donderdag 25 juni 2020

Blog Tour ~ Jagger by Amanda McKinney #Playlist #Giveaway


Jagger: Steele Shadows Investigations
Amanda McKinney
Publication date: June 18th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Secrets, lies, deceit… A former Navy SEAL turned homicide detective has met his match in this new *standalone* addition to the number #1 Bestselling Steele Shadows Series…

He found her covered in blood.
She promises she’s innocent.
The question is… Can he trust her?

Feared just as much on the streets as at a crime scene, Homicide Detective Max Jagger has dedicated his life to one thing—speaking for the dead. Everyone and everything else be damned, including his own demons. During one of the most oppressive heat waves to hit the small, southern town of Berry Springs, the former Navy SEAL is called to a scene where a real estate heiress is found standing over a dead body, holding the murder weapon. The local cops immediately dub it a slam-dunk case, but if Jagg has learned anything from his days running special ops, it’s that nothing is as it seems… including this suspect.
Despite her name, Sunny Harper is as beguiling as a fallen angel. Clever, cunning, completely unwilling to cooperate, and, perhaps his least favorite quality—mind-numbingly intoxicating. When evidence from the scene suggests an accomplice, Jagg begins to believe that Sunny is both innocent and in danger, despite the towns’ uproar to lock her up. Torn between his growing feelings for his suspect, he takes Sunny to a secluded lake house where he discovers there’s much more behind those enchanting green eyes… including secrets that could take them both under.
With his career on the line and the clock ticking, Jagg must decide if he can trust Sunny… before they both get burned.

Playlist

American Woman – Lenny Kravitz
Midnight Rider – Greg Allman
Somethin’ bad – Miranda Lambert
Raise Hell – Brandi Carlile
Independent Woman – Destiny’s Child
Criminal – Fiona Apple
Piece of my heart – Janis Joplin
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton



Author Bio:
Amanda McKinney is the #1 bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than ten steamy romantic suspense and mystery novels. She wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, in 2017 after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Set in small, southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries packed with steamy romance.
Her books include the HOT new bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series and BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES.
Text AMANDABOOKS to 66866 to receive Amanda’s newsletter and get the latest on new releases, promos, and freebies!



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woensdag 24 juni 2020

Book Blitz ~ Unleashed by Alyssa Turner




Title: Unleashed
Series: Unmatched #2
Author: Alyssa Turner
Genre: Dark Reverse Harem Romance
Release Date: June 10, 2020



Blurb

Collared, kept, disciplined, worshiped...and shared. 

The sound of a whip licking the floor should cause her to tremble. The whistle-hiss of it cutting the air should tell her to run. The pin-prick kiss of leather should make her wince. These would be normal reactions, but Samantha Hunter couldn't go back to being normal if she tried.

She's become a prized pet and her Master, Oleg Balashov, is a king among kings in the BDSM world.  He's broken his promise to join two Mafia dynasties in an arranged marriage. Now a woman is dead, and he owes a debt. He'll keep Samantha, the woman he loves, safe even if it means placing her in the care of his oldest friend.

Dr. Henri Gerard is an expert with a knife. It's his own scars that never seem to fade, and he is not alone. Sharing a scene is nothing new for him or his brother Doms of Club Duval. When one is made whole by the perfection of absolute control, the others feel gratified to witness it. But never, not once, have any of them shared a woman's heart. 

Is there room for two Doms to love one submissive? It won't be easy...good thing Samantha likes things hard.

The Unmatched Series is part of the Love Has No Regrets collection which includes the Polished Series and Make Me.

Note: This book is a Dark Romance and includes graphic depictions of BDSM scenes with multiple partners. The epilogue will offer a preview to the prologue of Book 3 after the conclusion of the story.





Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






Also Available


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






Author Bio


Alyssa believes that when characters speak to you, you've got to listen. She's been all ears and writing stories in all lengths since childhood. She only wonders where those notebooks of handwritten dramas ended up.

Almost everyone tags her romances as habanero hot, and with her proclivity for the ménage genre, Alyssa is often recognized for weaving complexity and emotional depth into her characters. She has so much fun writing, she can never be relied upon to put the wash into the dryer any time after 10 PM. Luckily, she is married to the most understanding husband in the world.

