Blurb:
Rules of engagement:
1) You have the right to use force to
defend yourself.
2) Fire may be returned to stop a
hostile attack.
3) You may not seize the property of
others to accomplish your mission.
4) Detention of civilians is authorized
in self-defense.
Branson Silo knows what it means to be in the line of fire. Home for a year from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, he thinks he’s safe…until he meets Delilah. Despite a sharp tongue that makes him want to take cover, he can’t deny the attraction. But when he hires her to play weekends at his family’s saloon, he finds out she’s more than he can handle…which is saying something considering he used to blow things up for a living.
When the grenade finally explodes and the shrapnel flies, will Bran be left standing? Or has he survived years at war only to be taken down by Jail Bait?
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EXCERPT:
I’m
blending a pair of frozen daiquiris with one hand and shaking a
martini with the other when out of the corner of my eye, I see a solo
blonde slide onto the barstool at the end, near the beer taps. I
finish what I’m doing and prepare the tray for Carol to pick up
before glancing over and seeing its Destiny.
A
guy in the middle of the bar makes eye contact and nods at his empty
beer mug. I grab it and start filling without really looking up at
her. “Didn’t think I’d see you again till closer to closing.”
“Sorry?”
she says. “Are you talking to me?”
The
voice is off—slightly raspy and a pitch lower than her usual. I
look up again and squint at her, wondering if she’s already started
drinking. She’s taken her straight hair down from the ponytail she
always wears it in and it’s not as long as I remember it from the
other night—the only other time I’ve seen it down. There’s also
a fading blue stripe cutting through the platinum over her right ear
that I’ve never noticed before.
“What
can I get you?” I ask her instead of pushing it.
I’m
already reaching for the vodka and cranberry to start on a Madras,
her drink of choice last week, when she answers, “Rum and Coke.”
“That’s
different,” I mutter, shooting her another glance.
She
gives me a puzzled look. “Look, I really just wanted to find out if
you hire entertainment.”
My
face mirrors her puzzlement, I’m sure, as I try to process her
statement. “Why?”
She
hunches to the side and pulls something up from her feet. I see it’s
a battered black guitar case when the narrow end peeks over the top
of the bar. “Because I need a gig.”
“Didn’t
know you played,” I say, pushing her drink across the bar to her.
That
baffled look is back as she pulls it toward her and takes a swallow.
I can’t help following the curve of her long neck downward toward a
pair of large round tits perfectly outlined by her snug, low-cut
T-shirt. She is definitely hot, and if we’re on the same page, then
I’ve got nothing to feel guilty about. She wants me to fuck her
till she screams? I’m perfectly capable of that. She sets her drink
down and catches me staring. She cuts me that wicked smile again,
causing my cock to stir. I return the smile, sending the innuendo
right back at her.
She
props her elbows onto the bar and leans forward, giving me a clear
look down her shirt. “Considering that we’ve never met before, I
don’t find that surprising.”
I’m
so absorbed in images of my face buried in those magnificent tits
that it takes me a second to process what she said.
My
eyes snap to hers. “Wait…what?”
She
reaches across the bar, offering me a hand. “Lilah.”
There’s
a full second all I can do is stare, wondering if this is one of
those split personality things you hear about sometimes. And in that
second, through the dim lighting, I take in all the tiny details—a
dark mole at the outer corner of her right eye; her eyes, silver
instead of blue; the missing white crescent-shaped scar above
Destiny’s right eyebrow; and lips, a little fuller than I
remember—which are smirking at me now.
“You’re
not Destiny,” I say as it all clicks.
It’s
not a question, but she shakes her head. “No. I am most definitely
not Destiny.”
“Twins?”
I ask.
She
cocks her head playfully. “What do you think?”
“You’ve
got to be. You’re fucking identical except for the eyes.” I tap
my forehead. “And you’re missing a scar.”
Her
perfect blond eyebrow raises in amusement. “She’s the pretty one
and I’m the smart one.”
I
bark out a laugh as I reach across and shake her hand. “Bran Silo.
Good to meet you.”
She
doesn’t let go of my hand for a second after we’re done
shaking—just long enough to send a clear message that she’s
interested.
A
knot forms in my gut, and I realize it’s guilt. Destiny and I have
an understanding, but regardless, I’m pretty sure fucking her
sister would be way outside the bounds of gentlemanly behavior. Not
that anyone would ever mistake me for a gentleman. “Destiny never
mentioned she had a sister.”
