Ah weddings – they bring out the best and worst in all of us. This month you’re invited to Loose Id’s wedding extravaganza where marriage equity means equal opportunity wedding disasters. Kate McMurray writes about the thorny problem of finding a hot date to one’s ex’s wedding while Cassandra Gold’s hero agrees to be best man at his brother’s wedding only to discover that his new in-laws include someone he’s, um, met before. Meanwhile, in J.A. Rock’s sequel, on the way to the altar the brat and his dom have to deal with everything from another bickering couple to an intimidating dildo. Dominique Frost explores whether a depraved hedonist can find love with the innocent and proper man he married for money. And Dev Bentham’s story has an emotionally damaged catering chef who needs to tame his demons or lose the love of his life. Something borrowed, blue, old and new for everyone this month at Loose Id.

Two of the authors from the Big Gay Wedding crew, Dev Bentham and Cassandra Gold, got together to talk about their new releases.

Let’s talk about our current releases, out for Loose Id’s June wedding event:

Dev: Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. Now he’s a troubled  man. At thirty-eight he moves across the country to start a new life in Los Angeles, working as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant.

Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date.

Sparks fly. The sex is better than good. But even after the two get close, George remains crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny. Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.

Cassandra: Photographer Skyler Spencer comes to Key West for his brother’s wedding expecting to take some pictures, act as best man, and maybe spend a little time getting to know his brother’s fiancee and her twin sister. Then he learns that not only is the twin a man rather than a woman, but it’s a man he’s met before–under less than appropriate circumstances.

Casey Baker doesn’t expect the guy he once had a memorable encounter in a club bathroom with to turn up as his brother-in-law to be, but he’s able to deal with the surprise. Dealing with the strong attraction they feel for each other is a lot more difficult, but Casey figures a short, hot fling will take care of that. Too bad he’s not good at staying detached, and Skyler’s not good at commitment.

When Mother Nature and the past combine to put the wedding in jeopardy, Skyler and Casey have more than just their own confused feelings to deal with. Will the weekend end with two sets of broken hearts?

What else is new?

Cassandra:  Dev and I both had releases on June 16 from Amber Allure, meaning we shared two release dates from the same two publishers.  We’re calling it our double date. J

My June 16 release is a reprint of Trust, a story that was formerly published in an anthology. Trust is my one and only BDSM-themed book to date. While it does have BDSM aspects, they’re light.

Blurb: Detective Zach Davis has always prized his iron control. Life has taught him that emotions and trust are things to be avoided at all costs. Then his lover leaves him, citing the distance between them, and Zach realizes something has to change. Could a night at a BDSM club be the perfect way for him to show Lane he really can let go and build an equal relationship?

Dev: I’m very excited about Painting in the Rain, my June 16th Amber Allure release. It’s the story of Gabe, an artist and single father and Mike, his kid’s social worker. Set on the Oregon Coast, it’s the perfect Fathers’ Day story.

Blurb: Helping teenagers is tough. They face so many dangers – peer pressure, drugs, pregnancy, STDs. As a trained social worker, Mike knows all about it. He’s taken a temporary job on the Oregon coast working with at-risk kids. But when he meets Gabe, the father of one of his charges, he finds himself in another type of danger – that of falling in love and getting stuck in a small, conservative town, not to mention living with an angry teenager. And yet, he’s drawn to Gabe in a way he never imagined possible.

Gabe, whose own father left before he was born, stays in a town where he no longer feels welcome. He’s living the life of a lonely artist so that he can be a father to his son, a bond that’s been threatened by divorce and Gabe’s public coming out. When he meets Mike, Gabe is bowled over with a longing so deep that he finds himself willing to risk everything.

There are plenty of dangers in a small town. When a gay kid gets hurt and they refuse to leave him to his fate, Mike and Gabe may be risking more than their hearts.

Contact Us: 

Cassandra Gold

Website: www.cassandragold.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/cassandra.gold.author

Blog:
http://cassandragold.com/blog/

Other sites:
http://www.flirtyauthorbitches.com/

Dev Bentham

Website: www.devbentham.com

Twitter: @devbentham

Email: Devbentham@yahoo.com

If you’d like to win a copy of Cassandra or Dev’s Big Gay Wedding books, one each to two lucky commenters, please leave your message here, remembering to leave your email when prompted. Your email will not be displayed or used for any other purpose. Comp. closes midnight EST 21/6/2013. Thank you

Greetings from Washington DC! I’m on my first trip to the USA, and having a wonderful time, but just had to take time to reveal my gorgeous new cover art!  Locking Horns, a new novella set in the Greenwood universe and continuing the adventures of Herne the Hunter, is out a week tomorrow (25th June) from Loose Id. The amazing image of Tam is by Anne Cain.

This story can be read as a sequel to Bound to the Beast, a prequel to Bound for the Forest, or as an introduction to the Greenwood series.

Blurb: England, 1804. Herne the Hunter has roamed the forests for hundreds of years and he’s known love with fellow half stag-shifter Tam for the past two centuries. The passion between them sizzles hot as ever, but times are changing. Greenwood magic is fading and this threatens both Herne and Tam’s immortality and the bond between them.

