Simply two halves of the same soul, Brantley and Saint were fused together with equal parts wrath and peace. Nothing could break through their bond. Nothing.
“The only thing worse than knowing you love someone irrevocably is feeling your sanity leave your soul anytime he looks at you.”
“You give a villain something worth fighting for and he’ll burn the whole fucking world to ash just to hear her heartbeat one more time.”
“Death is the experience you feel when you lose someone you love; pain in just the aftershock.”
I just finished Sancte Diaboli: Part Two and I am not ok. I am at a complete and utter loss of words. My mind has blown and I can not believe the crazy ride my heart just went on….
When I first picked up Sancte Diaboli: Part Two, I’m not gonna lie. I was scared, terrified of what was going to happen next. There was a reason I waited so long to read Sancte Diaboli: Part One and now that Part Two was finally here, I was afraid my heart wouldn’t be able to take it. I was right to be scared. My heart racing the entire time I read this story. At times, I felt like I couldn’t read fast enough. I was at a constant war with myself. Read faster, but try to savor it.
Sancte Diaboli: Part Two picks up right where the last book left off and hits the ground running without looking back. This book pulls out all the stops and leaves no stone unturned. This book had so many twists, turns, and shocking surprises. You will be left questioning everything you think you know and understand. A war has been started and only the Elite Kings can bring it to an end. The only thing you can do is just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Saint and Brantley’s story was absolutely EVERYTHING! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, trying, but epically failing to see where this story would go. Author Amo Jones did an amazing job of weaving this web of lies, betrayal, and revelations. Wild horses wouldn’t have been able to stop me from finishing this book. And now, as I’ve finished this story and am trying to find all the words, I am just in awe. What a crazy, crazy ride.
I am full of so many feels right now. Sancte Diaboli: Part Two doesn’t disappoint and is definitely a top read of 2021 for this reader. If you love dark and twisted reads that will utterly consume you, I highly recommend checking out the Elite King’s Club Series. You will not be disappointed!!
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Ghost I do my best work in the shadows. Trained to be a killer, it’s all I’ve ever known. All I’ve ever cared to know. I embrace pain and destruction, turning everything I touch into ash. I’m a ghost. No past. No present. No future. Until Ava. This woman sparks a hunger in me; a dark, dangerous desire. I need to fight it or risk destroying the one person who makes me feel hope.
The Devil knows I’d burn the world for one taste. God better have mercy because I won’t.
I looked up, about to make another sarcastic comment about these fucking heels when my gaze stuttered to halt on his crotch.
Dear fucking God.
He wore only three items of clothing – a fucking frat boy cap, grey sweat pants, and a sleeveless zip hoodie that he’d left open.
His insane eight pack with just the right amount of chest hair might have been fucking impressive, but it was the outline of his cock against the grey material that killed me.
Oh God. Oh, my fucking God.
“Ava?”
I sucked in a breath, struggling, and failing to lift my gaze from the glorious outline of his dick.
“Ava.”
My name was no longer a question but a growl. As I watched, his already generous size lengthened, growing thicker, more rigid.
Thank the good Lord for sweat pants.
“Eyes,” Ghost barked and I snapped, looking up.
He watched me, his face—as always—carved from stone. But his eyes, oh his glorious eyes. They were hot and filled with filthy promises.
“I need to focus,” he told me, his tone guttural. “They changed it up. Means I gotta win this tonight. Now.”
I licked my lips, then bent, quickly tying the straps of the remaining heel then straightened to a stand. The heels gave me a few extra inches that brought me closer to his height.
I reached out, sliding my hand down his chest, fingers running across his pecs and down his stomach, following the goody trail to the waistband of his sweats.
Don’t shut down. I need something from you. Anything. Just in case.
Ghost stood like a rock under my hand—motionless, as if craved from marble. Only the heat of his skin let me know he was a living, breathing man.
Well, that and his impressive dick.
My hand dropped further, cupping his cock through his sweats, the heavy weight hard and hot in my hand.
He growled, the rumble involuntary and delightfully animalistic. I ignored the flood of moisture that slicked my pussy at the sound.
Needing to win this battle of wills that was being waged silently between us, I placed my free hand on his shoulder, boosting myself up until my lips could brush his ear, my words only for him.
“Survive, and I might let you fuck my mouth.”
I pulled back but his hands shot out halting my retreat. One hand fisted my hair, the other pressing my hand back onto his thick cock, his body grinding against my palm.
