Mon. Dec. 28th
Altered by Marnee Blake
Tue. Dec. 29th
The Exorcist Who Loved Me by Jennifer Savalli
Smoldering Hunger (Dark Kings #8) by Donna Grant
Vendetta (Deadly Curiosities #2) by Gail Z. Martin
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Promo + Giveaway: The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire by Sara Humphreys
The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire Dead in the City #4
Beloved author Sara Humphreys' acclaimed paranormal romance series continues with sweltering attraction between two vampires who have all the time in the world to satisfy their desires...
He wants eternity?
Dakota Shelton is a vampire cowboy with a penchant for cinnamon lollipops and Johnny Cash. Though highly skilled and deadly dangerous to his enemies, he's still a Texas good ol' boy at heart. And he has that heart set on wooing Trixie LaRoux-the most badass punk rock chick in town-the old-fashioned way.
Over her undead body...
Trixie is tough as nails and sharp as a silver stake-the last thing she wants is a man to sit on a porch and not grow old with. So it'll take going to hell and back fighting a new threat to vampires before she admits Dakota's courtship makes her blood hum. Turns out chivalry's not dead after all.
Excerpt:
Hidden within the lush branches of the towering tree, Trixie crouched low to avoid hitting her head on a dangling clump of pinecones. This had been her usual spot ever since Chelsea moved in a year ago, but those freaking pinecones always got tangled in her hair. Uncomfortable as it was, this location gave her a clear view into the kitchen and family room of the tiny house. The thick scent of the pine needles filled Trixie’s nose as she sat motionless amid the branches, unnoticed by the human woman inside the little white clapboard cottage.
Trixie’s throat tightened with emotion. With her enhanced hearing, she picked up Chelsea’s tuneless hum as she washed dishes in the small sink. She seemed content and peaceful. A combination of pride and sadness swirled inside Trixie—but not regret. That was one emotion she never allowed herself to entertain. Everyone made hard choices; living with the consequences of some choices was harder than making them.
She shouldn’t be here. But she couldn’t manage to stay away, either. Not for long, anyway. Trixie could go maybe two or three months without checking on the girl, but then the nagging pull of worry would drag her back.
Was Chelsea safe? Was she happy?
Those were the only two questions that Trixie ever wanted answered. Based on the satisfied, wistful smile on Chelsea’s sweet face, the answer to both right now was a resounding ‘yes’.
Trixie adjusted her position on the thick branch, the treads of her combat boots digging into the rough bark. It hadn’t always been that way; there had been difficult times. Times when Trixie hadn’t been able to stop herself from intervening. She had only wanted to give Chelsea a gift—an anonymous gift—but when Olivia found out about it she was freaking furious. The vampire community did not look upon meddling in human lives fondly. That didn’t matter.
All that mattered was making sure that Chelsea was okay.
The alarm on Trixie’s cellphone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans. She swore under her breath and pulled it out before quickly shutting it off. The club would be opening soon and she had to go back to get the bar stocked and ready. She glanced at Chelsea one last time before shooting into the night sky. Maybe tomorrow, after the party, she would come back for another quick visit.
As long no one found out, what could it hurt?
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Find Sara and her books
__________________________________
Tour Wide
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Week in Review: 12/20-12/26
Books Received for Review
The Last Dream Keeper by Amber Benson- Publisher
Books I've Read
Ash by Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone
Gambit by C.L. Denault
Mercury Striking by Rebecca Zanetti
Reviews Posted
I was out of town (without my computer) for the holidays, so there were no reviews this week.
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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?
* Monday- Interview + Giveaway for Dying Light by Kory M. Shrum
* Wednesday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for The V Girl by Mya Robarts
* Thursday- Promo for 4 FREE eBooks from Felicity Heaton and Caris Roane
* Friday- Happy Holidays!
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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?
* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?
You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Happy Holidays!
