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Cover Reveal + Giveaway: LOVE IN TRANSIT BOX SET

May 3, 2017

Today we have the cover reveal for Love in Transit, a sexy new box set from a fantastic lineup of authors! Check it out and grab your copy June 1st!

 

Title: Love in Transit

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Release Day: June 1st

About Love In Transit:

You know those people that have a house full of motivational slogans? Embrace Every Moment, stamped on their coffee mugs. Always Kiss Me Goodnight painted above their perfectly made beds.

I’m not one of those people.

This morning I overslept, then slipped on a stray sock and banged my toe into the nightstand. The elevator in my building broke and I had to run down six flights of stairs. And then my local coffee shop was closed. For health code violations.

What’s that? Not the end of the world? You want me to suck it up?

Did I mention I’m wearing a wedding dress… on the subway?

It’s a Good Day for a Hot Mess. Someone embroider that on a pillow.

 

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Connect with the Authors:

Jana Aston

Ainsley Booth

Kitty French

BJ Harvey

Raine Miller

Liv Morris

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Categories : Contemporary Romance, Cover Reveal, Giveaway Tagged : Ainsley Booth, BJ Harvey, Jana Aston, Kitty French, Liv Morris, Love in Transit, Raine Miller

Filthy Rich (Blackstone Dynasty #1) by Raine Miller Review

November 17, 2016

filthy-rich

FILTHY RICH (Blackstone Dynasty #1) by Raine Miller
Release Date: November 15, 2016

 

Synopsis:

Billionaire Caleb Blackstone lives in the glamorous world of wealth and success, with every material luxury. But the moment he sees Brooke Casterley, none of that matters. Caleb is filled with a raw, undeniable need that he can’t ignore…for a girl who is so completely different from everything and everyone he’s ever known.

Only Brooke isn’t looking for love. She knows all too well just how much damage the wrong guy can do. Still, what sane, broke British girl can resist the charms of an incredibly sexy, chivalrous billionaire? What starts as flirtation quickly turns into all-consuming passion. Nothing could have prepared her for the searing heat of Caleb’s touch—or just how much she craves him.

Their whirlwind romance is the stuff of high-society fantasy—but for every moment of pleasure, there is a cost. Past mistakes and tragedy shadow them both…and falling for him might be the kind of trouble she can’t afford.

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My Review:

Raine Miller has written another swoony, sexy, and beautiful story!! I fell in LOVE with Caleb!

I couldn’t wait to read this new series from Raine Miller. Loosely connected to the Blackstone Affair series, the new Blackstone Dynasty introduces Caleb Blackstone, a wealthy businessman who is handsome, brilliant, driven, and of course, all alone. His life is filled with one-night stands and no permanence. He neither has the time or the interest in a lasting relationship. His family is wealthy and he does seems to have it all. Raine Miller writes an Alpha male like nobody’s business and you can add Caleb Balckstone to the short list of handsome, passionate heroes.

Yes, there is some insta-love here BUT Raine Miller is a masterful writer and takes time to build her characters. When Caleb first sees the pretty Brooke, he smitten. Their later chance encounter at a party leaves a lasting impression on him. Little does he know that their families actually share a long history together. But Brooke, who is working several jobs, has ZERO interest in a serious relationship. She has suffered great loss in her life and was forced to leave her home England at a young age to live with her grandmother in America. Caleb and Brooke are both totally blind-sided by their mutual attraction.

“Nothing was familiar when it came to Brooke. Each new thing we shared together felt to me as if I’d never done it before, and more importantly, as if I never wanted to do it again with anyone other than her—ever.”

I loved how Ms. Miller touched on the loneliness that both of her main characters felt. It was very poignant and made Caleb and Brooke’s growing relationship all the more sweeter. I also adored how devoted Caleb was to Brooke and their passion together was INCREDIBLE! If you are looking for a beautifully written contemporary romance that is fairly low on the drama and angst, then ‘Filthy Rich’ is for you. The author made the New England setting come alive for me and I absolutely ADORE the cover of this book. The cover model Adam Cowie is THE perfect Caleb Blackstone.

