Review: Under Different Stars by Amy Bartol

All she wants is a home, but can she find one...UNDER DIFFERENT STARS 

Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home. 

Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go. 

Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket's gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own. 

When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars? 

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | iTunes | 

Author Amy Bartol

I am a graduate of Hillsdale College and live in Michigan with my husband and our two sons.  My family is very supportive of my writing.  They often bring me the take-out menu so that I can call and order them dinner.  They listen patiently when I talk about my characters like they’re real.  They rarely roll their eyes when I tell them I’ll only be a second while I finish writing a chapter…and then they take off their coats.  They ask me how the story is going when I surface after living for hours in a world of my own making.  They have learned to accept my "writing uniform" consisting of a slightly unflattering pink fleece jacket, t-shirt, and black yoga pants.  And they smile at my nerdy bookishness whenever I try to explain urban fantasy to them.  In short, they get me, so they are perfect and I am blessed.

Website/Blog | Pintrest | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

Review : One Of My Favorite Reads of 2014

I have taken a day to write this review... If I had wrote it right after finishing it would have been nothing but a stream of I love it I love it... can I read it again for the first time Right Now? It may still end up being that but hopefully not :) 

If you follow along with SupaGurl Books you know that I adore Amy's books. I wasn't sure going in that I would be as pulled in or fall in love as hard as I have with The Premonition series... well I was so so WONG!

Under Different Stars is so beautifully written I was immediately enthralled with Kricket. The story flows so well and Amy uses her wicked word powers to pull you in so that you are completely lost in the world she has created. I am still in awe and anxiously awaiting the next book.

Kricket has to be one of the best female characters I have been introduced to in a long while. She is a strong, speak her mind want to control her own future kinda girl. Everything she has been and is put through only makes her stronger where others would crumble. Even being thrust into a completely new world she has her freak out moments but then takes it in stride... This gal is just beyond Amazing! I love how upfront she is with everyone... 

my choice for Kricket *on Amy's Pintrest*

Trey is such a stand up do the right thing man. He is honorable, strong willed and sticks by what he believes. I fell for him hard core. Even when he is being stubborn Trey is completely my kind of guy! I love how Kricket makes him feel differently about certain things he has always believed about the way things should be or should be done. 

Trey and his Smirk *from Amy's Pintrest*

Kyon.... is a very interesting guy. I always love the "bad boy" but this one I am just like NO! I do love to hate him though. I think he is the ultimate in bad guy.... 

The other guys and characters are all very well written and I adore the cavars. I laughed, screamed at my book and was holding my breath at some points! I was so sad getting to the last page b/c I didn't want to leave this amazing world Amy has so thoroughly laid out for everyone to visit. There was absolutely NOTHING that I did not like about this book!

  

Love After Dark *Bundle 9 Books in 1*

Are you ready for 9 AMAZING stories by 9 AMAZING Bestselling Authors?? Well here it is for only .99 for one week only....

About The Bundle.....

Love After Dark features nine bestselling authors who create worlds and love within them. Not only will you find love between the pages but new content relating to their fabulous series! This bundle includes Brina Courtney, USA TODAY Bestseller Ella James, USA TODAY Bestseller Quinn Loftis, A.O Peart, Alivia Anders, Heather Hildenbrand, Julia Crane, Melissa Pearl and Anna Cruise. 

Reveal: Meet Hugh Raven, driven and goal oriented, he's going to be a successful career man. But when your eyes glow gold, you're built like a champion, and destiny is staring you in the face with eyes exactly like yours, sometimes goals have to step aside to let love in. 

Here: Meet Nick, a hot amnesiac with a big heart and an entourage of Men in Black. He's sure to drive you out of this world. 

Meet Triktapic, the most skilled assassin of the dark elves. He kills without mercy, takes pleasure where he will, and apologizes for nothing...until he meets her. 

Anna: Meet Tommy Sanders, a Special Forces soldier with icy blue eyes, sexy blond hair begging to be touched, and an enticing southern drawl that can't be ignored. 

