Rogue In Love | March 28th!

     Aiming the shotgun toward the kitchen, Thea made slow and steady movements down the hall. She’d lived here for months now and knew each creaky board to side step, while the intruder didn’t know the microwave door made a loud cracking noise as it was opened. His gruff annoyed mumblings queued her into his gender and also sent a shiver up her spine. Rape and murder were not on her agenda early this morning, but if she were forced to, she’d shoot to kill.

     A few more steps and she’d round the corner; the small, two-bedroom open concept house offered her little cover. Her options were to hit the corner and shoot, or hit the corner, pause, and shoot. Lovely options. She rolled her eyes. Two more steps and Thea came face-to-face with the huge man.

     His blue eyes bore into hers as if he’d been waiting for her all along. The knife in his hand forgone its mission to cut turkey for the sandwich on the counter, and was now aimed in her direction. A tremor ran through her as she imagined the blade piercing her skin. She took in the room quickly before she spoke.

     “Drop the fucking knife.” The words flew from her mouth so fast she stumbled over them. Fear and panic threatened to take over, the shotgun in her hands turned into a crushing weight as she struggled to aim. Thea strengthened her resolve because it wasn’t just her life at stake, but Earl’s as well. He lay helpless to fend off an attack from this huge male. The knife clattered to the floor, the sound echoing in the room. Thea, unsure of what to do next, thrust the gun in his direction. “Now, back up.” She didn’t want him lunging for the knife. Unfortunately, her cell was in her room on top of a few papers acting as a paper weight since the bill was two months past due, and the landline sat perch on the wall behind two hundred pounds of dirty male in front of her. Obligingly, the man took two steps back he eying her curiously. His gaze never left her face while he watched her. It was then she took him in completely. His arms hung limply at his sides tipped with stained hands, his posture straight, and not primed as if he didn’t feel the need to pounce. Maybe he wasn’t afraid of her; didn’t feel as if she were a threat. The air of calm he exuded did nothing to stanch her fear … if anything, it cranked up her suspicion.

     Steeling her voice and praying it didn’t wobble in fear, Thea ordered, “Hands above your head.” Yet even as she stood there with a weapon in hand, aimed square at the massive behemoth’s chest, he still didn’t heed her command. With a bite, she added, “Now!” If he didn’t see her as a threat, if he thought her weak it would make his actions harder to predict. An animal trapped in a corner would attack, a man who thought it easy to subdue a woman would be more cunning. Thea wanted him in a vulnerable position, she needed to put the pressure on him to obey her commands. Still, the huge man didn’t move. Her brain scrambled to think of what to do next. She took him in, trying to remember every inch of his face just in case he got away. However, blond, grimy hair fell over one eye, a long, scruffy beard hid his mouth, and long, dirty hair obscured most of his features. Thea didn’t recognize the man as a Blackwater resident, but often times drifters made their way through the town hopping from bar to bar and hooker to hooker, and if this were the case, shit didn’t bode well for Thea.

Rogue in Love | Excerpt

           Lex examined the busty barkeep as her delicate fingers with nails bitten down to the quick gripped the bottle. Her thin frame spoke to the possibility of an eating disorder or drugs. Lex stole a glance at her inner arms; spying track marks, he marked her off the list. Fuck, his list got shorter every day. Love of his life? Axed. His hand? Axed. Junkie bartender? Axed. He glanced back at the hooker as another man pushed her away. Hooker? Maybe.

            “For now,” he answered. Lex would take her … he didn’t want to, per se, but hell if his dick wasn’t commanding him to find something to fuck, and soon. He licked his lips in anticipation. If he closed his eyes, he might be able to trick his mind into seeing Thea. Maybe. He could only imagine the hot, wet slide of a woman. Shit, two years for some may not seem like particularly long, but Lex was about to implode, and it didn’t escape his notice that Irina’s curls reminded him of the honey-eyed beauty he’d left behind.

            “Ah,” her voice deepened, “Irina. She’s a good choice.” Picking up a rag from the bar, blondie wiped up some shit he’d spilled earlier.

            Lex turned back to her. “Is she?” After a few more shots, he wouldn’t care if she were an alien from outer space, but damned if Lex was going to admit that. The fact that he was in Blackies paying to play made him sick to his stomach, but he would take nausea over heartache any day. “Hell, every man in Blackies is passing up on it. Why would I be any different?” Another shot of liquid heat then he pushed the glass back to her. “More.”

            She lifted a blonde brow. “You drinking up the courage to talk to her?” She chuckled, pouring him another shot.

