TEARS OF TESS
My mind cracked into
shards. I struggled to fight the insane urge to submit; I could never submit. Lifting extremely heavy
eyelids, I snarled, “Mine. Not yours.”
He flinched as if I’d
struck him, eyes flashing with a feral edge. “Wrong answer.” He ducked and
threw me over a shoulder, just like the captor in Mexico. All residual fear
rushed to haunt me and my body no longer hummed. It burned for freedom. To end
this, to run.
Q dropped me on the
bed, immediately yanking my jeans off. I couldn’t stop it. One minute they were
on, the next they lay discarded with the other torn clothes.
Teaser Two:
It had taken being
kidnapped, and sold to a man who didn’t want me, to show how much my existence
lacked. Q shattered my walls with his uncouth ways. How could I ever go back to
a life where my senses lived in limbo? Where no one cared enough to kill for
me?
Q stopped washing my
hair, gathering me tighter to him. I crushed against his wet, suited chest,
inhaling his unique scent.
He let me cry and
didn’t reprimand or control. He offered comfort in silence. Lips pressed my
forehead, whispering, “Je suis là,”
over and over. I’m here. I’m here.
In his kindness, he
broke me into the perfect slave. I didn’t need his anger to become devoted. I
needed his softer moments—gentle love was my undoing, not demands or threats. I
was pitiful with how I needed compassion, companionship.
Tears turned from
depression to release. After twenty years of struggle, I finally belonged.
Teaser Three:
He sucked in a breath.
“Let me have one night where I can do anything I want. Submit to me completely,
no more arguing, fighting. Become a perfect slave.” He lowered his voice,
throbbing with intensity. “For me.”
In his request, I saw
black need—need so extreme it eclipsed my lust making it seem like a crush
compared to a violent love affair.
“You’re not just a
possession, esclave. I could force
you to do this, but I won’t.” He rubbed an unsteady thumb along my bottom lip.
“I’m giving you a choice.”
The connection between
us strengthened, lengthened. By giving me the choice, he showed he cared as
much as he may want to destroy.
The rest of the world
ceased to exist. The police didn’t matter. Brax didn’t matter.
Q and I become our
entire galaxy, and I revelled in the gift I was about to give him. The gift I
was about to give myself.
I dropped off the bed and fell to my knees. Bowing,
I splayed my legs like every image I’d seen of a submissive before her master.
I bowed further; hair curtained my face as I whispered, “Je suis à toi. Fuck me, master, act out your fantasies. Hurt me.
Debase me. Make me yours.”
QUINTESSENTIALLY
Q
Teaser
One:
Then he lurched forward; his mouth crushed
mine. My neck protested from where he’d strangled me and I couldn’t breathe as
his tongue darted past the seam of my lips and took. My God, he fucking took.
He demanded and cajoled with every twist of his tongue. Every lick and sweep.
The kiss held fury and promises. His lips
spoke how much he already cared for me, all the while trying to eat me alive.
With unrestrained hands, I let myself do what
I’d wanted for so long. I allowed myself to touch him. My arms flew up and my
fingers swept through his thick, short hair.
He moaned as I dug nails deep, remembering
his migraine and how he let me massage him back to health. How, by letting me
tend to him, my emotions blossomed and grew. I’d been a slave—a possession—then.
Now, I belonged. I was truly his, but only because I chose it.
Teaser Two:
Scrambling out of the luxury leather, I
dropped to the carpet and crawled.
I fucking crawled in a two thousand euro
designer skirt, zeroing in on the one person who held my cure.
Q’s face shot to unreadable, pale eyes
glowing in the morning sunlight from the window. His lips parted, sucking in a
noisy breath. “Get up,” he growled.
I whimpered and shook my head, keeping my
shoulders hunched as I traversed the small distance. Every whiplash, every bead
bruise, every cell in my body throbbed.
He sat straighter, using the armrests to
hoist himself upward. His fingers turned white around the leather, gripping
hard. “Stop. Have I ever asked you to crawl or be any less than a woman?”
His face grew black with fury as I slowed and
knelt between his open thighs. His body heat murdered the rest of my coherent
thought. He wanted to own me? He possessed
me in that moment.