I shuddered, wet heat drenching my underwear and thighs.
Ghost held me steady as he leaned in, his lips less than a hairsbreadth from mine.
“And if I triumph? If I fuck those little boys up and win this fight? If I return your women to you tonight? Will you give me your cunt, Ava? Will you let me taste your cream?”
My legs clenched, my nipples responding to the harsh need in his voice.
“You sure you’d prefer that over a blow job?” I asked lightly, trying to sound casual even as I pressed closer, desperate to feel the rasp of my nipples against his chest. “You’ve already tasted me.”
His hand let go of mine, shifting to my hip, pulling me closer then coasting over my side then down, lifting the hem of my skirt. His big, calloused hand slipped under to find my underwear, one finger rubbing against the material.
“Soaked,” he growled, his breath rough against my cheek. “You want this.”
“Maybe.”
His finger pulled my panties to the side, slipping between my lips to rub through my wet. I sucked in a breath at the intrusion. Blunt, rough and oh so fucking welcome, he rubbed my clit, teasing and stroking, his gaze electric.
So much emotion.
I shifted, swaying those two tiny breaths towards him, closing the distance between us, desperate and needing release.
It’s been so long. Too fucking long.
It’d been more than twenty-four hours since he’d last touched me like this, and I needed it like a druggy looking for their next fix.
Make me come.
Abruptly, Ghost pulled back, dropping his hands from my body, banking the heat in his eyes. I watched as he returned to that dead place inside him.
Fuck!
“Game time.”
I took a second, reorientating myself, the heat from his touch still branded onto my skin. As I watched, he lifted his fingers to his mouth, licking my taste from them.
“You dirty fucker,” I whispered, pressing my thighs together, hating and loving the way my body ached for him. “You better fucking win.”
Fuck, Ava. Don’t let him see how much you want this.
I straightened, fixed my skirt then stepped passed him, moving to lead us out of the room as I threw my parting words over my shoulder.
Evie Mitchell is a thirty-something woman who loves dirty books, bad boys, and men who know how to treat their woman right. She lives with her husband, their sausage dog, and an ever-growing collection of book-related mugs.
When she’s not writing, Evie loves curling up in the sun with a good book and a cup of tea. Evie specialises in spunky reads for curious minds.
The Wicked Aftermath by Melissa Foster is now live!
When the person you blame for your grief is the only one who can save you from the pain…
Tank Wicked lost his sister and has since vowed to save everyone else in his path. He lives by the creed of the Dark Knights motorcycle club, sworn to protect and respect his community. He selflessly saves lives as a volunteer firefighter and treats the men and women who work for him at his tattoo shop like family. But life isn’t a balance scale where good deeds negate bad things to come, and one foggy night life guts Tank once again. When a car careens over the side of a bridge and into a river, Tank springs into action, plunging into the water to rescue the passengers. Four people go into the river, but only three come out alive.
Leah Yates is just trying to make it through each day. When the man she blames for her grief becomes the only one who can pull her from the depths of despair, she discovers that even hope comes at a price. Maybe this time she won’t have to face it alone.
THE WICKED AFTERMATH is an emotionally gripping story of love, loss, and hope, with a rich and entrancing happily ever after. Set on the sandy shores of Cape Cod, the Wickeds feature fiercely protective heroes, strong heroines, and unbreakable family bonds. If you think bikers are all the same, you haven’t met the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are a motorcycle club, not a gang. Their members stick together like family and will stop at nothing to keep their communities safe. Some of the Wickeds’ love stories will be hilariously fun and deeply emotional, others will tear at your heartstrings and include injections of humor, but they will all leave you wishing you could climb between the pages and join them. All Wicked novels may be enjoyed as standalone romances.
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 novels. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, always family oriented, and feature fiercely loyal heroes, smart, sassy heroines, and complex relatable issues. Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!
A brotherhood of murderers whose nature compels them to kill. But guided by their leader, Gabriel, the Fallen have learned to use their urges to rid the world of those it is better off without.
Control. Diel has spent his entire life under it. His childhood years were spent in the sadistic captivity of the Brethren. Now the Fallen are free, but the monster that lives inside Diel is not—can not be. The darkness within is curbed by an electric collar, the only thing that stops Diel from killing everyone in his path.
Diel’s monster yearns for freedom—the freedom to tear apart Brethren priests, as many as possible, one after the other in a frenzied, liberating spree. When Diel is granted a taste of that freedom, he expects bloodlust, violence, death.