Dirty Blood: Meet Wesley St. John- Being an orphaned werewolf has made Wesley St. John quick-tempered and slow to trust. With so much of his life working against him, it's no wonder he's drawn to the beautifully flawed Tara Godfrey. Enemies do make the best of friends... 


Golden Blood: Meet Harrison Granger: Meeting mysterious Gemma Hart sparks something inside of this determined junior. He's not willing to walk away, even when he finds out her secret. With persistent devotion he breaks down this time traveller's walls, igniting a love story that transcends time. 

Set In Stone: Meet Noel Flannery- Dark-haired and mysterious, he shows up at Valerie Ramsey's school unannounced and with a single mission: to take back what belongs to him.

Amazon

Cover Reveal: Dust To Dust by Karina Halle

Title: Dust To Dust (Experiment In Terror #9 )

Author: Karina Halle

Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy

Release Date: July 29th, 2014

Blurb

The dramatic conclusion to the Experiment in Terror Series.

Perry Palomino and Dex Foray.

On their own, they’re uniquely brilliant. Together, they’re an unstoppable team.

Until now.

Because after everything the duo has encountered, they haven’t come across an evil quite like this. An evil that has been years in the making, an evil that will stop at nothing until they, and everyone they care for, are destroyed.

Dex and Perry’s love has survived a multitude of sins.

But can it survive the end?

The Experiment In Terror series 

Book #1 — Dark­house - FREE

Book #2 — Red Fox

Book #2.5 - The Ben­son (An Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror Novella)

Book #3 — Dead Sky Morn­ing

Book #4 — Lying Sea­son

Book #5 — On Demon Wings

Book #5.5 — Old Blood (An Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror Novella)

Book #5.7 — The Dex Files (An Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror Novella)

Book #6 — Into the Hol­low

Book #6.5 — And With Mad­ness Comes the Light (An Exper­i­ment in Ter­ror Novella)

Book #7 — Come Alive

Book #8 — Ashes to Ashes

About the Author

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.

Facebook | Goodreads | Karina's Website | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Innocent Lies by JW Phillips

Title: Innocent Lies

Author: J.W. Phillips

Genre: New Adult

Publication Date: May 30 

Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions

Most would view Dylan’s life as a living Hell, but she discovered what Hell really was.



Twenty year old, Dylan was minding her own business when twenty-six year old Ethan sat down at her table. All she wanted was peace from her past. He offered her the protection and calm she had never known. That was until she learned how much of that past he was a part of.



If life had taught Dylan Summers anything it was that not everyone gets a happily ever after.

J.W. is a stay at home mom with 2 0n-the-go kids, an amazing husband, and 1 lovable dog. She lives in a small town in Tennessee, where she enjoys writing, reading, and talking. She was told from a young age that her dreams of writing were ludicrous. However, after a talk with her daughter she pulled out her old laptop and rediscovered her desire to tell stories. She doesn’t consider herself an author, more a teller of tall tales.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjjphillips



Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7363602.J_W_Phillips

Coming May 30!!

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Unstoppable by S.R. Johannes *Blog Tour* Grace' Favorite Things

After everything that has happened, Grace moves to the Everglades to live with her grandmother, Birdee, and hang out with old man Rex, Birdee's "friend with benefits". Grace quickly befriends Dylan, Rex's nephew, and Dylan's girlfriend, Sadie, who is a die-hard teen activist. Sadie spends her time leading protests against the roadside zoos that run rampant in Florida with a total disregard for animals or the flimsy law.

One day while out in the marshes of the Everglades, Grace and her friends rescue an abused—and endangered—Florida panther. She and Birdee spend time rehabilitating the animal. But when the panther runs off, Grace follows it to Uncle Bob's, a large roadside zoo they all have been protesting. One that is illegally filled with a variety of endangered and exotic animals. Before she can rescue the panther, she and her friends are kidnapped by the ruthless owner and dragged deep into the Everglades for a hunting challenge. 

Only this time, Grace is the prey. 

During a sick game of cat and mouse, Grace and her friends are offered one chance at survival, but only if they reach civilization before being caught. With a small head start and very little supplies, only time and skill stand between the hunter and the hunted. But out in the Everglades, there may be more dangers than Grace realizes.