Teaser Three:
I didn’t make a peep as we entered the house
or bat an eyelash when Franco stopped short, staring at me in Q’s grip.
Q took the steps two at a time, never out of
breath from hauling my weight. He didn’t slow as we headed down the corridor.
He smelled of alcohol and strain, even a trace of blood as he kicked open a
door and carried me through.
The moment he slammed the door shut with his
foot, he put me down. His lip was bruised and split, a shadow bloomed under his
left eye, and he looked sleep deprived and tortured. What the hell happened to
him?
He stood straighter, gathering energy from
the room yet all the while seeming to shrink in on himself. His eyes locked
with mine, and I gasped at the torment deep in their pale depths.
“Remember. If you refuse, I’ll kill you.”
TWISTED TOGETHER
Teaser One:
I still
struggled with how wealthy Q truly was.
But
without his wealth he might never have found me. I cringed every time to think
how much he bribed to discover information on my whereabouts. Because there was
no doubt in my mind. He would’ve bribed. And tortured. He treated me with utter
respect and concern, but everyone else was fair game to his temper and snarling
need for blood.
Teaser Two:
His large hands cupped my cheeks before dropping to wrap around my
throat.
My heart skyrocketed again, clanking against my ribs till I was sure it
would hop free from my chest.
His thumbs circled my neck, one irritating the fresh brand on my neck,
the other slightly tickling. “Our beginning was seeped in darkness. Our future
will be the lightness I’ve wanted to find my entire life. But for now we need
to wade through the grey. To sift through the gloom and put our ghosts to
rest.”
DELETED
SCENES
All I took
was my Cayman and the bag of cash. I knew where Hazel lived and it was a simple
matter of using the many skills I possessed and breaking into her apartment.
I stood
over her, wrapped in shadows as she slept. Her face never smoothed from a frown,
her lips tugged down with grief. My heart beat for her and I’d
hoped—prayed—that she’d be able to forgive me, but I knew it was fruitless.
This was
the only path for me. –ROAN
I screeched
to a halt outside the apartment block. Oscar refused to tell me the address,
but I didn’t waste time arguing. I could’ve beaten it out of him, but I had
other means.
I’d learned
from his refusal last time and attached a GPS tracker to his car. It was a
simple matter of following the most recent route he’d taken with the app on my
android.
The purr of
my black Porsche set my nerves on edge. The dash clock said it was one a.m.
Too early
for a house call, but this wasn’t just a house call. This was a flat out demand
for her to come back. I would give her anything if only she’d give me one last
chance.
Turning the
engine off, I dragged bruised and cut hands through my unkept hair, and climbed
out of the sports car. The sleek lines glowed like an expensive gem beneath the
street lights. Raindrops ran down my face, feeling like the world cried for me.
The sky sensed my inability to re-enter the human life—it mourned on my behalf
the regret I felt.—ROAN
With a
savage push, I chimed the doorbell and waited.
And waited.
And fucking
waited.
I pressed
it again.
Finally
scuffling sounded on the other side of the door before it was cracked open. The
safety chain stayed across.
I growled,
“Where is she, Corkscrew? I need to talk to her.”
Corkscrew
gritted his jaw. His dark skin and black eyes looked like the gatekeeper from
hell. “She told me not to let her near her.”
Shaking my
head, I said, “That isn’t an option. I just want to talk.” Swiping a hand over
my face, keeping my temper in check I added, “I need to apologise for
before.”—ROAN
He slammed
to a knee, shaking his head.
“Hey! Don’t
hurt him,” Clue screamed. I ignored her and advanced on Corkscrew. If anyone
had any chance at delivering some pain it was this man.
He kept his
head down, playing the victim. But I was prepared for his large hand swiping at
my calf and taking my leg from under me.
I landed on
my hip and didn’t have time to breathe before he landed on top of me and
delivered a rain of fists.
It hurt. It
fucking hurt. It was exactly what I needed.
Rolling
together, I pinned him down and delivered a few swings myself. His nose gushed
blood, looking dark against his black skin. “Where is she?”—ROAN
I smiled,
dumping our bags on the floor. Then I noticed the broken painting on the floor
instead of the wall and the missing coffee table. Goosebumps scattered over my
skin. “Um, did something happen while we were gone?”