I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. I hope no matter what holiday you celebrate that it was filled with lots of love and joy.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Promo: 4 FREE eBooks from Felicity Heaton and Caris Roane
Two New York Times best-selling paranormal romance authors have teamed up to bring your four reads to warm up your winter and heat up those holidays. Not only that, but by signing up to receive the free ebooks, you will also be in with a shot of winning one of two $50 Amazon Gift Cards in an international giveaway.
This fantastic offer is open now but will end on January 3rd, so be sure to head on over to http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/free-paranormal-romances/index.php and enter now to avoid disappointment.
Get these hot paranormal romances today and begin your journey into four incredible and enchanting worlds packed with passionate alpha heroes and sassy heroines.
Here’s a teaser from one of the books to tempt you…
Excerpt from Covet by Felicity Heaton (it’s a touch naughty!)
The human women sat down on the two red leather couches positioned in the middle of the stage, one on each. Crimson spotlights bathed them, making them look as though blood covered their skin. In perfect synchronisation, the broad bare male vampires crouched before their woman, lifted the opposite leg to each other and started to kiss along it from ankle to knee.
It wasn’t turning her on.
Lilah told herself it a thousand times over but the sight of the vampire couple fornicating at the front of the stage and the forced seduction happening behind them had her heart pounding and her nipples hardening against the tight top of her uniform dress.
“I need to question you about Victor.” Javier’s deep accented voice coming from behind her caused her to drop her broom and turn.
She panted hard, startled and trying to get her arousal under control so he wouldn’t sense it.
His dark brown gaze slid to the stage and then back to her.
Lilah quickly bent to pick up her broom. When she straightened, Javier’s eyes were on her dress, his pupils wide in the low light coming up from below. The moans on stage grew louder and she tried to ignore them and push the images of the couples out of her mind.
“Why did you hit Victor?” Javier said, more composed than she was. Didn’t the show affect him at all? He had crossed the theatre without pausing to watch and his eyes were fixed on her now. She had heard that he and his partners had been running the theatre for almost a century. He had probably grown immune to whatever was playing out on the stage.
“Because he was hurting Nia.” It came out blunter than she had intended and she added, “Sir.”
Javier’s eyebrow rose. “Victor said you had no grounds to strike him.”
“Then he’s a liar and a bastard.”
“He’s an elite.” The darkness in his tone was reprimand enough to Lilah. She bowed her head.
“My apologies.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Javier so she glanced to one side when she brought her head back up. It was a mistake. The act on stage was getting hotter, with the two humans now kneeling on the couches and swallowing the rigid cocks of their partners as they stood before them. She ripped her gaze away and closed her eyes, figuring it was safer. That way she didn’t risk seeing the anger in Javier’s eyes or the debauchery on stage, and she could keep a clear head. “He was forcing himself on Nia and she told him to stop. When he didn’t, I hit him. I thought he might stop and block me.”
“He said Nia was cut. He was under the influence of his hunger. That is why he didn’t stop.”
That made sense. “Nia cut her hand on some glass. A mirror in the main dressing room had broken. We had to clean it up and she cut herself.”
He muttered a ripe curse in Spanish and stepped towards her. “Were you cut?”
Lilah opened her eyes, looked up into the dark pools of his, and shook her head. “No.”
The relief that swamped his eyes surprised her and sent fear into her blood. What if she had been the one to cut herself? Would Victor have tried to touch her and taste her instead? Would Nia have tried to stop him or would she have let him hurt her?
“You must be more careful around our kind,” Javier said and she nodded slowly, unable to take her eyes off his.
The moans from the stage grew louder and she blushed when Javier looked towards the performance.
“Will I be punished?” She tried to shut out the sounds. Javier’s gaze returned to her and he shook his head.
“Victor overstepped the line.” He frowned and turned quiet for so long that she couldn’t ignore the noises coming from the stage. She glanced across at them. Javier’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you like to watch them?”