Against all odds, Grace must make it out alive and win, or everything she holds dear could be lost.

If you don't know I adore these books! Grace is an amazing character and I heart her so... today I have for you her favorite things... so sit back and delve a little more into Grace from Unstoppable!

My (Grace Wells) Favorite Things! 

1. Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen.

So my dad read to me from this book a lot, and it was his favorite. I started reading it to be closer to him, and realized the main character was a lot like me :) Wilderness survival junkie and all! 

2. Cinn-o-buns

There's nothing better than a hot one of these babies! The ones at my mom's diner aren't bad, especially with all that cream cheese :)

3. Spicy Cheetos!

This one's pretty self-explanatory. Spicy. Cheetos. If it weren't for these bad boys, I wouldn't have the energy necessary to fight half the bear poaching, ebuilding bad guys I do ;)

4. My dad's famous homemade chocolate mousse

My dad came up with this recipe for dessert one night when I was little, and he made it for me whenever I had a bad day :) There's even caramel swirls in it! 

5. Monty Python 

The kings of all comedy! Dad and I would watch their movies all the time, especially "The Holy Grail." There isn't a moment where "tis but a flesh wound" isn't appropriate ;)

And last but certainly not least…..

6. Moon-pies!!! 

These are heavenly pastries of marshmallow madness! The cornerstone of my diet and one of my true loves in life (other than Mo, of course), Moon-pies are just plainly fantastic. Birdee prefers the chocolate mint crunchies, but I love the double decker chocolates.

Make sure you pick up your copy today and if you haven't started the series yet well... get on it you won't be disappointed :)

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New Release! Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine

We are thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Chelsea Fine's PERFECT KIND OF TROUBLE!  PERFECT KIND OF TROUBLE is a New Adult contemporary romance novel in the Finding Fate Series, and not to be missed!

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

And don’t miss Book 1 in the Finding Fate Series…

BEST KIND OF BROKEN!



PERFECT KIND OF TROUBLE Synopsis:

Sometimes when perfect falls apart, a little trouble fixes everything . . . 

Twenty-one-year-old Kayla Turner has lost everything. After spending most of her life taking care of her ailing mother, she just wants to spot a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. So when her late father-a man she barely knew-leaves her an inheritance, she finally breathes a sigh of relief . . . until she learns the inheritance comes with strings. Strings in the form of handsome playboy Daren Ackwood, her father's protégé. To see any of her inheritance, she's forced to team up with him. From his expensive car to those sexy dimples, Kayla's seen his type before. But Daren isn't who he seems to be . . .

Struggling to make amends for his family's mistakes, Daren has a life more Oliver Twist than Richie Rich these days. He's beyond grateful that James Turner included him in his will, but working with Turner's princess of a daughter to fulfill his cryptic last wish is making Daren wonder if being broke is really so bad. Still, she's just as beautiful as she is stubborn, and the more time he spends with Kayla, the less it feels right being without her. Soon Daren and Kayla begin to wonder if maybe the best gift Kayla's dad could have left them . . . was each other.







EXCERPT:

Still handcuffed together, we carefully maneuver our linked wrists and open the old train door. Inside, the boxcar is completely empty except for a single, folded piece of paper.

I scowl. Will this scavenger hunt for money ever end?

“What do you suppose it is?” Daren nods at the piece of paper in the back of the train car.

“A check for a million dollars?” I say hopefully.

The only way to reach the paper is to climb inside. Which won’t be easy since my chest barely reaches the bottom of the train car and we can’t climb in one at a time because, you know, we’re attached to one another.

I frown. “How do you want to do this?”

Daren scratches his jaw. “I’ll hoist you inside first then I’ll jump in. Come here.” He turns me around to face him and I step into the circle of his arms.

The summer sun burns down on us. I stare at his chest where his T-shirt pulls tight against the hard muscles of his pecs and a trickle of sweat slowly slides down the back of my neck.

