by Lexi Blake
A year later, Stephanie runs afoul of an evil mercenary who vows to kill her for failing to save his son. She runs to the only people she trusts, Liam and Avery O’Donnell. She hasn’t come alone and her secret will bring her former lover across the world to protect her. From Liberia to Dallas to Australia’s outback, Brody will do whatever it takes to protect Stephanie from the man who wants to kill her, but it might be her own personal demons that could destroy them both.
Arranged: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella
Masters and Mercenaries 13.5
By Lexi Blake
Coming April 25, 2017
Click here to pre-order
Kash Kamdar is the king of a peaceful but powerful island nation. As Loa Mali’s sovereign, he is always in control, the final authority. Until his mother uses an ancient law to force her son into marriage. His prospective queen is a buttoned-up intellectual, nothing like Kash’s usual party girl. Still, from the moment of their forced engagement, he can’t stop thinking about her.
Dayita Samar comes from one of Loa Mali’s most respected families. The Cambridge-educated scientist has dedicated her life to her country’s future. But under her staid and calm exterior, Day hides a few sexy secrets of her own. She is willing to marry her king, but also agrees that they can circumvent the law. Just because they’re married doesn’t mean they have to change their lives. It certainly doesn’t mean they have to fall in love.
After one wild weekend in Dallas, Kash discovers his bride-to-be is more than she seems. Engulfed in a changing world, Kash finds exciting new possibilities for himself. Could Day help him find respite from the crushing responsibility he’s carried all his life? This fairy tale could have a happy ending, if only they can escape Kash’s past…
* * * *
“Good lord, man, put on some clothes.” Simon Weston stood and walked back to the coffee service. “Everyone else might have seen that, but I’ve been very careful not to.”
Kash wasn’t sure why Weston was such a prude. The man was known to be a member of Sanctum. It was a club in Dallas that catered to people in the BDSM lifestyle. One day he would go to this club, but then all the submissives would want him and he would lose his friends.
He’d lost too many friends.
“My mother has overreacted. I’m sure she was terrified when she learned I was over here in America without a proper guard, but she certainly shouldn’t have called McKay-Taggart to escort me home. I assure you I can find my way. You don’t have to make the twenty-hour flight.” Who had he brought with him? Yes, that lovely girl from the east side of the island with the pretty breasts was the flight attendant. He could spend some time with her.
“There are currently around two hundred members of the press outside waiting to get a statement from you.”
Kash stopped. “Two hundred?”
“Give or take a few. That’s why we’re going to require a police escort.” Weston continued on as though nothing was wrong. “I’ve got my man with a limo in the parking garage. We’ll meet Jesse down there and Boomer will join us in the lift. The hotel has agreed to shut down one of the lifts so it only stops on this floor and the parking garage. Boomer will ensure no one gets through. Miami PD has offered an escort to the airport. You should hurry and shower. We don’t have much time.”
His head was reeling in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with the unholy amount of vodka he’d downed the night before. “Why is the fact that I had sex with three women news? Believe me, it happens all the time. Second, why would I need a bloody police escort? And what is a Boomer?”
“A Boomer is one of two new former Special Forces bodyguards your mother has hired until Jesse and I train a new group to protect the royal family since it’s getting larger. I hope you have a very large refrigerator. Boomer eats constantly, and you should watch out for any erratic behavior. He’s a nice lad, but he’s been hit on the head more than anyone could imagine. However, he’s a bit of a savant when it comes to marksmanship. No one cares that you had sex with three women last night because no one knows. I took care of that and your mother is not going to be happy about all the bribes I had to expense to accomplish that. You need a bloody police escort to get through the throngs of reporters, as I mentioned earlier. Now could you please put that thing away? My wife is meeting us at the airport. I would like to be able to tell her the amount of nudity I witnessed was minimal.”
He was getting irritated. He tossed on last evening’s slacks. If the Brit wanted to power play him, he could get with the game. It wasn’t like he would allow them to come in and drag his ass home like he was some kind of wayward child. He was a king. “Don’t bother to bring your wife. I’m sure she’s lovely, but my mother has overstepped herself. I will choose my guard and I will select who will train them.”
Weston checked his watch. “How soon can you be ready?”
“Have you heard a word I’ve said? I thank you for helping me out last night and keeping that tape from hitting the web, but I can manage from here.”
Weston picked up the newspaper that had been delivered along with the coffee service. He tossed it Kash’s way. “If you feel that way, I can certainly let Michael and Jesse know they should stick to Her Majesty’s side and allow you to be brutally murdered if it comes to that.”
“Mother already has guards.” He clutched the newspaper. She’d had the same set of guards for years. She liked to call them her girls. Four women who’d served in the military and had been trained by…well, by McKay-Taggart. Had something happened? “Why is Mother so afraid she needs more guards?”
“Not for your mother,” Weston replied casually. “It’s for your future bride. As for firing me and Jesse, you can’t. We’ve been hired by your parliament to provide security and assistance for the royal wedding and to train the new queen’s guard.”
Yes, he’d had far too much to drink. He was still sleeping and having the oddest dream.