While this book is a standalone, there will be another book coming in this series in February of 2017 for more about the Blackstone family!

“When you find whatever it is that makes you happy, Caleb, hold on to it with everything you’ve got. Your heart will let you know.”

With thanks to the author for an ARC provided in return for an honest review.

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Categories : 4 Stars, Dark Contemporary Romance, Reviews, Standalone Tagged : Blackstone Dynasty, Filthy Rich, Raine Miller

♥ VALENTINE’S DAY GIVEAWAY ♥

February 10, 2015

So, Valentine’s Day is coming up soon…and it’s a perfect time for a giveaway of some of our favorite books!! Whether you love a tough biker, a sexy professor, a brilliant but tortured writer or an irresistible race car driver, we’ve got a book for you. Open internationally. Good luck!!

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Categories : Contemporary Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway Tagged : Chelle Bliss, E.M. Abel, Giveaway, J.B. Salsbury, Jamie McGuire, K. Bromberg, Kristen Ashley, Lex Martin, M. Pierce, R.K. Lilley, Raine Miller, Sylvain Reynard, Tessa Bailey, Tia Louise

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: THE MUSE by RAINE MILLER

November 4, 2014

 

What if the truth about a famous painting was not what it’s been told to be? What if it was not even the original work and a different painting had inspired its creation? The story of a painting… The motivation behind the work, Flaming June—Romanticist painter, Lord Frederic Leighton’s magnum opus—a woman sleeping in a chair. Hauntingly beautiful, but with its inspiration locked away in the mystery of times past.

1811…

Burdened with family skeletons and agonizing guilt, an unwilling Lord Rothvale, one Graham Everley, returns from a long sojourn in Ireland to attend to the obligations awaiting him in England. The last thing he imagines to find is his destiny, but find her he does. Imogene Byron-Cole, a girl as lovely as her past is tragic. Graham can’t walk away from her, and so he marries her instead, in spite of an increasingly tangled web of troubles that threaten to destroy the very foundation of his entire existence.

As Graham and Imogene start out on their journey together, they express their love through a series of portraits. The art ensnares them completely, and in the end, becomes their salvation, bearing them through their deepest pain of loss, and inspiring a masterwork.

[This will be book one of a three part saga in the Rothvale Legacy Historical Prequel series.]

The Muse – Book I – Graham Everley

The Rogue – Book II – Clive Gravelle

The Stargazer – Book III – Colin Everley

 

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Raine Miller has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland
book at the tender age of thirteen. And it’s a safe bet she’ll never stop,
because now she writes them too! Granted Raine’s stories are edgy enough to
turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero
never goes out of fashion. A former teacher, she’s now writing sexy romance
stories full time. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant
sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far
away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked
to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the
characters in her books. You can contact her at raine_miller@ymail.com or visit 
www.RaineMiller.com to sign up for updates and her newsletter with links to upcoming books. Also, you can text RAINE to 96000 if you prefer.

 

 

LINKS:

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Categories : Book Launch, Historical Romance Tagged : Raine Miller, The Muse

RELEASE BLITZ: PRICELESS by Raine Miller

September 12, 2014

Ivan Everley, 13th Baron Rothvale, would admit he’s the last person on
earth who should have custody over a priceless collection of art. British law
affords him the title of ‘Lord,’ but underneath all the trappings he’s just a
regular guy, despite being a world champion in archery, and
certain…proclivities of a private nature. But Ivan’s public celebrity is
merely a sham–a carefully guarded secret borne out of the pain of betrayal.
Even his cousin Ethan Blackstone doesn’t know the truth behind the man he
considers a brother. 


Lord Rothvale has a plethora of problems piled up to his aristocratic eyeballs,
but that doesn’t stop him from complicating his world further when a beautiful
art conservationist shows up to appraise his inherited collection of paintings.
Once Ivan gets a taste of Gabrielle Hargreave, mistaken
identity or not, he can’t think of anything but how good the green-eyed beauty
felt in his arms. 