Clue threw
a covert glance at Ben. She shook her head once, her eyes telling him to shut
up.
“Oh no you
don’t. You’re not keeping secrets from me.” I stormed forward and shook a
finger in Clue’s face. “What happened?”
“Obsidian
Fox happened,” Ben replied. He shrugged. “He came here looking for you. Got a
bit heated.”
My eyes
narrowed taking in the smudge of bruises on Ben’s face. His dark skin hid the
injury better than white, but he couldn’t hide the swelling.
“He hit
you?”—HAZEL
It was an
hour before Obsidian opened its doors to fighters and I had no problem getting
past the bouncer this time. I didn’t know if it was because he recognised me or
before of the rage in my eyes, but he had the door open for me the moment I
screeched to a stop.
Fox was
exactly where I thought he would be.
In his
basement, working on yet another weapon, forging yet more steel into yet more
torture equipment.
“You!” I
yelled.
He snapped
upright, turning off the welding torch. He spun to face me, tugging the
protective goggles off his head. “You yourself.” His grey-white eyes looked as
bleak as any snowstorm. “Where the hell did you go? I’ve been trying to track
you down for days?” Prowling toward me he growled, “Didn’t you think I’d go out
of my mind? I know how shitty I treated you but you ran before I could fucking
apologise.”—HAZEL
He moved
forward a step, backing me up against a thick worktable covered in tools and
odd bits of metal. His face darkened, etching with anger but then he sighed and
his temper faded. “Look, I fucked up. I couldn’t handle it and I’m sorry.” He
looked like a black mountain towering over me. “You need to forgive me. I
didn’t mean to say what I did. I need you to come back.”
I studied
him. His face held shadows of bruises, his jaw slightly puffy. He’d been in
another fight—searching for a way out of this hell. His black jacket and
trousers swallowed the brightness of the halogens dotted around the room. He’d
always favoured black and now I knew why. He was death incarnate. Everything he
touched turned to ruin.—HAZEL
EXCERPTS
“As long as
you’ll inflicting pain, I can keep it together.” The admission made Zel look
up. I lowered my voice, throwing an annoyed glance at the medic. “I want you to
know. Everything about me. Maybe then you can understand. I want you, Zel. The
thought of you leaving fucking kills me.” .--HAZEL
For weeks
I’d wanted to see Fox naked. I’d wanted to understand what he kept hidden. But
now he stood before me and I wanted to shut my eyes.
He didn’t
need to verbalize his story. It lived in his skin, engraved into muscles, and
imprinted into flesh. .--HAZEL
I didn’t
know if I wanted to laugh or cry. In one move, Fox gave everything that he was.
He bared his soul; he dropped every barrier, so we could understand him better.
I hated
myself in that moment for keeping so much from him. For judging him. For not
understanding or granting more compassion.--HAZEL
My eyes
flared. “Why on my stomach? A vital part of my anatomy isn’t useable unless you
intend to teach me how to dry hump a mattress.” I tried to joke, to dispel some
of the tense anxiety between us, but Zel’s lips only twitched. I’d mistaken any
sense of relief when she secured the padlock—she hadn’t relaxed at all, shaking
with tension.
“I want to
do something.”
Fuck. She
wanted to touch my back. She wanted to look deeper at the tattoos, see beneath
the ink to the lash marks and countless other scars hidden beneath the Ghost
designs. --ROAN
Raising my
eyes to lock with hers, I murmured, “I want to lick you.”
Her eyes
flared wide; her toned tummy tightened.
When she
didn’t move, I cocked my head. “Let me taste you and I’ll gladly let you touch
my back. But I’m not going anywhere until you obey me. Come here.”
She shook
her head, a blush covering her cheeks. “I can’t. How would you—”
Logistics
seemed simple to me. “You have to sit on my face, Zel.” I couldn’t stop the
small smile and the thrill in my stomach at the thought of her presenting
herself to me. She’d have to willing expose herself and hold herself in place
while I pleasured her.
“Move. Now.