After Herne discovers the Greenwood fairies are dying, and dockworkers felling oaks to build warships might be to blame, he wants to fight the modern world with his warrior’s sword. Tam, who embraces all things new, desires a dominant partner, not a brute who wants to drag England back to the Dark Ages. Soon the Wild Hunt, Herne’s ancient army of doom, are back, tempting him to unleash his wrath, and the rhythm of Herne and Tam’s lovemaking seems broken for good. When Tam’s plan to reinstate a spring ritual goes awry, only Herne can save him. Herne must choose between his past and future, and they both must decide what matters most—eternal life or eternal love.

Buy it soon link!

Want to win a copy? Enter the draw here and read and excerpt here!

PLUS, there’s going to be an opportunity to win your choice of the previous Greenwood books (Bound for the Forest, Bound to the Beast, and Lord of the Forest) and a $10 GC here at my website and on my mini Locking Horns blog tour. Check back here soon for details

This story can be read as a sequel to Bound to the Beast, a prequel to Bound for the Forest, or as an introduction to the Greenwood series. Click here for my A to Z of the Greenwood

Blurb: England, 1804. Herne the Hunter has roamed the forests for hundreds of years and he’s known love with fellow half stag-shifter Tam for the past two centuries. The passion between them sizzles hot as ever, but times are changing. Greenwood magic is fading and this threatens both Herne and Tam’s immortality and the bond between them.

After Herne discovers the Greenwood fairies are dying, and dockworkers felling oaks to build warships might be to blame, he wants to fight the modern world with his warrior’s sword. Tam, who embraces all things new, desires a dominant partner, not a brute who wants to drag England back to the Dark Ages. Soon the Wild Hunt, Herne’s ancient army of doom, are back, tempting him to unleash his wrath, and the rhythm of Herne and Tam’s lovemaking seems broken for good. When Tam’s plan to reinstate a spring ritual goes awry, only Herne can save him. Herne must choose between his past and future, and they both must decide what matters most—eternal life or eternal love.

Buy from Loose Id on 25th June!

Teaser excerpt:

Tam’s words trailed to near nothing as Herne pressed forward and seized his lips in a ravishing kiss. He yielded at once, drawing Herne’s hot tongue inside, savoring the scrub of hard stubble against his softer skin. Even after all their years together, Herne’s taste and commanding demeanor sent a wondrous shock coursing through him. Herne’s raw masculinity had been wrought in a lost era of tribal lords, when he’d battled the might of Rome. His power as a spirit—gifted to him by the Mother Goddess, creator of all things—rolled in torrents from him too.

Herne crushed Tam against him, sweeping to such depths that Tam could scarce breathe. Tam didn’t care. He slipped his tongue against Herne’s and worked the kiss with an affection that sang sweeter each season they passed together. The demispirit of the holly, while not always in perfect agreement with his lover, had been created to cherish the oak.

When Herne finally broke the kiss, he cupped Tam’s face and growled in hunger. Tam gasped for air, and his cock ached. He needed Herne to pull him closer, to fuck him to oblivion, and he couldn’t contain the lust that flooded his veins.

An exquisite pain ripped through his head, and the pressure released. As Herne caressed him, his antlers surged upward from his skull. When Herne had made him a demispirit, he’d shared his crown. Though not as majestic as Herne’s, Tam’s horns were now as impressive as those of a buck in his prime, covered in a velvety down.

Panting, Tam scuffed his foot and straightened, adjusting to the weight on his head. When he leaned closer to Herne, their bony appendages interwove with a noisy clack.

Click here to win a copy!

Locking Horns (The Greenwood) Coming June 25th, from Loose Id. A new novella continuing the adventures of Herne the Hunter! Set in the Greenwood universe.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Bound to the Beast

by Kay Berrisford

Giveaway ends June 30, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Valerie will be awarding several print copies of her book to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (US only) and a grand prize of a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour! Check out all the stops here.

BLURB:

When your family, your home, and the very land you stand on are destroyed, what do you do?  If you are a shifter of Massa, you turn around and fight.  You fight, because the blood oath will have it no other way. 

The idyllic lives of four elemental shifters living in the exiled land of Pyraan are shattered when a tour of legion duty gives witness to a brutal enemy invasion.  Despite the heroic efforts of the shifters, the land falls to the invaders.  As the only survivors, the four friends are forced to flee south into the lands from which they were banished to warn of the invasion.  Heartbroken and weary, the shifters soon learn that the safe haven they hoped to find is cloaked in danger.  Throughout a journey fraught with prophesy, betrayal and peril, an enduring friendship prevails, love blossoms, and a riveting saga unravels.

Scroll on for an excerpt

The three Dwarves pushed their way back into the pitch-blackness of the palace.

“Dillon, where is the torch?” asked Janin, and Rogan could hear her fumbling around.

Dillon sounded panicked.  “I left one right here and it is gone!”

Now that his eyes were adjusting to the gloom, Rogan could see the outline of the two Dwarves feeling around in the dark for the torch.  He called forth a flame of light.  “Does this help?”

They both looked up at him with a gasp, a mixture of both surprise and anger on their faces.  “Do not do that!” snarled Janin.

Shaking his head in confusion, Rogan said, “We need light, do we not?  This is light.”

“It is light created from magic which, in case you have not heard, is outlawed on this island,” retorted Dillon.

