And let's have a teasing taste of Downstroke

Caution: Adult excerpt

Just released last month from Ellora's Cave and now available at all virtual book stores.

It’s been twenty years since Charley Roper and Dallas Creed parted with great bitterness. In that time she’s made a career for herself with the FBI and private security and he’s been a country rock music icon…tumbled to the bottom and risen again. Now someone’s trying to kill him and Morgan Creed wants Charley to protect his brother and find out who’s after him. When they meet again after all this time it’s obvious the chemistry is still there, stronger than ever. They’re older but are they wiser? Caught up in the bitter wash of memories and the tension of a killer in stalking mode, Charley and Dallas begin a roller coaster ride that is emotional erotic and suspenseful.  Is their love strong enough after twenty years to pull them back together? 

Excerpt:

The night had a magical quality to it, a perfect Texas night with stars blinking against a black velvet sky. A very soft breeze stirred the air, chasing away the last heat of the day. The sense of expectancy in the outdoor concert facility was nearly palpable. Anticipation fairly zapped through the air like bolts of energy. I could even feel it myself, the kind of feeling you got on Christmas morning when you ran downstairs, or when you were right on the brink of the most outstanding orgasm you’d ever had. Seventy-five hundred people moved restlessly in their seats in front of me. An almost equal amount were spread out on the rise of the hill behind me, drinking and staring at the stage with binoculars, even though at the moment there was nothing to see. They were all waiting for the same thing.

The curtain was drawn across the stage, heightening the edge of expectancy. Especially for me, much as I hated to admit it. What was behind there? What was his band like now after they’d tasted success once and were back on top with him again?

I could feel the energy sizzling through the crowd. Well, why not? If nothing else, Dallas Creed had always had an electric presence. Add in the staging, his suck-my-tongue voice and the electricity of his music and you had a knockout winner.

The soft notes of a viola floated in the air from behind the curtain, joined immediately by violins, and I wondered what the hell? Violins? Then I realized it was a synthesizer. And obviously a damn good musician coaxing music from it. The sound that mimicked violins seemed to hold the audience in thrall, as if they were expectantly awaiting a grand moment. The music built and built as the magician behind the synthesizer added the full-throated sounds of woodwinds and the rich tones and powerful chords of an organ, swelling to a crescendo. The last note held and held and held, flowing out into the crowd, pulling at us as if to say, Wait for it, it’s coming.

Then I heard the familiar first downstroke of the rhythm guitars as they began the intro to the first song. The curtain drew back slowly to reveal the band onstage, the bass guitar and keyboards now adding their voices, the drums accenting them with a syncopated beat.

All sound ended abruptly and the crowd stilled for a breathless moment. The band launched into a rich intro to one of Dallas’ hits, an upbeat tune called Cowboys Get It Right, a song I realized the synthesizer had laid the foundation for. The spotlight came up and the man himself jogged onto the stage.

To my dismay, my traitorous heart tripped at the sight of him and an emotion I refused to name clogged my throat. Dallas Creed was definitely a lot older, forty-three to the twenty-three he’d been the last time I saw him in person. Newspaper photos had kept me up with his aging process, but no picture could do justice to the energy still radiating from this man. The energy that had drawn me to him in the first place.

And damn it. I still wanted him as badly as I had years ago. Wanted his hands on me, stroking my body. His mouth on my breasts, sucking them and nipping them the way he used to, the way that drove me so wild. His cock inside me, thrusting in and out with slow, powerful strokes, coaxing me from one orgasm to the next.

Hell and damnation.

More about Hard Lovin'

But it at Ellora's Cave

www.jasminejade.com

Release date: May 11

Maybe going off with a stranger was a stupid thing to do but she as finally learning to trust her own instincts. And they told her she’d be safe with Grady Sinclair.

 “Not tonight.” She smiled at him. “Let’s go.”

He held out his hand to her and linked his fingers with hers. An incredible sense of rightness flowed over her, wrapping around her like a blanket. A peace she hadn’t felt since, well, just since. When they reached his pickup—dark grey and definitely well used—Grady leaned her against the passenger door. He stood there for a moment, one warm hand on her knee.

“You sure about this, darlin’?”

“I am.” Oh, yes. Inexplicably, unbelievably sure.

Grady cupped her face and kissed her. He kept it gentle at first but then passion, that wily beast, gripped them both and he sent his tongue deep, drinking her sexy sigh, loving the feel of her breath on his face. They were alone in the night, so he drew her against him loving the way her breasts settled against the worn cotton of his tee shirt.

Raw edgy lust was etched on his face. “Your name. Tell me your name.”

Tell him her name? But that made this so personal.

Well, dummy, this is personal! He’s taking you home to his bed where he’ll probably fuck your brains out. How can you be so stupid? Don’t you ever learn?

