Samhain Publishing

I’m kind of odd. I know that. I get emails from girlfriends with pictures of “hunks”, and oo and ah over cover models with my fellow authors. But it’s all a lie – I’m not into muscle men with washboard abs. Nope. Give me the guy in glasses with the Wall Street Journal.

I’m all about the man in the sweater vest pouring over the QED report. Think Brendan Fraser in Mrs. Winterbourne instead of George of the Jungle. Think David Foley, not Fabio. That’s right, folks. I loves me some beta males.

When I write, I use a “placeholder” for my characters. These are actors who look a bit like I picture my character and, while the characters eventually take on their own personality, without my placeholder, I can’t seem to get into my characters’ heads. My placeholders have included Scott Bakula, Jeff Goldblum, Rick Schroder, Colin Firth, and the aforementioned Mr. Foley. Now I’ll admit these guys aren’t built too badly, but they’re hardly the ripped, hard-abed studs one normally thinks of as the hero of a romance novel. So why do I like these guys, I wonder. Is it because I think brawn equals brainless? Hmmm… nope. And neither do a pair of pop-bottle bottom glasses make a genius.

But let’s dig into this a little further. I picture a day in the life of our beta male including breakfast with the newspaper, a morning kiss to his wife, driving the kids to school. And on an odd day, he might have the opportunity to save the world – or at least the world of the woman he loves. Then there’s our alpha male. Yeah, he’s looking good, but it takes time to get that six-pack. A lot of time. So that morning paper – no time for that. Driving the kids to school? Forget it. And that kiss? Only if he can get his heart rate up enough to make it a cardio workout.

Now that’s just me. I totally get why women like the sculpted, strong man who can stop a speeding bullet with his pecs. Me? I’d rather have the guy who knows that silver tea tray is the perfect thickness to protect us both from the bullets we dodge. And who’s man enough to rise to the occasion, even when the occasion is a dull-as-dishwater everyday Monday.

Then again, there is the theory that I just being the one in charge. Yeah – that’s probably it.

So who do you like? Our large and in charge alpha man? Or do you have a soft spot for a softer guy?

One woman’s campaign to win the hearts of the two men she loves.

Jasmine left the Sweetwater Ranch and the Morgan brothers, no longer able to bear the painful dilemma of loving them both. After a year away, in which she gains new perspective, she returns home with one goal. To make Seth and Zane Morgan hers.

Jaz may have left an innocent girl, but she’s returned a beautiful, sensual woman. Seth and Zane aren’t prepared for the full on assault she launches and each battle an attraction they’ve fought for years.

She wants them both, but Seth has no intention of sharing his woman. It’s up to her to change his mind because she can’t and won’t choose between two men she loves with equal passion. For her, it’s all or nothing.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, ménage a trois, handcuffs, a committed ménage relationship.

Excerpt after the jump!

Jasmine stood beside the bed, watching him sleep. For several long moments, she didn’t move. She barely breathed. She merely watched the smooth rise and fall of Seth’s chest. The sheets were in a bunch at his waist, and she could just see the waistband of his boxers resting below his navel.

One arm rested across his taut belly while the other lay on the pillow next to his head. It was all Jasmine could do not to reach out and touch him. To trace the lines of his body, curving around the firm muscles and ridges. She wanted to bathe the room in light so she could see better, but that would have to wait.

Carefully, she lifted the handcuffs and moved closer to the bed. No sound betrayed her as she leaned over to secure one cuff around one of the slats of the headboard. She held her breath as she snapped it in place, relieved that there was barely a discernable click.

Her heart began racing as she inched toward his wrist. She would have to be fast. No stealth about this part. Reach and snap before he could react. Then back the hell away and get the lights.

She was just grateful he didn’t sleep with his gun close by. All she needed was to be mistaken for an intruder.

She took a deep breath, held it, grabbed his wrist with one hand and snapped the handcuff around it with the other. He jerked in surprise and she stumbled backward, her hand seeking the light switch.

“What the fuck?” Seth exploded just as her hand collided with the wall. She swiped and hit the light switch.

He threw his free arm over his eyes and tried to sit up, but his manacled wrist made it awkward. He threw his arm down and locked onto Jasmine with his furious gaze.

He glanced at his handcuffed wrist. Then back at Jasmine. She stood, knees shaking with a combination of adrenaline and fear.

“Jasmine, what the fuck kind of stunt are you pulling?” he demanded. “Get me the hell out of these handcuffs. Now.”

She stiffened her spine, put her chin up and stepped forward, her gaze never wavering from his.