The Love Has No Regrets collection of novels by Alyssa Turner includes several series with familiar characters threaded into each story. Her LHNR world is ever growing, spanning from Manhattan to Paris, with polyamorous love that answers only to the heart. Read more about Alyssa Turner and preview her published works on her blog. http://www.alyssaturnerwrites.com


dinsdag 23 juni 2020

Release Blitz ~ Forever Only Once by Carrie Ann Ryan



Title: Forever Only Once
Series: Promise Me #1
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2020



Blurb

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan comes a sexy new contemporary stand-alone series.

Hazel Noble has survived horrors she wouldn’t inflict on her worst enemy. Since then, she’s healed, found herself, and connected with a group of women she’s proud to call her friends. However, when they make a pact to start looking for love, Hazel finds herself not only up first but also forced to face a past she thought she’d escaped.

Cross Brady has no need for a relationship. As the oldest of five, he’s always been the one his family can rely on. Now, all he wants is to work in peace and live his life. His priorities shift dramatically, though, when Cross finds himself in Hazel’s path.

Though the two initially fight their connection, they soon learn that it’s safer to fall for each other than keep running from what’s holding them back—not to mention, who wants them dead.







Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU


ALSO AVAILABLE







Coming Soon


Releasing August 18

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



Releasing October 27

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



Releasing December 8

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU






Author Bio


Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Fractured Connections, and Elements of Five series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.


Author Links




Book Blitz Pirate's Persuasion by Lisa Kessler #Giveaway


Pirate’s Persuasion
Lisa Kessler
(Sentinels of Savannah #4)
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: June 22nd 2020
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Immortal pirate Drake Cole has a reputation in Savannah for his custom woodworking and historical restorations, but his work has grown into an obsession. He’s become a stranger to his crew since the Sea Dog sank in 1795. None of them know his painful secret. A young stowaway went down with the ship, one that Drake swore a blood oath to protect.
The ghost of a young boy, lost at sea over two hundred years ago, leads local medium, Heather Storrey right to Drake’s door. He saved her life before, and now she has a chance to return the favor, but how can she protect him from a curse that no one can see?
A dark coven possesses the figurehead from the Flying Dutchman, and if Heather and the immortal Sea Dog crew don’t locate the relic soon, Drake may be lost to them forever. Heather has seen the passionate man behind the veil of guilt, and she’s determined to free him from his self-imposed prison, and persuade this pirate to love again.



EXCERPT:

No trace of judgment lingered in her gaze. He lifted his free hand, aching for reassurance that this wasn’t a dream. His fingers slid through her silky hair as he tucked it behind her ear. Words were too insignificant for this moment, or this woman. He met her eyes and whispered, “I should go.”
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze steady. “Why?”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Because…if I stay…I may kiss you.”
She didn’t recoil at his confession. Instead, color flushed her pale skin, enticing him closer as he searched her face.
“Don’t go,” she whispered.
He lost his tenuous grip on self-control and leaned in closer, kissing her with an unfamiliar tenderness. His battered heart had been on display for her, his secrets exposed, and instead of rejecting him, she offered acceptance, a safe harbor in the storm of painful memories he’d shouldered alone for centuries.
Her hand moved up his chest and around his neck. He tilted his head as her lips parted, opening and welcoming his exploration. She tasted like raindrops and moonlight, delicious and refreshing. He might never get enough. Her fingers tangled in the back of his hair, the pull drawing a long-dormant passion from his soul. He wrapped her in his arms, their tongues tangling in a hungry desperation for closeness.
He yearned for her, to claim her, to know every inch of her.



Author Bio:
Stay up-to-date on new releases and giveaways by subscribing to Lisa's newsletter here: https://goo.gl/56lDla
Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of dark paranormal fiction. She's a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.
Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com

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maandag 22 juni 2020

Book Blitz ~ Kismet by April Canavan #Giveaway



Kismet April Canavan
(Birch County Blue #1)
Publication date: August 11th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Never look back. 
In the dark of the night, 911 dispatcher Maya Daniels becomes the one thing she fears the most, a victim. Faced with new limitations, both physically and emotionally are what prove the hardest for Maya to handle. That and one very stubborn deputy who refuses to take no for an answer. Brian will never forgive himself for the pain Maya went through when he couldn’t protect her. When he’s given one more chance to make things right, he swears that he’ll do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means he could lose his job as a Deputy Sheriff. Nobody believes that Maya is safe, especially when her stalker returns with a vengeance. Maya finds herself fighting for her life once more, but this time she’s not alone.



