KCBR Blog

Back-Up, Book #1
Synopsis:
THERE'S A NEW ROCK STAR IN TOWN AND HIS NAME IS JACK LAIR...
Leila Marino’s biggest dream is to become a rock star. A lucky opportunity has her auditioning with an up & coming rock band named Devil’s Lair. The band hires Leila as their back-up singer, signing her up for months in the studio and touring on the road with the sexy bunch.
Jack is the quintessential rock star…gorgeous…sexy…a walking orgasm. Jack Lair is the lead singer of Devil’s Lair and his dreams are becoming reality as his band climbs the ladder of success. He’s living the perfect life, and enjoying every minute of it. With a steady stream of sexual conquests that satisfies his raging libido, he thinks he has all he needs in life…until Leila enters it.
Jack is not prepared for the sudden pull he feels towards Leila, and struggles daily to deny his attraction is anything more. Leila finds falling for her new boss is constant torment. Both convince themselves friendship is their only option.
An intimate moment causes their willpower to collapse, and their erotic love affair to begin. Finding love was a bonus that neither Jack nor Leila anticipated. As they begin their tour together professionally and personally, life couldn’t be any better for the couple. Until a mistake from Jack’s past threatens their new relationship, and their perfect future together.
Warning: This book is meant for mature readers who are 18+. It contains explicit language, and graphic sexual content.

Exclusive Deleted Scene:
Back-Up – Deleted Scene
A.M. Madden
Published by A.M. Madden
Copyright ©2013 A.M. Madden
First Edition, ebook-published 2013
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

“Where’s Trey?” I ask as we find our normal corner table empty, and waiting for our
arrival.
“He’s on his way. Lori is with him.” Scott answers my question innocently, but it still irritates me.
I’m not in a good mood…again. The thought of spending a few hours watching Trey and Lori together is not going to help in the least. Goddamn it. Leila couldn’t join us tonight because she had plans. I have no idea if having her here would be a good thing anyway. It wouldn’t make me feel any better having her within reach, and not being able to do a fucking thing about it. So overall, I can’t win. Whether she’s here or not, life pretty much sucks.
The waitress appears instantly. Her name is Cassie and I fucked her several times.
“Hey, Jack,” she sidles up to my side, cooing annoyingly.
“Hey.” I respond robotically. Hunter shoots me a look, which I chose to ignore.
My indifference goes right over her head. She lays her hand on the back of my neck. What I want to do is shrug her hand off of me. What I do instead is clench my jaw in frustration.
“Hey, Cassie,” Hunter acknowledges her while still glaring at me. “We’ll take our usual.”
“You got it. Where’s your partner in crime?”
“He’s on his way with a guest. Can you add a shot and a beer?”
“Sure.” She drags her fingers across my back before she retreats.
“What’s your problem?” Hunter barks. He’s been barking this at me so much lately that I’m becoming numb to it.
I silently level him with my returning glare.
He shakes his head and exchanges a look with Scott.
“Well, how about those Mets?” Scott says, trying to lighten the mood.
“Hey.” Trey and Lori arrive hand in hand. They take their seats next to me, forcing an involuntary sigh to escape.
“We ordered for you guys.”
“Thanks for letting me hang tonight,” Lori smiles at each of us. “I didn’t want to infringe on your ‘guy’ time, but Trey insisted.”
“You aren’t infringing. We’re glad you’re here. Patti and Amanda are on their way.”
“Leila is bummed she couldn’t make it.” The mention of her name causes my cock to twitch.
Fucking great…three couples, my hard-on, and me.
Cassie returns with our drinks, makes small talk with Trey and Lori, and thankfully ignores me. As the conversation progresses I settle into the corners of my mind. A place where I am sitting on this chair with Leila on my lap…or possibly laying in my bed having her in every possible way…or pushed up against my shower wall.
“You tapping that tonight?” Trey asks, rudely interrupting my daydream.
“What?”
He nods towards Cassie as she walks away from the table.
“Nope.” I pick up my shot and down it then immediately replace it with my beer.
“He’s in another one of his moods,” Hunter says, putting his two cents in.
Lori watches us with amusement. “Don’t act any differently because I’m here. I can handle it.” She takes a swig of her beer and looks up at Trey, who plants a kiss on her lips.
“Are you seeing her?” Lori asks me directly.
“Who?”
“The waitress.”
“Definitely not,” I huff out sarcastically.
“Too bad. We’d be good for a few free rounds if you planned to.” Trey smirks.  “Jack fucking waitresses helps with our drinking tabs immensely.”
“That sounds like a win/win for all of you.” Lori offers.
“Normally it is.”
Lori catches Hunters sarcasm and prompts, “But?”
“But Jack is on a dry spell.”
They are discussing my sex life as if I’m not sitting here. “What the fuck?” I grumble in protest.
“What? She said to act as we normally do,” Hunt throws his hands up as if he’s talking to a moron. “Normally Jack would be securing our drink tab for the rest of the night. Looks like we’ll be paying tonight.”
“Assholes.”
Trey ignores my insult and proceeds to tell Lori all the places I’ve been able to get us a night of free drinking. Listening to the long list he shares makes me sick to my stomach. I’m a joke. I’ve been their meal ticket, and they aren’t even the least bit embarrassed to admit it.
This goes on for the rest of the night. They each take turns blabbing about my past fucks and then share how it helped them in some way like free drinks or helping to score themselves with my conquests’ friends. All I can think about is how I’m not like that anymore, and will never be again.
Patti and Amanda arrive and after two shots, three beers and witnessing the six of them having a great time, all combine to put the final nails in my coffin. “I’m gone. See you guys tomorrow.”
“Why? Where are you going? It’s early,” Hunter challenges.
“Don’t know yet, but I can’t get what I need from you guys.”
“So wait…you are going to screw someone tonight, but not Cassie? You couldn’t take one for the team?” He laughs out loud at my reaction.
“Fuck off.”
As I walk away, I hear them all laughing while Lori asks, “Is he really mad?”
I’m going to have to explain myself to them if I continue to act this way. I’m going to have to tone it down a bit because I am not ready to tell any of them what’s really bothering me. I may never be ready.
Fuck.
I’ll worry about it tomorrow. My thoughts once again filled with Leila the entire cab ride back to Brooklyn and the trek up the stairs to my apartment. The old Jack would drive right over to Trini’s place. My comfort tonight will have to come from a bottle of tequila, loudly playing my music, and my hand.