He didn’t expect to find her.
The Fallen are not the only ones chasing the destruction of the Brethren. They were not the only ones to suffer at the priests’ hands. This Diel discovers when he stumbles upon Noa, second in command of the Coven, a group of women who are intent on bringing the Brethren down.
From the second they collide, Noa seems to understand Diel in a way that no one ever has before. She is unafraid of his rage, the bloodthirsty monster that dwells within him.
Because there is a darkness inside Noa too, and it recognises the one in Diel as if it is the missing half of her soul. For years she has tried to suppress it, but as she is inescapably drawn to the fury-filled man in the collar, she starts to wonder if she can keep up the fight.
She starts to wonder if she even should…
Dark contemporary romance. Contains sexual situations, violence, sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language, and topics some may find triggering. Recommended for age 18 years and up.
Excerpt
Diel opened his eyes, his hazy gaze traveling down the damp gray stone wall around him. His cheek was cold as it pressed against the freezing floor. His neck ached, the throbbing ghost of numbness snaking over his bare shoulders and the top of his spine. His head twitched, and he flitted his eyes to the iron bars that trapped him inside the cage.
The cage he knew all too well.
The monster within him rippled under his skin, waking from the forced sleep it had been plunged into. A spear of anger soared through Diel’s veins, overriding the aches and numbness and the lethargy of his muscles. Again. They had grounded him again. Lamed his monster again.
Jaw clenched and hands fisted, Diel used his waning strength to lift his torso off the slick ground and sat up. His pulse thudded faster and faster at the fact that he was in the fucking cage. But his pulse had no sooner started to race than the metal collar around his neck crackled against his already scarred and scalded skin. The electricity sizzled its warning, a sharp-fanged serpent, ready to strike the minute he lost control of his senses.
Diel breathed deeply and forced his body to still, the darkness within him to rest. Every inch of him became a statue, and the hiss of the collar lessened to a low-grade hum.
He fucking hated the collar. It was the bane of his existence. But it was a necessity.
Diel closed his eyes and thought back to how he’d got to the cage in the first place—a dream. Another fucking dream that had ripped him from sleep and had seen him racing through the manor looking for someone to tear apart, to sate the bloodlust of the monster living inside him.
No. Not just someone. His monster yearned for some very specific someones.
The Brethren. The motherfucking Brethren that he and his brothers had recently destroyed after they’d captured Maria, Raphael’s woman. The Fallen had headed to Holy Innocents, the school that had robbed them of their childhoods and fucked with their bodies and minds. They had descended, for the final time, to Purgatory, the place where they had been held as kids.
And they had burned it to hell.
The flames may have destroyed Diel’s childhood tormentors, but the rage following the inferno remained. The monster that lived inside him, seeking blood and pain and death, only grew stronger, thirstier, more intolerant of the collar that wrapped around his neck like a leash, denying both of them what they craved—death. Such beautiful, sadistic deaths by their hands.
Diel heard the sound of a pencil scratching on paper and turned his head to see Sela sitting on a chair at the side of the Tomb. He was sketching on a pad of paper, eyes fixed on whatever he was creating.
“Upper hallway, left wing,” Sela said, without taking his eyes off the pad. His long dark hair curtained his face as he concentrated on whatever picture he was purging from his creative brain onto the page. “Gabriel had us bring you down here until you awoke.”
The tendons in Diel’s neck corded. The darkness inside was more than pissed at being handled in such a pathetic way. He ground his jaw so hard that the sound of teeth on teeth made Sela lift his eyes and meet his stare.
Sela’s pencil stilled. “Third time this week.”
Diel inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled slowly. He mentally wrestled the monster back until its presence was a dull ache at the back of his head, throbbing like the very worst of migraines. Diel sat back on his ass and laid his arms over his bent knees. His head twitched as he fought the everlasting battle to keep his anger in check.
“The Brethren,” Diel said, voice raspy with exhaustion. Sela twirled the pencil in his fingers as he listened to his best friend, the stick of wood and charcoal practically an extension of his artistic hand.
Diel’s eyes lost focus as he bathed in the memory of his collar being turned off in Purgatory. Anger had filled his veins, and Diel and the monster he kept at arm’s length had become one, united in violence and death, twin dark souls synced and, for once in their lives, calm and at peace as they plunged their twenty-inch blades into the men that had destroyed their childhoods.