The chase is on, and Ivan’s dominant side isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer–but
yet, Gabrielle might just teach our discontented lord a thing or two about
life, and about himself, and help them both discover the undeniable truth in
what it means to find something genuinely… priceless.

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Raine Miller has
been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland
book at the tender age of thirteen. And it’s a safe bet she’ll never stop,
because now she writes them too! Granted Raine’s stories are edgy enough to
turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero
never goes out of fashion. A former teacher, she’s now writing sexy romance
stories full time. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant
sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far
away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked
to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the
characters in her books. You can contact her at raine_miller@ymail.com or visit 
www.RaineMiller.com to sign up for updates and her newsletter with
links to upcoming books. Also, you can text RAINE to 96000 if you prefer.

LINKS:

FACEBOOK


TWITTER

GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

PINTEREST

Categories : Book Launch, Contemporary Romance, Release Blitz Tagged : Priceless, Raine Miller

SIGNED GIVEAWAY: Rare and Precious Things (The Blackstone Affair Book 4) by Raine Miller

March 30, 2014

Ebook RAPT

We LOVE The Blackstone Series and Ethan Blackstone is one of our favorite book boyfriends! Rare and Precious Things (Book 4 in the Blackstone Series) was a fantastic end to Ethan and Brynne’s story.

Read my review here – http://go.shr.lc/1fPuCZU

The fourth part in the New York Times bestselling series, The Blackstone Affair: A bright beginning for two damaged souls fighting for their hard-won love, and the promise of a new hope to secure their happily ever after.

Fresh from an idyllic honeymoon along the Italian coast, the Blackstones prepare for the birth of their precious baby and the challenges of settling into a new home. But things get complicated when specters from the past reappear to threaten the very foundation of their relationship. Ethan and Brynne will have to fight harder than ever for each other. Rare and Precious Things is the story of two people who both need the other in order to be complete, but learn just how “rare” their brand of love is when they have to risk everything in order to hold onto it.

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
NAKED (BOOK 1)
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ALL IN (BOOK 2)
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EYES WIDE OPEN (BOOK 3)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo
CHERRY GIRL (BOOK 3.5)
Blackstone Affair spin-off, yet can be a standalone

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Enter to win a SIGNED paperback of RARE AND PRECIOUS THINGS by Raine Miller.

One Winner. OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.

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Categories : Contemporary Romance, Giveaway Tagged : Raine Miller, Rare and Precious Things

RARE AND PRECIOUS THINGS (THE BLACKSTONE AFFAIR BOOK 4) by RAINE MILLER

February 25, 2014

Title: RARE AND PRECIOUS THINGS
(The Blackstone Affair Book 4)
Author: RAINE MILLER
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hosted by: The Book Avenue
The fourth part in the New York Times bestselling series, The Blackstone Affair: A bright beginning for two damaged souls fighting for their hard-won love, and the promise of a new hope to secure their happily ever after.
Fresh from an idyllic honeymoon along the Italian coast, the Blackstones prepare for the birth of their precious baby and the challenges of settling into a new home. But things get complicated when specters from the past reappear to threaten the very foundation of their relationship. Ethan and Brynne will have to fight harder than ever for each other. Rare and Precious Things is the story of two people who both need the other in order to be complete, but learn just how “rare” their brand of love is when they have to risk everything in order to hold onto it.

REVIEW

5 glorious stars!!

Rare and Precious Things is a beautiful, lyrical book, taking the reader on a wonderful journey with two beloved characters, Ethan and Brynne, as they navigate the sometime-treacherous waters of newly-married couples. Raine Miller has written a fantastic, intriguing and SUPER hot conclusion to Ethan and Brynne’s story.

Could there be a hotter book husband than Ethan Blackstone? I really don’t think so!

“Ethan filled me up on a steady thrust, his hands at my hips for leverage.  He made that breathy groan of pleasure that I loved to hear from him as he sank into me.  “Feel that, my beauty.  All of it—just for you.”

As a newlywed and expectant mother, Brynne still feels a little insecure even though Ethan is clearly devoted to her. She is a plain-spoken woman, and not yet totally comfortable in the rarefied atmosphere of Ethan Blackstone’s world.