Fans of Mary Burton and Susan Stoker will fall into the world of Birch County and never want to come back.


EXCERPT:

“Hey,” she called to him from the stairs. He looked good, but then she always thought that he looked good. “Hey yourself, pipsqueak. Figured this might be easier than texting.” He moved from where he was next to his cruiser and stood at the bottom of the stairs. From his position, Maya was only an inch or two higher than he was. She looked into his eyes, and smiled at the familiarity that was in their depths. “I guess.” She breathed in deeply, and was pleasantly surprised when she was hit with his earthy scent. “So how was the shift?” The deputies could normally go home at one in the morning, but were on call until the shift ended at four. “Good, too many tourists doing stupid crap though. It’s the season, I suppose.” Pointing a glance at her cast he said, “How come everyone else has gotten to sign it but me?” “It’s coming off in like a week. There’s no point now.” She put both her hands behind her back, even if it was awkward with the cast on her arm. He joined her at the top of the stairs, and she looked up into his eyes. “You really are short.” “I know. Perks of being me, I guess. I’ll be the last to die when the zombies attack since I can fit into smaller places.” She knew it was derisive, but since she was making fun of herself it didn’t matter. He started laughing, a comforting sound coming from deep in his chest. After he was finished, he just stood there and looked at her. She got caught up in the moment and when he pulled her into a hug, she let him. The warmth of his body enclosed her, and she felt safe. After she stayed in his arms for a minute, reality struck. “I need to go. I’m getting tired.” She yawned for effect and looked at his cruiser pointedly. He didn’t take the hint. “I know you are. Can I take Jonathan now?” “No,” she was offended by his question, and it stung a lot more than she’d ever tell him. “You can’t have him. I promised that I would make him breakfast in the morning, you can have him after.” She crossed her arms, which would look a lot more imposing if she was able to do it without the cast. Instead, she shot him her most stern look. “You should go home now.” “Okay, no problem. You know, you’re kind of cute when you’re telling me what to do.” He smiled. But it was more of a smirk, mirth reaching his eyes. “Brian.” She really did need to go back inside, but before she could say it again, he cut her off. “Kiss me.” He looked at her mouth, and seemed to be fascinated by it. “Why?” Her throat was dry, the words coming out as more of a croak than a question. “Because if you don’t I’m going to lose my mind.” He pulled her back into his arms, and she pushed against him until he released her. When she was out of his arms, she took a deep breath and said, “I’m done with these games, Brian.” “I can’t live my life without knowing what you’re going to feel like in my arms. You don’t understand. I need you.” The look on his face said that he was lost, and that she was the key to him finding his way home. “There was a time when all I wanted was to be needed in your life, Brian. But that’s not what I want, not anymore. I need something other than hidden glances, innuendo, and being made to feel like I’m not good enough to be someone’s first choice.” Instead of feeling happy at the thought of being told exactly what she wanted to hear from him for so long, it just made her angrier that she didn’t have happiness like that in her life already and probably couldn’t in the future. “But you are my first choice. Don’t you see that? I would turn the world upside down if it would make you happy.” Without waiting for her response, he grasped her by the shoulders and brought his face down to hers. “No more games, not between us.” And he kissed her. The entire world imploded in a barrage of light and sound. The kiss couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, but in that moment it felt like everything was right in the universe. Pulling away from her just slightly he continued, “I should have told you how I really feel a long time ago, Maya. Then we wouldn’t have all of this wasted time. I want you in my life. Just give this a chance.” “I’m a different person; all of the love I had was left behind that night. I can’t give you anything.” Eyes still stinging from the explosion of lights she saw during their kiss, she leaned away from him.

Author Bio:

USA Today Bestselling author by day and superhero by night, April spends her time split between real and fantasy worlds. While she writes across genres, her heart lives with Contemporary Romance that will tear her readers apart. She lives on the rocky coast of Maine, in the perfect place to visit the ocean but still live surrounded by the woods. Her son inspires her to write, demanding stories that he’s not allowed to read. As long as she has coffee, April can conquer the world… but she hates talking about herself in third person. You can join my newsletter for exclusive content and giveaways at www.aprilcanavan.com

 
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zondag 21 juni 2020

Release Blitz ~ Lotus Empowered by Clairissa Sinclair



Title: Lotus Empowered
Author: Clairissa Sinclair
Genre: Romance
Release Date: June 20, 2020


The lights went out.

