I’ve got another ARC of TEMPTED to give away!
To be entered to win, just tell me which character in the Eternal Guardians series is your favorite and why. I’ll pick a winner tomorrow!
And to tide you over, here’s a never before seen excerpt from TEMPTED:
***
“The fire’s almost out.” Isadora held out her hand. “Let’s go to bed.”
Demetrius’s gaze dropped to her hand, and he swallowed hard. “I—”
Oh yeah. He was definitely pulling out all the stops. Well, so was she. For the first time in her life she knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to go after it. “No more excuses, Demetrius. Come with me.”
Hesitantly, he slid his fingers in hers and let her pull him from his seat. As she led him down the spiral staircase, her heart thumped so hard against her ribs, she was sure he had to hear it. But she wasn’t afraid. If anything, she felt powerful.
The Hall of Heroes was dark when they reached the bottom step. He waved his hand and lit one torch, along the far wall. Shadows and light played over his face, over his muscular body as she pulled him toward the makeshift bed. And when she turned to face him, she saw a thousand thoughts and emotions rush over his features.
She moved into him, until the heat and life of his body swirled around her and settled deep in her soul. “I want to be with you,” she said softly as she rested her hands on his rock-hard abdomen.
His fingers landed gently on her shoulders, the brush of his skin against hers igniting a rush of hormones deep in her body. “Kardia—”
“Here, tonight. Like last night, only this time I want you.” His eyes darkened at her words. “All of you, Demetrius.”
“You can’t. Your father—”
“It’s my choice to make. I’ve waited a long time. And tonight, I choose you.”
“Kardia.”
The emotion in that one word, my heart, stole her breath. Grasping the hem of her tank top, she tugged it over her head. The worn cotton landed against the dirt floor, but his eyes didn’t follow. They were locked on her. Right where she wanted them.
“Touch me,” she whispered.
His hand came up, and she held her breath in anticipation as his fingertips grazed the swell of her breast. Her nipples puckered, and a heavy ache settled between her legs. He stared at her breast, licked his lips, moved a fraction of an inch closer.
“Yes.”
“I…” His eyes darted up to her face. “I think you should get some sleep.”
He was gone before she could stop him. Before she even realized what had happened. “Demetrius?”
But he didn’t answer. The only sound was his bare feet hitting the stone steps. Then the whoosh and slam of the great door at the top of the staircase.
Confused, she tried to figure out what she’d done to make him run. Every time something happened between them, he pulled back at the last minute. Almost as if he was afraid she wouldn’t really want him if he got too close.
Her gaze swept over the room. Every time, he pulls back.
Her skin grew hot and damp as an idea took root.
A leader goes after what he wants. He doesn’t take no for an answer. Her father had said that so many times, it was ingrained in her mind. Wasn’t it time she started acting like the leader she was destined to become?
Yes. Yes, it was. And what she wanted right now was him.
I just double-checked with my publisher and the “Street Date” for TEMPTED is Tuesday, September 6th. This means you can walk into any bookstore on that date and TEMPTED should be on the shelf. (I say “should be” because this is often dependent on how fast the actual store unpacks the boxes.) Most publishers release books on Tuesdays (generally the last Tuesday of a month or the first Tuesday of a month), and numbers for bestseller lists like USA Today and New York Times are calculated for the week starting on that day.
