Loving a total stranger can be very hard work sometimes. How do you love someone who exists entirely in the shadows? How do you love a man who describes himself as dead? How do you get that ghost to love you back?
Ex-SAS soldier Ben Rider falls in love with his enigmatic married boss Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen, but Nikolas is living a lie. A lie so profound that when the shadows are lifted, Ben realises he’s in love with a very dangerous stranger. Ben has to choose between Nikolas and safety, but sometimes danger comes in a very seductive package.
Excerpt from Love Is A Stranger:
“Hello, Benjamin.” Ben suppressed a smile. He had no idea what the relationship with his boss really was, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let the man know he actually liked him. Like was a safe word, and he was sticking with that. He half turned away from the table, moved his plate further out of reach, and asked stonily, “What’s the job you’ve got for me, sir?” “All in good time.” After a few moments, watching his wife direct one of the gardeners cutting holly, Nikolas asked, deceptively casually, “So, Benjamin, will you indulge me?” Ben did laugh at that. Sir Nikolas would never be so inelegant as to mention their more unusual extracurricular activities. Ben knew exactly what his boss wanted and nodded. “Sure, why not?” They led Nikolas’s horses out of the magnificently appointed stables. In most everything else he did, Nikolas retained his enigmatic, impeccable elegance, the facade no one was allowed to penetrate—but not in this. On a horse, he became something else, something dangerous. He became primitive. He was at one with the animal in a way an English aristocrat could never be. Ben felt menace, something truly fierce in the Norseman when they rode together. They negotiated the grounds down to where the gardens met tidal river estuary. It was low tide and the mud flats were exposed. The track was slippery, with a deep, primal smell of mud, salt, and seaweed. They rode carefully, the horses’ hooves picking between the rocks. Then they came to the beach, just wet sand now at the low tide. Nikolas turned around in his saddle, his face animated. “Race?” Ben wondered how this beautiful man could bear to live his life hidden behind the facades he showed to the world. This was the Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen he was allowed rare glimpses of. After all, it wasn’t easy for a man to keep all his pretences in place when covered in another man’s sweat and come. When Nikolas was deep inside Ben’s body, he was a very different man. Here, on a freezing beach in December, that man of passion and fire emerged once more. Ben laughed, the wind catching the rare sound and whipping it away out to sea. “What do you win when I inevitably lose?” Nikolas laughed too and nudged his horse closer, their thighs touching. “I am a generous host, Benjamin. You can choose your own forfeit.” His thick Danish accent tangled the words. Ben felt the same frisson of excitement at the base of his spine that he’d felt during their very first meeting, a handshake across a desk and a simple greeting, “Mr. Rider. Thank you for coming.” Nikolas had thanked him for coming in more imaginative ways since then. Ben made as if to answer Nikolas’s question now, slyly turning towards their proposed route. Then with a kick, he was off. He needed every advantage. The wind made his eyes water, froze his ears. He could ride, but he rode like a man on a horse. Nikolas Mikkelsen didn’t. He was the horse and the pounding surf; he was the wind whipped around their heads, the smell of salt and earthly pleasures. He caught Ben easily, stayed with him and toyed with him as they approached the cliffs that rose to the headland. As they negotiated the tidal pools, he pulled ahead and around the newly exposed section of beach into the cove that was only accessible at low tide. Their finish marker was always an imaginary line between the millstone and the camel, two distinctly shaped rocks Ben had renamed “the arsehole” and “the stiffy.” Nikolas beat him by several lengths, as he always did. He pulled up in the surf, wheeling, his horse dancing to the beat of the waves. Ben reigned in beside him. “Bastard.” Nikolas turned his horse so they were side by side facing each other. “So, my winnings?”
Ben Rider and Nikolas Mikkelsen learn that danger comes in all shapes and sizes and often in places you least expect it. Nikolas’s dark past calls to him, inexorably dragging him back into its seductive embrace.
While he goes on an errand of mercy to Russia, Ben travels to Denmark to learn Nikolas’s language. Convinced Russia’s vastness will swallow Nikolas, Ben doesn’t see the enemy much closer to home. Thinking he has lost Nikolas, Ben then makes a terrible decision that threatens to destroy everything they have together.
Focused on this very personal horror, bound by a new level of commitment, they have no idea that a greater threat is coming. And when it arrives, it changes everything—even the definition of commitment.
Warning: This story contains the violent death of a minor character and some graphic violence and gay sex.
Nikolas and Ben discover that bonds aren’t forged with blood or scars, but in the hearts of men strong enough to love.
Siberia in winter isn’t a place for good men. There is nothing Nikolas won’t do to keep Ben alive. Nikolas has exorcised his demons, but when they end up stranded in Russia, the monster inside needs to be let loose. Ben discovers the truth of the adage, ‘be careful what you wish for’!