It wasn’t your run of the mill blackout. It was the final step in a series of carefully orchestrated occurrences that crashed communication satellites, GPS, internet connections and anything containing a computer chip. In just a few days all of the conveniences that modern society relied upon to get through life were gone and the world was thrust backward in time inciting a power struggle of epic proportions.
Lotus McClean found herself stranded in the mountains of Virginia when the world went black. When everyone around her panicked, Lotus knew what needed to be done. After all, she grew up completely off the grid, on the family farm where free-love was the norm and marajuana was the cash crop.
Standing strong on her own, loneliness and vulnerability keep her away from people and in the safety of the old Mountain Inn that she calls home. Three very different men from different walks of life seek refuge in the motel and in her bed.
Can they survive and thrive in a harsh new world?
Warning: This book is intended for mature readers over the age of 18. It includes intense sexual situations, including MMFM and MM relations, adult language and violence.








I was truly alone. 

Day after day, I worked my ass from sun up until sundown, at almost a frantic pace, making sure I had the supplies in that I would need to survive another winter. Slowing down wasn’t an option. In the rare moments that I did sit down to relax and just breathe, it was too quiet. I found my thoughts wandering back to the farm and the flutter of activity, especially when we were preparing for winter. I had a tribe then. I had friends and family that I could rely on when I needed them. Now I just have me.
Night after night, I curled up, alone, under Shirlee’s patchwork quilt. Alone. All alone. It was eating me alive. I’ve read every book in the house and played hundreds of games of solitaire with the dog-eared Bicycle playing cards. I have given every animal on the property a name and a cartoon character-ish voice, and I talk to them while I’m feeding and cleaning up their pens. I spend my nights twisting cord and weaving baskets by candlelight, but the silence is deafening. I long for human contact. Some nights my skin aches for the touch of a man.
Four weeks into my solo life on the mountain, the need for human contact got the best of me. Despite the dangers, I found myself going into town for Swap Meet Sunday out of pure loneliness more than the need for anything in particular. I swapped one of Ozzy and Harriet’s kids for six more chickens and some heirloom tomato seeds and half a jar of instant coffee. I traded water filtration drops for a big bunch of sweet red beets and a pair of night-vision goggles for a bushel of peaches. The woman who made delicious goat cheese was always willing to swap for wine.