“Good sex wasn’t love.
For me, honest devotion and loyalty was love.”

Ethan sees Brynne as his safe harbor, and his comfort from his inner turmoil and PTSD. The alternating POV’s work perfectly here and kept me turning the pages late into the night.

Raine Miller writes THE most amazing sex scenes, without being cliche or overdone. Of course her characters have a deep connection after all they have been through together, but it is still vital that I feel emotionally connected, too, and I absolutely felt connected to Ethan and Brynne. Ethan is still battling his inner demons, and Brynne must still contend with characters from her painful past. Nothing in the story is rushed, nothing is as expected, and all is brought to an incredibly satisfying conclusion in Rare and Precious Things. A must read!

“Every day since the first day, you have made my life worth living.  You make me wake up every single day knowing that I am a blessed man.”

(ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)

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1. Now that you’re going to be a father, what do you feel will be your biggest challenge with fatherhood?

I am a worrier. I worry about Brynne. I will worry about my child. I want to keep everyone safe and happy, and yet I know that sometimes shit happens that is not nice, and people do get hurt, or sick, or tragedy strikes. In my line of work, I know this all too well, but I also know my family will always come first before anything else.

2. Whats the biggest thing Brynne has said or done to you that has made you love her even more, and what do you think Brynne would answer to the same question about you?


Brynne really was the first woman who cared about ME as a person. She was able to see the good in me, and brought me to a place where I wanted more out of life than just the shallowness I was living before her. She also loves me in spite of all my flaws. Brynne would probably say that I taught her how to learn to trust.

3. How do you see your life had you and Brynne never met?

A very empty, and lonely one.

4. How do you see yourself acting in the delivery room?

Like a fuckin’ idiot in a total panic. Thank Christ Brynne is so level-headed and calm.

5. Ethan, you and Brynne have so much chemistry together..we feel your love and connection together……did you recognize this from the moment you first saw a picture of her? 

I just knew I had to meet her in person. But when she walked into the gallery, though—that was a defining moment for me. The way she looked at me from across the room was different and did something to me inside. I knew there was nothing that would stop me from meeting her. NOTHING.

6. Ethan, what is the most important life lesson you have learned from your father Jonathan that you want to pass down to your children?

My father taught me many things and is a man I respect more than any other, but mostly he taught us to own up to our choices, and to follow our hearts.

7. Ethan, do you wish you would have told Brynne that her father had hired you to watch over her a hell of a lot sooner? 

All the time. I don’t know what I was doing in not telling her. I was a fuckin’ moron.

8. Ethan, how are you going to deal with staying away from Brynne during her postpartum recovery period? 

*rolls eyes* (probably not very well)

Raine Miller has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland book at the tender age of thirteen. And it’s a safe bet she’ll never stop, because now she writes them too! Granted Raine’s stories are edgy enough to turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero never goes out of fashion. A part-time teacher and writer of sexy romance stories every other chance she gets pretty much fills her days. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the characters in her books.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | WEBSITE
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
NAKED (BOOK 1)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo 

ALL IN (BOOK 2)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo

EYES WIDE OPEN (BOOK 3)
Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Kobo
CHERRY GIRL (BOOK 3.5)
Blackstone Affair spin-off, yet can be a standalone

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Categories : 5 Stars, Alpha male, Blog Tour, Contemporary Erotic Romance, Giveaway Tagged : 5 stars, Ethan Blackstone, Raine Miller, Rare and Precious Things

RELEASE EVENT: CHAPTER 1 of EYES WIDE OPEN (Blackstone Affair Book 3) by Raine Miller

May 14, 2013

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SYNOPSIS:

The third part in The Blackstone Affair series: A love on the brink of being destroyed. The fight of a lifetime to keep it alive.