Home again, Nikolas then faces an enemy he can’t defeat: Ben Rider himself. Discovering a new family, Ben realizes he’s been living too long in the shadows cast by Nikolas’s all-consuming love. For the first time, life apart from Nikolas is possible.
Is Nikolas strong enough to let Ben go?
Nikolas is the sanest, straightest, person Ben knows, so can anyone tell him, why is he on a gay therapy course?
Nikolas Mikkelsen could make a very long list of unpleasant things he’s endured in his life. Then order it from ‘nearly killed me’ to ‘extremely horrific and don’t want to do again’. And what did it say about his forty-five years that being hit by a tsunami would be a considerable way down this list? But nothing, not torture, imprisonment, nor starvation has prepared him for what he now has to endure for Ben Rider’s sake-attendance on a residential, gay therapy course. At least he has a new contender for the top spot on his ‘my awful life’ list.
About John:
John Wiltshire is the pen name. The author was born in England, but she travelled widely whilst serving in the British Army, living in the States and Canada and Europe. She retired at the rank of Major, and finally settled in New Zealand.
To date the author has written 14 novels.
Connect with John: http://johnwiltshire.co.nz https://www.facebook.com/johnwiltshire.nz Amazon Page | Goodreads
Title: The Fourth Time Charm
Series: Fulton U #4
Author: Maya Hughes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Najla Qamber
Release Date: January 7, 2021
“Are you sleeping with my daughter?”
Not the question I wanted to hear from my coach. The man holding my pro future in the palm of his hand.
The answer: No, sir.
The real answer: I’d sure as hell like to be.
Marisa’s been my best friend since third grade. And now she needs my help–and a place to stay. Senior year was supposed to be the year to keep some distance until the season finished and my draft prospects were safe.
But resisting her is becoming impossible. Movie Thursdays under the blankets. Study sessions on my bed. Wild party nights where I kept any guy interested at bay with a single glare.
Her dad can bench my ass for the entire season, so she’s off limits–for now.
She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. And one heated night, I can’t stop fighting every cell in my body and can’t stop myself from sampling her sexy smile, her sweet smell, and her sultry curves.
We’re walking a tightrope with my future on the line. Let’s just make sure Coach doesn’t find out…
“My toes are freezing.” She wiggled them against the hard, dark concrete.
I glanced down at her bare feet. If I offered to carry her inside, she’d probably punch me in the balls, so I bit the inside of my cheek, watching for glass or splintered wood on the porch steps.
Inside, I got her straight to my room and handed her a t-shirt and some boxers before I sent her to shower.
Her quietness told me just how much she needed to get under the covers—for once she didn’t have a quip or a biting comment.
The stench of smoke hung heavy in my room, more noticeable now that we were away from the fire. I sniffed my shirt and jerked away from the burning smell. The last thing I wanted was for her to walk in here and be hit with the stink of char.
I took off my smoke-soaked clothes and grabbed my towel off the back of the door, wrapping it around my waist. I dumped the clothes outside my door and grabbed fresh ones.
The water in the bathroom shut off and the door opened, the hot, humid air billowing into the hallway.
She stumbled back in and spotted me, freezing mid-hair-drying.
Dammit, maybe I should’ve waited to take my clothes off until I’d gotten to the bathroom, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t seen me in just swim trunks before. At least I’d gotten the towel on and she hadn’t walked in on me totally naked like she had last summer after our water balloon battle.
“My clothes smelled like smoke too. I’m hopping in the shower.”
Seeing her in my clothes did something to me—something that couldn’t be contained by a towel. I clutched my sweats and t-shirt in front of my now-straining erection. My blood pounded in my veins and I didn’t know how I was supposed to spend the night lying beside her. Maybe I should take the couch. I rushed out the doorway, poking my head back in.
“Get into the bed. I’ll be back in a few.” I flicked off the light, blanketing the room in darkness aside from the glow from the hallway.
The shower was quick and efficient and I kept myself from relieving the pressure that had built up when I saw her in my clothes. I cranked it to cold until my cock deflated and I could end my freezing torture.
Climbing out, I picked up her clothes from the floor and dropped them outside my bedroom door. I’d wash them in the morning and see if a gallon of detergent got the smell out.
If it didn’t, I wasn’t opposed to her wearing more of my clothes until we got her some new ones or she got to go back to her place to see what could be salvaged.
There was no sound in my room. For a second, I thought she might’ve gone downstairs to get something to eat, but then I heard her soft, gentle breaths coming from my bed.
I hung my towel up and crossed the room.
Marisa was spread out like a starfish, taking up most of the bed.
Chuckling, I took her arm and put my hand on her waist, rolling her toward the wall. She grumbled, but let me move her, shifting her pillow and clutching it to her chest.
If I weren’t a glutton for punishment, I’d have taken a pillow and blanket and gone downstairs to the couch of torture, or I’d have nudged her even further toward the wall and put my back against hers. But I couldn’t help myself.