            “By the looks of it,” he threw back the shot, “I won’t have to do the talking.” He slid the shot glass to her again. “Since not a damned man in here wants her.”

            The barkeep nodded. “Seems that way, doesn’t it?” She shrugged. “I’d hate to see her walk out of here without at least her off the hook money, but it’s looking like that’ll be the case tonight.” She poured another. Setting the bottle down, she leaned forward and propped herself up on the bar top. “Damn, even Scottie, a Blackie regular, turned her away.” She tisked and lifted up. Pointing to the shot glass, she asked, “Imma make my rounds, you good for now, honey?”

            Nodding, Lex picked up the glass and thrust it forward. “Cheers.” He threw it back. She was gone in the next second, tending the other patrons seated at the bar. Lex had nothing to do but wait. He wasn’t sure what off the hook money was, but he knew for damned sure this Irina chick would make her way to him soon enough. While hot water and soap would do his ass good, he felt as though he were far from the ugliest fucker in the bar. She’d most likely head over to him far before some of the other men, and while his cock didn’t want to wait, his head told him he had all the time in the world. He possessed everything a hooker wanted … cash and that soulless black gaze. He spared her another glance and her eyes met his for the briefest of moments. Lex held contact as long as she let him. Offering a grin, he watched as the twinkle of possible money earned spark to life, before she turned his way and headed straight for him.

            “Here.” The blonde barkeep placed a couple shots in front of him and winked. She headed away again, leaving Lex with Irina.

            “Is this for me?” Her Russian accent took him by surprise.

            Picking up the shot glass, Lex handed it to her. “You like tequila?”

            She smiled, pink lips revealing pearly white teeth. “My favorite.” Lex had needed her closer to see for himself that there were no track marks in her arms, no missing teeth, or that I haven’t washed in weeks because I’m a crackhead scent exuding from her.

            “Good.” He threw back his own shot as he watched her take hers like a damned champ. “Didn’t know there were Russians this far South.” Warmth spread throughout him as the liquid settled in his gut, mingling with all the beer and tequila he downed earlier.

Irina slid onto the barstool next to him, her glass in hand. Crossing her legs, the short leather mini skirt rode up just enough to give him a peek at tiny pink panties.

            Lex reached out, taking a hold of her barstool in a firm grip, and yanked until their seats were mere inches apart, causing her to squeak in surprise. He’d expected to talk price next … what he hadn't expected was the coquettish smile and timid demeanor from the woman. Maybe it was the fact she’d been turned down cold by the last few men she’d propositioned, or maybe it was because he’d come in the bar looking like a damned mountain man from the damned swamps. Didn’t matter, he’d ease her concern. Pulling another hundred from his pocket, Lex motioned for the busty barkeep. Not missing the gleam in Irina’s eyes as they followed the bill to the sticky surface of the bar, Lex grinned. “Keep ’em coming.” He spoke to the blonde without taking his eyes off Irina.

             “What’s your name?” Though he already knew, he thought to make conversation—to keep her from running scared from a man in dirty dickies and a stained-up T-shirt. He looked fucking worse for wear, but if he were to be honest, his dick and pissed off heart had done all the planning, making his brain take a backseat right along with common sense. Even a hooker would be hard pressed to want to take his ass out back for a fifty-dollar quickie. But here sat Irina, waiting for him to ask the age-old question pertaining to pussy for money.

MARCH 28TH, 2017

Indelible AUDIO coming soon!

Love audiobooks? Great! Because Indelible: Beneath His Ink is coming soon! Check out the giveaway and listen to a sample below!!

Former Marine, Trent Reed, is in desperate need of a Hail Mary. 
With each failed attempt to convince his woman to pack up and move to Kentucky, his past finds some new way to rear its ugly head. But when his pregnant ex plows into his life, all hell breaks loose—unearthing parts of his past he wished would stay buried. 

Two weeks of vacation with her man? Hell yeah, that is exactly what Teal Lofton’s libido needs. And after surviving seven months apart, their reunion doesn’t disappoint. What she didn’t account for was an unfortunate encounter with people from Trent’s past. A racist, a druggie, and a double-barreled shotgun, culminate into a vacation that will alter the course of her life forever.

Teal's Travel Guide

In two days, Teal's on her way to Kentucky!! Well, only for a couple weeks! Check out what's in her bag!

What are your top 3 must haves when traveling? For Teal, she always takes her:

Sunglasses are a must.

Sensual scented perfume.

And definitely her iPhone.  