“Yes, well, the world has changed, Dillon.  The Magical Kingdom of Pyraan has been destroyed, we are under threat of slavery at best and annihilation at worse by a rogue Mage, and we are running for our lives from a King who wants to murder me.  Against that, you are worried about a flame to light our way?”

“Good point,” murmured Dillon with a shrug.

Rogan turned away from them in frustration.  “I do not understand this fear of magic.  Please tell me so I understand!”

Dillon shuffled his feet, at a loss as to how to answer his question.  Janin had no such qualms.  “Have you forgotten that you were exiled in Pyraan for a reason, shifter?  Did they not teach you anything about the legacy of magic use?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, and the legacy of magic before three evil Mages decided to destroy the world was inspiring.  Magic was used to heal the dying, to create cures for the sick, to defend the weak.  Does having magic automatically make you an evil person?  If a Dwarf kills another, does it make all Dwarves murderers?  If a dog bites a child, does it mean all dogs bite people?” He shook his head in frustration.  “You cannot confine the legacy of magic to the Mage War, you just cannot.”

Janin gazed at him with a look he could not identify.  “No, and I will admit that there are valuable uses to magic.  But, there is also the ability to cause great harm on a very large scale.  If one Dwarf kills another, it is one person.  If a dog bites a child, it is one child.  If an evil Mage decides to use magic for sinister purpose, he can destroy the world.  That, my friend, is why we are afraid.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Fantasy author, Valerie Zambito, lives in York, New York with her husband and three sons.  After having been involved in a busy sales career for twenty years, a passionate love for great storytelling, world building, character creation, and all things magic have led to the release of her epic fantasy series, Island Shifters, and young adult, paranormal romance series, Angels of the Knights.

Books:

Book One:  Island Shifters – An Oath of the Blood

Book Two:  Island Shifters – An Oath of the Mage

Book Three:  Island Shifters – An Oath of the Children

Book Four:  Island Shifters – An Oath of the Kings

Angels of the Knights – Fallon

Angels of the Knights – Blane

Classroom Heroes

Website: 
http://www.valeriezambito.com/

Buy Links:

Amazon: 

Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-shifters-an-oath-of-the-blood-valerie-zambito/1107956340

iTunes: 
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/island-shifters-oath-blood/id489783195?mt=11

Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/107230

Valerie will be awarding several print copies of her book to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (US only) and a grand prize of a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour! Check out all the stops here.

“This is a hop for authors, publishers, bloggers… basically anyone who loves dirty books, has a website or blog, and wants to join in!

The hop runs from 25th – 27th June, and the theme is eye candy. So, whatever you want to do around that theme, be it a blog post, a character interview, an excerpt, the choice is yours. Just make sure it’s dirty!”

Click here for more info and to sign up

Meanwhile, there’s still a chance to win a copy of my m/m fantasy romance Lord of the Forest here at Night Owl Reviews!

Incidentally, Lord of the Forest has been reviewed at Night Owl this week, and selected as a top pick!  Read the full review here.

Meanwhile, there’s still a chance to celebrate a Hot Little Month and win our $75 GC grand prize. Find out more here – plus read an excerpt from Lord of the Forest.

Ashes of the Day is one of the books included in our One Hot Little Month blog tour – find out more about this group of fantastic reads here.  For a chance to win our grand tour prize of a $75 GC, click here to enter! Or enter through Facebook.

Blurb: Only blood can break your heart.

Ashes of the Day, Children of Night, Book 4

New Year’s Eve, 1999. The world is braced for Y2K, but that’s not the only ticking time bomb in Conrad’s life. Damian wouldn’t be the first vampire to find a way to die, but Conrad is determined he will not be one of them.

Present day. Damian struggles to trust that fate could possibly be kind enough to give him a love as perfect as Conrad’s. Conrad balances on the keen edge of his own fear that one more slip of his formidable control could drive his lover away—permanently.

Julie learns the hard way it’s not just interspecies relationships that seldom work out. Even between vampires, love is not a smooth course.

Meanwhile, intrigue and conflict within the nest continue to grow, fueled in no small part by Georgia’s slipping hold on a deadly secret. Marc works to consolidate his position as leader of the ferals—and discovers that being a walking anomaly has certain advantages. Including some that are totally unexpected.

Product Warnings:

Contains more love triangles, more power struggles, more tears and teeth gnashing, and even more graphic scenes of manlove between moody, domestically inclined vampires than in previous editions. Definitely not recommended for anyone suffering from ALSSD (Auld Lang Syne Sensitivity Disorder) or with aversions to ballrooms, evening clothes, sarcasm, or close-quarter stiletto combat.

Buy it now

Scroll on for an excerpt

Excerpt:

From his place at Conrad’s side, on the dais at the front of the room, Damian surveyed the assembly. Though his gaze tracked Georgia’s progress through the crowd, he tried to disguise his interest, tried not to let his annoyance show. Of course she would choose to wear a gown that left so much of her back exposed, that would showcase her tattoo. He should have anticipated she would do such a thing. Once, such a thing wouldn’t have bothered him, once, when he himself wore the same mark…

“Something wrong, caro?” Conrad inquired. “You seem unhappy. Why is that? Your party appears to be quite a success. I should think you’d be more pleased.”