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Synopsis:
Warning: This book is meant for mature readers who are 18+. It contains explicit language, and graphic sexual content.
Jack was a rock star on the way to fame. Leila was following her dream and joining his band as a back-up singer. An insane attraction sparked between them that they couldn’t deny. Attraction quickly led to so much more. They ignored all the warnings and fell in love.
When the couple embark on their tour, they couldn’t be more excited to travel the country hand in hand on the way to stardom. The road ahead is filled with miles and miles of possibilities. Along with their band, Devil’s Lair, they feel nothing could stop them.
An angry ex-band-mate, a pregnant ex-girlfriend, and never-ending Internet gossip all attempt to wreak havoc on their developing relationship. New love does not mix well with stress, pressure and guilt. Together they face each and every challenge, stubbornly fighting for what they have. Will their determination be enough?

Exclusive Deleted Scene:
Front & Center  - The Breakup Deleted Scene
A.M. Madden
Published by A.M. Madden
Copyright ©2014 A.M. Madden
First Edition, ebook-published 2014
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

“You really thought of everything. Amazing. I leave you alone for what, twenty minutes? And in that short amount of time you’ve rewritten our lives like it’s a fucking fictional novel.”
She doesn’t respond. She doesn’t move.
I continue to stare at her, willing her to come back to me. She finally meets my gaze, and there’s nothing there. Her eyes are still moist, but otherwise she isn’t reacting in any way.
Kneeling before her I desperately try one more time. “Leila, you are my world. I don’t care about anything else. I’ll do anything you want. You can do anything you want. Please, just don’t give up on us.”
“I can’t be who I want to be if I stay with you.”
“Yes, you can. I won’t stop you.”
“Jack, I totally lose myself when I’m with you. Unintentionally, you would stop me.”
“So this really has nothing to do with the baby?”
“It’s a combination of all that has gone wrong since we’ve started our relationship. The baby, her not wanting it, you not wanting it, me sitting in the sidelines as a culprit, my forgotten career. It’s become too much drama. I can’t take it anymore.”
“It’s time I think of myself,” She turns away from me and adds, “You need to let me live my life,” putting the last nail into my coffin.
I’ve lost her. She’s gone.
“I love you. I’ll always love you, and I won’t stand in your way.”
I open the door and walk out of the hotel room feeling like the knife she used is still protruding from my chest.
When I step into the hall, a cleaning cart sits in the corner. My rage takes hold, and I flip the cart, spilling all its contents all over the hallway, the noise pulling hotel patrons out of their rooms.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?”
The man, who made the mistake of opening his door, quickly shuts it with a loud bang, as I repeatedly kick it and daring him to show his face again.
Hunter, Scott and Trey appear at the end of the hall. It takes them two seconds to assess the situation and surround me. I’m sure she called them to warn them she just ripped my heart out and fucking stabbed at it repeatedly.
“Jack…knock it off,” Hunter warns as he takes hold of my arm.
“Get the fuck off of me.” I pull away, storming down the hall.
“They are going to call security. You don’t need this, man. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
My personal bodyguards practically carry me toward the elevator and out the hotel. As we get closer to our bus, I head for it.  She wants me gone. She wants me off my bus. Well, fuck her. I have every right to be on that bus. I watch in a daze as they usher me to the other bus, making the choice for me.
“What did she pay you?”
“Shut up, Jack. She’s very upset. We still have to perform together, be civil.”
“Be civil? She just fucking ripped my heart out!” I yank my arm from his grip. “I need my stuff!”
“We’ll get it for you.
“Fuck you.” I storm out of the lot towards the main boulevard.
“Where are you going? We’re pulling out.” Scott calls after me.
The sound of footsteps behind me tells me that one of them were stupid enough to follow. I turn on whoever it is like a madman. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Back THE FUCK OFF!”
I turn onto the main road, quickening my pace. It’s not far before I find my target. When I walk in, the clerk takes one look at me and watches my every move as I search his stupid store for what I’m looking for.
“You got I.D.?” he has the nerve to ask.
The man takes a step back when I level him with a murderous glare.
“I don’t want trouble. You buy and get out.”
The quicker I cooperate, the quicker I can become numb. I pull out my I.D., and he stares at it longer than necessary, no doubt committing every detail to memory. When he is satisfied with my proof, I throw him more than enough cash, and grab my two bottles and head back to the bus.
Hunter and Trey are standing outside the bus, blocking its door. When they see me approaching, they scurry onto their bus like rats.
I wonder if she’s in there. I wonder if they were guarding the door afraid I would barge my way in and cause her problems. Well fuck that, and fuck them. She wants to be left alone, well she’s got it.
I storm onto the second bus. Dylan is the only one on it and looks up surprised.
“What’s up?”
“Which bunk is empty?”
“Last one on the right.”
Without explanation, I head for my new home, open my bottle and become acquainted with my new best friend.

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Synopsis:
Warning: This book is meant for mature readers who are 18+. It contains explicit language, and graphic sexual content.
You’ve read Back-up, you’ve read Front & Center, and you want an encore?
Jack and Leila have had to deal with some devious nonsense in their lives. But now, life is real good.
Find out what they’ve been up to. Travel into the future with Jack, Leila and all their friends. Put to rest your questions of “What happened to …”
If you are looking for heartbreak, angst or drama, look elsewhere. Encore is meant to produce a long and breathy sigh.
I hope you enjoyed the journey of these amazing people half as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Exclusive Deleted Scene:
Encore – Deleted Scene
A.M. Madden
Published by A.M. Madden
Copyright ©2014 A.M. Madden
First Edition, ebook-published 2014
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