The atmosphere in town has changed somewhat for the better. The Sheriff and his men have things under control, at least by the light of day. The laws are upheld with an iron fist now, and violators are subject to pay the ultimate price for their crimes. Thieves and looters are shot on sight, and their names posted on the old community bulletin board at the entrance to the park, along with “missing person” notices. The board has also become a place for drifters to pin notes and letters that they’ve carried from other towns since there is no other organized mail system. I find nothing there with my name on it, which plunges me just a wee bit deeper into depression. I was hoping to at least hear that Pete and Shirlee had made it safely to Pasco.
There’s a curfew now. No one is allowed on the streets after dark except for Sunday nights, where the church hosts bible study and a barn dance. Violators are shot, Monday through Saturday, but the law in these parts are a religious crew, I suppose, and they make the one-night a week exception in the Lord’s name.
Pete and Shirlee had been gone for another six weeks or so when I broke down and made the long walk towards town again. I swore I wouldn’t, I told myself that I was safer on my own, but the loneliness was overwhelming. I was hoping for news of my friends and desperate for companionship. Again, there was no news on the community bulletin board. I checked and rechecked three times. The only new information was the names of eight more citizens that killed in the process of committing crimes on the shame wall.
Today, I finally let the nice church ladies talk me into sticking around for the sundown barn dance. “You need to meet a nice young man, Miss Lotus.” The sweet grey-haired granny declared. 
“It’s not safe to be up there on the mountain by yourself.” Her equally ancient friend insisted. I smile and nod, but I doubt it will measure up to dancing naked around a blazing fire like in my youth, but at least I won’t be alone tonight.
I cleaned myself up in the powder room of the church hall. Removing my plaid flannel shirt and stuffing it into my backpack, I left on a black wife beater with my jeans and combat boots. I washed the dust and sweat from my face in the basin and combed out my hair. Braiding it tightly, I pulled a few strands loose and let them fall on the sides of my face. A quick whore bath and fresh deodorant completed my dance look. 
The celebratory atmosphere reminded me just a bit of the ranch, minus the constant presence of marijuana smoke and, of course, the nudity. It didn’t take long for me to relax and enjoy the night. A classic country band was composed of half a dozen guys from age eighteen to about eighty that played a variety of string instruments, drums, spoons, and a washboard. They took turns singing lead and were off-key more than on, but the music was still a welcome relief from silence. It was wonderful to be around other people. I struck up a few conversations with the cheese lady and some of the locals. Mostly we talked about canning recipes, gardening, and edible plants.
There were more men than women present, perhaps as many as three to one. The ladies got quite a heavy work out on the dance floor. It was probably about eight o'clock, and I’d already received two marriage proposals and more cheesy pickup lines than I could handle. The preacher had a flask of rum in his jacket and offered me a swig after a rollicking two-step to a Garth Brooks song. It didn't escape my attention that he was looking down my shirt when he gave me a few more. I'm not much of a drinker. Just a few little sips and I was feeling no pain.
Even the sheriff was starting to look good. He looked dignified and sexy in his khaki uniform, hat, and gold six point star pinned to his muscular chest, while pacing the room, on the prowl for trouble makers. Unfortunately, he’s married. She's very pregnant and hovers next to him the entire night, scowling at any ladies that get too close to her man. That and the fact that he’s an enormous douchebag took him off of my list of possible partners.
My current dance partner is a twenty-something-year-old farmer with a dimple in his chin. He’s young and handsome and virile and has enormous calloused working man’s hands, and he’s wearing skin-tight faded Levis that make me want to sink my teeth into his tight little ass. It’s such a shame when he opens his mouth because he was perfect until he spoke, “I’ve seen you at the swap meet, you know.” 
“Oh, really?” I respond, curious to see where this conversation is going. 
“Yup. I told my friend Bobby over there.” He pointed to his similarly dressed friend who smiled and winked at us before he continued, “That I’d eat you good. You seem like a woman that knows how to take care of her pussy. Nothing worse than dirty pussy. I bet you still shave.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Most women stopped shaving their poontang when the lights went out.” Fuck. Ew. Revolting! Not happening. Hottie McFarmer has successfully obliterated any sexual fantasy from my dirty mind. I need a good man and not a horny boy. 
“I need to use the ladies' room.” I excuse myself leaving the good looking redneck in the middle of the dance floor, all alone.
I don’t even know how to respond to that comment. On the bright side, I suppose that it’s a good thing that I present myself in a manner that clearly says, “I wash my crotch.” The entire conversation cracks me up, and I’m still giggling to myself when I slam the door of the wooden outhouse behind the hall and head back inside towards the music. 
“Hey, pretty lady. How about a dance.” 