Weston shook his head. “It’s all right there in the paper, if you don’t believe me. Now hurry and take that shower. You’ve got to get home because the formal engagement ceremony is in two days.”
Kash opened the paper and stared down at the headline.
Playboy King to Claim His Bride
“I’m not getting married.”
Weston stepped up and patted his arm. “You are or you’ll give up your throne. I’ll explain it all on the plane. The other reason your mother hired me is I have a degree in law. I’ve read the clause in your constitution that your mother intends to use to force you to marry. I assure you, it will hold up. You can attempt to change the constitution but that requires a two-year review process, another year of public forums, and a vote. You’ll be replaced by then. Like I said, I can explain it all on the very long plane trip. Are you all right, Your Majesty? You just went a bit green.”
Kash ran for the bathroom.
He’d been right. He shouldn’t have bothered to wake up.
Revenge
Lawless, Book 3
By Lexi Blake
Coming June 20, 2017
Click here to pre-order
Passion and danger collide in the latest contemporary romance featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.
When Drew Lawless discovers a fatal flaw in his plan to avenge his parents’ deaths, he turns to the one woman he'd promised he wouldn't touch. He offers her a deal, one that will bring her into his investigation, his life, and his bed.
Investigative reporter Shelby Gates never dreamed how twisted the case would become—or how fascinated she would be with Drew. Every day they spend together binds them. And every night brings her closer to realizing he might be the man for her.
As Drew's feelings for Shelby grow, so does the danger. From the streets of Dallas to Austin’s high-tech business world, Drew and Shelby play a game begun twenty years before—a game they will win, or die trying.
* * * *
Shelby looked up at him. He’d been silent as she rea
d the contract. Well, the salient parts. She was not to reveal to his family members what she was working on. She was not to reveal to anyone that the relationship with Drew Lawless was a contractual one. She was to keep Drew Lawless informed at all times of her progress on the case and was to allow him to accompany her when at all possible.
In exchange she would receive monetary compensation and a publisher for her book when it was complete.
“Why?” She had a million and one questions, but it was the first one she could think to ask.
“Why you? Or why the girlfriend clause?” he asked, as though they were talking about some academic subject and not a totally fake relationship where they would have fake sex.
“I suppose both.” She tried to make herself sound as blasé as he did. Like she received this kind of offer three times a week. No big deal. Just turned down the Google guy last week, buddy.
“You’re smart and you’re already closer to the truth after a few months’ research than I was after years.” He leaned back, his eyes steady on her. “And you’re good at undercover work.”
“Why not hire that security firm to research? From what Carly tells me, they’re very good.” And the Lawless clan was in tight with McKay-Taggart since Mia was married to one of them.
He nodded. “Yes, and they have years of experience and technical know-how behind them. They’re the best in the country and you matched them. You, all by yourself.”
She hoped he couldn’t see how she flushed. “Sometimes a focused individual can do more than a company. They have to look at big-picture things. I get to think about the small stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Like the fact that your father made a dentist appointment the day before he supposedly murdered your mother and killed himself.” She had made a study of Benedict Lawless’s habits. He’d had an assistant, but tended to make his own appointments when they were personal. The dentist’s appointment had been written on his calendar, the bulk of which survived the fire. It had been left in his car and booked into evidence.
“Perhaps he was simply enraged,” Lawless offered logically. “He lost control of his temper and impulsively killed her.”
It was obvious she was going to have to lay out her case for him. “First, Benedict Lawless had no prior record of domestic abuse. There’s typically an escalation that begins with small violence and leads to the final explosion. Do you recall your father ever hitting your mother?”
He took a long breath. “Never. My father was quite gentle, but then we all have our secrets. I was a kid. I saw my parents through the eyes of a worshipful child.”
“The evidence can’t be denied. There were no reports of violence in your household. So if we establish that your father was neither impulsive nor violent, we have to look at the crime itself. It took planning. The gun had to be purchased. There were no records of Benedict owning a gun until a week before the murder. He purchased that gun for the sole purpose of murdering your mother and taking his own life. So why make a dentist appoint for the week after, and why schedule car maintenance on the Wednesday prior to the killing? Why waste time on a vehicle he wouldn’t drive again?”
“Perhaps he intended to set this up as a burglary gone wrong.”
Did Drew honestly think she hadn’t examined and excluded that scenario? “Then why would he have blocked all the exits and set the house on fire? You want to tell me why you’re trying to poke holes in my theories? I thought we were on the same page.”
“I’m merely playing devil’s advocate.” His voice was low, his body relaxing a bit. “And showing you precisely why I wrote that contract. I couldn’t have this discussion with a McKay-Taggart employee. I would receive a report and be left out of the intellectual process.”
“Somehow I think you could pay them enough to get the working relationship you want.”
He chuckled, a deep, sexy sound. “You would be surprised. Thebig guy makes me lo ok like a fluffy kitten. He’s also my sister’s brother-in-law. If I hire him to continue, he would have to put up a business wall between himself and his brother. Ian Taggart’s family is everything to him. I’d rather not put him in a situation where he’s forced to choose between his brother and a client. I rather think I would lose, and I don’t want my siblings to know I’m continuing the search, for reasons I’ll explain to you if you sign the contract.”