She didn’t respond. The time for words wasn’t now. He was probably too pissed to listen anyway.

She let her fingers flutter down to the snap of her jeans. She fumbled for a second before releasing the fly. The sound of her zipper easing downward made him frown even harder.

“Jasmine, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but don’t…goddamn it, Jasmine, put your pants back on.”

She smiled and stepped out of the confining denim. She’d worn lacy panties, barely a scrap. But they were feminine and sexy. Slowly and with great care, she slid her hands up her hips until her fingers brushed the bottom of her shirt.

She curled her hands underneath the hem and began tugging upward. Seth swore again. “Jasmine, stop it. You don’t want to do this.”

She ignored him and pulled the shirt over her head, leaving her in just her bra and underwear. She reached into the vee of her bra and pulled the key to the handcuffs free. She let it fall to her skin where it dangled from the satin ribbon she wore around her neck.

One step. Then another. Her knees bumped the edge of the bed and she met Seth’s heated gaze once more. She fingered the key, pulling it away from her chest so he could clearly see it.

“This is the key to the handcuffs,” she said softly. “You get it when you get close enough to touch it. If you still want out by then.”

She let the taunt land with just the right amount of challenge. His eyes narrowed, but they never left her body.

“Let me out,” he gritted through his teeth. “If this is your attempt at manipulation—”

She reached behind her to tug at the hook on her bra. “Manipulation?” She shrugged. “I suppose, if that’s the way you want to view it. I prefer to think of it as taking the initiative.”

The bra straps slid from her shoulders, and she momentarily held the cups in place before finally allowing them to fall from her body.

He looked as though he was prepared to launch into another demand, so she inserted her fingers under the filmy band of her panties and began to slide her underwear down her legs.

She heard his intake of breath at the same moment he looked away. His jaw was set, so firmly clenched she could see the strain in his face.

“Seth.” He didn’t turn toward her. “Look at me,” she said.

With seeming reluctance, he turned his head to face her once more.

“See me,” she whispered.

His eyes tracked her movement as she knelt on the bed. She leaned toward him, her hair falling over her shoulders. She reached for the sheet, tugging until it came away from his body.

The bed shook as he yanked at his wrist. “Goddamn it, Jasmine, this has gone far enough.” His voice, furious, laced with an edgy, needy, coarseness that excited her, washed over her skin.

“What will you do, Seth?” she asked mildly. “Call for help? Do you think Zane will come to your rescue? Or maybe Carmen?”

She dropped the sheet and crawled closer to his hips, careful to stay just out of arm’s reach. His erection was straining against his boxers, and if he shifted so much as a centimeter, his cock would slide right through the slit in the front.

A little nudge ought to do it.

She pulled at the cotton material and watched in fascination as his cock broke free of constraint and jutted upward. He grabbed at his shorts with his free hand, trying to arrange them back.

She stopped him with her hand. It was chancy, getting close enough that he could grab her. But she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He might secretly devise a scheme to kill her, but it would remain fantasy. Just like hers was to lick every single inch of his skin.

When she wrapped her fingers around his hard cock, he groaned. In fascination, she worked her hand up and down, enjoying the silken smoothness of his skin. So soft. Incongruous with the thread of steel she could feel just beneath that satiny layer.

His hand fell away, hitting the bed at his side. She inched closer, inserting her knee between his thighs. At first he tensed as though he’d lock her out, but as she became more insistent, he relaxed.

Soon she crawled between his legs, and she chanced a look up at him. He watched her through half-lidded eyes. His gaze still burned with anger, but it also simmered with lust. Need.

“Do you know what I’m going to do?” she whispered. She continued working up and down in a slow motion, her fist gripping his cock in a tight sheathe. “I’m going to make you so crazy, that you’ll beg me for mercy.”

“Never,” he gritted out.

She smiled then. The smile of a woman confident in her power of seduction. He’d thrown down the gauntlet and they both knew it.

Her hand fell away from his cock, and she dug her fingers into the waistband of his shorts. She pulled, but he wasn’t cooperating. She couldn’t budge his big body.

She sat back and smirked. “Surely you don’t think something as insignificant as that will deter me?”

He looked suspiciously at her as she got up from the bed. She walked naked to the door and opened it. She glanced back at him, nearly laughing at his look of astonishment. “Oh, I’ll be back,” she said.

“Damn it, Jasmine, you can’t go parading around butt-ass naked.”

She arched a brow. “Who’s going to see me?” She turned and left him swearing from the bed.

