I think Christmas stories never go out of style. Today I’m
giving you a taste of two of my favorites. I’m also giving away one copy of
each so be sure to leave a comment.
First up is Cody Alvarez, who needs a
bride to inherent the family ranch, and Libby Morris, who wonders if there’s a
prince who will love her new and improved self..
Blurb:
Cody
Alvarez needed to find a wife by Christmas or he would lose the ranch his uncle
left to him. Libby Morris just needed, for once in her life, to feel desired.
Sensual. Appealing. Especially after an intense reshaping at a high-end spa.
Invited to Christmas Week at the Castillo Lodge in Alaska by Madame Eve of
1Night Stand, Cody and Libby were not given the names of the partners chosen
for them. As they were forced to wait until they learned who their one-night
stands were, they discovered an incredible spark of chemistry and a connection
stronger than either had experienced before. Would spending a very erotic night
together ruin their arrangements or give them another option?
Excerpt:
“I’m
not very good at this,” she said slowly.
He
squeezed her hand gently. “At eating dinner?”
She
shook her head, still not looking at him. “At…small talk. Dating. Things like
this.” Her cheeks felt so hot she thought they must match her lipstick.
“Libby?”
Cody’s voice barely penetrated the fog of embarrassment. And he still had hold
of her hand. “Libby, look at me.”
Reluctantly
she raised her eyes.
“I’m
going to order us each another drink and then I’d be interested to find out why
someone as beautiful and sexy as you has trouble in a social situation like
this. Surely you must be beating the men off with a stick.”
She
made herself breath evenly. She might as well tell him. They’d never see each
other again and maybe he could give her some moral support. Besides, he made
her feel comfortable, something her assigned date night not do.
The
waiter cleared their dessert dishes, brought another glass of wine for her and
bourbon on the rocks for Cody. He touched his glass to hers.
“To
us. Two people enjoying a nice
dinner.”
She
laughed at that and swallowed some wine.
“Now.
Let’s have it. What’s got you skittish as a newborn calf?”
“You’ll
laugh at me.”
He
smiled. “Darlin’, the last thing I’ll do is laugh. I promise.”
She
took another gulp of wine. “Well, they say it’s easier to tell things to a
stranger.”
“Oh,
but we’re not strangers,” he protested. “Are we? We spent all that time on the
plane together, right? But Libby? It’s still all right to talk to me. Tell
me.”
She
drained her wine glass and held it out. “C-Could I have another drink? Please?”
Cody
laughed. “Yes, but then I’m cutting you off. I don’t want anyone to accuse me
of getting you drunk and taking advantage of you.”
Her
breath caught in her throat. “I…You…”
He
signaled for the waiter then picked up her hand again. She wished he’d never
drop it. It felt so good and secure.
“Breathe,”
he teased gently. “It’s okay. Just relax. If you don’t want to say anything you
don’t have to. Really.”
“I’ve
been fat and frumpy and boring all my life,” she blurted out then wished she
could dive under the table. When he didn’t say anything she made herself look
up and saw him staring at her. “What?”
He
cleared his throat. “Libby. I have to say that those are three words I would
never associate with you.”
The
waiter brought their drinks and she paused long enough to sip some of hers.
“That’s because you didn’t know me. Even now I have a long ways to go.”
“For
what?” He sounded astonished.
“For,
you know. To look like everyone else.”
“Why
the hell would you want that? You’re perfect the way you are.”
She
snorted. “Oh, sure. That’s nice of you to say but you don’t have to be polite.
I just spent two months at a spa to get to this point.” He hadn’t stopped
staring at her. “That’s why I booked this thing through 1 Night Stand. A woman
at the spa told me about them.” Her face heated again. “I wanted an exciting,
erotic night like my girl friends talk about. An adventure. You know. Hot sex.”
Oh, god, maybe the floor would just open up and swallow her.
Cody
downed his bourbon in two swallows and signaled the waiter for the check.
“Finish
your wine. We’re getting out of here.”
