Title: #Blayde Author: Even Monroe Series: Rich City Boys #4 Genre: Contemporary Romance
Control is something I exercise all day, every day, in my job and personal life.
My walls have been up for years, and it’s taking its toll.
Will I ever find someone I can be myself with?
Blayde has moved up the ranks in the police force in record time due, in part, to his dedication and focus on the job. His precision and cool head leave most in awe of him, but behind the uniform and tall walls lurks a man at war with his desires and baser instincts.
Victoria knows a lot about desire, anticipation, excitement, and seduction. Despite a disastrous first meeting, there’s definitely a spark between her and Blayde, but can she break her way through the steel fence around him?
And if she does, will she be able to cope with what she finds? Or will she be biting off way more than she can chew?
Smoothing a hand over my skirt and taking a deep breath, I step back and open the door wide. Light from the store hits his face, and I get my first proper look at Officer Sexy. He’s a freaking hunk, like movie-star-cop-hunk. Wow, he really is in the right profession. I bet he makes a fortune with tips and everything. He couldn’t look the part more. The uniform is perfect, the way he stands and the air about him, it’s so commanding.
And his face. Panty-melting good looks—dark blond hair, firm lips, and a jawline I want to run my tongue over. Finishing my appraisal of him, I meet his eyes, and that’s the end of me. I’m done.
This is the moment I decide. I truly know that I must have this woman. My reservations and self-preservation desert me, and I can’t think of a single reason not to pursue this woman to the ends of the earth. She pushes my buttons like nobody ever has, and when I withdrew, she fired up like a hellcat.
She wants this. She wants me.
“Take it off,” I say, motioning to her with my chin. I want her standing in the middle of my bedroom completely naked.
“Sorry?” “You heard me. Take it off,” I growl. Even to my own ears, my voice is gruff and harsh. She moistens her lips with her tongue and swallows. There’s nowhere to hide, no room for being a bit coy or for shyness.
A wolf on the edge, deadly shifter political games, and an unexpected attraction.
Sloane Wyman is haunted by her past and she’ll let nothing get in the way of her future. She’s vowed to defend her pack as long as there is breath in her lungs.
Benedict MacKinnon can’t trust the beast within. Not since it burst forth and nearly cost him everything. But, when his brother and mate are accused of murder, he’s willing to put everything on the line. Benedict must stand before the Supreme Council in their defense, even if it costs him his life and future.
Lying and scheming enemies eager to see him spiral out of control test his resolve at every turn. Sloane, as his back-up, is more of a hindrance than a help thanks to the unwanted primal attraction that leaves his inner wolf rumbling.
As they become targets in a game they don’t know the rules, and the clock ticks down on their deadline, can they outsmart their enemies? Will they allow themselves to unite via the mate bond? Or will their attempts to save those they love meet a bloody end?
A warm breeze coasted across her coat, ruffling the fur and teasing her nose with a scent that was unfamiliar with just a hint of marshmallow and fire. Since tonight was the formal mating ceremony between Kane and Sheridan, several wolves had traveled here from the outer dens to pay their respects and swear their oaths to their second-in-command, the Alpha-Heir and his mate, a tradition of the Pack. Kane had wanted to keep the ceremony simple, especially since it was also the first night they would see if Sheridan could shift, but tradition had to be adhered to. They might be a progressive Pack in many ways, but they followed their history and took comfort in it.
Now, Sloane had to figure out whether the scent she was smelling emanated from one of their own or someone using the influx of strange wolves as a cover to sneak into their borders and create havoc.
She crouched low and stalked across the forest floor, avoiding leaves and twigs where she could, staying silent and cautious while extending her senses to determine whether she was alone or if someone else lurked in the shadows. The moon was full and high in the sky, the bright beams penetrating the forest in areas, like a spotlight on a theater stage, yet leaving shadows and darkness in other spots, easy places for a wolf or other shifter to hide, especially one who might know the area. And, as Sloane had recently discovered to her chagrin, just being a member of the Pack didn’t mean you were a friend.
The bonfire scent teased her nose again and her memory. How the hell did she know it? It wasn’t from an enforcer or one of the soldiers—the only ones who should be out this far this evening. The rest of the Pack should be close to the center of the den or on the hunt, especially in this time of turmoil for their own safety. She paused, crouching next to a copse of oak trees and gazed out over the small watering hole, trying not to remember the last time she had been there, or who she had been with.
The scent faded, and she ventured forward a couple of steps, her gaze scanning the area around her, but there was nothing around. She let out a huff of annoyance and slowly straightened. She must have been mistaken.
At that moment, she was hit from the side by a heavy body that felt like a solid mass of concrete falling on her, knocking her on her side. She rolled as she had been taught, intending to come up fighting, but the wolf followed her down, pinning her to the forest floor. The male wolf pinned her, his mass much bigger and heavier than her, and settled over her.
Then his jaws closed over her throat, and she stilled.