She darted down to her room to get the pair of scissors she should have thought to bring in the first place. When she returned a moment later, Seth was hard at work trying his best to break the headboard.

He stopped when he saw her, and he looked a little worried as he stared at the scissors in her hand.

She continued on and resumed her spot on the bed. She held the scissors up then neatly slid them underneath the leg of his shorts. “I’d be very still if I were you,” she murmured.

“When did you get so goddamn evil?” he demanded.

“When did you get so goddamn stubborn?”

She sliced through his shorts, and after a few more strategic cuts, the material fell away to bare him completely. He shifted his hips as if trying to escape or roll over, but she straddled his legs. She loved the hair roughened scratch of his skin over the tender insides of her thighs.

“Now to make you beg,” she murmured.

She felt him stiffen. His muscles bunched and rolled underneath her. She splayed her hands over his hips, bent down and gently blew on his cock.

He shivered.

Growing bolder and more confident by the minute, she flicked out her tongue and licked the tip. His cock jumped and she moved her hand from his hip to encircle the base.

“Jasmine, you have to stop. We can’t do this. You have no idea what you’re starting.”

She slid the head past her lips and let her tongue dance around the edge. She smiled as he swore again. Slowly and with exacting precision, she inched lower, taking him further into her mouth.

He was protesting far too much with no conviction.

He tasted rugged and hard, just like he looked. She squeezed her hand a little tighter, exerting firmer pressure as she worked her mouth up and down.

Then she sucked her way to the top and released his cock. “Do you want me to stop?” she asked huskily. “Really?”

“No goddamn you, I don’t want you to stop.”

“Tell me you want me.”

His mouth closed in a firm line as he glared at her. She moved a little higher, leaning forward. Her hair brushed across his belly, and she released his dick. The tip bumped her in the stomach as she rose over him.

“Tell me, Seth,” she said breathlessly.

His hand flew up and grabbed at the key hanging from the ribbon. He yanked downward and freed it. She glanced down in dismay as he palmed the key then rotated up to jam it into the lock of the cuffs.

Her hopes fell. Disappointment made her eyes sting.

He jerked his arm free and flung the cuffs across the room. Then he rose up and yanked her to him. Her body fell against his hard chest at the same time their lips collided.

His hands tangled in her hair as he kissed her in breathless abandon. He rolled, taking her with him, tucking her underneath his body as her back met the mattress.

“I want you,” he growled. “Happy? Now we’ll see who begs.”

Another chance to make a night gone bad very, very right.

Payton Ricci is the last person Wes Hoffman ever expected or wanted to see again. After the disastrous sexual experience between them twelve years ago, he was only too happy to put the whole episode behind him. After all, he’s come a long way since that awkward encounter between two gawky teenagers, and his ego needs no reminder.

The night he sees Payton—a very sexy grown up Payton—in Zack’s Bar and Grill, he’s mortified by this blast from the past. Payton harbors no such reservations about seeing Wes again, and it’s clear she wouldn’t mind catching up on old times. However, Wes can’t get over his mental block where she’s concerned.

But that’s nothing a blindfold and a little mad seduction scheme can’t fix, and Payton is a very determined woman.

(Read an excerpt after the jump!)

EXCERPT:

They lay facing each other, their soft breathing the only sound in the room. He rubbed her back, his palms comforting, soothing.

A sigh of contentment welled deep within her chest and whispered across her lips, her body relaxing with the flow of it.

“You sound awfully contented.” His chest rumbled as he spoke, vibrating against her ear.

“I am,” she said. Then she smiled, a mischievous streak rising fast. “That was incredible. Just think of what we missed out on all those years ago.”

“That was extremely uncharitable of you to bring up,” he grumbled.

She chuckled softly against his chest. There was another comfortable silence between them and then he put a finger under her chin and tilted her head upward so she looked him in the eye.

“I don’t even know where you live. If I’ll see you again.”

She kept her expression even, not wanting to betray any hint of reaction. “Do you want to see me again?”

His brow furrowed a moment and he seemed to grapple with his answer. Finally he took a deep breath. “Yeah, I like the idea of seeing you again.”

Some of her tension eased, though why it should matter if he wanted to see her again was beyond her. She didn’t come to town scoping for a relationship.

“I live in Houston,” she said simply.

His eyes widened in surprise. “That’s not far.”

“Hour and a half,” she replied.

He moved his arm up propping his elbow on the bed and resting his head in his hand. “How did you end up there? I always wondered why you left. I mean after we… After we had sex, you disappeared.”