Destroyed every single part of them.
“D?” Sela said, pulling Diel from his stupor.
His temples throbbed, his ever-present migraine pounding like iron bars being slammed into his brain over and over again. His migraines had always been bad, the monster never sleeping long enough to grant a reprieve. It was constantly pacing at the back of his mind, desperate to finally be freed of the collar’s stringent control.
Diel rubbed the back of his neck. “I keep replaying that night in Purgatory.” Memories of killing the Brethren flashed like a highlight reel in his mind. “When the collar was off and we finally got to end them …” His cock stirred as he recalled the feel of his blades slicing into flesh, of hitting bone when they plunged too deep. But his excitement misted away to vapor when he remembered the familiar buzz of the collar being reignited and his monster being lashed and gagged once again. “And then Gabe switched it back on.” It had been like a junkie getting his fix, the most hedonistic drug cocktail of his life, only to be abruptly forced to go cold turkey afterward.
Diel’s head twitched again as his pulse began to race at just the memory of smelling the Brethren’s blood on his skin—the sweetest perfume. His hands flexed as he felt the phantom necks that had snapped under his fingers.
The collar buzzed and sent warning volts soaring through his body. His muscles tensed as he absorbed the pain, as it hissed at the monster inside to retreat. To get the fuck back. Sweat beaded on his forehead; a single drop ran down his spine.
Gasping for air, Diel submitted to the monster’s sudden surge of power to snarl, “I want this fucking collar off. I want to be who I was fucking born to be without the restraints.” Diel tensed and threw the monster back from taking control. The monster retreated, but its anger-tipped words echoed around Diel’s head like they were being blasted through speakers. Diel’s stomach turned and a fissure of panic slithered across his fractured soul at that thought. The thought off actually being free from the collar … of what that would look like, feel like …
Diel knew his monster could never be freed. He knew the collar could never come off. It would consume Diel. It would eradicate every part of who he was.
About the author
Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.
After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.
After several years living in Italy, Canada and the USA, Tillie has now settled back in her hometown in England, with her husband and new son.
Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.
When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than spending time with her little family, curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, and convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that last square of chocolate.
The day he walks into my bookstore with his adorable twin daughters, I know my life is going to change forever. The chemistry is tangible, the tragedy his truth, and my schoolgirl crush, even after all of these years, is still alive.
Home is where the heart is, and Mason Creek is mine.
Laken
Until Grayson walked into my bookstore, I thought happily ever afters were just fairy-tale endings. Looking every bit the handsome hero, his intensity creates sparks I’ve never dared to dream about. The single dad of adorable twin girls doubles as a firefighter by day. But there’s more. Grayson is also my old high-school crush.
My feelings for Grayson haven’t changed, but everything else has.
Grayson
Having lost my wife three years ago, my world revolves around raising my daughters. Then one day, I look up and see past my grief, and there stands Laken. This beautiful, kind-hearted woman has been under my nose my entire life, and now, just when I need her most, she’s here- loving my daughters like her own. But guilt can’t be reasoned with, especially when finding love again.
I’ve learned the hard way that second chances don’t happen often. So, when I’m lucky enough to get mine, I’m going to embrace it with everything I have.
Kaylee Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. When she’s not spinning tales of happily ever after, she’s reading or spending time with family. Born and raised an Ohio girl, Kaylee resides in Cincinnati with her husband and their son.
What happens when the man of your dreams proves fantasy is better than reality? One minute we’re fighting and the next we’re given a glimpse of what could be. Should we rock the boat and tempt fate despite all the curveballs that have been thrown our way? Fans of the Brentwood Baseball Series by Meghan Quinn will devour The Changeup by A.M. Williams, an enemies to lovers, workplace romance.
What happens when the man of your dreams proves fantasy is better than reality?
Emma
Chase Anderson is everything I want in a man. Tall. Handsome. Compassionate. Confident. He makes me feel things I haven’t in years.
There’s just one problem: me. He can’t stand me and I’m getting to where I can’t stand him either.
The glares stiffen my resolve to forget about my dream man and concentrate on my new job.
Except…eventually those stares turn to something more. More heated. More promising. More everything.
Chase
Emma Carlisle is what I didn’t know I needed in my life until I saw her.
I don’t want her in my life, though. I have too much riding on my shoulders to concentrate on a relationship. A sick mom. A team owner who’s breathing down my neck to win a baseball championship.