Her eyes shot wide and she instantly shook her head. He stepped closer, slid his hand over her jaw in a way that had her shivering and her breath quaking, and carefully turned her face towards the stage. His thumb and fingers remained against her face, holding her gently, warming her down to her bones and causing a flood of arousal to sweep through her.
He traced his hand down her throat and stepped up behind her. What was he doing? She trembled under his touch, anticipating pain from it but feeling nothing but pleasure.
“Does it arouse you when you watch them fucking?” he breathed into her ear and she shivered, her eyelids dropping, a ripple of shock running over her skin at hearing him say such a thing.
“I don’t watch them,” she whispered, her voice barely there.
“You were watching them when I arrived.” He ran his thumb up her throat and claimed her jaw again. How long had he been watching her before he had said something and torn her attention away from the show? Had he enjoyed watching her while she watched the performance, unaware of his presence and his eyes on her? The thought that he might have sent heat into her blood that pooled in her abdomen, tightening it with arousal.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the show now but she wasn’t taking any of it in. All of her focus was on Javier where he stood behind her, so close that his hip was against her bottom. Why was he doing this? Why wasn’t it hurting her? Was there no pleasure in his touch, no sense of desire inside him as he ran his hands over her throat and pressed his body close to hers?
Lilah sharply turned her head towards him. He was so close to her that his breath skated over her lips, her chin touching his cheek. The darkness of desire in his eyes was unmistakable. There was hunger in his touch, in the way he forced her to face the stage again, clutching her jaw and lowering his mouth to her throat. He drew in a long shaky breath and pressed his brow against the side of her head. “You smell so good… such a temptation.”
He wanted her. Her knees weakened beneath her, legs going slack at the feel of him pressed against her back, his hands firm on her body.
Lilah’s breathing quickened and she stared at the three couples on stage, her heart racing and blood thundering. Javier reached around her and slid his hand over hers where it gripped the pole of the broom. He took it from her and let it fall to the ground as he pressed soft kisses to her bare shoulder and the nape of her neck. They tickled, sending shiver after shiver through her, dizzying her.
This was so wrong.
But that only made it feel more right.
She had wanted him for so long, had craved the feel of his hands on her body, ached to know what it would feel like to be with him. She had never thought it possible though, had thought her bond to Lord Ashville would prevent it and pain her if she accepted the touch of the man she desired with all of her heart.
Javier licked the nape of her neck near her hairline, teasing her, and she couldn’t stop herself from arching her backside into him. He groaned and cursed softly in her ear, kissing it and nibbling it with blunt teeth.
“Watch them,” he whispered into her ear and licked the lobe, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. “Keep watching them while I touch you.”
She nodded and bit back a groan when he slid his hands down over her stomach and then around to her backside, palming it through her short dress. He suckled the lobe of her ear and then kissed her throat and ran his hands up her sides, pressing them in hard as he passed over her ribs. He cupped her breasts and stepped into her. The feel of his erection against her bottom sent a new hot flood of arousal pooling between her thighs. Was this really happening? She felt as though she was imagining it, as though it was a fevered fantasy brought on by watching the show and seeing him crossing the theatre towards her. It didn’t feel real.
“You cannot deny me this,” he uttered into her ear and she trembled at the command in his tone, the hunger that roughened it. “I will have you.”
It wasn’t turning her on.
Lilah told herself it a thousand times over but the sight of the vampire couple fornicating at the front of the stage and the forced seduction happening behind them had her heart pounding and her nipples hardening against the tight top of her uniform dress.
“I need to question you about Victor.” Javier’s deep accented voice coming from behind her caused her to drop her broom and turn.
She panted hard, startled and trying to get her arousal under control so he wouldn’t sense it.
His dark brown gaze slid to the stage and then back to her.
Lilah quickly bent to pick up her broom. When she straightened, Javier’s eyes were on her dress, his pupils wide in the low light coming up from below. The moans on stage grew louder and she tried to ignore them and push the images of the couples out of her mind.