She laughed. “You make it sound so calculated and sordid. My dad got a job transfer and so we moved to Tennessee. When I was in college, he transferred to Houston. I finished college then moved there to be close to them. He’s retired now, and they’ve moved down to Galveston, but I still see them often.”

“So what do you do in Houston?” he asked.

“I’m a real estate agent. I actually got a degree in nursing but after six months of the hospital scene, I realized there was no way I could make a career out of sick, needy people. A friend of mine owned her own real estate agency so I got my realtor’s license and went to work with her. After a year, I decided to strike out on my own. I started small, but my agency is the fourth largest in Houston now.”

His eyebrows rose. “I’m impressed,” he said. He laid his hand over her hip, bunching the sheet between his fingers. “That’s a hell of an accomplishment.”

She smiled, enjoying his touch. “I think so. Or I like to think so. It took a lot of hard work, but the effort’s finally paid off.”

She rose up on her elbow as well so she was on eye level with him. The sheet fell from her chest, and she reached for it to pull it back up. His hand stayed her motion. He grazed her nipple with the back of his hand then cupped the soft mound in his palm.

She tried to speak, cleared her throat and tried again. “What about you? Did you always want to be a cop?”

His fingers continued stroking her nipples, plucking the tips until they were taut and puckered.

“No. I wanted to play football like Jake Turner and Ray Hatcher. We all got scholarships to A&M but I messed up my shoulder my freshman year. Got a degree in criminal justice instead, and when I graduated I came home, got a job with the city. I’ve been there ever since.”

“Any regrets?” she asked softly as she arched more fully into his hand.

He seemed to consider the question for a minute. “No,” he said finally. “I love my job. I’m surrounded by my best friends. It’s a good life.”

She smiled and rubbed her hand over his goatee. “You make it sound so simple.”

He grinned. “I’m just a country boy at heart. Don’t need anything more complicated. Beer, good friends and football. Can’t ask for anything better than that.”

“You left good sex out of there,” she pointed out.

His hand left her breast and he trailed a finger down the line of her jaw. “Oh, yes, definitely good sex.” He cocked his head to the side and leaned in to kiss her. “In fact, I need a lot more of good sex. A whole lot more.”

“Mmmm. That can be arranged,” she murmured against his mouth. “I hope you brought more than one condom.”

He chuckled. “I damn near bought out the store.”

“Ambitious were we?”

“Just hopeful,” he said, lightly kissing her again.

Overheard
by Maya Banks
http://www.mayabanks.com

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/overheard

Gracie Evans is a woman tired of the men in her life not satisfying her in bed. She’s had a string of boyfriends, but none of them have come close to satisfying the vivid fantasies she has. Two weeks before Valentine’s Day, she breaks up with her latest boyfriend after a night of lackluster sex.

When her good friend, Luke Forsythe, overhears her talking to their friend Michelle about what she really wants, he’s stunned. And very turned on. Gracie thinks there isn’t a man alive who can satisfy her in bed. Luke aims to prove her wrong.

Read the excerpt after the jump!

“So you going to tell me what the hell went on out there earlier?” Wes asked as he popped open another beer.

Luke flopped onto his couch and took a long swig of his own beer. He and Wes had left Jeremy’s earlier and had ended up at Luke’s place. Luke knew Wes was curious over his interference, not that Wes would have done things any differently if he’d been outside when Keith made his move at Gracie.

He took another fortifying gulp before he eased the bottle from his lips. “Let’s just say it’s been an interesting and informative day.

Wes leaned back in the arm chair and propped his feet up on Luke’s coffee table. “How so?”

Luke shook his head. Where to start? With the easy part he guessed. “Keith was being an asshole. He was ripping on Gracie, and she told him to take a hike. He went after her and Gracie kneed him in the balls.”

“Good for her,” Wes said, performing a mock salute with his beer bottle.

“I broke his nose for good measure.”

Wes looked at him and shook his head. “Shit, tell me I’m not going to have to arrest your ass when he presses charges.”

Luke laughed. “He’s a pussy. Besides, I told him you and Jeremy were watching and would swear you didn’t see anything.”

“Gee, thanks,” Wes said dryly. “Just what I need, to be arrested with you.”

Luke fiddled with his beer, tapping his finger in restless staccato against the cool glass. He hesitated to tell Wes what he’d overheard. Why, he couldn’t say. They’d never exactly been discreet with each other, and he knew Wes would find it as surprising as he had. But something held him back.