Two weeks of vacation with her man? Hell yeah, that is exactly what Teal Lofton’s libido needs. And after surviving seven months apart, their reunion won't disappoint!

     He glanced down at his deflated boxers and thrust his hand through his hair in frustration. “You sure you want to talk about this now?” He sure as hell wasn’t.

     Teal scoffed. “If it’s stopping me from finishing, you’re damn straight I want to talk about it. Let’s get this over with, so it doesn’t interrupt us again tomorrow.” Her voice seemed a bit playful and Trent loathed what he was about to say.

     “Fine, I was thinking about Independence Day, and—”

     “Did you book your flight?”

     “No, I didn’t.” He paused, readying himself for the next bit. “But I booked you a flight here.”

Her silence was deafening, yet still he waited, hoping she was pleasantly shocked into silence, and not fuming on the other end.

After another beat, she finally spoke. “Okay.” Her voice was soft and slow, as if she were talking to a child. “I thought we discussed this. You were supposed to be coming here for the Fourth of July. You want to see your God-babies, and Katie and Logan, don’t you?”

      He did want to see them, but Katie and Logan had already figured their shit out. They were building an extension on their house, Logan’s gym had taken off, allowing Logan to hire a manager—which gave him more time at home; and here sat Trent, clocking hand jobs over the phone with his woman. And that shit wasn’t going to work.

     “Look,” he sighed, “I wanted to go up there, and I almost bought the fucking ticket to Vermont, but I had an idea.”

Teal groaned. “Oh no.”

     He sensed she understood exactly where this was heading. They’d spoken about it plenty of times over the last few months. However, today, Trent wasn’t backing down. He sat up and moved the phone to the other ear, ready for whatever excuse Teal made.

      “Yes, ‘cause I can tell you now that this over-the-phone shit is weighing on me. You are my fucking woman and I want to do more than hear your voice when you come. I want to wake up next to you every morning, I want to shower with you, and make actual love to you. How hard is that to understand?”

     He stood and made his way to the bathroom as his frustration grew, words fell from his mouth faster. “And more than that, I want to make a life with you. I am not in this shit for anything else but the long run. This isn’t some seven-month fling. I want you in my life from here on out. You damn sure have to know that by now.” He paused.

     Jesus Christ. What the hell was he saying? Was marriage on the table? Trent wasn’t sure he was ready for that shit. He just wanted to move their relationship to the next level. What the hell was the next level for a couple in a long distance relationship?

      As if wondering or fearing the same thing, Teal sputtered, “W—what—what exactly are you asking?”

Trent was on a roll now. “Calm the fuck down, Teal. I wasn’t on my knees as I spoke, and I damned sure haven’t picked up a ring.” He took her silence as relief, as he used the toilet and washed his hands. “I think it’s time we had a conversation, and not an argument, over where we are going next. And it needs to be done in person.”

     When the fuck had the roles reversed? In between his odd relationship with his crazy ex, and a few other women he’d dated, they were always trying to pin him down and get a move-in date. Some had even gone as far as to show him wedding dresses and floral arrangements. But, oh no, not Teal. She had to be a hard ass and make him fall to his knees for damned near everything.

     Trent was no pussy, but he’d reached the end of his rope. Maybe their relationship was lopsided. Maybe he wanted more than Teal was ready to give. Their relationship had started with an inevitable collision of lust and passion, but perhaps the fog had lifted for her.

     Or maybe, Teal wanted Trent to beg. But he wasn’t about to do that. He and Teal would get together this summer, and he would convince her to move to Kentucky—even if she killed him in the process. Because after the dust had settled, after he’d reached a new clarity in his life, all he could see, taste, and feel, was Teal.

     Trent calmed, the anger leaving his body in a whoosh. He’d been holding back his need for her, after recognizing her fear of what they had. He’d held back his love for her, for fear of drowning her in it. But he would do that no more.

     “I’m saying I bought you a ticket here for the celebration of the Fourth. I need to see you, and I fucking need to look in your eyes as you respond to the things I need to say.” When she was silent he added. “Logan already knows I won’t be up there, and he thinks it’s a fine idea that you head down here. I’ll see the girls some other time.”

     Only the rustling of covers alerted him to the fact Teal hadn’t hung up. He waited, hoping she wouldn’t lash out. He could only imagine the things rolling through her mind. The pressure to move forward in the relationship was building in his chest, and Teal was either going to give in, or Trent’s upper body cavity was going to explode.

     “Fuck, Teal.” His words came out in an exasperated breath. “Say something.”