It’s easier to ignore her and pretend like she doesn’t exist than to think about how pretty she is or how I feel alive whenever she’s around.
But one surprise kiss and I’m left wanting more. One glimpse into what love could be like and I can’t think of anything else.
We have to decide if it’s worth tempting fate and the flames of desire to see what love might be like.
The Changeup is the first book in A.M. Williams Boys of Summer baseball romance series. It’s a workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance that features two perfectionists struggling to come to terms with the curveballs life has for them.
If you love men in tight pants and the sassy women they fall for, this series is for you.
This book was previously published as Coached in Love. It has been updated with new content and re-edited.
My eyes widened and my mouth dropped as I caught sight of the man stepping down from the cab. I was very thankful for the sunglasses I’d slipped on my face that morning because I didn’t have to worry about him seeing my eyes eating him up.
Whoever this guy was, he was ripped. He was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants—the sweatpants that women loved looking at—and a t-shirt that he’d torn the arms off of, displaying every delectable inch of his biceps, which bulged as he grabbed a bag from his backseat.
I swallowed thickly as I grabbed my bag and opened my car door. I tried not to make it obvious I was looking at him as I stood, but it was hard. So hard.
Much like the abs I was sure he was sporting.
Jesus. Get your mind out of the gutter, Emma!
I cleared my throat and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear as I slammed the car door.
I glanced his way, noting that we’d pass close to each other on our way to the door. My heart beat wildly in my chest as I coached myself on not being awkward. It was just a greeting, being friendly, with someone that I worked with.
I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face as he stepped close enough that we could almost touch at the hood of my car. He looked up at me, meeting my eyes, but said nothing. The smile froze on my lips as he kept his eyes on mine while he passed by.
Nothing was said, and the only sound was one of the gravel under his feet as he walked toward the sidewalk that led to the door to get inside. The smile slowly wavered on my face before dropping completely when he turned so that his back was to me.
I cleared my throat and tried to look busy as I worked to throw off the rejection I felt. So, yeah, it wasn’t like we knew each other. But dang! He could have said something, anything, to me in greeting. Instead, he’d stared at me and seemed like he made a point not to say anything.
About A.M. Williams
A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself living abroad. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and traveling as much as possible. She has a serious case of wanderlust and wants to go as many places as possible while she can. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as those crystal clear waters on the North Carolina coast.
A rebound isn’t supposed to last. Though, sometimes, fate has other ideas.
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.
I started planning my future at the age of six. I knew the college I wanted, the career I needed, and the boy I would marry.
Only he wasn’t supposed to break up with me in such a spectacular fashion. Now, I’m tossing my planner and breaking my rules.
First up: Pacey Ziglar.
Too bad I fell for my rebound along the way
I never meant to say yes.
I know exactly what Mackenzie Thomas wants when she asks me out on a date. She won’t be my first no-strings-attached relationship, and if things work out the way we both want, she won’t be my last.
Yet the more I get to know her, the more I want her. But she’s not looking for me to be her forever.
And when the past comes back for both of us, I’m afraid forever might end far too soon.
Friends With Benedicts, a brand new, heart felt rom-com from Staci Hart, is finally LIVE!! Who’s reading? Grab your copy today from your favorite online book retailer!
Presley Hale and Sebastian Vargas are no strangers to goodbye. Their high school summers were spent wrapped up in each other until she would inevitably go home to California. One season after college, Sebastian finally escaped the little Texas town to travel the world, and they said goodbye for what they thought might be the last time.
Sebastian went one way. Presley went the other.
For the first time in five years, they’re both in town, but the timing is no better than ever. So the only thing to do is what they do best. Keep it casual.
Friends with benefits.
They’ve done it before—doing it again will be easy.
But their hearts don’t get the memo.
When the lines of their arrangement blur, Presley and Sebastian are faced with decisions they’ve avoided for years. And that’s not even their biggest problem.
A small town in danger of failing.
A secret that could tear them apart.
And two hearts that can’t hide anymore.
They’ve shared so many summers, but none compare to what they’ll face.
Timing is everything.
And their time is almost up.
MY REVIEW
“If the Blum sisters could upset the balance of the solar system, Presley could have swallowed up the universe with the voracity of a black hole.”
“Sometimes we mistakenly figure them for equals. We look at those things we need–money, shelter, and the like–and assume having those things will make us happy. But surviving and living aren’t the same thing. I think we forget that, on occasion. Usually when it matters most.”