“What’s eating you?” Wes spoke up, intruding on Luke’s thoughts. “You’ve been acting weird all afternoon. You said the day had been informative. So what’s the news?”

Luke sighed and leaned forward to set his beer on the coffee table. “It’s about Gracie.”

Wes cocked an eyebrow. “What about her? You weren’t really surprised she dumped her pussy boyfriend, were you?”

Luke shook his head. “I’m not talking about the wimp, and no, I’m not all together surprised she dumped him. Even less so after what I heard her talking to Michelle about.”

“Ah hell, man, what were you doing eavesdropping on the girls? Gracie will kick your ass if she finds out.”

Luke grinned. Yeah, she wouldn’t hesitate to lay him out. He got the oddest tingle just thinking about her getting in his face. He shook his head. It was the nipple rings, it had to be. He couldn’t get his mind off what her nipples must look like. Hell.

He cleared his throat. “She, uh, well, she said some interesting things.”

Wes leaned forward, dropping his feet to the floor with a thud. “Now you’ve got me curious. What the hell did she say?”

“Apparently she dumped the pussy because he sucked in bed.”

“Yeah, well, again, that’s no surprise. She probably ate him alive,” Wes said.

Luke cocked his head sideways and stared at his friend. “Tell me something, Wes. Have you ever thought about having sex with Gracie?”

Wes choked on his beer and coughed several times in succession. “Sex? With Gracie? Shit man, no, not really. I mean she’s hot, don’t get me wrong. Seriously hot. But…”

“Seriously hot, huh. So you have thought about it, you lying sack of shit,” Luke said on a laugh.

“You have eyes, man. The girl is a walking goddess. What guy wouldn’t get a hard-on looking at her?”

“Well, get this,” Luke said, leaning toward Wes. “I overheard her telling Michelle that she was tired of men not satisfying her in bed. That she has fantasies she wants to live out.”

Wes sat up straighter, his attention focused on Luke. “What kind of fantasies?”

Luke shrugged casually, but his blood was racing just thinking about all she’d said. “Bondage, a little spanking…and she wants to take on two guys at the same time.”

“Whoa,” Wes said as he flopped back in his chair. “She said all that?”

“There’s more,” Luke continued on. “Apparently she wanted pussy boy to do a little experimenting in bed and he freaked. He called her a whore.”

“That little son of a bitch,” Wes growled. “I knew I should have gone outside with you.”

“She has nipple rings. Must be recent. Keith evidently didn’t receive the news so well judging by his comments.”

“Holy fucking shit. Nipple rings?”

“Yeah. Now tell me you aren’t picturing Gracie in the buff with nipple rings dangling from those perfect breasts.”

“Jesus.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Luke mumbled.

“She wants two guys? She said that?”

“Oh, hell yeah. She said that and a lot more. She wants a guy who isn’t afraid to call the shots. Someone who will tie her up, spank her ass and fuck her brains out.”

“Goddamn.”

Luke laughed. “Is that all you can say?”

“I’m speechless,” Wes said, his mouth still open in shock.

“Glad I’m not the only one all fucked up over it.”

“Does she know you heard all that?”

“Hell no. She wouldn’t speak to me for a year,” Luke said.

Wes fell silent, his eyes thoughtful. Luke knew Wes’s brain was spinning a mile a minute. He also knew Wes was rapidly coming to the same conclusion he had.

“Hell, if that’s what she wants…”

“Yeah,” Luke said. “Tell me you aren’t thinking the same thing I am.”

Wes grunted. “I’d have to be fucking gay not to react to something like that. I mean she’s hot. I’ve always thought so.”

Luke looked over at his friend. “Valentine’s is just two weeks away. Should be enough time for you to make arrangements to be off work.”

Wes’s eyes narrowed. “What are you thinking about?”

Luke took in a deep breath then grinned. “Well, we’ve already established the fact that Gracie is hot. We’re both attracted to her. Neither of us has any problem with nipple rings or bondage, and we have considerable experience in the threesome arena. So it seems to me that maybe we should give Gracie a Valentine’s Day to remember.”

“What if she won’t go for it?” Wes asked. “I don’t want to piss her off and I sure don’t want to mess up my friendship with her. We have too much fun for that shit.”

“She’ll go for it,” Luke said confidently.

He’d seen the longing in her eyes, the need for something she probably couldn’t even explain. He knew it because he’d felt the same thing. He also knew that he was the man who could give it to her.

Wes scrubbed a hand over his closely shaved goatee in a thoughtful motion. “I don’t know, man. It’s not like we’re going to fuck some chick we won’t ever see again. This is Gracie we’re talking about. What happens when it’s over with? I don’t want there to be any awkward shit.”