Damian shrugged. “Sí. I am pleased. It’s just…well, there are several things that are not as I’d hoped. For one, the New Year is only minutes away and Marc is not yet here. I had hoped he would at least stop by for a few minutes.”

“Let the boy have his space, my dear. As I’ve said, it’s probably for the best that he stay away. It’s not the first New Year you’ve celebrated without him and it’s such a small thing, one moment in time. What does it matter, when set against all the rest? Besides, look over there; at least uno de sus bebés is here tonight. Julie is looking quite lovely, don’t you think? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her in that color before.”

“I’m sure you have, you know,” Damian pointed out. “You just don’t recall it.”

“Very possible, I suppose. In any event, I commend you on choosing to stipulate evening wear for this event. I’m enjoying this so much more than the last party you threw. I don’t miss all the outlandish costumes or the inevitable hurt feelings when one fails to correctly interpret what someone else is wearing. Plus, this look flatters everyone.”

Everyone? Damian could not help but notice the warmth in Conrad’s eyes as his gaze lingered on Georgia once again. And that damned tattoo. “Oh, indeed. Everyone’s looking marvelous. In fact I was just thinking that very thing. Christian, in particular, looks wonderfully well. Did you not think so? Muy atractivo. But, then again, he always was.”

Conrad’s mouth tightened infinitesimally. “Damian,” he growled in warning tones. “Don’t start.”

“What? You disagree?” Damian feigned surprise. “But how is this possible? You once were quite enamored of him, were you not?”

“Did you think so? I, myself, would hardly have phrased it that way.”

“Ah, well, perhaps this time it is my memory that’s in error. How would you phrase it?”

Conrad turned to look at him and the smoldering heat in his gaze struck Damian like a fist. “As I recall, caro, it was you with whom I was enamored—both then and now. That is how I would phrase it, if you really wish to know, and that is what I would have you remember, instead of all this other nonsense.”

The sincerity in Conrad’s tone caused Damian’s heart to race and he found he could no longer comfortably meet that heated gaze. He turned his head away as a hot blush rose in his cheeks.

Conrad took hold of his chin, forcing Damian to face him once more. “Considering it’s my own feelings we’re discussing, my love, I wonder if we might not agree—just this once—to allow my recollections to stand?”

Damian nodded. “Of-of course,” he stammered in breathless tones. “As-as you wish, querido.”

Buy it now

Ashes of the Day is one of the books included in our One Hot Little Month blog tour – find out more about this group of fantastic reads here.  For a chance to win our grand tour prize of a $75 GC, click here to enter! Or enter through Facebook.

Blurb: Colonial Mining Authority agent Natalia Hallowell doesn’t always play by the rules, but she wouldn’t compromise a case either. Put on administrative leave under a cloud of accusation, with no support from her boss, Natalia seeks a little anonymous companionship at her favorite bar. But she’s surprised when the woman who catches her fancy starts buying her drinks.

Desperate, Genevieve “Gennie” Caine has no choice but to seduce, drug and tie Natalia to the bed to get her attention. With the Reyes Corporation after something she has, Gennie needs Natalia to open an investigation and distract them long enough for her to get off Nevarro.

Natalia doesn’t trust Gennie–despite the growing attraction between them–but the corporation’s suspiciously high profits and abnormal business dealings convince her that they must be hiding something. She has no idea just how deep the deceptions run…

For more tales of intrigue on Nevarro, check out Rulebreaker and Caught in Amber, available now!

Scroll on for an excerpt!

CHAPTER ONE

Senior Colonial Mining Authority agent Natalia Hallowell slammed both palms on her supervisor’s desk and leaned toward him, arms stiff. She pressed her fingertips into the surface until they turned white. “That’s three months of undercover work you’re throwing out.” Garces raised an eyebrow at her. Natalia suppressed a growl and added the obligatory, “Sir.”

He flicked a glance at her chest before meeting her eyes again. She’d worn a high-collared sweater and loose trousers, her usual office attire, so there was nothing for him to see.

What an ass.

Garces leaned back in his leather chair, the material of his black-and-gold uniform stretching across his chest, and spread his hands in a “what can I tell you?” gesture that made her want to punch him.

Insubordination was one thing; assault made the Nevarro CMA brass uncomfortable. It was probably best to leave her pulser holstered at her hip too.

“Illegal search and seizure, Hallowell.”

Heat surged up Natalia’s neck and into her face. Between the red coloring she knew stained her cheeks and the strands of hair that had come loose from the bun, she probably looked skitzie. She certainly felt that way at the moment. Sure, she’d had to skirt the edges of legal searches now and again—what agent hadn’t?—but not this time. She’d been meticulous in her preparations for catching Hirahm Brothers Services skimming credits off supply contracts. At least she’d thought she’d covered everything. The investigation had ensnared not only the elder Hirahm brother but a couple of the government’s own lower-level contract developers as well. “Illegal? How?”

“Hirahm claims there’s no evidence that would merit a search, and you were never given open access to his office, SI or records.” Garces laced his fingers together on the desk. His look of frustration seemed to mirror her own, but something gleamed in the supervisor’s dark eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched with contempt. Not for the situation, she realized, but for Natalia herself.