If he was serious, maybe she should be sure he understood what she would want from him. “Okay, I kind of get that, but there are other investigators out there who wouldn’t want to write a story about their findings. You seemed extremely certain you didn’t want a reporter investigating. You need to understand, Mr. Lawless, that I will want that story.”
“Which is precisely why I’ll pay you to write it. And please call me Drew. It’s going to be awkward if you continue to call me Mr. Lawless.” Because she was supposed to be his girlfriend. “Now for the other why. Why the secondary clause? Why do I need to play out the illusion that I’m your honey?”
He got a wistful smile on his face. “Because it might be fun?”
Going Down Easy
Billionaire Bad Boys Book 1
By Carly Phillips
Now Available
Click here to purchase
Meet Kaden Barnes. Alpha-licious in the most unexpected ways, Kaden Barnes always gets what he wants.
Enigmatic and exacting, he's unable to keep an assistant for long. Until Lexie Parker arrives. She's no-nonsense, efficient and all business… She’s also hot as sin and soon starring in Kaden's dirtiest fantasies.
When their passion for each other reaches a boiling point, Kaden may think he’s calling the shots, but for this billionaire bad boy, going down easy has never felt so good.
* * * *
Kaden Barnes walked out of yet another unproductive settlement meeting, his business partners, Derek West and Lucas Monroe, by his side. He exited into an early-morning drizzle. From the wet look of the ground, the skies had opened up while they were indoors, and his foot hit a puddle before he climbed into the waiting Town Car.
Fucking swell. This day was just fantastic already, and it was barely nine a.m. Julian Dane, their former friend, was suing them for a piece of their company and a huge chunk of money. Today’s plan had been to set the meeting early, intending to catch him at a weak moment, when he wouldn’t be as focused and ready to talk terms. The bastard trying to steal a piece of their empire had a problem with partying and a bigger issue with drugs. As they all knew from experience, mornings were rough on him.
Unfortunately, all the power plays in the world didn’t matter. According to their attorney, because Julian had been there during the initial design phase, they’d have to come up with some kind of settlement if they wanted this mess to go away. In Kade’s book, any acknowledgment of Julian’s supposed hand in the creation of the Blink app was a loss. And Kade didn’t like to lose.
He remained silent on the ride downtown to their Soho offices while Derek and Lucas talked about potential offers Julian might accept. Kade was still brewing on that. The man had a cocaine problem. Money would probably be the most welcome solution. Lord knew he hadn’t been interested in rehab when offered, and no way in hell would they give him a stake in the company.
“You could have shaved for this meeting,” Derek said as they exited the car a little while later.
Lucas slammed the door behind them and laughed. The asshole.
Kade shrugged. “I wore a suit. You can’t have everything.”
They’d agreed to dress like the adults they were, not the tee-shirt-wearing juveniles they preferred to be, in order to let Julian know he wouldn’t be walking all over them. They were taking his lawsuit seriously—because if it dragged out and ended up in court, their company valuation would be impacted. They couldn’t afford to let that happen, and Julian knew it. Which meant he had the upper hand.
Still stewing over that fact, Kade followed the others into the elevator. He hit the button for the top floo
r, heading up to the area above the workspace they shared with employees. The offices were housed in a newly renovated garage.
He strode past the abstract paintings surrounded by steel beams toward his private office and stepped inside. The wall-to-wall windows provided him with a full view of the gloomy rain that matched his mood. All he wanted was to hole up at his desk and work on the funding. No distractions, no bothersome annoyances, no—
“Good morning, Mr. Barnes,” a chipper voice said, popping up from beneath his desk.
He blinked in surprise, then narrowed his gaze at the strange woman he’d never seen before. “Who the hell are you, and what are you doing under there?”
“I moved your computer and was plugging it back in,” she said, pointing to the far corner of his desk. “You can pull it forward when you need to work. I set the keyboard at a better ergonomic location so it’s safer for your back. Not to mention, you’ll have easier access to your files when you’re sitting at your desk,” she explained, clasping her hands in front of her.
His lips firmed, and he was about to rip into her when he realized she looked as if she’d been caught in the morning’s downpour. Her brown hair was damp, curling at the ends, and her white shirt had water stains on the front, calling attention to a lace bra and her full breasts. None of which detracted from the beauty beneath the smudged makeup. With big blue eyes and porcelain skin, she was exactly Kade’s type.
Not skinny and more than a handful, he thought, his mouth watering at the thought. “And my other question? Who are you?” he asked, his voice harsh in order to cover the sudden rush of desire he didn’t need riding him here and now.
“Lexie Parker, your new personal assistant,” she said, her voice soft and pleasing, at distinct odds with her bossy personality, if her nerve in rearranging his desk before meeting him was anything to go by. His anxiety and ADHD were off the charts with a mere glance at the new setup, not that he’d admit to such a thing.