Sliding into the bed, I curled my body around hers, wrapping my arm around her. Just for tonight. Just because of how close I’d come to losing her. Just because I couldn’t help myself.
Her hair smelled like me. As much as I loved that, I’d have to pick up some of her shampoo and soap when I got a chance.
“Night, Marisa.” Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply, matching my breaths to hers.
Tonight, I’d hold her in my arms.
Tomorrow, I’d figure out how to deal with being in love with the coach’s daughter.
#1 The Perfect First, #2 The Second We Met & #3 The Third Best Thing
Visit Amazon for eBook, Paperback and Audiobook
Maya Hughes, that’s me!, can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.
I love writing stories that capture the possibilities of the paths less travelled and enjoy experiencing life through my characters’ eyes.
I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe, traveling with my family and Jeff Goldblum.
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A laugh-out-loud, sexy romantic comedy
Cyn & The Peanut Butter Cup by Pru Warren releases on January 12th!
Amazon — https://amzn.to/2HuKqMy
Universal — getbook.at/CynPBCup
Apple — http://apple.co/38eRszx
Nook — http://bit.ly/2KFX4dt
Kobo — http://bit.ly/3rKElhc
When a sweet old lady’s mysterious past draws her young caretaker into a wild ride, they drag a hot FBI agent along with them. Cyn didn’t know caring for Maddy would require car chases, and Rhys never thought an old lady could steal his gun.
Cynthia loves being Maddy’s caregiver. Watching over a slightly senile senior is a piece of cake after Cyn’s brutal divorce. It’s not wrong to hide away from life for a few weeks, er, months. Right?!
Rhys (“like the peanut butter cup but not spelled the same”) is pretty sure he’s going to get fired from his job at the FBI. When Maddy steals his gun at the grocery store and shoots at a random stranger, Rhys figures that’s it for his career. Everything’s gone wrong…
…except for meeting Cyn. Can Rhys and Cyn find love while keeping Maddy safe from the (possibly imaginary) hoards who are (maybe) out to get her?
A laugh-out-loud, sexy romantic comedy [from author Pru Warren] that includes an absolutely delicious screw-up of a hero, a heroine who doesn’t see herself very clearly, and the strong-willed, unintentionally funny old lady who leads them both astray.
About the Author:
Pru Warren (who is writing this in the third person as if simply too modest to toot her own horn) bores easily and thus has been a daydreamer since roughly the Bronze Age. She is addicted to writing because in a novel, you can make things come out the RIGHT way. Life and karma really ought to take note; there are BETTER SOLUTIONS to these pesky daily annoyances!Beside her in-the-laptop God Complex, Pru laughs often and easily, loathes cooking, and plays way too much solitaire. She’s plotting world domination even as you read this, as long as she doesn’t have to wake up too early to accomplish it.
LINK WITH PRU!
Website + Newsletter: https://www.pruwarren.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PruWarren
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pruwarrenromcom/
The Dark Throne
Amy Cissell
(An Eleanor Morgan Novel, #7)
Publication date: February 2nd 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
The Dark Throne is the dramatic conclusion to the Eleanor Morgan series, a contemporary fantasy from USA Today Bestselling Author Amy Cissell.
Eleanor Morgan has come a long way since she found out she’d been born to save the world by destroying it.
She’s opened the gates and restored the flow of magic between the Fae plane and Earth. She found her best friend’s sister and chased down an errant werewolf, all while dodging assassination attempts from her former friend and current nemesis. She even found time to fall in love along the way.
Now, it’s time to fulfill her destiny as the Dragon Queen and fight to take her place on the Dark Throne. But everything Eleanor has worked for is in danger of falling to ashes as the throne’s current occupant, the Raven Queen, unleashes her sinister plan to destroy her only real rival.
Eleanor stands with old friends and new as she fights to unite the Fae kingdoms…but will new secrets destroy her friendships and end her chance to fulfill her destiny? Will her bid for the throne be worth the price she’ll have to pay? Or will her quest meet a tragic end at the brutal hands of the Raven Queen?
THE DARK THRONE is the final book in a 7-book contemporary fantasy series by Amy Cissell, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Oracle Bay series.
Author Bio:
Amy Cissell is a USA Today Bestselling Author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She lives in Portland, OR with her husband, her haunted house-obsessed daughter, their four cats, and the murder of crows she’s conspiring to turn into her vengeful army.
When she’s not working or writing, she’s sleeping because that’s all she has time to do! There are few things Amy loves more than a well-timed pun, a good book, a glass of wine, and time at the Oregon Coast.
Although she reads anything and everything, her first love is fantasy. Eleven-year-old Amy discovered fantasy when she ‘borrowed’ her father’s copy of The Hobbit and an enduring love affair (mostly with dragons) was born.
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