We’re drenched, we’re exhausted, and we are beyond delirious. Tonight was epic. It was beyond epic. We’ve opened our tour spectacularly. Leila clutches my hand, her eternal smile on her face. The minute our feet hit the holding room, she bolts to Evan and right into his arms.
“Oh my God, you guys were unbelievable. How did it feel?”
He laughs at her hold on him. “Lei, let go.”
“Oh, sorry.” She steps away, waiting for him to respond.
“It was unreal. I’ve never felt that before in my entire life. It was both scary and exhilarating.”
“Quite a rush, right?” I ask, joining their circle.
“A rush is an understatement. I can see how this becomes addicting.”
“Best drug ever.”
“Where’s my hug?” Joe asks, giving her a wounded puppy face.
She gives Joe a hug, then Logan, Nina, and pats Matt on his back.
“We need to celebrate. Where are we going?” Hunter asks the lot of us.  I quickly look to my wife, gauging her carefully. She needs to go right to bed. But I don’t want to ruin her fun.
As they all start throwing options around, I step closer and ask, “Are you tired?”
She looks up, schooling her annoyance, but I can see it. When I raise my brows, she quips, “Nope. I’m fresh as a daisy.”
“And you would tell me otherwise?”
“Probably not.” In one of her classic forms of distraction, she wraps her arms around me, and murmurs against my neck. “One drink. Please? I just want to be part of their celebration. It means a lot to me.” She pulls the skin her lips are touching into her mouth, sucking gently. She leans up on her tippy toes so her lips can travel from my neck to my ear. “Please?”
“Christ, woman.”
She giggles and adds, “Yay, two drinks.”
“Don’t push it.”
“I promise I’ll sleep in tomorrow.” She looks up innocently, pursing her lips in a pleading manner. Not being able to resist her lips perfectly puckered and waiting to be tasted, I do just that. I slant my mouth over hers, sealing her with my own. Even after a year of dating, and another of marriage, she still dulls all my senses with just a kiss.
“So, you two coming?” Hunter asks, interrupting our intimate moment.
“Go away.” I lean back down to resume when she smiles against my lips.
“God, man. Can you just leave her alone?” He pulls her out of my hold, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and ushers her out the door.
“Um, hello?”
“Just follow your wife’s ass.”
That’s easy. We pile into our van and head to our destination.
Our clan is hard to ignore. We elicit some unwanted attention, but this is expected no matter where we go. Oscar and Alec have secured our corner, and except for the gawkers, we are pretty much left alone to our celebrations.
Hunter holds up his beer, smiling as he glances at each of our faces. “Speaking for the rest of us,” he looks at me for confirmation, and I nod in agreement, “we couldn’t have picked a better band to open for us. You guys fucking rocked it tonight. It was an unbelievable start to what’s sure to be a fucking awesome tour.”

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Check out my five star review for Secret by Kindle Alexander.  This m/m romance is m/mmmmmmm good. Enter for a chance to two giveaways below.  If you are following the scavenger hunt...you are at the right place!

Secret is on Kindle Crack Book Reviews HOT LIST: 19 Books You Need To Read This Summer http://bit.ly/1cLkZRm



Blurb:

Tristan Wilder, self-made millionaire and devastatingly handsome CEO of Wilder-Nation is on the verge of a very lucrative buyout. With tough negotiations ahead, he's armed with his acquisition pitch, ready to launch the deal of a lifetime. There’s just one glitch. The last thing he expects is to fall for the hot business owner he's trying to sway.

Dylan Reeves, computer science engineer and founder of the very successful social media site, Secret, is faced with a life-altering decision. A devoted family man with three kids and a wife, Dylan has been living a secret for years. Fiercely loyal to his convictions, his boundaries blur after meeting the striking owner of the corporation interested in acquiring his company. For the first time in his life, reckless desire consumes him when the gorgeous computer mogul makes an offer he can't refuse.

Buy Links:

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Review of Secret
Secret by Kindle Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rating: 5 stars
Spoiler-free review
Title: Secret
Author:  Kindle Alexander
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Cliffhanger: No

Dylan Reeves has his eye on the prize.  He is about to sell his social media site for life-changing money.  Dylan looks like he has it all....he is brilliant, beautiful and has three kids and an adoring wife. There is one thing missing in his life…a man. Dylan is gay and has been keeping it a secret from a few key people.

Tristan Wilder is about to acquire Dylan Reeves’ company and hopefully Dylan.  Is Dylan’s heart part of the deal? Will this multimillion dollar buyout turn into a hostile takeover? Will Dylan’s wife and three kids embrace this merger?

Kindle Alexander did it again. This modern family romance with a touch of geekery made this story so unique. Secret is m/mmmm good. #ImWildAboutWilder and Kindle Alexander’s and Secret.

This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/kindlecrack ,  Goodreads, Amazon, Google+ and Twitter. A review copy of this book was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.






Author Bio:
Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It's always a surprise to see what's coming next!
I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it's true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women's hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life - I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations - regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal... I don't want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I'm going to tell you about Kindle.
I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I'll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died - weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn't have to be alone.
That time in my life was terrible. It's everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.
Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness - it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.
Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn't a time she wasn't there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It's its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn't be here today without her.
Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com

Social Media Links:
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Website:  http://www.kindlealexander.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KindleAlexander



Giveaway:




Bonus Scene Giveaway:

Blurb:
They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

In AMBER TO ASHES (Atria Paperback; June 9th, 2015), Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally. 

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.

But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives...and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.