Big surprises are on the horizon for Ethan and Brynne as they struggle to adjust to what life has thrown at them. Demons from the past are threatening to destroy the passionate bond they’ve forged despite their vow that nothing will ever keep them apart. A truly devastating loss coupled with the promise of a new hope opens their eyes to what is most important, but is it possible for the lovers to move on from the painful histories that continue to haunt them? A stalker is still lurking in the shadows, plotting evil amidst the distraction of the 2012 Olympic games in London. Brynne and Ethan are on the cusp of losing everything as the stakes rise. Will they yield to circumstances beyond their control or will they give every ounce of fight they have left to save each other and win the ultimate prize of a life together?

Eyes Wide Open is a passion-wrought story that shows us what pure love can achieve when tested and what the heart can accomplish despite danger and adversity.
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Chapter 1~
Ethan’s eyes held on to me as he mastered my body, his grip firm on my hips, his thick flesh filling me up and moving inside me, his mouth all over me, his teeth on my skin.
All of this from the man who had broken though the walls I’d built and captured me. They were demonstrations of touch and pleasure, a means of cementing the connection between us, of keeping me close to him. It was his way. He didn’t need to worry, though.
Ethan had me.
Despite the whole mess tonight, he had me in his arms and underneath him, his commanding strength taking charge in the way it’d been from the beginning. Holding me safe. That night on the street when he’d coaxed me into his car and the later phone calls demanding I acknowledge him were just the start of my understanding of Ethan Blackstone. There was so much more to the man than I ever imagined back then.
I wasn’t going anywhere. I was in love with him.
“I want my cock in you all night long,” he rasped, his blue eyes flashing against the moonlight as he moved. Looming over me, he plied my body in every which way as the light shone on our naked bodies through the balcony window. Hands, mouth, cock, tongue, teeth, fingers—he used them all.
Ethan said things to me like that during sex. Shocking stuff that made me hotter than hell, nourishing my confidence, and showing me how much he wanted me. It was precisely what I needed. Ethan was my answer, and he knew exactly what I craved. I don’t know how he understood me so well, but he did without a doubt. Tonight had affirmed that message loud and clear. I guess I could finally admit that I was in need of another person in order to be happy.
That other person was Ethan.
I’d let someone in. The hard shell around my heart had been compromised, and very thoroughly too. Ethan had done it. He’d worked on me, and pushed me and demanded my attention. He never gave up on me and loved me in spite of my cavern of emotional issues. Ethan did all that for me. And now I could revel in the fact that I was loved by a man whom I loved in return.
“Eyes on me, baby,” he commanded on a harsh breath. “You know I have to have your eyes when I take you!” His hand had moved up to grip my hair and he tugged. He never hurt me when he pulled it, though. Ethan knew just how much pressure to exert and was fully aware it sent me over the edge. I did know about his need for my eyes being on him and I held onto his fiery blues with everything I had.
But Ethan knew more about me than I knew about him.
“You’re going to come first!” he gritted out, thrusting deep and hard, finding the sensitive spot within me needed to accomplish his directive.
As I felt the pressure build I let myself go to that perfect place of ecstasy, pinned beneath Ethan’s body, which was burrowed in mine, his blue eyes just inches above me. He took my mouth as the orgasm ripped into me, filling another part of me, making me accept more of him, binding us together more deeply.
His orgasm followed mine within seconds. I could always tell he was close from how he tightened to inhuman hardness right as he was about to come. The feeling was out of this world and intensely empowering. That I could pull such a reaction from him and elicit such feeling in another person did something to me. Something that healed me a little bit each time it happened—I kept getting better inside my head because of Ethan and the ways he showed his love for me. I had some hope about myself that I could be happy and live a normal life.
Ethan had given me that.
“Tell me, baby,” he exhaled in a harsh whisper, but I could hear the vulnerability that accompanied the boldness. Ethan wasn’t without his own insecurities, he was just a mortal like the rest of us.
“Always yours!” I truly meant my words as I felt him let go inside me.
When I opened my eyes sometime later, I realized I must have dozed a bit. Ethan had rearranged us halfway on our sides, but we were still joined together. He liked to stay buried inside me for a while afterward. I didn’t mind, because it was something he desired and I loved making him happy.