After a bit more shuffling and crackling over the line, Teal spoke. “How hot does it get in Kentucky? Am I headed to the bowels of hell, or is it more like the summers we have up here?”

     Trent’s heart flooded with relief, and words—unintelligible words—left his mouth in a rush. The ease in her acquiescence confused the fuck out of him, but he would roll with it. Trent only comprehended some of the babble that left his mouth. Words like the devil’s ass and hot as fuck left in a rush.

     Shock didn’t come close to explaining how he felt about Teal coming to his home. He’d been prepared to beg, threaten, and if necessary, go to Vermont and abduct her ass. The fact that he would soon have his woman in his arms sent him into a tailspin.

     He listened as she moved around her condo, mentioning the fact she would not deal well with heat . . . and then there was something about humidity and her hair turning into a cotton ball. But Trent didn’t care if she shaved the shit off, as long as she got her ass on the plane and ended up in his home. Soon.

3 Day Countdown!!

    Trent sat in his truck, just down the street from his home, holding the tiny box in his hand. Deftly he flipped it over and over again with his fingers, watching the burgundy velvet spin. When was the right time to ask a woman to marry you? His fear was that his past would constantly find its way back into his present. Could he drag Teal into muck and mire of his past?

After buying the ring and allowing Katie to fawn over it, he’d spoken to Logan. Though his friend had tried to assuage his concerns, he’d only added to them. Logan’s past was still a major topic of concern with Katie, so much so, they were seeking counseling. Trent couldn’t imagine fucking up Teal’s life so bad she’d need to talk to some doctor about his failures.

Logan had promised they’d both agreed it was necessary, but Trent could hear the disquiet in his best friend’s voice. He feared losing her and his children. And while Logan and Trent faced different demons, both fought a battle in which losing would cost them more than they could afford.

For the first time since he and Teal discussed moving in together, Trent wondered if moving to Vermont might just be the better option. He wondered if he could sacrifice the freedom of living without a mortgage and being his own boss. How selfish was it of him to demand Teal sacrifice her job and security, when he hadn’t considered doing the same? 

And the countdown begins!

December 12th 2016

    Teal pursed her lips and smacked his chest. Ducking out from under him, she said, “Finish up those dishes. You promised to take me out for dinner tonight.”

    Trent went back to finishing up the dishes. “When did this happen?”

    “You didn’t think I was going to come all the way down here and allow you to hold me hostage in bed, did you?” She turned and strutted away, her thick ass swaying. “I want to go to that carnival thing in the next town over.” She walked into the laundry room and reached in the dryer. “The one over in . . .” She leaned up and looked to him. Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of the word she saying. “Muth-uss-sas?”

    “Mathoussa,” he corrected. Turning away, he scrubbed a dish, paying close attention to the bacon grease that still lingered. He listened as Teal went on about her love of carnivals. Her dulcet voice lulled him into a false calm, damned near making him forget his issues with crowded and loud places. Trent could deal with them for an hour or so, but even then, the sick feeling in his stomach and his headaches would start.

     His heart raced at the idea of spending more than a second in a crowded, noisy-ass place with complete strangers. He could see how easily anyone could use such a crowded place for their agenda. Hell, the Boston Marathon bombings, the subways in New York, and—

    A soft hand gripped his shoulder. “Baby?”

He recognized Teal’s soothing voice as soon as she’d spoken.

    “Shit, wait here. Let me get a towel.” Before he could say a word, she’d disappeared into the bathroom.

    Trent’s surroundings came back into focus and his gaze moved to the sink. The dish water had a red hue swirling into the sudsy water. What the fuck had Teal made? He didn’t remember any pasta sauce.

The sound of Teal’s feet pounding back to him pulled his gaze up. The fear in her eyes had him pulling her into his arms.   “Shit, what’s—”

    Teal pulled from his arms just as fast as he’d grabbed her. “Careful!”

He glanced down at her to see blood smeared on her arm. His eyes widened, but she gave him no time to react. Yanking his hand from her, she showed him what she’d gone crazy over. Teal shoved his hand up to his face and Trent saw a large gash from the middle of his palm to his wrist. His eyes widened at the sight.

    Trent pulled his hand from Teal. “What the fuck?” He looked to her as if she had the answer.

    She swallowed hard before she spoke. “I was talking and I looked up at you. Your shoulders were tense and you weren’t responding to me, so I came over and you’d broken a dish, or a cup or something.”