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About the author:
Gail McHugh is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Collide and Pulse. She is the mother of three beautiful children and has been married to her husband for fifteen years.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

“What are you, Casey?” Ryder asks over his shoulder as he scrubs his hands with antibacterial soap.
“Your little cancer warrior,” she answers with a small smile.
“That’s right.” He dries his hands and turns, a proud grin cracking his mouth. “The bravest one ever.”
I grab Casey’s hand and hold it tight, knowing nothing I’ve ever seen, heard, or felt compares to what she’s facing. This child’s living with a fear I can’t comprehend. One that’d slay all of my fears put together.
“Ready?” Ryder asks, his tone soft and caring, everything it should be.
Casey nods, clenching my hand. My heart swells, anxiety building thick in my throat as Ryder slips on a pair of medical gloves and cleans the area around her port with Betadine swabs.
Casey looks at me, the cool blue of her eyes misting over. “Are you scared of needles?”
“No,” I say, running my free hand along the back of her neck. “Are you?”
“I used to be.” She sighs, a single tear slipping down her face. “But not so much anymore.”
It takes everything in me not to drag her little body off the table and run out of the apartment with her. I wipe the tear from her cheek, my need to hide her away, sheltering her from the sinister storm she’s in the middle of, growing with each unsteady breath.
“A little cold,” Ryder warns before spraying the anesthetic on her skin.
“Hurry, Ry,” Casey pleads, her voice weak yet panicked. “It doesn’t last that long.”
“I have to make sure you’re numb, Case.” Ryder ducks his head and stares into her eyes, trying to keep her focused on the silly faces he’s making.
 His tactic works.
Casey’s tiny giggles bounce around the kitchen, their musical notes blocking out the sound of Ryder popping the cap off a weird-looking needle. With a small, clear tube like a tail—and plastic wings stretched out on either side—it reminds me of a dragonfly. Ryder presses his gloved finger against Casey’s port a few times, his attention honed in on her face as he says, “Knock, knock.”
“Who’s there?” Casey smiles at me, completely unaware that Ryder’s pricked her skin with the needle.
“Aardvark.” Ryder pushes the medicine through the syringe, his attention cutting between Casey’s face and the needle.
“Aardvark who?” she manages, a thin sheen of sweat dotting her upper lip.
“Aardvark a hundred miles for one of your pretty smiles.” Ryder pulls the needle from her chest, and before she can blink, he rests his lips against her forehead, kissing away her remaining fear.
Close to immobile, my heart tugs, the magnitude of what this man means to this little girl—what they mean to each other—scraping tears up my dry throat. I swallow the sound before it can leave me, warmth pinching my stomach into a beautiful knot as I observe them.
“It’s over?” Casey asks, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.
“Yeah, kiddo. It’s over,” Ryder answers, his voice heavy with relief as he applies a small piece of gauze over her port. “You’re all set, warrior. Go get cleaned up, and we’ll get ready to leave.”