“Why did you hit Victor?” Javier said, more composed than she was. Didn’t the show affect him at all? He had crossed the theatre without pausing to watch and his eyes were fixed on her now. She had heard that he and his partners had been running the theatre for almost a century. He had probably grown immune to whatever was playing out on the stage.
“Because he was hurting Nia.” It came out blunter than she had intended and she added, “Sir.”
Javier’s eyebrow rose. “Victor said you had no grounds to strike him.”
“Then he’s a liar and a bastard.”
“He’s an elite.” The darkness in his tone was reprimand enough to Lilah. She bowed her head.
“My apologies.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Javier so she glanced to one side when she brought her head back up. It was a mistake. The act on stage was getting hotter, with the two humans now kneeling on the couches and swallowing the rigid cocks of their partners as they stood before them. She ripped her gaze away and closed her eyes, figuring it was safer. That way she didn’t risk seeing the anger in Javier’s eyes or the debauchery on stage, and she could keep a clear head. “He was forcing himself on Nia and she told him to stop. When he didn’t, I hit him. I thought he might stop and block me.”
“He said Nia was cut. He was under the influence of his hunger. That is why he didn’t stop.”
That made sense. “Nia cut her hand on some glass. A mirror in the main dressing room had broken. We had to clean it up and she cut herself.”
He muttered a ripe curse in Spanish and stepped towards her. “Were you cut?”
Lilah opened her eyes, looked up into the dark pools of his, and shook her head. “No.”
The relief that swamped his eyes surprised her and sent fear into her blood. What if she had been the one to cut herself? Would Victor have tried to touch her and taste her instead? Would Nia have tried to stop him or would she have let him hurt her?
“You must be more careful around our kind,” Javier said and she nodded slowly, unable to take her eyes off his.
The moans from the stage grew louder and she blushed when Javier looked towards the performance.
“Will I be punished?” She tried to shut out the sounds. Javier’s gaze returned to her and he shook his head.
“Victor overstepped the line.” He frowned and turned quiet for so long that she couldn’t ignore the noises coming from the stage. She glanced across at them. Javier’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you like to watch them?”
Her eyes shot wide and she instantly shook her head. He stepped closer, slid his hand over her jaw in a way that had her shivering and her breath quaking, and carefully turned her face towards the stage. His thumb and fingers remained against her face, holding her gently, warming her down to her bones and causing a flood of arousal to sweep through her.
He traced his hand down her throat and stepped up behind her. What was he doing? She trembled under his touch, anticipating pain from it but feeling nothing but pleasure.
“Does it arouse you when you watch them fucking?” he breathed into her ear and she shivered, her eyelids dropping, a ripple of shock running over her skin at hearing him say such a thing.
“I don’t watch them,” she whispered, her voice barely there.
“You were watching them when I arrived.” He ran his thumb up her throat and claimed her jaw again. How long had he been watching her before he had said something and torn her attention away from the show? Had he enjoyed watching her while she watched the performance, unaware of his presence and his eyes on her? The thought that he might have sent heat into her blood that pooled in her abdomen, tightening it with arousal.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the show now but she wasn’t taking any of it in. All of her focus was on Javier where he stood behind her, so close that his hip was against her bottom. Why was he doing this? Why wasn’t it hurting her? Was there no pleasure in his touch, no sense of desire inside him as he ran his hands over her throat and pressed his body close to hers?
Lilah sharply turned her head towards him. He was so close to her that his breath skated over her lips, her chin touching his cheek. The darkness of desire in his eyes was unmistakable. There was hunger in his touch, in the way he forced her to face the stage again, clutching her jaw and lowering his mouth to her throat. He drew in a long shaky breath and pressed his brow against the side of her head. “You smell so good… such a temptation.”
He wanted her. Her knees weakened beneath her, legs going slack at the feel of him pressed against her back, his hands firm on her body.
Lilah’s breathing quickened and she stared at the three couples on stage, her heart racing and blood thundering. Javier reached around her and slid his hand over hers where it gripped the pole of the broom. He took it from her and let it fall to the ground as he pressed soft kisses to her bare shoulder and the nape of her neck. They tickled, sending shiver after shiver through her, dizzying her.