Shame heated Trent’s face at the look of concern in her eyes. Trent looked away, disgusted by the pity in her gaze; he could take that shit from strangers, but not from Teal. Pushing past her, he headed to the bathroom. He ignored her as she called after him, slamming the door in her face as she attempted to follow him in the bathroom.

Her shocked gasp and thump on the door reminded him of just who was on the other side. She’d raise hell if he left her out there, but Trent just couldn’t bring himself to open the fucking door. Instead, he opened the First Aid kit on the side of his tub and pulled out his supplies.

    “Lord have mercy, just open the damn door,” came Teal’s muffled voice.

Trent rinsed the cut under the faucet and assessed his wound. While it was deep, he could get away with using skin glue instead of heading to the nearest Urgent Care center for stitches.

    “Hey!” She knocked harder on the door. “You think I’ll be squeamish at the sight of blood?

Trent tried to ignore her voice, but her concern ate at him. After trying several times to work with one hand, he finally opened the door.

Teal stood, leaning against the wall, still holding the towel she’d ran to get for him.     “Oh, now you want my help?” Her hand made it to her hip, just as he made to slam the door again.

    Teal caught the door with her palm. “Hey, hey, hey.” She entered the bathroom. “Let me see.”

He grunted and held up his hand, wincing when she grimaced. “Aw hell, Teal. It ain’t that bad.” He viewed the wound again, then motioned to the First Aid kit. “Take out that glue there.”

    “Glue? Hell no. That nasty shit needs stitches.” Dropping the towel, she took his wounded hand in hers. Moving it from side to side to gauge the depth of the cut. “Maybe not. The bleeding is just a slow trickle.”

Trent watched as she flipped the glue box over several times, reading the instructions. He smiled as her lips moved, but no sound escaped them. Finally, she pulled the pen from the box and removed the cap.

“This may sting a little,” she said, but Trent sensed she was speaking more to herself than to him. Her quiet tone turned to a whisper as she berated the pen for not working as she’d expected it to.        “This fucking thing,” she muttered.

Trent used his unharmed hand to gently pull the pen from Teal’s fingers.        Flipping it over in his hand, he pressed the release button at the top. “Sometimes it sticks.”

She took the pen back and placed it on the counter beside them. Trent opened his hand and displayed it for her. She took the towel and dabbed the wound clean. He felt nothing but her soft warm fingers moving over his skin.

She sanitized his hand, glued the wound shut, and wrapped it in gauze. Her delicate touch soothed him so much that her next words didn’t register. Releasing his hand she asked again, “Does it hurt?”

    At her question, he stopped staring at her beautiful face and blinked. Clearing his throat, he glanced down at her handiwork. A throbbing pain pulsed through his hand and up his arm. Why hadn't he felt the pain until now? Looking back at her, he shook his head.

    Cocking a brow, Teal placed a hand on her hip. “Okay, now that we got that taken care of, what the fuck is going on?” Eyeing him observantly she added, “You had that same glazed look in your eyes the day of my crash. Like you weren’t fully there.” She crossed her hand over her chest and sighed.

Trent knew he needed to tell her the truth about his episodes, but that was easier said than done. He’d mentioned his PTSD before, but hadn't gone in detail about his triggers. He avoided her gaze by moving around, cleaning the bloodied towels. “Glazed look?”

    “Yeah, it was as if you weren’t there, Trent. What happened? Was it the carnival?”

Trent turned to her when she went silent. “Ever since my experience overseas, I—” He shrugged, not able to say the words. The last thing he wanted was to talk about PTSD with her again. As if the mandatory meetings all those years back hadn't been enough, now he’d have to wade through the mess with Teal. He trusted her more than anyone else in his life, but that didn’t make speaking about the illness any less traumatic. He was ashamed and embarrassed.

INDELIBLE: BENEATH HIS INK

---

Only 11 more days until Indelible's release!

Amazon has already listed Indelible's paperback here, but if you are looking for the e-book version, you'll have to wait a bit longer! Take a second to read an excerpt of  Indelible while you wait.

---

       The sound of Trent’s weight bench woke Teal from a peaceful slumber. The clang of metal reminded her she needed to hit the treadmill. Eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise had helped in lowering her blood pressure, which lessened the dizziness and headaches that had once plagued her.

        She rolled over in Trent’s large bed, her body felt light and loose, rested and sated. Maybe she would get up and go for a jog. But the second her feet hit the floor, Teal knew she would do nothing other than make a quick cup of coffee, and sit on Trent’s back patio with Katie’s manuscript in hand.