There were three of them. All older men, maybe in their forties and up with greasy hair and tobacco-stained teeth. They could have been younger and just aged by hard-living and homemade crystal meth. It’s tough to say for sure. Regardless, they were all wearing jackets with rebel flags on them like some kind of semi-geriatric street gang. I have no idea where they came from because I completely let my guard down. Fear, I found out, sobered me up faster than a pot of Maxwell House.
“Maybe later.” I said calmly, trying my best to sound braver than I was feeling, “I left my friend on the dance floor. I need to get back inside.” I tried to slip between them, but they blocked me in between their sweaty bodies and the outhouse. 
“Nah baby, you don’t need to go back in there with the Jesus crew. We can have our own little party out here. You can be the guest of honor.” He ran his fingers up my arm and grabbed my braid, bringing the tip of it to his nose and inhaling deeply. 
The one that I assumed to be the senior member by his grey hair and deep wrinkles grabbed a handful of my ass and squeezed hard enough to take my breath away. Bile rose in my throat. “Be nice to us, and we’ll be nice to you, lady.” He hissed in my ear. He planted a wet, slurpy kiss to my neck that made my skin crawl. The smell of tooth rot and tobacco filled my nose, and his fingers dug into my arms, leaving hand-shaped bruises. 
Panicking, I twisted and fought with everything inside of me. My black hiking boot made contact with the older man’s kneecap, which only succeeded in pissing him off even more. He wrapped one arm around my neck, capturing my throat in the crook of his arm. “Keep fighting, girl. It makes it all the sweeter.” He growled. Gasping for air, I wasn’t able to push enough from my lungs to form a scream. My nails clawed at his forearms, drawing blood and leaving long red lines. Another pair of hands grabbed a handful of my breasts and twisted them painfully, while yet more hands gripped my ankles and tried to subdue me from any further counter-attack. 
I sank my teeth into the hand closest to my mouth and clamped down, which earned me a sharp backhand and a dirty bandana stuffed in my mouth, “This one has a little too much sass. Get her pants down, boys. I’m gonna teach this little cunt some manners.” Slightly dazed from the bitch smack, and completely under their control, I felt a cold rush of air on my thighs and the scrape of denim over my bottom. I heard the jingle of his belt buckle, and I knew what was coming next. My blood ran ice cold through my veins.
A fresh wave of adrenaline surged through my body and twisted my wrists free. I wasn't going to lie there and let it happen. I was going down fighting. Growling with pure hatred, I swung my fist with every ounce of strength I had, but the younger man quickly caught my hand before my knuckles made contact with his grinning face. The leader of the pack laughed at my feeble attempt to fight them off and dropped his pants to the ground. Standing over me, he hocks up a loogie into his mouth and spits into the palm of his hand. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he rubbed his semi flaccid penis, “Hold her open for me, Clint. Gotta make sure the pussy isn’t diseased.” 
His friend cackled, “You’d fuck it if you had to chip off the scabs.” I closed my eyes and squeezed them tight, like it would keep out the horror that was coming my way, and swallowed down the bile that was rising in my esophagus.
My attacker dropped to his knees, which pressed into my thighs, holding them open for his assault. The brown juice from the gob of chew in his mouth dribbled down his beard and landed on my face. I wanted to shut my brain off from everything that was happening to my body. I tried to block out my rape by visualizing the ranch and pretending I was there.
The heavy metallic click of a bullet being chambered in a very large caliber handgun brought me back into the here and now, “I don’t think the lady is interested. Hands off boys.” 
It wasn’t the sheriff, but one of his sworn deputies that had instantly become my hero. All three men put their hands up, and I darted out of their grip and hid behind the officer’s legs, spitting out the dirty bandana and struggling to fill my lungs with clean fresh air. “Are you ok?” He asked me, looking down on me. I nodded quickly because I was still shaking uncontrollably and too stunned to use my words. My heart was threatening to hammer it’s way out of my chest, and I struggled for control.
“Run along now, boys. And stay away from the lady, or I’ll shoot you myself.” They grumbled and bitched under their breath while they walked away in the direction of Main Street. I know I heard, “asshole cop” and, “motherfucker ruined our fun”. 
When words finally formed, I was outraged. “Aren’t you going to arrest them?” I panted, “They were about to rape me.” I realized that I still had a death grip on the pantleg of his neatly pressed uniform and forced myself to let go. My jeans were tangled and twisted. Brushing the grass and twigs out of them, I pulled them up over my ass with shaking hands. Deep breaths. I kept telling myself. Just take deep breaths and get a grip. I struggled to calm myself as the adrenaline wore off. 
“Can’t. I’m Emory, by the way. Deputy Emory Lang.” 
“Lotus McClean. You’re not going to arrest them?” Anger, shock and disbelief, or some lethal combination of all three surged through my system. 
Even more annoying is Deputy Lang’s blase attitude, “Ha, well, I would, but there’s no room at the jail right now. Can’t arrest anyone on an, “attempted” anything anymore. Sheriff’s rule. Has to be an actual crime. You don’t live in town, do you?” I still can’t stop my hands from trembling enough to button and zip my fucking jeans but at least my ass is covered. I take a few more deep breaths and try to pull myself together. 