What the hell?

“Bullshit.” She straightened, curling her hands into fists at her sides. “Sir. I followed procedure in gaining his confidence. He brought me into his office himself that night, too drunk to do more than cop a feel then pass out.”

She’d done worse with targets in the past and had been relieved when Hirahm had dropped into his chair and started snoring. He’d stunk of too much alcohol and the smoke of synthetic tobacco. With him safely unconscious, she’d accessed his system interface and copied the data necessary to bring charges, using codes and passwords she’d gleaned from Hirahm when he worked outside the office. She’d watched the man more closely than he had realized and utilized a comm app that analyzed hand movement and reflections. Had she somehow triggered a security alert to Hirahm?

Garces shrugged, as if having one of his agents accused of sloppy procedure was commonplace. “That’s not what his solicitors are saying. Their take is that you convinced him to bring you up then drugged his drink to make him open files before he passed out. Until this gets straightened out in Legal, the surveillance vids are all we have to go on. Everything you retrieved from his computer is inadmissible.”

The heat of anger seeped out of her body, replaced by a spine-stiffening chill of rage. “The vid doesn’t show enough without the corroborating evidence from Hirahm’s SI files. The CMA subcontractor and the Hirahm man on it are alumni of the same university and claim they’ve known each other for years. Nothing in their exchange is specific to the charges. He’ll never get convicted.” She folded her arms. “I don’t agree with Legal.”

“You don’t have to agree.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “If Legal says it’s not gonna fly, it’s not gonna fly. I agree with them, and that’s what matters, as far as you’re concerned.”

She purposely glanced down, pretending to study her gray trousers and boots, classic posturing to show submission. Not that she felt anything approaching submissiveness with Garces, even if he was her boss. He had a problem with her, for some reason she couldn’t fathom. They didn’t have the most congenial relationship, but it leaned more toward cool and civil than hostile. As long as she did her job, he left her alone. What had she done recently to warrant this particular brand of scorn? If Garces had issues with his agents or their actions, he was quick to let them know. This felt different. A disturbing tingle danced along the nape of her neck. Natalia dug her fingers into her sides to keep herself from saying or doing something she might later regret. The pain cleared her head of visions of leaping across the desk to pummel the man.

She looked up to meet his gaze. “I’ll review my report and the operations records again to see if I can come up with something Legal can use.”

“Go ahead,” he said with another dismissive shrug, “but on your own time. The director has already made it clear we’re going to back off for now then take a go at Hirahm from another angle.”

Which was often CMA-speak for “We’ll get to it when we get to it.” Natalia hated leaving a job in limbo. Get in, get it done and put the bad guys away was how she liked to operate.

“I’m all for that. What does she have in mind?”

Garces shook his head. “Not you. Your in with Hirahm has been compromised. You’re off the case.”

Natalia stared at him, blinking, momentarily unable to sort the flurry of questions into a coherent thought. Off the case? In all her twelve years as an agent, not once had she been pulled from a case. “But—”

He held up a hand, palm out. “Decision’s been made.” Garces stood and smoothed his uniform tunic. “I’m late for the Colonial Council meeting. Take it up with the director if you have a problem with it.”

If she had a problem with it? She sure as hell had a problem with it. Effectively dismissed, Natalia turned on her heel and stalked to the door.

Son of a bitch bastard—

“But I wouldn’t bother,” Garces continued as she levered the door open. “You know how Director Matthews hates to be second-guessed.”

Natalia squeezed the handle, her entire body shaking. She spun around, accusations of his torpedoing her case on her lips, until their eyes met. Garces wasn’t quite enjoying the ding to her career—it affected him too—but he wasn’t sorry either.

“Let it go, Hallowell.” The words were more advice than menace, though that was there too. “You have plenty on your docket. Hirahm isn’t that important.”

No, in the grand scheme of things the Hirahm case wasn’t all that important. But something made it important enough for Garces, and perhaps the director, to shove it under the proverbial rug. Was it the government clerks who’d been swept up with Hirahm? They were too low-level for Garces and Matthews to give a rat’s ass. It didn’t make sense. None of this made sense.

Natalia managed a sneering, “Yes, sir,” before leaving the office.

The slam of the door behind her sent the exact message she wanted to give Garces. Whatever was going on with him and the Hirahm case, she wasn’t about to let it go. Natalia returned to her cramped office to retrieve her coat. After engaging the door lock with her code and palm print, she headed to the elevator, her boots making no sound on the noise-reducing industrial carpet. A slap of the call button on the wall sent a sting up her arm. Screw Garces. There might be something more going on, but right now she just wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

The elevator door opened onto the utilitarian car. Empty. Good. She wouldn’t have to make polite small talk with another agent or CMA employee. Natalia entered and pressed her palm to the black box near the door.

“Good afternoon, Agent Hallowell. Floor, please.” The elevator’s automated system spoke in a soothing, feminine tone that had been approved by some test group somewhere.

“Employee parking,” Natalia said, feeling anything but soothed as she leaned against the back wall, arms crossed over her chest. “Don’t stop on other floors. System override code NH11717.”

The override was only supposed to be used in emergencies, but screw the anal policy-makers upstairs too.