      Teal hopped in the shower and dressed in one of Trent’s shirts. Glancing at the clock, she realized they had more than five hours of alone time before company was set to come over— as Trent had changed their plans for the evening, by inviting Violet and Poe over for some barbeque and fireworks.

She made her way to Trent’s spare room, just as he sat down his weights.     “God and heaven.” She gave him a playful smile. “You think you could bench press me too?” Trent darted up and pulled Teal into his arms. Making his way back to the bench, Teal struggled.   “Dammit. Put me down, I was just joking.”

      Trent stilled as he sat on the bench. “You know there is a third room in this house.”

      Confused by the sudden change in his demeanor, Teal turned to look at him.      “Okay, so you have a three bedroom, two bath house.”

      He leaned back. “Yeah, it was mainly for storage, and I didn’t even claim it as a room until . . .”

She raised a brow and waited quietly, playing with his tanned skin. Pressing her fingers gently into his flesh, she pulled them away and watched as her fingerprints slowly disappeared.

      “It was supposed to be the baby’s room.” Surprising her, Trent sat up and pulled her into his lap. Placing a hand over her belly. “Are you on birth control?”

Shocked by his question, Teal could only nod. She watched as he looked away, then back to her stomach. Teal sat quietly as he caressed her soft belly. Shock and fear spread throughout her.

      “It can be a home office for me. It’ll give me more time at home with you.” His added words gave her some relief. Until Trent’s eyes met hers. “Hey, don’t think the baby subject won’t come up again.”

Teal narrowed her eyes at him. She made to move from his lap, but his arm felt like a steel band as he pulled her back, tethering her to him. She growled. “First, kids are a conversation for much further in the future. And second, let me go.” She struggled a bit, before realizing he would not give in.

      Trent squeezed tighter. “How far in the future?” His voice unwavering.

      Teal craned her head back to look at him. “Way in the future.”

Teaser Tuesday | Excerpt | Indelible: Beneath his Ink

   Poe raised his hands. “Okay, enough of the Jake shit. He’s a bastard and you two need to steer clear of the cokehead. Violet will help y’all out as best as she can. She’s good like that.” She bashfully dipped her head at the compliment. Poe stood, pointing to the firework display. “And now, for some circa 2011 non-legal fireworks.”

    Teal’s gaze flew to Violet. “Huh?”

    “In Kentucky, only certain fireworks are legal. Poe here has bought ones that aren’t.” Trent leisurely made his way over to Teal and helped her up from the table.

    “In Vermont, all you need is a permit and you can have all the fun you want.” She threaded her fingers through Trent’s as he led her further into the darker part of the yard.

Poe had set everything up at a safe distance, and Trent had lined up some lawn chairs for the show. Teal made to sit down in one of the three; instead, Trent pulled her back up and sat. Patting his lap, he motioned for her to sit.

Teal complied and wrapped an arm around his neck as she adjusted herself comfortably on him. The stubble of his jaw rasped over her neck as he tenderly kissed her, his warm tongue making its way up her neck until Teal felt the sharp pain of his teeth on her earlobe. She gasped when his hand slipped under her shirt, his calloused hands slipping beneath the cup of her bra to tweak a nipple. Shrouded in darkness, Trent caressed Teal’s breast and tasted her skin, as Violet and Poe made adjustments to the fireworks.

Trent’s ridged cock hardened beneath her, and Teal squirmed atop his lap, listening, as his breaths grew harsher. “You’re gonna make me come in my pants. Is that what you want?” he said, as he tweaked a nipple so hard, Teal squeaked.

His hands and mouth made a hasty retreat as the couple made their way back to them. 

    Teal glanced around just as the first explosion rocked into the night and set the darkness around them ablaze. Trent stole her attention from the fireworks as he gently took her chin between his thumb and finger to gently turn it to meet his eyes. His loving gaze took in her face, eyes roving over every inch of it. His thumb moved softly back and forth across her cheek causing warmth to spread with his touch. She watched, mesmerized as lights sporadically lit up his beautiful rough-hewn face revealing the awe and longing in his eyes.

Most women searched years for such dedication and love, and no man had ever looked at her that way—until Trent. She'd once told him that he was not what he seemed, and she’d been right. However, she was wrong on her assumption of the man in front of her. For how resilient and steadfast this man seemed, his heart was full of love, and Teal was lucky to have even a fraction of it. 

   Trent leaned in again. “I need to be in you.” He thrust against her, punctuating each word.

  Teal giggled.“I know, but you need to stop.” Trying to push his hands away, Teal fought in vain. “Trent.” She took on a semi-serious voice. “They’ll see. Cut it out.”