With Ryder’s aid, Casey slides off the table and heads for the bathroom, the bounce in her step less tangible as she slips around the corner. Quiet reigns, the events from the last few minutes whispering across my mind as Ryder looks at me with exhausted eyes. Stress lines cut across his forehead, wariness drowning his beautiful features. Overcome, I watch him swipe a tired hand over his face and turn, resting his palms against the counter. As though having no control over my body—a magnet pulling in my gut—I stand and move toward him, each tentative step I take carried out with shallow, quick breaths. I come up behind him, lift a shaky hand and tap his shoulder, my pulse lurching as he turns and meets my gaze. Our connection strikes, a bolt of emotions paralyzing us as we stare at each other.
I touch my fingers to his stubbled cheek, my conscience crying out that my actions are wrong, so very wrong, but my heart mutes the warning as I move my palm to the back of his neck.
His muscles go taut, restraint lighting the fiery blue of his eyes. “Amber, don’t.” The words come out not as a rough warning but a soft plea. “Don’t do this.”
“I have to,” I whisper, trembling. “You’re . . . amazing, Ryder. What you did for her, everything you do for her . . . I just . . .” I drop my eyes to his chest, my heart galloping as I register his hands gripping my waist. Their heat sears through me, a thrill jumping from cell to cell. “You’re tender, cocky, gentle, and an asshole all at the same time. You’re kind, giving, nurturing. You’re . . . everything.”
My lips find his, testing, teasing, barely touching. Our breathing comes faster, harder as I pull him down, our foreheads pressed together as we stare into each other’s eyes. “Please . . . I just . . . Just once more. That’s all I need.”
I think . . . hope.
With hunger demolishing all traces of restraint from his gaze, Ryder buries his hands in my wavy curls and looks at me a beat before capturing my lips in a slow, passionate kiss. I sigh into his mouth, my senses drowning in his familiar flavor as I fall in step with his calculated strokes. On a deep groan, he draws me closer, his tongue dipping in and out, out and in. Still, nothing about his touch is rough, yet everything in it screams that he needs me in this moment.
In this wicked space and time of his life.
Every lick and nip is a soft caress, like he’s trying to burn the sensation of my lips into his memory. My pulse hammers in staccato mode as I melt the full weight of my body into his. With my blood swimming through my veins, and sinking further into everything that is Ryder, I feel the emptiness of his soul slice through me. A dull ache pinches my heart, spreading its misery through my muscles as he cups my cheeks and deepens the kiss with a gentleness I never knew he possessed. My breath catches, wiped from my lungs as he glides his lips along my jaw, down the base of my throat. The cadence of his exotic growl slips through my ears, dizzying my head in the sweetest way.
“Christ, I fucking want you so bad,” Ryder whispers hoarsely. He drags his lips back to mine, his kiss urgent, greedy. However, he brings it down a notch, his movements revisiting slow, sensual, worshipping this moment for everything it is. Worshipping me for all I am. “So badly, peach. More than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone. You drive me crazy. Your smell, skin, eyes.” He sucks my lip between his teeth, a groan punching from his chest as he runs his fingertips along my bare arms.
Goose bumps pop, deliciously pricking my skin as I tighten my grip in his hair.
“Your little giggles, pouts, personality. Every single fucked-up scar you own in and out. All of it. All of you.” He licks into my mouth, his tongue exploring mine with precision as his hands find my nape, their hold possessive. “Fuck. It should’ve been me. Not him. Me.”
And just like that, our moral compasses spring due north, Brock the center of its attention—our attention. We slowly break the kiss, our breathing choppy from the loss.




Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of Collide and Pulse comes a gritty new novel about a shattered young woman who unexpectedly falls for two best friends.

They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally. 

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.

But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives...and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.



About the Author:
A self-proclaimed chocoholic, married mother of three, and a lover of writing for as far back as she can remember, Gail McHugh is the author of two New York Times bestselling novels. The COLLIDE series (which includes COLLIDE and PULSE), was acquired by Atria Books on September 17th, 2013.

"The first of two sexy contemporary romances about a woman torn between her seemingly perfect boyfriend and a dark, mysterious stranger who will stop at nothing to have her." - Publishers Weekly on COLLIDE, a Top 10 Romance pick! 

You can follow Gail on the below social media sites:

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Add to your reading list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18626617-amber-to-ashes?from_search=true&search_version=service 

Blurb:

She’s careful, but wants to be reckless.
She’s cute, but wants to be sexy.
She’s innocent, but wants to be bad.

When ex-Olympic gymnast, Adaley Knight wakes on her eighteenth birthday she only has one wish, to leave the only town she’s ever known and start fresh.

Finding herself enrolled at a college across the globe, the once modest Adaley is almost unrecognizable. Her new persona dances on the wild side by sinking her teeth into the first bad boy she sees. The only problem is he’s not the least bit interested.

Ryle Benson, baseball extraordinaire and brooding campus bad-boy keeps everyone at an arms length. Things have never come easy for him and the last thing he needs is getting involved with any female.

The tables are reversed as she tries to be bad, tempting fate, and he tries to fight his. The push and pull is half the fun. But what happens when one pushes a little too hard?

Excerpt:

Tilting my head up, I make eye contact with the other male in the room. It’s then that I really notice the guy that he called Ryle. In the seconds it takes Taylor to wrap up his convo with Zoe, I rake Ryle over, head to toe with needy eyes. He’s tall, but not awkward and lengthily. He’s built, but not like a jock on steroids but rather like a guy who occasionally picks up a set of weights. And by occasionally, I mean every other day. And although his body isn’t painted with art like a typical bad boy there is a certain sex appeal that oozes off him like hot lava. I want to get torched, maybe even burned by his touch.  

Author Bio:
Nacole Stayton is twenty-something years young and currently resides in the Bluegrass State where she spends her nights writing vigorously. She has a passion for helping others and wears her University of Kentucky gear proudly. While her husband loves all things outdoors, Nacole enjoys the finer things in life, like getting pedicures while reading on her Kindle. She is passionate about her faith, family, and The Vampire Diaries.

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNacoleStayton
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Website: www.nacolestayton.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nacole-Stayton/e/B00CG43ZL4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6871799.Nacole_Stayton
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