What a day. I sigh and rest my forehead against the steering wheel. After getting called in for my semi-annual appraisal and having all my achievements from the past six months swept under the rug because Karen took credit for them, I can’t imagine how today could get any worse.
Of course, traffic can always worsen any day. It’s warm, too warm to be driving a twenty-year-old rust-bucket without air conditioning. And opening the window does nothing except let in more hot air and fumes from the thousands of cars surrounding me in what has got to be a record for west London. The traffic is spectacularly horrible for a Thursday.
Can’t I catch a fucking break?
I pick up my mobile and after scanning the surrounding vehicles, I figure it’s safe enough to make a call. No coppers around at the moment. The last thing I need is another ticket.
“Hey, Maggie?” I say, greeting the groggy voice on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, Tess, what’s up?”
“Nothing. Same old, life’s a bitch. Shall we go out tonight? I could use the distraction.” The car ahead of me moves but I decide it’s not worth the effort to put mine in first gear, just to creep ahead four feet.
“Sounds great, but I have a date, and then straight to work. Another day perhaps?” Maggie yawns on the other end. Typical, ever since she’s started working the midnight shift at the airport, her routine has been all over the place.
“A date, huh? I’m jealous. Who’s the lucky guy?” I ask, even though I already suspect it’s that guy she works with, Alec, whom she’s been going on about nonstop lately.
“I finally decided enough is enough and asked out Alec. You know nowadays you can’t sit back and wait for men to make the first move. That’s all in the past. The dating scene is all about equal opportunities.”
“Mhm, if you say so. I guess I’m a bit old-fashioned that way.” Which is probably why I haven’t had a date in months.
“Say, you wanna talk about what’s going on? I have a little while before I need to start getting ready.”
“Thanks. Well, as I said. Same old.” I sigh, and squeeze the bridge of my nose to get rid of the beginnings of a tension headache.
“Your boss, Frank-something still bothering you?”
“No, I mean yes. Sort of. I had my appraisal today. Can you believe it? Of all my suggestions which were actually implemented these past six months, none of that was mentioned. That tart I told you about, Karen, presented everything like it was her idea, after making me do the groundwork. And now it looks like I’ve been doing fuck all and I’m not pulling my weight,” I rant.
“I see. Same old indeed. What can you do? People like her will do anything to get ahead, even if it means trampling those in her way. Keep calm, bide your time and return the favor or find another job. No other option.”
“Another job where? I ought to be grateful I have one at all with the way things have been going.” I take a deep breath and grip the steering wheel tighter until my knuckles turn white. I wonder if things ever get easier.
“True. If you ever change your mind on shift work, I could ask around at work?”
“Thanks, Maggie. That’s very sweet. I’ll let you know.” I’m getting desperate, but I’m not ready to work nights. Yet.
“Sure thing, Tess. OK, I’d better have a shower and all. I want to look my best for tonight.”
“Break a leg. And if he turns out to be a dick, I’ll break both of his.”
“Cheers. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
I put down the phone again, feeling slightly better after venting to Maggie. What are friends for, eh? The space in front of my car has opened up even further and I finally do pull ahead.
Metal boxes in all shapes and sizes as far as the eye can see. Perhaps there’s an accident up ahead. It’s going to take at least an hour to get to the motorway from here in this mess. That means I won’t make it home until God knows when.
Urgh. I rest my head back on the steering, wondering if anyone would notice if I had a short nap behind the wheel.
The click of my rear door followed by a gust of air causes a cold shiver to creep down my spine. Someone’s behind me!
“What the hell?” I instinctively snatch up my handbag and phone from the passenger seat while turning around as best I can to face the intruder.
“Shh…” The man cowering half on the back seat makes a calming motion with his hand, but doesn’t look directly at me. My heart is hammering in my throat, threatening to make me freeze up, but I react almost on autopilot anyway.
“Get out! Get the hell out of my car!” I shout, while rummaging furiously in my purse. “I have pepper spray.” My fingers grasp a small deodorant bottle. “And I’m not afraid to use it!”
“Be careful with that, if you blind yourself we’re both done for.” His gentle and calm tone surprises me. If he’s trying to mug me, he’s got a strange technique.
“I… what do you mean, we’re both done for?” I’m still pointing the deodorant bottle in his general direction, but am suddenly not so sure I want to spray him with it.
“I need you to drive. I swear I have a good reason to get into your car. Also, you’ve got that the wrong way around.”
My fingers shake even more intensely as he reaches out for the can, and twists the nozzle in his direction.
“There.”
“Shit. I’m sorry. Thanks. I mean…” Why the hell am I apologizing to this criminal? Still, I feel like a total idiot for threatening to spray him with what is essentially perfume. I suppose it would hurt if it ends up in his eye, but it’s not quite mace, is it? I lower my hand and take a proper look at him.
The stranger is still sort of hiding half in the foot well and half on the seat, skittishly looking out the window, while sneaking glances in my direction. He doesn’t look like a mugger. But then, I’ve never been mugged, how would I know what a mugger looks like?
Still, his suit and shirt make him look more like a businessman than a criminal. Or a waiter perhaps.
“Good thing you’re no longer intent on making me smell like… Lush Lavender, is it? Yeah. Not really my style,” he says with a subtle smile on his face.
A joke, really? Now?
“There’s no accounting for taste,” I respond, while keeping my gaze fixed on his eyes. Green, bright, focused. “Now, if you don’t mind explaining yourself.”
“Of course. What would you say if I told you that there are some very bad people heading to Heathrow right now with a cargo that could destroy the world as we know it?” he says.
“I would ask if you’ve been drinking.” I continue to stare at him, but he’s unfazed by my reaction and smiles again. How is he so calm? This whole thing has got to be a joke.