“You’re over thinking this,” Luke said impatiently. “We give Gracie an experience she won’t ever forget. We show her things she’s been craving. If anything it makes us even closer. I mean there’s no way in hell I’d fuck her and just go on like nothing ever happened. We both like her a hell of a lot. More than any other woman apart from Michelle, that’s for sure. I don’t see the problem here.”

“Just how much do you like her?” Wes asked, a peculiar expression on his face.

Luke shifted uncomfortably. What the hell kind of question was that? “I—I care about her,” he said lamely.

Wes continued to stare at him. “Do you have a thing for her?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Luke growled. “Jesus, this is sex. Gracie’s our friend. Our very gorgeous, hot friend. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t like to get next to her.”

Wes took a sip of his beer. “No, I can’t tell you that. But wanting something or knowing I’d enjoy it is different than actually doing it. Look, I just don’t want to fuck things up between us all.”

“What if she wanted it?” Luke challenged. “I mean what if she wanted what we could give her? Would you be so reluctant then?”

Wes thought for a minute then shook his head. “Hell no. I just don’t want to hurt her. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Well, shit, Wes. Do you think I’d do anything to hurt her? She’s one of my best friends. I want to make it good for her.”

“You’re serious about this.”

“Fuck. No, I’ve just spent the last ten minutes going on about my plan to seduce Gracie for nothing.”

“No need to be sarcastic,” Wes said with a chuckle. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. This is your idea, so you plan it. Tell me when and where to show up. I’ll be there. But if she shows any sign of not wanting this, I’m out.”

Luke scowled at him. “No shit, dumbass. It’s not my plan to rape her for God’s sake. But I’m telling you, she wants something. Something she doesn’t quite understand but knows she wants. You didn’t hear the things she said or the way she said them. And I think I can give her what she wants.”

Wes looked quietly at him, studying him with that cop look he was so famous for. “Yeah, maybe you can.”

WINNER POSTED! Winner is seton Check the comments for contact info

Her Majesty, My Love has all the elements I most love in romance. Adventure, lots of action, intrigue and a kick ass heroine

Of all my books, this one is the one I’m most proud of. I’m so thrilled that it’s found a home with Samhain.

Her Majesty, My Love
by Sharon Long aka Maya Banks
http://www.sharonlong.com

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/romance/her-majesty-my-love

Read the blurb and excerpt after the jump!

Princess Isabella Chastaine holds the fate of her tiny island nation in her hands. Literally. Escaping the men who murdered her parents, she flees to England with a sacred map outlining the location of ancient relics—items necessary for a new ruler to ascend the throne, items buried deep within the granite caves of her homeland.

Simon Rothmore, Earl of Merrick, has faithfully served the English crown since his recruitment into an elite secret agency. His newest task, deciphering the puzzling assassinations of the royal family of Leaudor, leads him to track down the only remaining member…Princess Isabella.

Betrayed by those closest to her, and deeply suspicious of possible English involvement, Isabella vows to return to her country and seek justice for her family. She will allow no one, especially not an arrogant English earl, to interfere in her quest.

But love has a way of uniting even the most unlikely souls. Together, they travel across two countries, encounter painful betrayals, complete a mystical quest, and forge a new destiny neither had dreamed possible.

Excerpt:

After nearly an hour of torturous travel, she tumbled out of the tunnel and onto the floor of another cavern. “Careful,” she warned, but she heard Merrick tumble out behind her, cursing under his breath.

She held up her torch to illuminate her surroundings and could only make out that they had entered a similar room to the one they had just left. She walked forward, swinging the torch from left to right in an attempt to see anything.

“Over here,” Merrick called.

She whirled around and quickly walked to where he stood. He lit a torch that hung on the wall and walked a few spaces more to light another one. Soon the room glowed with the light of a dozen torches.

Once again she unfolded the map and studied it intently. On the map, the room they were currently in was identified with a moon. Made sense. The last room was the sun. This much darker room was the moon. From the moon, a line was drawn to the right. She looked toward the left then the right. Both had passageways leading from those directions.

Carrying her torch, she headed for the right tunnel. Though the passageway was narrow, they could both easily stand and walk which made the going much faster. When she stepped out of the tunnel and into a larger open area, she paused and waited for Merrick to catch up.

As she moved her torch slowly from right to left, she heard a noise that sounded like hoof beats. Then she realized it was the flapping of wings. She barely had time to duck before hundreds of bats swarmed over her head and into the tunnel Merrick had just stepped from.

