Sam said. It wouldn’t hurt to get on Kami’s good side. The man would be feeding him for the foreseeable future. Better that Kami like him.

They found a seat at a table with several other men and a pretty woman who smacked Neil on the back of the head as soon as he sat down. “What was that?” she demanded.

“Not here, Molly, please,” Neil said.

Sam hid his snicker behind a bite of curry. He had never imagined Neil looking quite so henpecked. “Fine,” Molly said, “but we will discuss this when we get home.”

Neil looked so mortified that Sam took pity on him. “Hi,” he said, “I’m Sam, Neil’s brother.”

Molly looked like she wanted to smack Neil again. “No manners,” she muttered. “Nice to meet you, Sam. I’m Molly. Welcome to Lang Downs.”

“Thank you. Everyone has been very kind.”

“It’s that kind of place,” Molly said, “which is why we’re going to discuss Neil’s outburst later. He’s second in line behind Macklin. He can’t go around acting stupid, or he’s going to lose his place.”

“It’s Jeremy Taylor,” Neil said. “What was I supposed to think?”

“That your bosses pay enough attention to who’s in their canteen to realize he was there and that if they know he’s there and don’t have a problem with it, you shouldn’t either?” Molly suggested.

“Taylor?” Sam repeated. “Like the neighboring station?”

“Yes, that Taylor,” Neil said. “Well, the younger brother, but that family. I said I wouldn’t start anything, and I won’t, but I don’t trust him. Devlin Taylor wouldn’t know good management if it bit him in the arse.”

Sam glanced at Taylor across the room, wondering what had led the other man to leave his home and come here instead. Taylor rose as Sam was looking that way, dumped his plate in the bin of dirty dishes, and headed outside. Sam couldn’t help but think the man looked lonely.

Saturday Spotlight: Jess Buffett

AUTHOR BIO

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is married to a wonderful and supportive husband and they live on the Central Coast with their two children. Jess is a hopeless romantic who loves stories about true love that sizzle with a happy ending. She is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door. Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

BLURB

Riley McLeod has never gotten over the loss of his family to murderous 

Vampires, and often hides behind his sarcasm and carefree attitude. So imagine his shock when he discovers he is not only mated to one, but his mate is the Prince of the Vaucluse Coven.

When Caleb Vaucluse arrived at the Hunter Clan, he never expected to meet his mate. His joy soon turns to devastation when he learns that Riley fears him. Caleb struggles to get passed Riley’s defenses and prove that they are meant to be. Unfortunately just as they come together, pride and old wounds prove hard to overcome for the pair, and threaten to tear them apart for good.

As an enemy is revealed and more questions are raised, Caleb and Riley have choice to make. Do they keep their pride and stand alone, or stand together and embrace the love fate gave to them?

STORY EXCERPT

Rolling his head sideways to glance at his brother, Riley was always surprised at how different identical twins could look. It was like they were both the same blank canvas and had decided to go in completely different directions. Sawyer was a classic, with its smooth lines and refined features, and he was an...abstract. Sawyer’s conservative appearance, compared to Riley’s more flamboyant one, never failed to turn heads when they were together. Even at that moment Riley’s jeans had the usual rainbow glitter down the sides, and he wore a too-tight Kesha top stating “Get Sleazy” in big, sparkling letters. He also loved his makeup, never leaving his room without at least some eyeliner and lip gloss on. “Contemplating my existence in the universe. You?”

“Nothing quite so deep,” Sawyer drawled, taking up a position next to Riley, slouched on the wall. “You know, while you’re there, you might want to contemplate what you’re going to do with your mate.”

Riley winced. Yeah, his brother just had to go there, didn’t he?

“I think I stand more chance with the first one,” he grimaced, running a hand roughly through his perfectly styled platinum locks.

It was so true. He was at a total loss as to what to do there. Riley could admit that Caleb was charming and sexy as sin. Oh, who was he kidding, the man was sex on a stick, no doubt about it. Riley had to stop himself every time the man walked into a room from running up and licking him like candy and begging him to use his push-pop. But the man was a Vampire. A fraking Vampire. And after one witnesses their entire family, save their twin, being slaughtered by Vampires, it tends to leave a mark or seven. Fate was seriously a cruel bitch. Riley just knew there was a reason women did nothing for him.

“You have to at least try, Riley.” Sawyer sounded exasperated, which granted, wasn’t an unusual state when he spoke to Riley.

Hell, Riley was amazed at the amount of patience his brother had for him. He knew he could be a bit much at time, whether it was his lack of filter or inability to stay focused, but he didn’t always mean to be so annoying.

That wasn’t to say he didn’t do it on purpose sometimes, just not all the time.

Either way, the topic was making him feel extremely uncomfortable, so Riley chose to handle it like he did anything else. With sarcasm. “Not like it would work anyway. He is so clearly a top, and we both know I am too, dear brother.”

Another sigh came from his brother, and Riley had thought he’d hit the mark. Unfortunately for him though, Sawyer seemed to be on a real mission tonight and was able to ignore his efforts.

“One, you’re being bitchy. Two, you don’t know if he is a top,” Sawyer stated, blushing at what he had just said. Riley hid his snicker. His brother was so easy. “And three, are you telling me you can’t give up control every so often for your own mate.”

“I’m not the one who would have trouble with it,” he snarked. There was no way Riley could see mister caveman giving up the reins. There would be no equal partnership, not with a man like that.

“Are you sure about that? Besides, we both know this has nothing to do with who is on top,” Sawyer whispered, concern and sympathy in his forest-green eyes.

No. No it didn’t. Riley had enough issues and baggage to write an album worth of “you broke my heart, stole my car and shot my dog” songs. And the world already had a Billy Ray.

“It’s kind of a moot point, anyhow. The man hasn’t looked sideways at me for the past couple of weeks.” He frowned, trying to not show how much that hurt.

As far as the other man was concerned Riley may as well of not existed. The strange thing was, Riley had been so sure that’s what he had wanted, but now that he had it... God, he was a bitch. A scared, lonely bitch, who was too afraid to be anywhere near his own mate.

“Maybe he is just trying to give you space. Let you come around in your own time,” Sawyer suggested, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

That hand gesture meant more than his brother could ever know. It reminded him that he wasn’t alone.

“What if I can’t, Sawyer,” he whispered, voicing his true fears. “What if I fall for him but can’t get over my fears. Losing him after having him, even for just a little time in my life, would be so much worse.”

“I think maybe that is a conversation you need to have with him. Tell him everything, Riley. And then let your mate help you,” Sawyer said, wrapping Riley in his arms tightly. Riley sank into the embrace, accepting the comfort his twin always gave him. “Remember, I nearly lost Jake because we weren’t honest. Don’t make that mistake too.”

Letting out a deep sigh, he nodded. “You’re right. I’ll talk to him, but that is all I can promise.”

“It’s better than nothing,” came from the other side of him. The hairs on the back of his neck raised at the sound of the voice that featured in most of his fantasies. Riley slowly turned to face Caleb. “If all you can offer me right now is talking, then I’ll gladly take it.”

Staring into his mate’s eyes, Riley nearly lost himself. The man was simply gorgeous, and those honey-golden eyes always trapped him. Oh, frak-a-doodle-do, he was in trouble. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to know we have a lot to talk about.” The man seemed rather unrepentant that he was eavesdropping.

“Well, on that note, I’ll leave you guys to it,” Sawyer said, chuckling nervously before hightailing it quicker than he had ever seen his brother move. Shoot, he didn’t even know the boy could run that fast.

Traitor.

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