I won’t ask again.” –ROAN
He groaned,
stroking harder. His thumb came up and over the head of his cock, pressing the
sensitive flesh until he shuddered. “You’re the only woman my cock reacts to.
The only woman I want to plunge inside and never stop taking.”
I bit my
lip, mesmerized by him. I wanted to suck him. I wanted to take all of him
inside me. “I only get wet for you, Roan.”
His eyes
snapped closed. “Fuck, call me that again.”—HAZEL
Fox made a sound
in the back of his throat, tightening his fingers. He glared, looking ready to
murder me. “Who are you?” His eyes
darted over me as if looking for an answer.
When I
didn’t respond, he swiped his face with his other hand. His forehead furrowed
while his expression turned pissed and stormy. “You think I didn’t see you
watching? You had your eyes all over me. Answer me. Who the fuck are you?” His
deep, accented voice stiffened my nipples even as a thrill of fear jolted
through me.
My temper
gave me false courage. “I’m not in the habit of answering such rude
questions.”—HAZEL
My eyes
fell to her breasts, rising and falling rapidly. “This could’ve been so simple.
I’m not asking to hurt you. I’m asking to give you pleasure while taking my own
and pay you a handsome sum.” I licked my lips loving the tightness in my belly
and pangs in my cock. “I need to fuck you and the more you fight the worse it
gets.”
I moved
forward and captured her chin, holding her tight. The intense spark between us
returned like a lightning bolt, whizzing and searing, turning my fucking
thoughts to mush.
Goddammit,
I wanted her. –ROAN
It was the
best kiss I’d ever received, but also the worst. It sparked lust and need in
every inch of me. My lips wanted more, my tongue wanted savagery. My skin
wanted to bruise because he needed to touch me so badly.
All my
thoughts disappeared as I nipped at his bottom lip. He flinched, but a second
later he copied, his sharp canines piercing my oversensitive flesh.
I moaned.
I couldn’t
take it.
My hands
flew up and gripped his shirt. Yanking him toward me, fireworks whizzed in my
fingertips; my heart galloped toward exploding with lust. I’d never been so
drunk on someone before.
Then I
landed flat on my back.
The crack of
my skull jangled my teeth. The thick carpet did little to cushion me. My eyes
flared wide and I grunted in pain. Fear, hot and terrible, swamped my lust in a
dampening wave.
“Top rule. Unbreakable rule. Don’t. Ever. Touch. Me.” Fox kneeled on one
knee beside my head, breathing hard. His hand noosed my throat, pressing my
spine into the carpet. His eyes were cold and lifeless, looking like a hunter
intent on blood. –HAZEL
“You didn’t
say anything about bondage.”
He shook
his head. “It isn’t bondage. It’s protection.”
Fear
thickened as I looked into his eyes. “Protection? From what?”
He stood, his
colourless gaze ripping me bare. “Me.” --HAZEL
Publication date: March 7th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
She has a secret.
I’m complicated. Not broken or ruined or running from a past I can’t face. Just complicated.
I thought my life couldn’t get any more tangled in deceit and confusion. But I hadn’t met him. I hadn’t realized how far I could fall or what I’d do to get free.
He has a secret.
I’ve never pretended to be good or deserving. I chase who I want, do what I want, act how I want.
I didn’t have time to lust after a woman I had no right to lust after. I told myself to shut up and stay hidden. But then she tried to run. I’d tasted what she could offer me and damned if I would let her go.
One secret destroys them.
I’m complicated. Not broken or ruined or running from a past I can’t face. Just complicated.
I thought my life couldn’t get any more tangled in deceit and confusion. But I hadn’t met him. I hadn’t realized how far I could fall or what I’d do to get free.
He has a secret.
I’ve never pretended to be good or deserving. I chase who I want, do what I want, act how I want.
I didn’t have time to lust after a woman I had no right to lust after. I told myself to shut up and stay hidden. But then she tried to run. I’d tasted what she could offer me and damned if I would let her go.
One secret destroys them.
Purchase:
----
AUTHOR BIO:
Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.
She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.
GIVEAWAY:
Blitz-wide giveaway
Prizes - open INTL:
-2 x swag signed packs with Destroyed bracelet
No comments:
Post a Comment