Lorelei Moone is an up-and-coming author of paranormal romance & romantic suspense novels based in London. Her first book, Scottish Werebear: An Unexpected Affair has hit the virtual shelves on Amazon on 25 September 2015, and her second, Scottish Werebear: A Dangerous Business a month later on the 25th of October. A lover of all things sweet, and caffeinated, when she’s not writing about sexy bear shifters and their strong-willed curvaceous love interests, Lorelei can be found baking cookies or cakes for her family.

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“It does hurt me,” Calisto said before he could stop himself.

He wanted to take the words back immediately.

Emma stilled in the passenger seat. “Then why play?”

To remember.

To punish himself.

To apologize.

“For a lot of different reasons,” Calisto settled on saying. “But tonight, I played so that you wouldn’t have to. You didn’t seem comfortable. I didn’t think you wanted to have everyone looking at you after what happened. It was a small sacrifice.”

“But you hurt now,” she said, seeming confused. “Don’t you?”

“But you didn’t have to.”

For Calisto, that was all that mattered.

Turning his head, Calisto stared out the opened driver’s window. He wondered if anyone had noticed that both he and Emma had left the dinner party without a goodbye. He supposed it didn’t make a difference.

Calisto didn’t mind Emma’s presence disturbing his peace, either.

“Calisto?” Emma asked softly.

“Hmm?”

Her hand rested on his thigh, and Calisto jerked in the seat at the innocent touch. The problem was, her touch couldn’t be innocent at all. Not with the way he currently felt, the things he had done, or the lines he had already crossed with a mighty “fuck you.” He hadn’t been expecting it, and he didn’t even hear Emma move in her seat.

Calisto barely had the chance to spin around and face Emma again before her mouth pressed against his. It was soft at first, smooth like her plump lips, and then her fingers dug into his leg like she was demanding something from him.

He didn’t know what it was.

Instinctively, Calisto wanted to push her away. He wanted to kiss her back, too. The crazy side of his brain won, the side that listened to his selfish wants and not his needs.

Or maybe he needed it, too.

Calisto didn’t know.

But he did grab onto Emma’s dress. He fisted the fabric around his taut knuckles, and pulled her a little closer. His tongue swept the seam of her lips, wanting more, needing to be deeper, seeking her heat and taste.

A little wouldn’t hurt, right?

Just a little more.

Emma sighed a sweet sound, giving into his unspoken demand by parting her lips. Calisto took the offering for what it was, kissed her harder, and let his tongue war with hers until she was gasping for air. Pulling away enough to catch a breath, Emma tipped her head up and hummed.

Calisto couldn’t help himself but lean forward and kiss her chin.

He was fucking stupid.

Why did she make him so stupid?

“I should go in and say goodbye,” he heard Emma say.

Calisto was too distracted by the flimsy fabric of her dress in his hands. A little pull with just enough strength and he knew that the dress would rip. She was close, and he could grab her around the waist before pulling her into the backseat.

The windows were tinted.

No one would see.

A little more wouldn’t hurt.

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to three young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bf9lzD

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Series: A Separate Heaven, book 1

A DARK, SEXY THRILLER

The enigmatic Dominic Gianelli is a man whose immense wealth and power have earned him respect and admiration from the social elite of both Europe and America. But his legitimate wealth has long been rumored to mask the secrets and dark corners in his world. Nearing fifty, he lives by a strict code and allows few people to know him.

Beyond his carefully crafted image of sophistication, Dominic is a man with a tight grip on those around him. But a chance meeting with twenty-year-old Paige Hamilton forever changes his life.

Paige Hamilton is just beginning to find her own place in the world, away from her affluent, Long Island family. A striking beauty, she is a financial prodigy and a trusted market analyst climbing the ladder at a prestigious, New York investment firm where Dominic is a client. Their connection upon meeting is instant and profound.

Their first dinner date takes an unexpected turn and becomes a night neither will forget. But Dominic has doubts about a long-term love. His world can be dangerous and he fears for Paige s safety should she commit herself to him. Despite any qualms, he finds he cannot give her up. Her family objects, unsure of Dominic s secretive lifestyle.