“Vocal analysis and code approved, Agent. Be aware the conduit to employee parking is under repair,” the elevator said. “Please exit at the lobby and access employee parking via the service elevator or street.”

Damn the void. The advantage of going directly to the employee garage was bypassing the public security check in the lobby. It was faster, requiring only a quick ID and retina/iris scan for approved personnel, and maintained an agent’s anonymity during undercover operations.

Before she could get torqued about the inconvenience, a better idea struck her. No, going home was not on her agenda just yet.

“Fine. The lobby then.”

“Yes, Agent Hallowell.”

The doors closed, and Natalia rode down the thirty-seven floors, fuming at Garces, the director, the repair crew and the crap-ass system that allowed them to make her job one thousand times more difficult than it already was. Natalia rubbed her palms over her cheeks and raked her fingers through her hair, dislodging the bun at her nape. She yanked the hair clip free and shoved it in her coat pocket. Her body language training and instincts said there was something going on with Garces. But what? General pissiness at her? The world? A bad cup of coffee that morning?

She took in a long breath and released it on a slow ten-count as the elevator doors slid open onto the public area of the CMA building. Whatever the problem was, she was too close to it at the moment to think clearly.

“Evening, Agent.” One of the young guards manning the nearby scanning station greeted her with a smile. He held a metal tray in both hands. “How are you today?”

Natalia started to tell him exactly how she was but caught herself. He wasn’t the problem. No need to be a bitch. She managed a small smile in return. “Fine, thanks. How are you, Brodsky?” She glanced at the other guard. “Lassiter?”

Lassiter nodded to her from behind his podium.

Brodsky beamed. “Doing well, ma’am. Please walk through at your convenience.”

Despite the fact that she was a known agent and would have normally used the unmanned garage access, Natalia was required to go through the same procedures as anyone off the street if she passed through the lobby. She unclipped the holster from her belt. The bio-code in the grip read her print and took a swipe of DNA for instant analysis, allowing her to remove the pulser. She detached the power pack before setting the pieces and her comm on the tray.

“Um, pockets, Agent Hallowell?” Brodsky’s cheeks pinked, perhaps embarrassed he had to remind her of procedure.

“Right. Sorry.”

Natalia emptied her coat and trouser pockets of a few colorful cred chits and a pair of leather gloves then placed them on the tray. Anything an agent carried on their person was usually preapproved and coded to be allowed to pass. Which meant Natalia could have insisted on going through the public scanner without emptying her pockets, but why give Brodsky and Lassiter a hassle?

Brodsky slid the tray into a white rectangular box beside the arched net matrix of the body scanner. Natalia passed under the security framework. A soft hum filled the air. Lassiter and Brodsky watched their screens until she and her belongings were cleared, assured she wasn’t smuggling information out.

She reclaimed her items from the tray. The power pack went back into the butt of her pulse pistol, and she secured the weapon in the holster at her hip, covering it with her long coat. In no mood to talk to anyone from the CMA, she flicked off her comm then dropped it into her coat pocket.

She was in no mood to deal with anything but a glass of whisky. A couple of drinks and some anonymous company was what she needed. The soles of her boots rang on the tiled floor as she strode across the lobby to the main entrance. She shoved open the revolving door, overriding the electronic detectors that had sensed her approach and begun the perfect speed of revolution. Straining her muscles against the resistance of the metal and plasti-glass felt good, especially if she pretended the door was Garces.

Out on the street in front of the Pandalus office of CMA headquarters, Natalia cinched the tie of her coat tighter and stopped to take a head-clearing breath. Wind that had rushed down the slopes of the distant mountain range funneled between mega scrapers, blowing frigid air and grit along the walkway. Summer on Nevarro’s North Continent felt a lot like its winter.

It wasn’t snowing yet, and no one seemed to be in a hurry to get indoors. Ground cars hissed past on the wet street as air cars cruised high overhead, their speed deceptively lethargic compared to the vehicles on the street. Lighted signs flashed adverts for everything from bubbly drinks to new, smaller comms to eateries. Natalia maneuvered around slower foot traffic and followed a familiar path to her favorite after-work bar.

* * *

The sign for The Hotel Carmen came into view, and Natalia sighed in relief as well as self-reproach. She visited The Carmen more often than she should, especially in the last few weeks. A drink after work was one thing. Several drinks several evenings in a row and one-nighters that rarely lasted until morning more than twice a week was not good.

She could blame Garces all she wanted, but it would be better for her to find another way to cope with him and the stress of work. Just not today. She stepped inside and took a deep breath of the mingled scents of wood polish, fruity alcohol and warm bodies. Six or eight people sat at the bar, and small groups occupied a few tables to the right. Reba, the bartender, looked up when she entered.

Natalia held up two fingers then gestured to the left. Reba waved acknowledgement and handed a tall glass of black beer to a man. Soft lighting and dark paneling made the bar seem cool and dim, but it was a good twenty degrees warmer than outside. Natalia slipped her coat off and headed to a larger seating and dancing area to the left. She sat at a table for two with her back to the wall, facing the door. Reba approached, tray in hand.

“Rough day?” She set down the whiskies. Two centimeters of amber liquid gently sloshed in each squat glass.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Natalia took out her comm. She approved the cost of the drinks and a generous tip to be deducted from her personal account. “Thanks.”