I just wish he’d tell me more about his dark place. He was afraid to share and while it bothered me, I mostly understood his fear. I often wondered if his reasons for needing to touch me all the time and possess me so thoroughly during sex, and afterward too, had something to do with his time as a prisoner. They tortured him and scarred him and hurt him. It pained me just remembering how he’d been that night when his dreams woke him up in a panic.
I trailed my fingers over his shoulder and back. I imagined the angel wings of his tattoo and the words below them. And I felt the scars too. Ethan flicked his eyes open and pegged me hard. “Why wings? They’re beautiful, you know.”
“The wings reminded me of my mum,” he said after a moment or two of silence, “and they covered many of the scars.”
I leaned forward, kissing his lips with a soft touch. I cupped his jaw and decided to take the plunge. I didn’t want to scare Ethan away from talking to me if he was in a mood, but figured I had to try again at some point. “And the quote? Why that one?”
He shrugged and whispered, “I think I died a little tonight.”
So much for him opening up and sharing. He wasn’t up for any more delving into his past. I could tell. “What do you mean you died a little?”
“When I couldn’t find you after that message came in on your mobile.” He traced my cheek and then my lips with his finger—just the lightest touch, and I felt a shiver roll through me.
“Well, you did find me eventually, and no dying allowed, mister. That would be a real major buzzkill.” I tried to tease him into a lighter mood, but it didn’t seem to be working. When Ethan was in a serious frame of mind, he didn’t just switch out of it easily.
“I’m glad you feel better,” he paused and thrust his hips with a renewed erection, sinking in deep, “because I needed this with you, badly.”
“I’m here and you have me,” I murmured against his lips as he draped my legs over his shoulders and took charge of another round of pleasure.. Once was rarely enough for him.
Ethan made me feel desirable. He made me feel beautiful and sexy, from the words that came out of his mouth to the touch of his body in mine when he made love to me. And afterward, when he held me against him like I was precious.
Somebody wanted me, despite all that had gone down in my past. Someone was willing to fight for me. I was important to another person. To Ethan I was. The power in that knowledge was life-changing.
Ethan’s particular brand of attention was intense and a lot to accept at first, but it worked for me. Ethan worked for me. He could show me how much he wanted me, and for the first time I had some hope that we could really make this relationship work. The “let’s go slow” part hadn’t happened at all like we’d agreed when we first met. But if we had gone slowly, I very much doubt I’d be naked in bed with him at the Somerset coast, in an English manor fit for a king, which happened to be owned by his sister, and being fucked to the brink of another magnificent orgasm right now. A girl has to take things as they come.
It took a bit for me to rouse myself after the second round of sheet-clawing sex, but I managed to wriggle out of his hold to head for the bathroom so I could clean up and prepare for sleep. I loved how he touched me all the time. I needed it, plain and simple, and Ethan knew that. It was just another way in which we were emotionally compatible.
I filled a glass of water and took the pill Dr. Roswell had prescribed for my night terrors. I had a routine. Birth control and vitamins in the morning, sleeping pill at night, once I was ready to actually sleep. I smirked into the elegant bathroom mirror that looked like something out of Buckingham Palace, realizing that bed and sleep were never synonymous when with Ethan. We spent a great deal of time together in bed not sleeping, but I wasn’t complaining.
I didn’t expect to find him awake when I came out of the bathroom, but his eyes were open, tracking my every movement as I settled back into bed. He reached for me and held my face, something he did often when we were close like this.
“How come you’re still awake? You must be exhausted after that long drive,” I paused for emphasis, “and all that superb shagging—”
“I love you and I never want to let you go,” he interrupted.
“So don’t.” I looked into his blue eyes, which seared me in the dim light.
“I never will.” He said it with some hardness and I felt that he really meant it.
“I love you too, and I’m not going anywhere.” I leaned in to kiss his lips, the rasp of his beard stubble well familiar to me now. He kissed me back, but I could tell he had more to say and could feel the edge in him, which was surprising considering the orgasms he’d just pounded into me.
“The thing is I—I need something more permanent with us. I need you with me all the time so I can protect you and we can be together every day . . . and night.”