She placed her hand over her chest, trying to still the thundering of her heart. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath. Surely a year had just been frightened from her.

Merrick slid an arm around her and squeezed reassuringly. “You are doing fine.”

She smiled and moved forward into the small room, looking around for torches to light. To her surprise, as she neared the far end, she discovered that this was not the small space she had thought. Indeed it was an enormous cavern. They were just on a small ledge with a large gap between them and the rest of the cavern.

As she neared the edge, she looked down into the darkness. She kicked a stone listening for when it hit bottom. But silence was the only thing she heard. Gulping, she backed away from the edge.

“Looks like you have two options,” Merrick said, gazing out over the chasm.

She moved in his direction and took in what he was looking at. There were two bridges leading across the drop off. Both led into a tunnel on the opposite side. But neither was accessible from the other bridge. A huge stone outcropping jutted outward over the gap, isolating the two passageways from one another.

It appeared she had another choice to make. She consulted the map, but she already knew it wouldn’t be any help. It was more a general guide to keep her on the right path. Any choices to be made would be hers to make alone.

“This one isn’t safe,” Merrick spoke up.

She put away the map and walked over to the rickety rope bridge that led to the other side. Her gaze went to the other option. A natural stone bridge spanned over half the gap and where it ended, sturdy logs had been laid to complete the path.

Definitely the safer of the two.

She walked over to inspect the stone bridge but was nagged by a feeling of doubt. Faith. The monk had said she needed faith.

She quickly spun around and bumped into Merrick. “We take the rope bridge.”

“Are you mad?” he demanded. “You’ll get yourself killed.”

“Faith, Merrick. Father Ling said I must have faith.”

“Faith isn’t about going blindly to your death,” he retorted. “Faith is nonsense. It’s for people who have nothing else.”

She gave him a troubled look and reached out to cup his cheek. “You sound so cynical.”

“Faith is merely setting yourself up for inevitable disappointment,” he said bitterly. “It’s a useless attribute.”

She started to reply but he cut her off. “I won’t let you do this, Isabella. It isn’t worth your life.”

“Where is your faith, Merrick? Didn’t you have it once, maybe long ago? Is it buried beneath that solid wall of responsibility and duty? Do you always go about expecting the worst?”

“I have none,” he said shortly. “And if I expect the worst, I am never disappointed.”

“Do you not have faith in me?” She let the words dangle in the air, pinning him with the force of her gaze.

“I—” He broke off and looked away. He took her hands in his. “I do believe in you, Isabella. If that means I have faith in you, then I do. You are the only person I believe in, and if anyone can succeed in this, you can.”

She could not contain the broad smile at his admission. “If you have faith in me, then realize I would do nothing to jeopardize my life or the future of my country.”

She turned to the rope bridge and the few wooden planks that served as steps and sighed. “I know it seems crazy, but I know this is the way I am supposed to go. Have faith in me, Merrick. I won’t let you down.”

“I’m going first,” he said firmly, pushing her out of the way.

He stepped gingerly onto the first plank, gripping the rope with his left hand and holding the torch in his right hand. With extreme caution, he put forth his other foot and stepped to the next one. The bridge swayed under his weight, and he stood still for a moment to steady it.

She watched as he moved forward again, her chest tightening at his demonstration of concern for her. He believed in her. Had faith in her when he had no other faith. When everyone else in his life had let him down. God, this man meant more to her than anything. She stopped short in her thoughts, mortification surging over her. She had been about to say he meant more to her than any crown. More than this quest, more than avenging her parents.

But she couldn’t allow herself to think such thoughts. Couldn’t become weak. Revenge had gotten her this far, and it would sustain her until Jacques was dead or in prison, and she was on the throne. She had no room for any other emotion.

She looked back up to see Merrick step safely to the other side and relief lessened the horrendous weight she felt pressing down on her. Now it was her turn.

“Put your torch down,” he called out. “Use both your hands to hold on. We can use my torch. Just take it slow and easy and don’t rush.”

After laying aside her torch so it still lit her way, she grabbed the rope in her hands and stepped onto the first plank. Sweat broke out on her forehead, and she sucked in her bottom lip, afraid to even breathe. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her foot for the second step.

“Open your eyes,” he ordered. “Focus on me and don’t look down. You can do this.”

Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared across the distance to where he stood, torch in hand. Gritting her teeth in determination, she stepped forward again. She was halfway across when her foot slipped off the small plank. With a cry, she skidded sideways and tumbled off the bridge.