Reba glanced at the comm on her tray and gave a wide grin. “Thank you,” she said then returned to the bar.

As usual, the first whisky went down fast, burning despite the high quality of the liquor. Natalia closed her eyes, the heat filling her sinuses, throat and chest as it made a path to her stomach. Only after it settled there did the delicate oak and floral essence hit her palate. Some would say gulping fine whisky was a sin, but she needed the kick.

Opening her eyes, Natalia lifted the second glass and sipped, tasting the mellow undertones this time. A few regulars sat at the bar, ignoring her as she ignored them. The door opened, and a tall, stunning woman with windblown, golden-brown hair walked in. She was about Natalia’s age, somewhere in her mid-thirties unless she’d had cosmetic nanos implanted. Her worn leather coat stopped at curvy hips; dark trousers covered long legs. She slid her hand along the closure of her jacket as she shut the door. The jacket slipped down her arms, and she caught it before it hit the floor. Her snug green sweater hugged generous breasts and a trim waist. Natalia gave a soft moan of appreciation.

The woman scanned the front area of the bar, taking it in, not as if she were looking for a particular person. She swept long bangs back off her forehead. Her gaze traveled to the section where Natalia sat. Their eyes met, and Natalia smiled. The woman smiled back then took a seat at the bar, her profile toward Natalia.

Ah well, maybe she is waiting for someone.

Several more patrons entered, giving Natalia a few more subjects to absently watch while she sipped and pushed the mess with Garces as far out of her mind as she could. A couple in the corner argued quietly, tense faces and abrupt hand gestures broadcasting their disagreement as loudly as a shouting match. She turned away, allowing them what little privacy they could have in a crowded bar, and focused on the smiling, laughing customers. Who might be looking for the type of company she desired tonight? Something—someone—to keep her mind off the job for a couple of hours?

Dance music suddenly blasted out of the concealed speakers. People made their way to the open center of the floor and started gyrating. Watching the couples, threesomes and foursomes swaying together, sometimes kissing or stroking, separating then finding new partners, mystified Natalia.

Casual sex was one thing, but she wasn’t one to share once she was in a longer relationship. Her ex, Sophie, had said it was her jealousy and need for control that kept Natalia from enjoying more inspired encounters. Natalia had argued it was more a matter of focusing on that one person. Sophie certainly hadn’t complained about Natalia’s single-mindedness when they were together.

Reba wove through the bodies, tray held high, and set another whisky on the table. Natalia peered up at her, one eyebrow cocked. She hadn’t ordered a third but had been considering it. “You reading customers’ minds all of a sudden?”

The younger woman smiled. “Nah. This one’s from an admirer.”

The brunette in the green sweater stepped from behind Reba. Her brown eyes found Natalia’s, and Natalia stifled a sharp breath; she was even more striking up close.

“My name’s Gennie,” the woman said, her voice as mellow as the whisky in the glass. “Mind if I join you?”

* * *

Natalia stood behind Gennie at the hotel room door while the other woman fished her key card from her jacket pocket. She ran her hands over the brunette’s hips and brought their bodies together while nuzzling the back of her neck. The floral aroma of her silky hair filled Natalia’s senses.

Gennie turned her head and brushed her lips across Natalia’s, breaking contact before Natalia could deepen the kiss. “You’re making it very difficult for me to open the door.”

Natalia slipped her hands under Gennie’s sweater and caressed her way up the flat stomach to the undersides of her breasts, controlling the urge to go further. “Sorry.”

She grinned. “Liar.”

The lock mechanism beeped, and Gennie levered the handle. Natalia guided her through, shutting the door behind them. Hands back on the other woman’s waist, she turned Gennie around and pressed her against the wall, body to body, mouth on mouth. They were almost the same height, their breasts creating delicious friction as they moved together. Gennie’s full lips parted, their tongues twined. She tasted of whisky and heat, and Natalia wanted more.

Gennie moaned into Natalia’s mouth as she ran her hands along Natalia’s arms. She pushed the long coat off Natalia’s shoulders, and the garment dropped to the floor with a soft thud. For half a second, Natalia thought about the pulser holstered at her hip. The piece and holster were bio-coded, so there was no fear of Gennie getting the weapon out, let alone using it against her. Would the pulser scare the woman? Turn her on?

Gennie trailed her fingernails along the front waistband of Natalia’s trousers then up under her sweater. She caressed Natalia’s side with one hand, moving higher with each stroke until she reached Natalia’s breasts, her palm hot. The other hand stayed at Natalia’s back, fingertips tracing a tantalizing figure-eight pattern that dipped below her waistband.

Natalia’s heart rate kicked up, and her breathing increased. An electric zing shot from her nipples to her groin. She kissed Gennie’s neck, taking in her sweet, musky scent as she nudged the green sweater up. She cupped Gennie’s bare breasts and circled the taut nipples with her thumbs.

Gennie arched her back, pressing her hips against Natalia’s. She took the gold stud in Gennie’s earlobe between her lips and tugged, smiling when Gennie sucked in a breath.

Natalia gently bit then kissed the side of her neck, her cheek, her lips. “You taste and feel amazing.”