Their relationship takes a surreal turn when Paige becomes engulfed in Dominic s world of tight security, clandestine meetings and increasingly erratic behavior.

Enter A Separate Heaven. Meet the characters and get to know them. From Long Island to the shores of the Mediterranean, this engrossing drama will hold you spellbound.

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Series: A Separate Heaven, Book 2
Publication Date: July 16, 2012
Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense

The intriguing saga of the Hamilton and Gianelli families continues as book two takes them back to Salerno and Paige proves herself to be the asset the Gianellis have hoped she would be. Dominic’s aunt, Sophia, sees the couple as her last and only tie to a glorious but tragic past in Italy. With the nephew's marriage to Paige, Sophia's unspoken dream is rekindled, for in her mind, she now sees a chance for Dominic to rebuild what once was.

A mysterious incident abroad has far reaching implications stateside and creates havoc for members of both families. Information revealed in court has an impact on Paige because closely held secrets of the Hamilton family are revealed.

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Book #3

Series: A Separate Heaven, Book 3
Publication Date: September 17, 2012
Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense

The drama builds as Paul Hamilton's betrayal of Dominic Gianelli fuels the D.A. to action. A fiasco of events causes Paige to fall ill and nearly costs her life. Dominic learns of the betrayal and the vile and duplicitous acts by his father-in-law and the D.A. Sacred boundaries have been crossed and forgiveness is not an option.

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EXCERPT _ book #1

Around 1:00 A.M. Paige awoke. She used the bathroom, then got back into bed, but found she couldn’t sleep. As quietly as possible she eased herself from the bed, and walked out onto the balcony. The weather was still nice. They were far enough south that winter hadn’t set in yet. The breeze from the water was cool and she could see the waves crashing against the sandy beaches. Below her, the pool looked inviting. His soft snoring assured her Dominic was sleeping soundly. Hesitating only a moment, she tiptoed into the bathroom, wrapped herself in a big towel, and made her way down the stairs and outside to the pool.

She dropped the towel and slipped into the warm water that felt like silk on her naked body. Leisurely, she swam back and forth, again and again. This was heaven. It was all heaven. She lay on her back, floating, her eyes closed, replaying in her mind the wedding and all that had happened since. 

Finally, she began to tire and, feeling she could sleep again, made one last lap underwater, crawling along the bottom of the pool. As she entered the shallow end, her hands reached for the tiled rim just as she emerged, breaking the surface of the water.
Suddenly, something like a steel vise gripped her wrists, jerking her upward, and she was momentarily airborne. Her feet slammed against the concrete, jarring her from head to toe. Now Dominic had her by her shoulders and was shaking her. She knew he was saying something, but she could hear only the roaring in her head. Not six feet from them stood two men with guns. Behind them on the massive walls that surrounded the villa were several more.

"Paige! Answer me!" He continued to shake her. "Are you all right?"

"Y-y-yes." Stammering and trembling, she looked at the two men closest to them. One reached to hand Dominic the towel that lay on a chair. He took it and wrapped it around her. Only then did she remember her nakedness. Her husband was leading her into the house, to a downstairs bedroom. She was shivering visibly, and he was rubbing her briskly with the towel to warm her.

"Paige, talk to me! What happened?"

"N-nothing."

"Nothing? What were you doing in the pool, Sweetheart? It’s three in the morning!"

"I…I couldn’t s-sleep."

"You couldn’t sleep?" This, incredulously. "Paige, how did you get downstairs? How did you get to the pool?" He was practically shouting at her.

She was confused by his questions and his concern.

Her lower lip trembled, and she was close to tears. "I just w-went, that’s all. I th-thought it would b-be okay. I didn’t think you would m-mind." She was whispering, and her breath still came in short gasps.

Pulling her to him for a moment, he held her. "Sweetheart, I don’t understand. I need to know how you got downstairs. Are you saying you just walked out?"

"Y-yes."
Dominic let her go long enough to run his hand through his hair. He looked both distracted and worried. There was a knock on the bedroom door. It was one of the men. Dominic spoke to him briefly. "Yes, I think she’s all right. She said she couldn’t sleep and decided to take a swim. Yes, I know."

Turning back to her, he said, "Sweetheart, when I woke up and couldn’t find you, the first thing I noticed was that the alarms weren’t working. All the indicators were off. The entire system had been disabled."

With her eyes wide and her heart beating like mad, she told him, "I did that."

Book: +4

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Disanti lives in the Texas Hill Country. While writing has been a lifelong love for her, A Separate Heaven is her first novel. Early works were mainly poetry and short stories. As A Separate Heaven progressed from thought to paper, friends and family began reading the manuscript. Then, in an effort to test the marketability of the material, she enlisted the aid of what she calls her “test readers.” These readers vary in age, occupation and background. It simply grew from there. Alex’s rich detail brought the characters to life, and the ensuing chapters could not come quickly enough for her readers.

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