Emory offers me a hand, which I take and he pulls me to my feet. Eye to eye, I get a good look at him. He’s not a bad looking man. A little skinny for my taste but not hard on the eyes. He has a weak chin. I never really knew what that meant before, but now I understand completely. I’m still pissed off. Maybe even more pissed off that those assholes are just going to walk away. “Un-fucking-believeable. So if you were a minute later, and one of them stuck their dick inside of me, then they would be arrested? And no, I don’t live in town!”,I intentionally answer vaguely. 
He picked a dried up leaf out of my hair, “I know it sounds bad, but we only have three cells and they are full. If it makes you feel any better, I probably would have just shot him if he stuck his dick in you.” He winked at me, like it was our little secret joke or something. He fucking winked! I’m sure he would have shot the guy. Law Enforcement has certainly changed since the lights went out. “We do a damn fine job of keeping the peace, under the circumstances. We’ve got the looting under control at least and we do what we can to protect the law abiding citizens. What brought you into town today, Miss McClean? It is Miss, isn’t it?” He hadn’t yet released my hand from where he helped me stand, so I pulled it away from his grasp under the pretense of brushing dust and gravel off my backside.
I know what he means when he explains that the Sheriff got the looting under control. The “Looting or stealing equals a bullet to the head” policy is posted all over town and strictly enforced. 
I’m too stunned that a law enforcement officer would minimize the fact that I was physically assaulted and almost raped for it to register in my mind that he’s flirting with me. Awkwardly, but still flirting with a victim. “Um, yes. I came to town for the swap meet and the church ladies talked me into staying for the dance.” My heartbeat is slowly returning to a normal rhythm and my knees aren’t knocking together anymore.
The deputy grins, “Probably Gilda and Ida. There’s an over abundance of single men in town now and not enough beautiful women to go around.” 
“I noticed.” He led me back towards the lantern light of the church recreation center but my feet won’t move any further than the door. I can’t go back in there. Not now. I can’t listen to bad pick up lines and half-hearted marriage proposals from men who are just as lonely as I am. The truth is that I’m too fucking scared to walk home in the dark, all alone right now. I’m simply in need of comfort in the form of strong masculine arms wrapped around my shaking body. “So, Deputy Lang.” I stop in my tracks and turn towards him, close enough so that I can smell his powerfully strong aftershave. Blinking back the tears that are threatening to fall, I force a tight smile to my bruised lips, “I'm finished with dancing for tonight. How about we go over there behind the church rectory, and I’ll show you just how much I appreciate your intervention during my bad situation with the boys from Deliverance?” 
Emory wasn’t hard to convince. “Well Miss McClean, I do believe you’re trying to seduce me.” He leaned into me and brushed the hair that escaped my braid in the tussle securely behind my ear. 
“Is it working?” I ask him, already knowing the answer to my question by the growing tent in the front of his chinos. 
“Definitely.”
I wish I could say that the encounter was gratifying. It might have been, had it lasted more than two minutes and I didn’t have tears rolling down my face. Emory was a soft kisser, with a tongue that seemed to explore every tooth in my mouth. Still reeling from the assault, I wanted to be held and cuddled more than I wanted the sex, but that wasn’t to be. I wanted more and settled for much less.
Bending me over the cement steps to the back door of the minister’s residence, I let him take me. Sadly, Deputy Lang finished the race and I was barely out of the starting gate. I’ll give him credit where credit is due, he did provide nearly five minutes of spectacular post-coital cuddling, before he pulled up his pants and buckled his tactical belt. “I’ve gotta get back to my patrol. I hope we can get together again Miss McClean. Sometime soon.” 
I let him kiss me goodbye, before he tipped his hat and disappeared into the dark streets. I walked home in the darkness crying silent tears and with my 
loaded pistol cocked in my hand. My heart skipped a beat at every little sound in the night for the entire three hour walk up the mountain. The lonely Inn was my safe haven. I curled up on the sofa and hid underneath the patchwork quilt that Shirlee made and sobbed until the morning light illuminated the great room. In the safety of the light of day, I slept.
That’s the first and last barn dance I’ll be attending.
I’d made my peace with being lonely and turned my focus back towards winter prep. I was doing my best to keep Pete’s traps and lines set, but with hunting, caring for the livestock, canning, gardening and foraging, there was barely enough daylight to get all of the work done. I kept hoping and praying to whatever deity would listen for Pete and Shirlee to make it home, but as the summer wore on with no word from them, my hopes diminished. 
Resolved. That’s what I was. I resolved to survive the winter on my own.




Clairissa Sinclair was born in upstate New York but calls sunny Tampa Florida home. She lives with her boyfriend and two very spoiled teacup Chihuahuas. By day she works at the local police department as a Code Enforcement Officer, at night she writes “Sin-fully Delicious” stories filled with imperfect people who find their own strength in the end. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, swimming, fishing or snorkeling, or at the closest thrift store, hunting for treasure.


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