“You too,” Gennie said, “but…”

Natalia felt a hesitancy shimmer through the woman. Was she having second thoughts about inviting a stranger to her room? But then Gennie deepened the kiss, belying that notion. Still kissing, Natalia guided her toward the bed across the room. A little apprehension could be as erotic as confidence.

A sharp pain surged across Natalia’s lower back. Instinctively, she pushed away from Gennie, blinking at sudden blurry vision. Her legs wobbled, and she stumbled in an effort to brace herself against the wall.

“I’m sorry,” Gennie said, her voice sounding like it was coming through layers of cotton wool.

“What the hell did you do to me?” The words formed in Natalia’s brain but came out a mumbled mess. Then there was nothing.

(You KNOW you want to know what happens next ; )

Deep Deception is one of the books featured in our One Hot Little Month blog tour – find out more about the featured books here, plus for a chance to win our grand prize of a $75 GC click here to enter! Or enter through Facebook.

This month, I teamed up with some amazing romance writers, including P.G.Forte, Cathy Pegau, Erin Nicholas, and Cathryn Cade for a blog tour and a bit of giveaway fun! Over the next few days, I’m going to be hosting excerpts from a variety of these authors’ books, starting today, with an excerpt from my m/m fantasy adventure, Lord of the Forest.

Want to win a $75 GC? Click here to enter! Or enter through Facebook. For more about the writers involved in One Hot Little Month, please visit here.

Blurb: England, 1217. Dark forces are rising. In the Greenwood, foul spirits grow powerful, and greedy barons plunder the lands. Only one man dares fight back—Robin Hood.

Robin’s band of brothers is broken. Now a lone warrior, he denies his famous name and laments the friends and lovers he’s lost. When the fair folk capture Cal, a beautiful young forester descended from the Greenwood’s ancient protectors, Robin rescues him and forges a new alliance.

Despite a sizzling attraction, Robin senses Cal isn’t like his old comrades, and he’s right. Cal’s been raised as a royal spy. He plans to seduce and betray Robin, but can’t harm the man he’s falling hard for. Mistrust and arguments spill into passionate lovemaking, as Cal learns the meaning of loyalty, fighting beside Robin, the only friend he’s ever known. Even the enchanted forest seeks to bind Robin and the returned protector ever tighter.

Their connection will be tested by nature’s wildest forces, Robin’s past, Cal’s lies, and in a baron’s darkest dungeon. To survive, Robin and Cal must admit their love and embrace their true destinies. Only then can they save England and each other—and win their happiness ever after.

Excerpt from Lord of the Forest.

Now as they stalked small game, another of Cal’s arrows went awry. The lad cursed like a king who’d lost his crown. He threw down his bow and looked ready to stamp on it.

“’Tis no problem.” Robin grinned and picked through the gorse to reach him. “Coneys are flighty little buggers, and look, I already have a brace.” He lifted the rabbits but opted not to mention the young hart he’d draped over his shoulder. Cal’s glare heated. “It’s not a contest, lad.”

“Damn good job it’s not.” Cal sighed. “You’d win every time. I’m hopeless.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve been practicing this all my life.” Robin slung down the meat, then plucked Cal’s bow from the dead ferns and handed it back to the lad. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and pointed to a slender witchwood tree about ten yards off. “I’ll wager you can strike that through.”

“I suppose I’ve a faint chance,” grumbled Cal. “As long as it doesn’t start walking away.” He nocked the arrow and raised his bow, wrinkling his nose as he focused. His stance looked wrong, his toes pointing in. Robin pulled a face too.

“Try standing side-on, and plant your feet farther apart.” He turned Cal, who scowled, then relented. Glad to feel Cal loosen up, Robin tilted the lad’s head so he faced his target. Cal’s knuckles were white about the yew shaft. “Don’t clasp so tight. Now keep everything but your arm and head still, and give it a go.”

Cal unleashed, and his shot glanced off the edge of the trunk, then skittered to the dirt.

“Shit.” Cal laughed, twisting to face Robin. “Could have been worse?”

“It was excellent, but you swiveled your waist as you released. Let’s give it another try.” He handed over another arrow, then wrapped his body about Cal’s. As Cal pulled back the cord, Robin tried to hold him still. Cal’s golden hair tickled his chin, and their bodies molded together as if created to fit this way. Cal’s rounded backside rubbed beneath Robin’s groin.

“Concentrate,” Robin muttered, as much to himself as to Cal. It did no good. The lad squirmed, shifting his arse, and the contact set Robin’s cock jerking. Cal threw down his weapon and snickered.

“I couldn’t strike a target the size of a mountain with you grinding your prick against my arse, and I don’t care. I’ll never be as good as you.” He licked claret-red lips and pulled Robin back to him. “How about you fuck me into the forest floor instead?”

Robin mastered temptation that threatened to devour him, then puffed his cheeks and calmed his racing blood. He’d love to indulge the lad, but they both knew it wasn’t safe here. Though Brock and Odo’s men never ventured far into the forest, he and Cal had wandered too near the verges to let their guard down so recklessly.

“We’d better wait till we get back.”

Read another excerpt and buy it from Loose Id.

Also at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and All Romance. Add it on Goodreads!

Want to win a 75$ GC? Click here to enter! Or enter through Facebook. And for more about the writers involved in One Hot Little Month, please visit here.