This was so wrong.
But that only made it feel more right.
She had wanted him for so long, had craved the feel of his hands on her body, ached to know what it would feel like to be with him. She had never thought it possible though, had thought her bond to Lord Ashville would prevent it and pain her if she accepted the touch of the man she desired with all of her heart.
Javier licked the nape of her neck near her hairline, teasing her, and she couldn’t stop herself from arching her backside into him. He groaned and cursed softly in her ear, kissing it and nibbling it with blunt teeth.
“Watch them,” he whispered into her ear and licked the lobe, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. “Keep watching them while I touch you.”
She nodded and bit back a groan when he slid his hands down over her stomach and then around to her backside, palming it through her short dress. He suckled the lobe of her ear and then kissed her throat and ran his hands up her sides, pressing them in hard as he passed over her ribs. He cupped her breasts and stepped into her. The feel of his erection against her bottom sent a new hot flood of arousal pooling between her thighs. Was this really happening? She felt as though she was imagining it, as though it was a fevered fantasy brought on by watching the show and seeing him crossing the theatre towards her. It didn’t feel real.
“You cannot deny me this,” he uttered into her ear and she trembled at the command in his tone, the hunger that roughened it. “I will have you.”
About the books in this offer:
Kissed by a Dark Prince
by Felicity Heaton Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for... Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood. One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is completed... or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud. Will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss? | 
Blood Flame
by Caris Roane Connor, a powerful vampire serving as a Border Patrol Officer for his corrupt world, falls for a gifted witch who has the ability to kill him with a single touch... In BLOOD FLAME, vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he possibly fall in love with her? When a double homicide throws them together, he soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions. But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them both, will the witch be able to forgive the dark secrets of his past? | |
Covet
by Felicity Heaton They’ve burned for each other for two years, the forbidden attraction between them growing each night. Now resisting the sinful desires of their hearts is becoming impossible. Javier knows better than to succumb to his hunger for Lilah. The mortal female belongs to a powerful aristocrat patron of Vampirerotique, the theatre he runs with three other vampires. A single touch is all it would take to break the sacred law of his kind, sentencing himself to death, but his passion for her has become too fierce to ignore and he will risk everything to make Lilah his. When they find themselves alone in a private box during one of the erotic performances, will they surrender to their passion and live out their wildest fantasies in a night of wicked pleasure or will the threat of Lilah’s master keep them apart forever? | 
Embrace the Dark
by Caris Roane Will she fall to temptation and give herself to a vampire... Abigail doesn’t mind doing business with the realm-world, until she discovers she’s a rare commodity called a blood rose, something designed to satisfy the deepest needs of a mastyr vampire. She wants nothing to do with that kind of power and servicing a vampire is just wrong. But Mastyr Gerrod’s resistance to her gift, as well as his hot hunkiness in his Guardsman uniform, soon turns her head and she bends her neck to receive a sharp pair of fangs. Mind-blowing sex, ecstasy, all good things follow. But how can she give up her human world to serve as a blood rose the rest of her life? |
Sign up for these FREE ebooks and enter the giveaway now at http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/free-paranormal-romances/index.php
About Felicity Heaton
|
 If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series. If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: |
About Caris Roane
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Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Guest Blog + Giveaway: The V Girl by Mya Robarts
Top 10 Book Boyfriends
Hello! I’m Mya Robarts, the author of the dystopian romance novel, The V Girl. One of the questions I would ask my favorite authors if or when I had the chance to meet them will be, “Who are your fictional crushes? It would be delightful to find this little piece of themselves and then read the books that feature their book boyfriends (or girlfriends) and make comparisons. Here are my top book boyfriends:
10) Peeta Mellark- The Hunger Games Series
The strength of his feelings, his high set of morals, and his unquestionable loyalty to Katniss make him one of the best book boyfriends. It doesn’t hurt that he has muscles.