I felt my heart begin to thud rapidly, whispers of panic taking hold. Just when I got comfortable with one aspect of us, Ethan pushed for more.
He’s always been that way . . .
“But we are together every day now,” I told him.
He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes a fraction. “It’s not enough, Brynne. Not after what happened tonight and that fucked-up message from God knows whom. I have Neil working on your mobile trace right now and we’ll get to the bottom of it, but I need something more formal that tells the world you are off limits and untouchable by whatever designs they might have on you.”
I swallowed hard, feeling his thumbs start to move over my jaw as I tried to imagine where he was going with this. “What do you mean when you say ‘formal’? How formal are we talking?” Man, my voice was thready, and my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest the next moment.
He smiled at me and leaned in for a soft, slow kiss that calmed me some. Ethan had always calmed me, though. If I was unsettled or scared, he had a way of comforting me and easing the stress of the moment. “Ethan?” I asked when he finally pulled back.
“It’s okay, baby,” he said soothingly, “everything will be all right and I’ll take care of you, but I know what we need to do—what needs to happen.”
“You do?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He rolled us over and held my face again, propped on his elbows and trapping me beneath his sculpted limbs, hard and smooth against my softer parts. “I’m sure of it, in fact.” His lips dropped to my neck and kissed up to my ear and then down my jaw, over my throat, and back to the other ear. “Very, very sure,” he whispered between gentle kisses. “I realized it tonight as soon as we got here and I saw that you were wearing this.” He kissed the spot where the amethyst pendant he’d given me lay in the hollow of my throat.
“What are you so sure about?” My voice was faint, but every word rang out clear as a bell in the short distance between us, as if I’d shouted my question.
“Do you trust me, Brynne?”
“Yes.”
“And you love me?”
“Yes, of course. You know that I do.”
He smiled down at me again. “Then it’s settled.”
“What is settled?” I implored against his gorgeous face, which had mesmerized me from the first, one side of his beautiful mouth turned up confidently, holding me firmly beneath him in a possessive hold so typical of my Ethan.
“We’ll get married.”
I stared at him, sure the words that just came out of his mouth were out of a scene from a romance novel. Maybe I was having a dream. I hoped.
Ethan shifted on top of me and shot that idea to hell. Holy fucking shit!
“It makes perfect sense,” he said with a slow grin, “we make an announcement that goes out big, have you move in with me officially, and let everyone know your fiancé is in the security business—”
“Are you insane?” I cut him off and saw his eyes moving over my face, studying my reaction to his words. “Ethan, I can’t get married. I don’t want to. I’m just getting used to being in a relationship. It’s way, way too soon to even consider something like that for us . . .”
He grinned down at me, utterly calm and confident. “I know, baby. It is far too soon, but the world doesn’t have to know that. To them it looks like you’re about to be the wife of the former-SF, high-profile CEO of Blackstone Inc. To whoever is out there with an agenda, they get a message loud and clear. That they need to keep the hell away from you; that they won’t be able to touch you in any way, shape or form, and that they won’t get close enough to even blink at you, let alone deliver threats like that fucked-up shit from last night.” He kissed me softly, looking very proud of himself. “It’s a brilliant plan.”
I just kept staring at him, sure he was a figment of some fantastical dream I was having. “It’s also dishonest, Ethan. Have you even considered what you are asking me to do? To lie? To mislead our families and friends into believing some fiction that we met two months ago and now we’re getting married?”
He stiffened above me, and his jaw got that stubborn set to it. “When it comes to protecting you, I’ll do whatever I need to do. I’m not taking the risk with you—it’s too late for that. I told you I was all in, and that’s not changed in the last hours.”
His glaring expression was more than a little intimidating, even in the dim light. I tried to explain myself. “Well, no, my feelings haven’t changed either, but that doesn’t mean we can . . .”
My words trailed off as I tried to process what he’d just so confidently declared—that getting married would be a good idea—just like eating more vegetables or wearing sunscreen was a good idea. I had to wonder if the stomach bug that had got to me tonight was making me hallucinate.