    He stopped and peeked over her shoulder. “Baby, look.” He nodded and she glanced over her shoulder to see that she and Trent weren’t the only two taking advantage of the darkness. While she couldn’t see much, the firework display intermittently lit up the passionate view of Violet and Poe stealing kisses.     Teal turned and righted herself in Trent’s lap. “You are such a bad influence.” She moved provocatively in his lap, his gruff grunting a good indication she was rubbing him in all the right places. 

Indelible | SNEAK PEEK

LIGHTLY EDITED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Teal could hear the apprehensiveness in her friend’s voice. Sitting up fast, the manuscript fell from her lap and banged to the ground. “What’s happened, Katie? Are the girls all right? Is it Logan? What? You’re scaring me.”

    Her voice held such concern, Teal’s heart pounded in her chest. "So, Trent hasn't called you yet." Teal’s hackles rose at the mention of Trent's name. "Shit. I might have overstepped my bounds by making this call, but—”

    Teal didn't let Katie finish her sentence. Her anxiety caused her hands to shake as she spoke. "Katie, what the hell is going on? What do you mean Trent hasn't called me? He just left but twenty minutes ago." She glanced at the time on the phone, wondering if time had somehow gotten away from her.

    Fear laced Katie’s words. "I just. I just don't want to piss Logan off."

"Katie." Teal waited until she felt she had Katie's undivided attention. "Fuck Logan. You’re about to piss me off." The added bite to her words gave way to silence. Teal knew that Logan wouldn’t hurt Katie, so she was unsure as to why she was acting like such a timid mouse. "Tell me what the hell is going on. I don't care if Logan gets pissed. It's obviously important, or you wouldn't have called me."

Katie's apprehension kept her silent a moment longer before she spoke. "Trent's shop was vandalized last night or rather early this morning, I think." 

Teal closed her eyes. Biting out a silent curse she stood and paced the floor. "What do you mean? Did they steal anything? I just don't get it why the hell—”

    Katie's voice interrupted Teal. "Did anything odd happen with you and Trent last night?" To Teal, it seemed like Katie was fishing for info she already knew.

    “Girl, stop pussyfooting and tell me what you know, or so help me, when I see your skinny ass again . . .” Teal’s threats held no real heat. She loved Katie like a sister, but in this moment, she wished she could snatch her ass bald. 

Despite the gravity of the situation, Katie chuckled. “Skinny? Not so much. I still have some baby weight to get rid of.”

Baby weight? Teal rolled her eyes. With a scoff, she sat back down. “You look like an hour glass now. It’s the figure every woman wants. Now back to the issue you called about. Talk.”

“Keep in mind, I only heard Logan’s part of the conversation, as he was on the phone. But from what I gathered, Trent got to his shop this morning to find the walls covered with graffiti.”

To Teal, the idea of some punks costing Trent time and money to clean their mess up pissed her off, too, still she didn’t understand why Katie sounded so upset by it. It wasn’t as if he’d been hurt or ended up in jail for beating the shit out the punks.

“Also,” the reluctance was back in her voice. “Trent believes he knows who did it. Apparently, something happened on your date night? Logan asked if Jake, his old lawyer, had anything to do with it.”

    Shocked, Teal sat forward. “That asshole was Logan’s lawyer?”

    “Was being the operative word.” Katie’s voice held heat.

Teal caught herself and reined it back in. Her words about Logan in the past had hurt their friendship, and Teal wasn’t going down that road again. Especially since he’d been doing well dealing with his past race issues. Teal had learned a great deal about Logan’s past, and while at first, she’d found it hard to believe a white person could suffer such racial injustices, she now realized her beliefs didn’t change what actually happened to him growing up.

While Logan would never know how hard it was to be black in America, Teal had to understand her life was vastly different than Logan’s. They’d both suffered at the hands of the opposite race, and her race’s past and present social injustices couldn’t demean or belittle what Logan had gone through. It was a hard pill to swallow, but she was trying nonetheless.

    With a sigh, she said, “I get it.” Past that subject, her mind honed in on Katie’s revelation. “What did Trent say when Logan asked him about Jake’s involvement?” Without thinking, Teal was up and headed to the bedroom.

“I don’t know.”

    Teal balanced the phone between her cheek and shoulder as she shoved on a pair of shorts. “Well, what kind of spy are you? Shit!”

    “The kind without super hearing, obviously.”

    She made quick work of her shirt. “So, what does Logan think happened?” Teal could hear every bit of Katie’s frustration as she spoke.

    “He told me to mind my own business.”