Friends With Benedicts is a smartly written small-town romance.
Friends With Benedicts follows the story of Presley and Sebastian. Presley and Sebastian’s love story rocks a friends with benefits vibe with all the small-town goodness readers will just eat up. These two had an undeniable connection and neither one could stand being in town without the other. But, when Sebastian’s dreams take him away from this small town in Texas, he had no way of knowing that Presley’s life was being turned upside down. Now, almost 5 years later, Sebastian and Presley are reunited. Like magnets, they can’t help the pull they feel for one another. Sebastian is hoping that this time he will finally get to keep the girl he’s always wanted, but when a big secret is revealed, only time will tell if Sebastian and Presley will finally get their happily ever after…
I absolutely adored Sebastian and Presley’s story. You could just feel their chemistry ooze off of the pages. Every summer when Presley would come to visit, she would find herself in Sebastian’s arms. These two wanted nothing more than to be together, but the timing was never right. Flash forward 5 years, and both Sebastian and Presley’s lives have changed. Presley and her mother find themselves returning home to a place they never thought they’d come back to. Now, that Presley is home, she knows she has to find Sebastian and confess her secret, even if it means losing him forever….
Friends With Benedicts is everything a small-town romance lover could ask for. It’s got a rumor mill that never stops and town you can’t help but fall in love with. The characters are fun and easy to connect with. You can’t help but want to know more about each and every one of them. Sebastian and Presley were perfectly matched, and yet perfectly imperfect. They both had flaws and fears to move past. Yes, there were times where I wanted to shake some sense into both of them, but at the end of the day, these two managed to win my heart over and cheer them on as they worked toward their happily ever after.
Author Staci Hart has once again delivered an unforgettable romance. I had the best time falling in love with these characters and I can’t wait to see what this author has up her sleeves for us next!
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
Betrayal hits people at their happiest and nothing good is ever supposed to last. With a shattered heart and broken body, the biggest enigma of my life finds me.
I knew nothing of what lurked in the dark having lived in a bubble all my life until him. A mafia boss. A ruthless king of the underworld. A dangerous lover and a depraved, beyond salvageable soul.
You can never forge someone into something they are not, but he found the fire from within me and set me aflame.
Armando
Unknown enemies at my doorstep and unsolved murders call me to her.
I knew nothing about the sun having been born and raised in the night, until her.
A brilliant forensics scientist. A fearless survivor. A warrior at heart and a lethal siren luring people under her spell.
You can never fix a broken boy much less a damaged man’s soul, but she found the silver of light in me and magnified it.
When the darkest secrets are revealed and the monsters come crawling out at night, literally and figuratively, they have no choice but to work together and learn to trust each other. But will they make it out with their flesh and soul intact?
Claris lives in Sunshine California with her family while she writes across many genres; dark, mafia, fantasy and more! She is an unapologetic food and forensics science fanatic! She is also a digital artist and student on top of writing! She has been mesmerized by enthralling story telling as a kid and loves crime and fantasy shows and movies!
Firefighter Marshall Knight wasn’t expecting to become a father but here he is kicking butt and taking names, until a trip to the ER lands him in the path of Kaitlynn Bennett, the sweet nurse, who’s made their visit more bearable. Their relationship shouldn’t grow into more, but when fire strikes, they have to decide if their love is worth the risk. Readers will devour this off-limits romance featuring one sexy unsuspecting dad. Fall in love with your next book boyfriend with Then I Saw You by Kate Stacy, the next book in the Single Dad’s Romance series.
Firefighter Marshall Knight is more than happy living the single life and working toward his next promotion with the fire department until his world is flipped upside down when he finds out that he has a child. Abandoned by his own mother as a small boy, he’s determined to do the right thing and take care of his son, stepping right into the role of a single father and leaving no time for things like a relationship and romance.
One trip to the ER with his baby boy changes all that and he finds himself instantly enamoured with Kaitlynn – the compassionate nurse who’s been assigned to them.
Kaitlynn Bennett made herself a vow a long time ago to never date a firefighter. Between her father’s job as Fire Captain and losing her own mother in a fire when she was twelve, she knows all too well the heartache that comes along with all of it.
Which is exactly why she had no clue that the sexy single dad in the ER was actually a firefighter. Their attraction is undeniable and with a little nudge from a friend the two find themselves in an inferno of their own. That is, until Kaitlynn discovers he’s a firefighter and Marshall realizes that Kaitlynn is his Captain’s daughter. It’s the perfect excuse for both of them to give in to their own insecurities and put plenty of distance in their already complex relationship.