The corded muscles of his neck ripple as he turns his head. “Hold on to my wrists. Then I’ll lift you up.”

He places his big hands on my waist and his thumbs slide under my shirt, grazing the bare skin of my stomach. A warm zing shoots down my belly.

I snap my eyes to him. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“Do what?” His expression is neutral but there’s a glimmer in his eye.

I eye him shrewdly as I wrap my hands around his wrists.

He glides the pads of his thumbs over my stomach again and another, more powerful, zing darts straight down my belly and between my legs as I suck in a breath.

“Cut it out,” I say.

“Cut what out?” His eyes dance with amusement.

“You know what.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” A mischievous grin spreads across his face and I can’t stop the smile that starts to play at my own lips.

“Daren...”

His eyes lock on mine and the twitching low in my belly starts up again. Then his gaze drops to my mouth and hunger lights his eyes.

I absently part my lips, my thoughts suddenly hazy.

Leaning in, he whispers, “Now do you want to kiss again?”

His words flutter over my ear like soft, warm butterflies beating their wings against my sensitive skin and a shiver runs through me.

The answer is yes. I do want to kiss him again. It felt so good to have his mouth on mine last night. To feel him up against me.

But I don’t answer.

He brushes his thumbs over the naked skin of my belly again, but this time dips them inside the waistband of my skirt and skims the lacey top of my panties.

I inhale sharply, tightening my fingers around his wrists as my nipples harden and heat builds in my core. I rub my thighs together, trying to alleviate the ache slowly building between my legs but it’s no use. I’m already a tight puddle of need.

How come this beautiful man can make me melt with just a simple touch? And how come it’s always so difficult for me to snap out of his sexy gaze?

I blink away from Daren’s pretty brown eyes and playfully whisper, “No,” before shifting back a few inches.

His eyelids, heavy with desire, open fully as he scans my face and throat with a smile. “Liar.”

I smile back, grateful he doesn’t try to convince me otherwise. I’d no doubt give in if he did. Because Daren affects me.

Every other guy on the planet is just that: a guy.

But Daren is a force. And I am a feather.









ABOUT CHELSEA FINE:

Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.

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PERFECT KIND OF TROUBLE Goodreads

UtopYA 2014... Are You READY??

UtopYA 2014 is this weekend!! AHHHHH

I am supa excited to be heading back this year, for the WHOLE weekend! I will be moderating the Blog Your Face Off Panel with some amazing peeps which include....

Toni Lesatz

Michelle G. Miller

Kathryn Grimes

Tess Watson

SupaGurl Heather - me :) 

These gals are kick-ass and we will be discussing everything we can come up with for Authors and Bloggers! So make sure and stop by to oogle all of us and take away some Information that will help you whether you are an Author or a Blogger!

ALSO... Tess and I will be rooming together again *squee* and you know what that means?? End of the day Video Review!!! Be on the lookout for that as well.

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to be going and learning more and of course getting to see all the amazing people that I fangirl over everyday :) 

xoxo

UtopYA 2014 Photo Bomb Contest!

Are you going to UtopYA next weekend? If so here is your chance to win some Books & Swag!! Michele, Toni, Kathryn, Tess and I will be on The Blog Your Face off panel and we wanted to do something cool for everyone going and make it fun! 

You will just need to take a selfie at the con or at dinner or just hanging out ... and have an Author PhotoBomb it!! yes, The Author must Photo Bomb your selfie LOL Have Fun and post it to Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #UtopYA2014.

We will be picking a winner on Saturday evening and getting the goodies to you that evening before everyone goes to leaving out! 

xoxo
SupaGurl

NEW Release - From The Wreckage by Michele G Miller

*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*NEW RELEASE*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*

From The Wreckage by Michele G Miller

Genre: YA, Coming of age

"In a matter of minutes on a Friday night, I lost my school, my identity, the security of my first love, the personality of my sweet fearless brother, my best friend, my town, everything as I knew it. Everything changed.”

"Minutes - that’s all it takes to change your entire life. How do you deal with that?”