But she didn’t feel the risk. Not like there had been with Cal. She felt almost…protected. And what was that all about?

She wet her lips. “It’s Erin. Erin Braddock.”

Damn. Should I have told him my last name? What if he’s heard of my Daddy and calls him? Everyone kisses Rance Braddock’s ass. No. That’s not who he is. I just know that.

“Erin.” It sounded musical on his lips. “Beautiful. Like you. Maybe I’ll write a song about Erin. You’re so damn sweet. I just have to kiss you.”

He cupped her head, his hands gentle, as his mouth lightly touched hers. He seemed to be kissing her by degrees, waiting at each step to see if she’d bolt and run. To see if she could fall into this.  Muted sounds from the crowd filtered outside joining the song of crickets and passing traffic. None of it mattered. Just her and this man, a total stranger but yet not a stranger. Someone who seemed to have been waiting in her heart to come out at the right time.

At last, when they were both gasping, he opened the door of the truck and handed her up into the seat as if she were a piece of precious cargo. He grinned, swept a kiss over her mouth then checked her seat belt and closed the door.

They rode in silence, neither of them seeming to need conversation, comfortable with the quietness. Grady’s room was in a huge old-fashioned house in an older neighborhood in San Antonio.

“I was lucky,” he told her, leading her quietly up an outside flight of stairs. “I got the room with its own entrance. And the only one with its own bathroom. I think it belonged to her son once, or something.”

He unlocked the door, reached inside to flick on a light switch for the bedside lamp and ushered her into a large bedroom furnished with sturdy, time-worn furniture. The only modern touch was a small television on the dresser.

Erin pointed to it. “Is that yours?”

He shook his head. “The landlady provides one for every room. She’s great.” He leaned his guitar case carefully in one corner, then turned to face her, his hands gentle on her shoulders. “Are you sure about this, Erin?”

Mutely she nodded.

“I can still take you back to your truck. Just say the word.”

So different from Cal, who’d never seemed to give her a choice. Or T.J., who tiptoed around her as if she’d shatter any minutes. Grady was making it plain he wanted her but the choice was hers.

“I don’t want to go back,” she told him.

“Good.” He let out a long, slow breath. “Because I have to tell you, I can’t wait to get you in that bed.”

Hard Lovin' - release Date: May 11

Available from Ellora's Cave www.jasminejade.com

Erin Braddock slipped into the dark bar through the back door, squinty against the darkness and found her way to a tiny booth in the corner. The area was so small a second person would be hard pressed to find room in the space but that suited her just fine. She hadn’t come here looking for company. Unless it was the cowboy up on the postage stamp sized stage, alone in the spotlight with his guitar and his smoky voice. Ebony black hair curled down to the nape of his neck and a work shirt and worn jeans clung to his lean body like a second skin. The muscles in his arm flexed as he picked at the strings of the guitar, coaxing a tune from it.

The lights were dim in the smoky club, a sea of black with only himself in the searing white glow of the spotlight. The air was heavy with expectation as he strummed the melody of a love song that whipped its sound over the crowd only to slow like the stroke of a lover’s caress.

You are so out of your mind for doing this.

So what else was new?

She’d just had to get out of the house. Away from the ranch. Away from …everyone. Her father, Rance, who was suffocating her with his protective kindness. T.J. Elliott, the fiancé she couldn’t seem to break away from. The houseful of people all gathered to celebrate a wedding tomorrow.

Hers.

A wedding she didn’t want.

The memories of the nightmare with Cal hadn’t yet faded and her father was suffocating her with his protective kindness. The far too wealthy Rance Braddock was, if nothing else, like a tidal wave that swallowed people up. And then there was T.J. Elliott, her father’s choice for a ‘safe’ and well-connected husband. A way to guarantee her future. No danger there.

Not like Cal, the worst mistake she’d ever made. And she’d wanted safe. Needed it. Her father and T.J. treated her like some child too fragile to be let out on her own.  Well, maybe she was. Look what she’d gotten herself into. And didn’t want to get out of, until she’d had no other choice. Now, at thirty, she suddenly didn’t seem to be able to put one foot in front of the other any more.

Until now.

The bad part about being rescued from a situation like the one she’d been in was people were afraid to take their eyes off of you. She didn’t even seem to have the strength to tell them they could look away. She went along to get along, letting herself be swept up in a courtship she didn’t want and a wedding suddenly bearing down on her like a tornado.

Anyone remember The Gypsy Rover?

It's an old Irish air recorded by many, many artists during the heyday of folk music. It's been running through my brain forever and I had to sit down and write a story based on it.
Let me tease you with the original lyrics:

A gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady.
He whistled and he sang 'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-doo-dah-day
Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-day-dee
He whistled and he sang 'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

She left her father's castle gate.
She left her own fine lover.
She left her servants and her state
To follow her gypsy rover.