9) Lestat de Lioucourt- The Vampire Chronicles
Lestat is one of my favorite anti-heroes. He’s the perfect combination of arrogance, rebelliousness, and poetic self-awareness. I fell in love with him when I met him for the first time in an interview with the Vampire.
8) Lucious Malfoy – The Harry Potter Series
The way Jason Isaacs portrayed him in the movie adaptations made me fall in love with a character who I had overlooked while reading the books.
7) Travis Maddox – Beautiful Disaster
He makes rash decisions, and seems to be calling for trouble, but his eternal commitment to pigeon and the combination of sweetness with strength makes him one of my favorite book boyfriends.
6) Jem Carstairs – The Infernal Devices Series
He’s the guy with a heart of gold and the terrible illness. I have soft spots for chivalrous gentlemen and Jem represents the quintessential, chivalrous hero.
5) Minho – The Maze Runner Series
Minho is a smart, Snarky, and a courageous leader, not to mention he has the Asian look that I find extremely attractive.
4) Mr. Darcy – Pride and Prejudice
He’s broody, mysterious, and 100% committed to his lady.
3) Magnus Bane –The Mortal Instruments
What’s not to love? He has magnetic Asian features and self and he throws parties for his cat.
2) Will Herondale - The Infernal Devices Series
Will has a lot of treats that I appreciate in a hero such as a tragic past, loyalty to the people he loves and a funny, snarky side.
- Aleksey Fürst. – The V Girl.
I have an unhealthy crush on General Fürst. He’s dominant, possessive, handsome, masculine and strong. Yet, he’s gentle in spite of his height and build. He’s never mean to his woman and yet he manages to have certain control over Lila without abusing his power. I love that he fell for Lila and life hard. I hope that soon, you’ll add him to your list of book boyfriends.
What about you? Who are your top ten fictional boyfriends?
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She spent years trying to become a contemporary dance choreographer. Eventually she realized that she enjoyed writing her stories rather than dancing to them.
Robarts is obsessed with books that present damaged characters, swoon-worthy guys, controversial topics and happy endings.
Find Mya and her books
__________________________________
The V GirlAmazon Kobo
In post-apocalyptic North America, rape and sexual slavery are legal. Lila Velez, desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and can take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend, Rey, the most attractive man in her town. Lila does not love him but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute of love.Excerpt:
Lila’s coping mechanism to her mother’s rape and kidnapping is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey, a foreign, broody man. Lila does not trust him because his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. Aleksey offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.
All the while Lila will have to find a way to live in the constant company of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people she loves the most.
Due to mature content, this book is intended for +18 readers.
Just then I hear sounds above the current noise. Steps on the river beach. I’m barely armed not to mention undressed and unprepared. My razors might keep Starville peeping toms at bay, but they’ll be useless against soldiers.
I hear steps approaching and I wade away. In no time I find myself far from where I left my clothes. My best chance to safely get out of this situation is to avoid a fight. I can remain hidden if I move to the other side of the river behind the rocks. If soldiers see me so vulnerable and naked, I’m doomed.
I need to hurry. I have to head home soon and make sure my dad and siblings are safe.
The steps sound like they come from only one person but I can’t be sure. As they sound closer, I notice they come from my right.
I don’t know what I’m more afraid of: the intruder being an armed soldier or the fact of being caught so exposed.
Trying to not splash attract attention, I put distance between me and the steps. Hiding behind some bushes and rocks, I submerge myself, leaving only my head above the water line.
I stand still. Several minutes pass and I hear nothing. When I consider it safe to leave my hiding place, I swim, splashing as little as I can.
Then I notice something that makes my heart skip a beat.
I’m not the only person here. There’s someone else treading the water. I can’t see how many people are around, but I can hear as someone else splashes.
A feel of panic rushes hot through my veins.
I’m surprised no one’s attacked me yet. Haven’t they seen me? Does the splashing come from Starvillers hiding from the shots as well?