For high school senior Jules Blacklin surviving the storm is only the beginning. Faced with the new reality of her life, she must find a way to rise From The Wreckage and answer the question - how do you get back to normal, when everything that was normal is gone?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1n73Ukn

B&N: http://bit.ly/1jKF8Dj

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1omACT9

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1kZbMWo

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1qrAsI5

You can read CHAPTER ONE of From The Wreckage, here...

*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*Chapter One*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*

"Is this on?"

Jules' eyes flick to the small television across the room as she takes her place in the faded velvet wingback chair. Her own face stares back at her from the screen, indicating the camera is indeed working. Out of habit, her hands run over her strawberry blonde hair. She twirls a curl around her finger and brushes her long bangs to the side. Satisfied with her appearance, she takes a deep breath.

"Okay, Hi," she says softly; her hand lifting in a small wave. "I'm Jules Blacklin from Tyler, Texas. Oh, crap. No, I shouldn't wave,” she tells herself.

Shimmying backward, she tries to find a comfortable sitting position; her sundress catching against the velvet nap of the seat cushion. With a low sigh, she moves to run her hand between her skirt and the chair. Freeing the fabric, Jules adjusts the dress again and crosses her legs daintily, while stealing another glance at the television screen to check her appearance.

She'd set up the small twenty-inch screen on a side table so she would be able to see herself as a video camera recorded her story. Although now the camera only makes her more uneasy. Sitting here, watching herself speak to nobody makes her question her sanity. It feels like something a crazy person would do.

With a thoughtful eye, she watches herself lean forward and rest her elbow on the armrest, and decides to go with the pose; thinking it makes her look studious.

"Okay, yeah...that's good," she speaks aloud.

With a demure nod of her head, she begins again.

"Hi. My name is Jules Blacklin, Hillsdale High class of twenty-fourteen. I'm making this video essay as my contribution to the class of twenty-fourteen time capsule. I..."

She pauses; her mind blanking out for a spell as she smiles into the lens recording her. She takes a moment to steady her thoughts before continuing. "I want to tell you about myself. About what I've been through, and what the town of Tyler has been through. Winston Churchill once said, 'Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer.' Rest assured — I have endured. I have endured, and now I am ready to conquer."

Jules gives herself a mental high-five for remembering the quote and releases a deep breath. With her hands clasped, she leans forward in her seat. Her blue eyes stare directly into the red blinking light used to indicate the camera is recording.

"I'm inviting you on a journey. A journey through my senior year. Actually, if you’re watching this, then I'm going to ask you to be a bystander. See, I'm not making this for you. I'm recording this for the ones who didn't live, the ones I will forever be mindful of. For the ones I knew, the ones I didn't...and especially for the ones I loved. This is for you."

Uncrossing her legs, she leans back in the chair again; her eyes continuing to connect with the nameless faces that will someday watch this DVD. She settles back for her long story, her finger tracing the scrolling pattern across her skirt. She gathers herself, her thoughts and memories. It’s only a few moments — a flash of time — but for her, in her mind she sees everything. Once more, her pale gaze meets the lens and she decides where to start.

"Let's begin with your ending. The last night my life was normal. The last night we were all normal."

From The Wreckage Teaser

Find Michele on Facebook, Amazon, Goodreads, and

Twitter!

Also, visit Michele's blog for a GIVEAWAY and more.

Day 4 Suzanna Lynn Week : Exclusive Excerpt

Welcome to Day 3 of Suzanna Lynn Week! She is the Author of The Bed Wife and here is the info on her book and her first of all...

The Bed Wife Chronicles: Love brought them together. Would tradition tear them apart?

Once inseparable childhood friends, Luana and Baylin are now grown and in two separate worlds. Luana, the daughter of the town drunk, overlooks her family's goat farm to make ends meet. Baylin, Prince and future King of Grasmere, is off combatting the veils that lurk in the Kingdom.

However, fate intercedes with a time-honored tradition that has been custom for the past five hundred years. Luana's life is now forced into the hands of her long-lost childhood friend. Will resentment, hurt, and duty consume them? Or will Luana and Baylin find love and rekindle their friendship?