“There’s no reason we can’t.” Ethan looked a little wounded as he studied me carefully, and it gave me a pang of regret, but only for about two seconds. What he was proposing was absolutely insane. I could barely wrap my head around being in love with a man who’d stormed his way into my life, audaciously and without apology, a mere two months ago. How in the hell could I agree to a marriage based on my protection from some mysterious threat of unknown motivations by unnamed people?
“I—I’m—you’re absolutely out-of-your-mind crazy right now! Ethan, do you realize what you are proposing here?”
He nodded at me, his face just inches from mine. I couldn’t really tell what he was thinking right now either. He wanted his way, I could guess, but his motives were what surprised me more. I knew he loved me. He made sure to tell me often. And I know my feelings for him were the same . . . but . . . marriage?! I was sure he couldn’t have suggested anything more of a shock to my fragile emotional grid than this. Surely Ethan didn’t want a wife. This was way too soon.
“Yes, Brynne, I very much know what I just said to you.” He kept his face neutral but firm, giving away nothing.
“You want to marry me, a woman you just met eight weeks ago, who has relationship phobias and—and a fucked-up past—”
He shut me up with a dominating kiss, the kind that left no doubts about the seriousness of his proposal. God! Am I in Bizarro World here? I let his mouth plunder mine for a moment, then brought my hand up to the back of his head. I tugged him back and cupped his cheek, seeking his eyes again.
“Baby . . . that thing tonight spooked me,” he whispered. “I didn’t plan this out; I just know what feels right. I want you with me. You won’t need a work visa any more. You can live here and work in London somewhere in your field. You’ll have time to find the perfect job without pressure to wrangle the immigration laws, and most important, we can be together. It’s what I want. I can shield you as your husband. I can make sure you’re always protected. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe. I love you. You love me, yeah? What’s the problem? It’s the perfect solution.” He tilted his head at me and squinted his eyes like I was being illogically stupid.
“I’m not anywhere close to being ready for that, Ethan, despite how I feel about you.”
“I’m not either and the timing is horrible, but I think it’s our only good option.” He softly brushed my hair back from my face with a gentle touch. “I’m willing . . . and I think you should at least consider it.” He gave me the eyebrow look. “I’m not enduring another episode like we had tonight at the National.”
I started to protest but he shushed me with another demanding kiss that was so very typical of him. He held me beneath him, pressing me into the soft mattress and stroking into my mouth with a skilled tongue. I let him kiss me and just floated along for a bit, trying my best to process what he’d shared.
“Before you get all feisty and worried, I want you to just think about it for now. We could have a long engagement, but the announcement is what will make people sit up and take notice. We had a tough night and there’s a ton of shit to be sorted, but in the end, we’re together and that won’t be changing.” He kissed me on the forehead. “And you’re moving in with me.”
I just stared at him and took in his words.
“That last part is not a request, Brynne. What went down tonight was utter madness and we cannot be living in two places.”
“God, what am I going to do with you?” I stifled a yawn and realized the pill was making me sleepy. I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue this conversation much longer. The idea flashed through my mind that he might have used that fact to his advantage. Ethan wasn’t good at poker for nothing.
“You’re exhausted, and quite frankly I am too.”
I yawned again and agreed with him. “I am . . . but I still don’t know what to even say about what you’re suggesting,” I told him, speaking into his eyes, which were just inches from mine.
He snuggled me against his body in preparation for sleep and buried his face in my neck. “You’re going to go to sleep right now, and think about it . . . and trust me . . . and move in with me officially.”
“Just like that?” I asked.
“Yeah, just like that.” His lips moved against the back of my neck. “It’s simply the way things have to be.” I felt his stubble graze my skin as he pressed close. “I love you, baby. Now go to sleep.”
Ethan’s strong arms folded around me did feel magnificent, despite the fact that I thought he was out of his ever-loving mind. But knowing that he would do something so drastic for me just to keep me protected, that he loved me that much, made the small smile on my face feel quite fucking fabulous, to quote my soldier-mouthed lover.
I did sleep then, safe in his arms.

Categories : Alpha- hero, Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, Erotica Tagged : alpha-hero, Blackstone Affair, contemporary romance, Erotica, Eyes Wide, Raine Miller

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