“Isabella!” she heard him shout as she shot downward.
———————————————————————————————-

Now, if you made it all the way down here, you get details on how to win a copy of Her Majesty Simply tell me the last Samhain book you read and you’ll be entered to win. Contest closes tonight (Tuesday Jan 2 at midnight CST) Check back here in the comments for the winner. I’ll post it Wednesday morning.

Understood
by Maya Banks
available now from Samhain Publishing!

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/understood

Blurb:

Jake Turner committed the ultimate mistake of falling in love with his best friend’s wife. The distance he puts between them costs both him and Ellie Matthews dearly. Jake will never forgive himself for not seeing what a bastard his friend was. Now that Ellie is free from her nightmare, Jake waits, needing and wanting. He’ll be there when Ellie is ready to spread her wings.

Excerpt:

Jake Turner glanced around at gawdy Christmas decorations adorning the interior of Zach’s Bar and Grill and suppressed a grimace.

He motioned for another beer and ignored what his buddy was yammering about next to him. Things were always lively at Zach’s close to Christmas. Jake could never figure out if people were getting out to celebrate the season or if they were all just lonely and looking for another human being to connect with.

“Earth to Jake. Come on, man, you’re in another world over there.”

Jake blinked then scowled at his friend, Colin. “What the hell do you want?”

Colin nodded toward the door. “Isn’t that Ray’s ex coming in?”

Jake’s pulse quickened, and he yanked his gaze toward the entrance. All his breath left his body in one hard rush. What the hell?

His eyes came to rest on Ellie Matthews as she stood just inside the doorway. Only it wasn’t Ellie as he was used to seeing her.

She took a hesitant step forward then stopped and scanned the room, her eyes wide. Her bottom lip worked between her teeth, a sure sign of her nervousness.

Long soft curls spilled over her shoulders, hair that a man would itch to thrust his fingers into as he thrust into other parts of her body.

But what had his blood pressure soaring was her get-up. Despite it being the middle of December, she wore a top barely held up by the spaghetti strings over her shoulders. The neckline plunged, and the material cupped her breasts in all the right places.

Her mini skirt, if you could call the scrap of denim barely covering her ass a skirt, rode so high up on her thighs that Jake knew if she moved wrong, the entire bar would get a glimpse of her pussy.

She had a “fuck me” ensemble going on complete with ride-me hard shoes. He’d never seen her in high heels once, and yet she teetered unsteadily toward the bar in three-inch, fire-engine red heels.

“Jesus, I had no idea she was so damn hot,” Colin muttered.

Jake rounded on Colin with a ferocious glare. “Shut the hell up,” he growled.

Colin raised an eyebrow in surprise but remained silent.

Jake turned his attention back to Ellie, who stood at the bar. The bartender plunked down a shot which she promptly drained before motioning for another.

There wasn’t a single male eye that wasn’t riveted on her. Two men sauntered up to the bar and stood close to Ellie. She smiled at them flirtatiously, and Jake was struck with a sudden realization.

She was taking the plunge.

A surge of red hot jealousy spilled over into his gut. She was finally breaking free of the hold Ray had on her, only this wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. Jake had waited a long time for her. He’d thought she needed more space. He was supposed to be the one she came to when she was ready to take that leap.

He gripped his beer bottle until his knuckles went white. What the hell did she think she was doing? His gaze narrowed when she downed another shot. When she turned her attention back to the crowd of admirers at her elbow, he saw the fear in her eyes.

It was then he understood what it was costing her. This whole take me home and fuck me was all a brave act. She was scared to death, and the only way she had a hope of carrying through with it was by getting thoroughly drunk.

Over his dead body.

He was striding across the room even before he realized he’d gotten up from his table. In two seconds flat, he shoved by the group of men all panting over Ellie and stood beside her at the bar.

She turned unfocused blue eyes up at him, the fear that shadowed her gaze disappearing as she realized who he was.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Ellie?” he demanded.

Panic flitted across her face, and the fear returned.

Without waiting to hear what she had to say, he bent slightly, pushing his shoulder into her belly. He stood back up, slinging her over his shoulder. His hand rested possessively on her ass.

He turned to glare at the men who’d surrounded Ellie. “She’s mine,” he said in his most menacing voice.

They backed off quickly.

He started for the door, Ellie’s upper body swinging against his back.

“Jake?” she said in a small voice. “Where are we going?”

God, he hated that sound. The fear in her voice. The uncertainty. It made him want to put his fist through the wall.

“Home,” he bit out.