Her father saddled up his fastest stead
And roamed the valley all over.
Sought his daughter at great speed
And the whistlin' gypsy rover.

He came at last to a mansion fine
Down by the river Claydee.
And there was music and there was wine
For the gypsy and his lady.

"He is no gypsy, my Father," she cried 

"but Lord of these lands all over.
And I shall stay 'til my dying day
with my whistlin' gypsy rover."

Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-doo-dah-day
Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-day-dee
He whistled and he sang 'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

Katalina Leon Kissing "Beautiful Strangers"

It’s so much fun to blog about first kisses! There’s nothing more romantic than a beautiful first kiss. Even a vicarious first kiss shared with fictional characters can be a big thrill.

Kissing is a subject I take seriously. I write in the erotic romance genre and I try my best to ensure kisses don’t play second fiddle to the more spectacular scene-stealers. I love writing about that magnetic first kiss where the reader knows with certainty the characters involved are destined to be lovers.

I absolutely love kissing and I have to admit that a million years ago when I was single, I let more than a few interesting young men go simply because they just couldn’t kiss!

I’m not sorry I did it either. I had my best interests in mind. I wanted to spend my life with a man who could kiss and fortunately I found one.

My advice to younger women or any woman for that matter is to holdout for a great kisser. You won’t regret it. Kissing tells a woman everything she needs to know about what to expect romantically from a man. A man’s level of patience, caring, sensuality and self-restraint all figure into this affectionate exchange.

The first kiss I want to share today is from “Beautiful Stranger”. In this scene David and Lily are on their first date. Things are going great until they run into Lily’s ex-husband Jimmy, in a restaurant in the French Quarter. Lily has just decided to go away with David for the weekend.

His fingers stroked her hand. “You’re not doing this to make Jimmy jealous?”

She felt a little shiver of electricity pass between. “I’m doing this one hundred-percent for me.” Her heart raced.

The lazy, sexy look of a big cat crossed David’s face. His hand dropped below the table and brushed against her thigh. “I think you made the right choice,” he whispered.

Her body shivered as David’s fingertips grazed the hem of her skirt. Her skin warmed from his slightest touch. Her heart raced. It already felt as if they were lovers.

(And later in the meal…)

David’s fingertips gently brushed the side of her cheek. “I’m glad you’re with me. I almost feel sorry for him.” He moved closer to her and casually draped an arm around her shoulder. He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, “I think he’s a complete fool.”

“Me too. I’m glad we agree on that.” She smiled when she realized David was acting a bit territorial toward her and she liked it. “You arranged a beautiful dinner and I’m sorry Jimmy showed up. I’m not going to let him spoil our evening. He’s not important anymore, let’s just ignore him.”

She looked into David’s eyes. Warmth and understanding brimmed in his eyes. Her body wanted to lean toward him and be close. His attitude was so relaxed she hoped it would rub off on her. He was the perfect man to run away with for the weekend.

He leaned over and causally kissed her as if they were well-acquainted lovers.

At first touch his full lips barely brushed against hers. His touch was light but the kiss sent an electric tingle through her that rocked her body backward against the seat. Her breath caught. His actions were restrained but the desire behind them was immense and unbounded. 

Heat radiated off the surface of his skin. The temperature between them rose. She was almost startled when her senses snapped to attention and took notice of every detail. Her blood rushed. Dear god, he felt good. How did he convey so much longing into one tiny kiss? Butterflies fluttered in her chest.

He didn’t pull away. He stayed close.

She was acutely aware he was only a hairbreadth away. He waited for her to come to him. She leaned forward and tentatively returned a single soft kiss. It felt so right. She wanted more. Without thinking, her hands reached out and gently caressed the sides of his face. Her fingers tangled in his hair. She felt his warm breath on her cheek.

Her lips parted and gently glided against his. She pressed her lips against his soft mouth. His full lips begged to be nipped. She gently dragged her teeth across the cushioned softness. David felt so good. He took her breath away. 

Had she ever enjoyed a first kiss this much? He had such a beautiful mouth, what would it feel like to have David’s soft kisses stray between her thighs? Her throat tensed. She crossed her legs and squeezed her thighs together beneath the table. A sharp thrill zipped through her. She wanted to wrap her legs around him and cover his face in kisses. This could get out of hand fast. It felt so natural to kiss David. He was so good to be near. She wanted to go on kissing him but reminded herself they were in a restaurant and the tablecloth couldn’t hide everything that was going on. 

She breathlessly broke the kiss and slowly pulled back.

(David and Lily don’t stay in the restaurant for long…) lol

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt.

XXOO Kat

Katalina Leon “Beautiful Stranger” Ellora’s Cave Sophisticate Line.

http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8323-569-beautiful-stranger.aspx