DECADENT
Next
we have Blake Massie, still tormented by the
hand life has dealt him and Nina Foster, who thought love had passed her by.
Books and More owner, Nina Foster doesn’t believe in love anymore. Twice,
men have crushed her heart. Now, she’s resigned herself to making hot chocolate
and baking cookies for the customers who enter her store. She won’t risk her
heart again.
Blake
Massie hides away from the world, nursing his scars. He sees himself as a
monster that no one could ever love. A self-imposed recluse, he won’t allow
himself to open up, afraid of being burned like his fire-ravaged skin.
Unable to reach out in person, the pair
communicates via the Internet and hot, erotic fantasies. Night after night,
they explore their growing passion with only a blindfold to protect their
secrets. As Christmas approaches, Blake must share his pain if he is to ease
hers, but doing so could drive her away forever. Can they take a chance and
follow their deepest soul dreams, or will their fragile hearts continue to hide
from the world and one another?
Genre: Western romance, contemporary, erotic romance, holiday
Heat level: 4
Word count – 42
Cover art by Scott Carpenter
~Excerpt~
Before she realized it, he tilted her to face him, one arm around her,
the other hand cupping her chin. He pressed his lips against hers, a butterfly
touch, so feather light it was barely there. She didn’t pull away, and the
pressure increased. And when her arms came up to wrap around him, he traced the
seam of her lips with his tongue.
He kissed one corner of her mouth then the other before murmuring, “Let
me in. Please.”
It was the dream all over again, except this time she could actually
taste him, and he was delicious. She opened her mouth to let his tongue sweep
inside, and she offered him her own. It wasn’t the most passionate kiss she’d
ever had or the most aggressive, but it certainly was the most possessive. As
if he was somehow claiming ownership. And she had no desire to push him away.
She threaded her fingers through his hair, as smooth to the touch as his
beard, and held his head to hers while he gently plundered her mouth. His
tongue lit fires every place he touched, the heat flowing down through her body
and making her muscles clench with desire. This was at once the most erotic and
the most emotional kiss she’d ever shared, and she never wanted it to stop. It
was only lack of oxygen that made them break the contact at last. She didn’t
try to move away, hoping he’d take it as a sign not to let go. They sat there
for a long moment, arms wrapped around each other, her head against his
shoulder.
“I dreamed about kissing you like this.”
The words were whispered so faintly at first Nina wasn’t sure she heard
correctly. “You did?”
“Uh huh. A lot.” He gently nipped her ear lobe. “About tasting you,
inhaling your scent. Touching you everywhere. Do you dream that way?”
She squeezed her thighs together against the sudden hunger beating
through her, her voice unsteady when she answered him. “Yes. Yes, I do.” She
stroked his beard again. “Blake? Won’t you please take off the blindfold so I
can see you?”
His muscles tightened for a moment then relaxed. “No. I can’t. Not yet.
Please don’t ask me.” His laugh was forced. “Let’s keep this a fantasy for the
time being, okay?”
“All right.” His words sounded so desperate, how could she say no?
Referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of
erotic romance, Desiree Holt is the world’s oldest living published erotic
romance author. A graduate of the University of Michigan her earlier careers
include agent and manager in the music industry, public television, associate
vice president of university advancement, public relations, and economic
development.
She is three times a finalist for an EPIC E-Book
Award (and a winner in 2014), a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice
Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance
Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award winner for best BDSM book of the year,
winner of the Ellora’s Cave Golden Ankh and winner of the Holt Medallion for
Excellence in Romance Literature.
She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The
Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA
Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times, The Huffington Post and
numerous other national and international publications. Currently she has
signed on as a blogger for The Huffington
Post. She is also the Authors After Dark 2014 Author of the Year.
“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author
of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.” (Romance Junkies)
“Holt knows what her fans will love.”
(RT Book Reviews)
“Holt delivers with delicious love scenes, a believable story and
characters you care about. “
RT Book Reviews