For a moment there’s only silence. Then another shot startles me and I fight my body to keep calm. I swim as fast as I can, not caring about silence anymore. Better to put distance between myself and my possible enemies. The water and the current make my escape slow. I reach a point where the water is only at my knees and I’m hiding behind a trunk.
Then I see him.
A young man, so tall and built that for a moment, I think he’s Sasquatch minus the fur. The water only covers him around the thighs. No one in Starville, not even Rey, is so big or built. His strong muscles reveal years of military training and hint at the drug use that makes Patriot soldiers so inhumanly tall and big. Wet strands of sandy blond hair run down his broad shoulders. A tattoo on his back tells me he has been in combat and is to be respected. A soldier! Something tells me he’s alone.
My stomach clenches in panic. I’m terrified of Patriot soldiers. They are sadistic giants and killing machines. The tonics they take to build their muscles and stature make them extremely dangerous and violent. And horny.
I lose sight of him for a moment. He emerges in a different spot where the water is deeper. He is so tall, the water covers only up his waist while he’s standing. He must be at least seven feet tall. When he moves I can see his most private areas. Every part of him is enormous.
He’s in the very spot I left my clothes. I could wait for him to go, but what if others come to join him? What if they plan to camp here? I want to go home to check on my dad and the twins. The possibility of being discovered with no one to witness when he rapes me makes the hairs on the back of my neck prick. I won’t wait for the coast to be clear, risking discovery and gang rape.
He doesn’t seem to be in attack mode. The soldier is inclined and rubbing foam around his huge torso. He is bathing! I suspect he has a good reason to be unbothered by the shots. If he’s not startled, it’s likely whoever’s making the racket will take his side.
Suppressing the fear that runs through my veins, I force my mind to remain focused. For a moment, I consider attacking him while he’s so naked and defenseless. I’ve been practicing knife throwing with my rebel group. But I’m still learning and suck at it. I rarely hit the target. Besides, Sasquatch’s nakedness and apparent relaxed behavior are deceiving. I’m armed while bathing, so he probably is too. What if he alerts his companions?
I don’t stand a chance fighting against a trained unit of steroid-injected soldiers. At this moment my only advantage is my knowledge of the hiding places of this river. And stealth. I can do stealth.
He’s blocking the only way to get my clothes and the safer spot to get out of the river. There’s a gargantuan rock behind him that reaches not far from where I’m hiding. If I could climb it unseen, I could get back my clothes and escape. The only other option is to swim to the other side, where the current is too strong.
The soldier submerges frequently and emerges several minutes after. I pay attention to the soldier’s face. He looks extremely sad. Sadness isn’t an emotion I associate with soldiers.
When he rubs his face with foam and closes his eyes, I silently approach the low part of the current and climb the rock. I’m still naked and holding a knife awkwardly. If I can pass him, I’ll hide on the other side and then dress completely unnoticed.
I put my foot on the base of the rock. The water has made it smooth and slippery. There are few places to put my fingers and climb on. But I manage to climb my way up.
When I’m almost at the top, I toss my knife over the rock to free my hands. From here I can confirm the soldier is by himself.
Sasquatch is back under the water now and hasn’t resurfaced for a while. In spite of the danger, I’m impressed. He has lung capacity.
The higher I climb, the less visible I become to him. He finally emerges to take air, but I hide until he goes back under.
I’m close to my goal when my feet become slippery traitors.
I fall to the water below me.
Butt first. Straight toward the soldier’s head.
__________________________________
Tour Wide
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
New Releases: 12/20-12/26
Tue. Dec. 22
In Constant Fear (The Detainee Trilogy #3) by Peter Liney
Liam Takes Manhattan (Elder Races #9.5) by Thea Harrison
Outtakes From the Grave (Night Huntress 0) by Jeaniene Frost
Outtakes From the Grave (Night Huntress 0) by Jeaniene Frost
Happy Reading!
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