    Teal laughed through her anger. “Ooh, honey!” Though she was pissed and worried, she wished she could have been a fly on the wall during that argument. “And what did little miss Katie say?” She shoved her feet in her shoes, then headed into the living room in search of the keys to Trent’s spare vehicle.

“You don’t want to know.”        Katie huffed. “Why do you sound out of breath?”

Teal had made it to the living room and found the keys.            Opening the front door she said, “I’m going to help Trent.”

    Katie groaned. “Damn.”

    “Sorry, I’m sure this will cause some friction with you and Logan, but you need to explain to him that you were concerned. I am sure he and Trent have a guy code, just as we have ours.” She headed into the garage and smiled at the old Challenger.

Trent would no doubt flip his lid when he saw her pulling up in his baby, but she needed to be with him. She needed to figure out what the hell was going on. And if she were honest with herself, as tough as she believed she was, she felt a bit unsafe in his house without a weapon.

What if those men had come to Trent’s home thinking he was at work? Trent had guns, she was sure of it, but where were they? And the men at the bar last night were huge ass bastards. What if one of those men had gotten into the house before she was able to get a weapon?

“Look,” her voice wobbled with the irrational fear that those men were coming for her, “I’ll call you later to let you know everything is okay.”

    “Hey, are you okay?”             The concern in Katie’s voice warmed her heart.

“Yeah.” Once inside the car, she locked the doors before starting the engine. “I am just about to take his baby out for a spin.” She cracked the joke to ease her distress.

    Unconvinced, but seemingly not willing to push it further, Katie said, “Okay, call me when you can.”

Teal agreed and placed the phone on the passenger seat. Anger made its way past the fear as she stared at the phone. If Trent had thought those men messed with his shop, then why the hell hadn’t he called her? Shouldn’t he have at least called to ease her mind?

Okay, so he didn’t know she was distressed, but he had a damned clue on who was to blame for his shop. Then it dawned on her. This was Logan’s lawyer. The same man who had shown up on Katie’s doorstep, filling her head with lies about Logan. If he would find Katie’s home and show up there, there was nothing to say he wouldn’t do the same to Trent. With that thought, Teal started the car and backed out of the driveway.

Start with Katie and Logan's STAND ALONE book Incarcerated: Letters to Inmate 92150 OR start the series with Teal and Trent's FIRST book Inevitable: Love and War.

Beneath His Ink - Trent's Top 3

EXCERPT 

**Lighty edited and subject to change**

Obviously sensing her discomfort, Trent leaned in and kissed her. “And your ass had the nerve to question if I knew if you were ready or not. Look how hard you came. ” He took her hand, but Teal snatched it back. “Hey, no need to be embarrassed, baby.” Teal shot him a glare. “A lot of women come that way. It means I did a damned good job.” He showed his teeth in a big grin.

She playfully shoved at his chest. “You did wonderful, baby.” His wicked grin widened. “But, before we go in. Country music?” She glanced over to the bar in question. “I don’t listen to it.”

Trent crowded her space and leaned in. “It’s a part of my life. I like it, and I want to share it with you.” He looked down and tugged a curl between his fingers.

Placing her hands on her hips, Teal gave him a blast from the past. “Oh, I vaguely remember an event months ago, when I was jamming to my boy Usher, and the brute who was sitting behind to me just reached over me and turned it off.” She shoved a finger in his chest. “And, I am still waiting on my apology for that.”

His eyes dropped to the ground before meeting hers again. “Please?” He pushed away and held a hand out for her. Gone was the lust he’d showed just moments before. He’d ignored her tirade, hadn't given her anything close to an I’m sorry, but instead offered her his hand.

She sighed and laced her fingers between his, squeezing his hand tight. “Fine, but if I hear that Boot Scootin’ Boogie song, I’m fucking leaving.”

He chuckled as he pushed the truck door shut and led her to the bar.

Teal skidded to a halt. “Wait.” Trent slowed and turned back to her. “Give me back my panties.” Holding her hand out, she realized there was no place for her to go besides back to the car to put them back on.

Trent shoved his hand in his back pocket. “No.” Shoving the panties deeper into his pocket, he grabbed Teal’s hand and pulled her to the door. Just as the door opened and sound blasted out, she could hear Trent whisper, “Four down, ten to go.” Followed by his deviant laughter.

What in the hell did her man have in store for her, and why did it consist of holding undergarments for ransom? 

---

Check Out Trent Reed's top three playlist

---

Last but not least!

Check out Inevitable before Indelible's release!