Sabrina Silvers began her writing career dreaming of elves, orcs, and hobbits in the fantasy section of her local library, looking in wardrobes for Narnia and Aslan, and hunting for gnomes in the forest. To her dismay, she never found any of them except between the pages of her books. So, she had to go out and create them for herself, leading to her lifelong love of reading and writing and dreaming about adventures, fantasy creatures and love in fantasy lands! She divides her time between writing sexy contemporary romances under a different pen name, reading, knitting and being owned by a very spoiled cocker spaniel who does not share her love of fantasy creatures.
Leigha — To say my dad is overprotective is too mild a description. Add in all my honorary uncles in the Dixie Reapers MC and going on dates is next to impossible. So when Lyssa invites me to visit her at the Reckless Kings in Tennessee, I jump at the chance. Maybe I can finally experience life a little. I know my family goes after bad men, the kind who hurt women and kids. I never counted on becoming a victim myself. The biker who comes to my rescue is… scary. Hot. And all alpha. He’s exactly what I need!
Cyclops — My stint in the military left me a parting gift. Scar tissue that not only left me blind in that eye, but makes the damn thing look spooky as fuck. I’m used to people staring. Mostly. Then my brothers had to stick me with the road name Cyclops. They’re not funny, even if they think they are. Uncle Sam may no longer find me fit for duty, but it doesn’t mean I’m useless. When I hear a scream, I don’t hesitate. Thought I was saving a girl. Turns out she’s a woman — and one I shouldn’t touch. The daughter of a Dixie Reaper, she’s her daddy’s little angel… and damn if I’m not tempted to lure her to the dark side and get her a little dirty.
WARNING: Cyclops is part of the Reckless Kings MC series. It contains an age-gap relationship of more than 10 years, violence, bad language, and adult situations. Some readers may find the subject matter difficult to read. But there’s a guaranteed happily-ever-after, no cheating, and no cliffhanger!
“Beast knows you’re here with me,” Cyclops said. “I told him I’d take you to my place when we left. That’s, of course, if you want to go there. Or I can lead the way to Beast’s house. Entirely up to you.”
“I’m curious about something,” I said. He motioned for me to continue. “You’ve seen how everyone treats me. Lyssa’s call is the least of it. I’m twenty and they act like I’m a teenager. There’s no freedom for me at home, and it looks like it will be the same here. I’d thought Lyssa would be enough of a buffer I could live a little, even if it was only for a few days.”
“You plan on going home that soon?” he asked.
“I don’t know.” I looked down at my coffee for a moment, gathering my thoughts. “I wanted a taste of freedom, the chance to be myself without worrying I’d have a bodyguard breathing down my neck, or half the club trying to scare off men. I haven’t even been here a day and my family keeps texting and calling. Lyssa is checking up on me, and I just…”
“Feel caged?” he asked.
I nodded. “Exactly. It’s like I’m a prisoner. How am I supposed to figure out who I am if no one will let me do anything? I get it. My dad lost his wife long before he met Mom. Add in all the darkness he’s seen as part of the Dixie Reapers, and now he’s terrified something will happen to us. But living in constant fear isn’t living at all.”
He smiled. “Seems like you have it figured out. Mostly. Beast thinks your dad will show up in the next day or so. I’m not sure how much freedom you’ll have when that happens.”
Naturally. I should have known better. The moment my dad found out where I’d gone, he’d probably started planning to come collect me, like a wayward child or pet. If I went back home with him, I’d die a virgin. There was no way he’d let me out of his sight anytime soon. I loved him. More than my next breath. But being Preacher’s daughter had a downside. It meant being smothered with worry and affection. My mom loved how protective my dad was, and I could understand. Being his daughter, it was different.
“Why did you want me to go to your house? If my dad is on his way, I’ll be going back home soon. He won’t let me stay.”
Cyclops folded his arms and studied me. “I think there are a few things for us to discuss. This café isn’t the right place for that type of conversation.”
The butterflies returned, flapping around my stomach. “Something we can’t talk about here?”
He glanced around before meeting my gaze again. “I guess we could, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Do you trust me?”
I nodded. He’d saved me, and even if he hadn’t, since he belonged to the Reckless Kings, that was good enough for me. I knew Beast didn’t keep traitors around, or evil men. Since he’d spoken to Beast, and the President was aware we were at the café together, it had to mean Beast trusted him.
“Then follow me to the compound. We’ll go straight to my house and discuss your options. Beast knows where to find you, and he’ll hold Lyssa back. But, kitten, it’s not a horrible thing to have people love you so much they worry. I know it seems like the end of the world, and I’d imagine it’s more than a little frustrating, but your parents only want to keep you safe. Nothing wrong with that.”
“I know. It’s overwhelming and tiresome, but I understand why they do it. Doesn’t make it any more tolerable.” I smiled. “Lead the way. I’d love to hear those options.”
Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series. When Harley’s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.
The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing.
You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!