Here is where you can find info on the Awesomeness that is The Bed Wife...

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21503293-the-bed-wife

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KHFPM8S

And Suzanna Lynn ....

Author Suzanna Lynn is a full-time mom of three beautiful, energetic children and lives with her husband and children in a small little town in the Ozarks of Missouri.

Growing up in the Ozarks, Suzanna wandered the fields and woods surrounding her home as a child, imagining them to be filled with fairies, dragons, and all number of creatures. Having not lost her childhood imagination, Suzanna has written numerous poems, songs and short stories that have won various awards. However, it was only recently that she decided to stop wishing she could write a book, to making the dream a reality.

She currently has three different book series' (all romance) in the works. The Bed Wife Chronicles, which is a three book series, is set to be published in 2014.

Where can you find her?

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/AuthorSuzannaLynn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSuzannaLynn

Twitter: @Suzanna_Lynn

Blog: http://catonthelap.blogspot.com

Today we will be getting an EXCLUSIVE excerpt from The Bed Wife...... Away we go!

Luana walked across the room and out onto the balcony to look down on the villages below the mountain. Many women might take comfort in knowing their child would have the opportunity to become the next in line to rule this great land. However, Luana could only see a cage—a loveless, lifeless existence for herself. Once the Prince was ready, he would take a real wife—a Queen—from one of the other Kingdoms and bear legitimate heirs to his throne.

Luana felt a deep, hollow sadness in her heart. She could not help but long for one of the great loves that she had read about in her books. She was completely lost in thought when she heard the sound of a footstep behind her. She turned to see Prince Baylin standing at the opening of the balcony.

Even in her anxious hatred, she could not help but admit he was still very handsome. He was certainly not the little boy who had fallen from the tree more than ten years ago. His dark raven hair tumbled loose past his bare shoulders and he wore only a pair of black leather trousers and the silver royal medallion around his neck on a black leather cord. The moonlight danced across his skin, painting shadows within the curves of his muscular physique.

“Hello,” he spoke softly, taking a few steps toward her. “It’s me… I mean… I’m Baylin.”

His words snapped Luana out of her admiration for him. Suddenly she only felt anger.

“And I am to be your bed wife,” she spat at him. “Shall we get to it then?”

As he walked toward her, she refused to meet his eyes. She knew she had spoken out of turn and was sure to pay the price for it.

His rough hand cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to fall on him. His eyes were like that of the Crystal Water in Rivermouth, crisp and blue, but so deep you knew you could drown in them. And sad, they had such sadness to them. Had the venom in her words actually wounded him?

“Do you not remember me, Luana?” he asked in a soft tone. “Have you forgotten?”

She felt a pang of guilt for her harsh tone. He does remember. She felt so awkward standing before him in this state. They had not spoken in such familiar tones since they were children. She had watched him grow into a handsome Prince and had secretly hoped he would one day come back for her. But I never wanted this.

 “I do, Your Grace,” she spoke with a broken voice. “We are grown now.”

“Yes, we are,” he said as he dropped her chin, stepping back to look at her fully. The moon created a silhouette of her body within the translucent white robe.

He reached out and ran his hand down the curve of her waist then gently pulled the knot of the jeweled sash. Without it to keep the robe taut around her body, the silky sheer material simply slid off and pooled at her feet. She stood before him, frozen in fear at her nakedness as he placed a hand at her hip.

The moon, in its fullness, reflected down on her alabaster skin, allowing Baylin to admire the curves of her figure.

An icy breeze traveled through the air, swirling around Luana’s body. The coolness touched her nipples, setting them hard and tingling.

Baylin pulled her in closer and caressed her breast with his hot, rough hand. The heat of his touch sent goose bumps running all over her body. He leaned in and kissed the curve of her neck lightly, slowly kissing his way down over her shoulder and collarbone.

He allowed his lips to graze the curve of her breast as he slowly knelt down to his knees and gently ran his lips against the soft skin of her thighs and hips. His beard was bristly but only seemed to add to the sensation.

It wasn’t until he began delicately kissing her along her stomach that she realized she was actually feeling aroused.