But when a fire strikes and they both end up in harm’s way, will they finally realize that building a life together is far better than a lifetime apart?
Her knees buckle, but Captain is close enough to keep her from hitting the floor.
“Please let me hold you. I can’t stand seeing you like this.”
She shakes her head and presses herself closer to her father.
“I can’t. I… I need…” She’s damn near hyperventilating. Ignoring my pain, I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed, ready to go to her, but she stops me. “I need to sit down for a minute. Please.”
My eyes meet Captain’s, and he nods again, silently telling me to stay put. I fucking hate it, but I listen. He leads Kaitlynn to the nearest chair while I settle back onto the uncomfortable hospital bed.
I watch as Captain squats down next to her. He wraps an arm around her back and murmurs quietly in her ear. I don’t know what he’s saying to her, but I can see it’s working. She’s starting to calm down, but it pisses me off that I’m not the one comforting her.
“Now,” Captain says sternly, “which one of you wants to tell me how long you’ve been together?”
I look to Kaitlynn, not wanting to break my promise to her, even though there’s no longer a secret to keep.
“Since a few days after we had that late-night conversation on the phone,” she admits.
I expected him to be angry when he learned the truth, when he found out we were both lying to him. He’s not angry. He’s disappointed, and honestly, I think that’s worse. I’d rather deal with his anger.
“Did you have any plans to tell me?” he asks, but the question is directed at me.
“Yes, sir. When Kaitlynn was comfortable with me sharing our relationship.”
“When Kaitlynn was comfortable?”
“Yes, Dad. I asked Marshall not to tell you.”
He pins me with a cold stare. “I thought you had more respect for me than that.”
My mouth opens and closes repeatedly, but no sound comes out.
“Don’t get mad at him. It’s my fault.”
“He still should have told me.”
It’s Kaitlynn’s turn to be offended. She cocks her eyebrow and pins her father with the same glare he just gave me. “You’re saying if you made a promise to me, you would turn right around and break it?”
“Of course not!” he sputters.
“Then why would Marshall?”
Properly chastised, Captain drops into the other chair and leans forward on his elbows. “I wish one of you would have been honest with me. I don’t like being kept in the dark.”
“I love you, Dad, but you and I are only recently mending the cracks in our relationship. I wasn’t ready for you to know.”
He hangs his head and sighs before lifting it to look at his daughter.
“You’re right, Kaitlynn. I have to earn back the privilege of knowing everything about your life. I’m sorry for the way I reacted.”
She leans in and hugs him, and almost instantly, the air in the room feels less stifling. Captain doesn’t offer me an apology, nor do I expect him to. Despite the promise I made Kaitlynn, I was never comfortable with keeping our relationship from him. He has the right to be angry with me. He deserves better from me.
A nurse pops in my room to check my vitals and leaves almost as quickly as she appeared. Captain excuses himself to get something to drink, disappearing when we both decline his offer to get us one as well.
“Can I hold you now?”
It’s all I’ve wanted from the moment she rushed into the room, but the expression on her face tells me I’m not going to get what I want.
She stands, wrapping her arms around herself. She looks at me again, but whatever I saw in her expression before is gone, replaced with steely resolve.
“I think I’m going to head home. It’s been an emotional day… I… I think I need some time.”
I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand. This has to be hard on her.
“Okay, beautiful. Will I see you in the morning before I’m discharged? They’re only keeping me for observation, so I’ll be sprung first thing tomorrow.”
She chews her bottom lip, then shakes her head.
“I don’t think so, Marshall.”
Her tone makes my blood run cold.
About Kate Stacy
Kate Stacy lives in North Carolina with her husband, three children, and her extremely sassy cat. After nearly a decade of being a stay-at-home mama, Kate decided to use her love of books to bring readers steamy romances full of emotion and angst. She stays up too late, swears too much, and loves hard. When she’s not nose-deep in her next manuscript, or spending time with her family, you can usually find her with her Kindle in hand.
Seven single dads, all from different walks of life and doing the best they can to raise their children – are ready to make you fall in love.
From the celebrity dad just trying to protect the ones he loves from the spotlight…to the silver fox who’s out to prove it’s never too late to have a family of your own – this single dads collection guarantees to bring you a whole lot of love and of course, a happily ever after.
Look no further, your next book boyfriend is here!