“Doesn’t
surprise me.” She takes another drink, nearly polishing it off in a
few big gulps.
I
tip my head at it her glass. “Another?”
“My
limit is one,” she says, pushing her glass toward me. “Just Coke
this time, thanks.”
Carol
sweeps by on her way to the kitchen, dropping an order on my bar.
“Thought you left,” she says to Lilah without slowing down.
“Careful or your favorite customer might ask for you,” she adds,
jerking her head at Mr. Hendricks as she disappears through the
swinging door.
I
bark out a laugh as I scoop ice into Lilah’s glass and fill it with
Coke. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”
Lilah
shrugs. “Happens all the time.” She slides out of her chair,
lifting the guitar case. “So do you want to hear me play or what?”
I
look around the crowded room, loud with chatter, drowning out the
background music. “We don’t generally have live entertainment,”
I say, which is really an understatement. We’ve never had live
entertainment. But for some reason, I’m not willing to shut Lilah
down so fast.
When
my eyes find her again, annoyed impatience shines loud and clear out
of her gaze. “So that’s a no?”
I
feel my mouth pull into a cocky half-smile. “I didn’t say that.”
She
opens her case and pulls out her guitar, unabashedly climbing through
the window I left ajar for her. I watch as she sets herself up on the
stool and rests the guitar in her lap, gripping it softly but
confidently. She starts strumming, and I expect her to be discrete,
since this is basically an audition, but there’s not a shred of
self-consciousness or embarrassment anywhere in her disposition as
she begins to belt out lyrics—an old No Doubt song that I can’t
remember the name of.
The
way she plays, as if on instinct; the passion in her voice, and the
fact that she’s really fucking good, starts to turn heads at the
tables closest to us. As they quiet and listen, more tables still,
and soon the only thing she’s competing to be heard over is the Kat
Country on the speakers. But she doesn’t decrease her volume. If
anything, as eyes find her, she becomes louder, feeding off the
attention.
I
reach under the bar and click off the stereo, then lean onto the back
counter and cross my arms, listening as she finishes one song and
launches into the next.
A
guy at the bar pulls a five from his pocket and flags me down with
it. I grab his beer mug, but he shakes his head. “Is there a tip
jar?” he asks with a nod toward Lilah.
I
pull a fresh mug from under the bar and he slips the five inside,
then I set it at the end of the bar near Lilah. She cuts me a smile
and her eyes slide down my body as she sings.
And
fuck me. I lean my hands on the bar and press against the lower
counter when my dick won’t yield to my will. Without a doubt,
everything Destiny has going on, Lilah’s got that and more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Marlene's Review ~
Getting Hot is the third installment in the Jail Bait Series. I really love the way these taboo stories are written. You know it's wrong, you know it's forbidden, but these books have a sweetness and sense of fated love that makes it feel so right.
Bran is an ex-marine and a typical ladies man with no shame. When Lilah walks into the bar, he mistakes her for a woman much older than sixteen. Once he finally finds out she is a minor, he's already in too deep.
Lilah and her sister come from a horrific past. They only have each other and will do anything to support and protect one another. When Lilah comes face to face with her sisters latest conquest, she finds herself struggling with not only an age gap in the way, but also the fear of betraying her sister.
This installment ends with the promise of a happily ever after. I'm hoping that this isn't the last of this series. I would love to read more jail Bait tales from this author.
Bran is an ex-marine and a typical ladies man with no shame. When Lilah walks into the bar, he mistakes her for a woman much older than sixteen. Once he finally finds out she is a minor, he's already in too deep.
Lilah and her sister come from a horrific past. They only have each other and will do anything to support and protect one another. When Lilah comes face to face with her sisters latest conquest, she finds herself struggling with not only an age gap in the way, but also the fear of betraying her sister.
This installment ends with the promise of a happily ever after. I'm hoping that this isn't the last of this series. I would love to read more jail Bait tales from this author.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EACH BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE
About
the Author:
Mia Storm is a hopeless romantic who is
always searching for her happy ending. Sometimes she’s forced to
make one up. When that happens, she’s thrilled to be able to share
those stories with her readers. She lives in California and spends
much of her time in the sun with a book in one hand and a mug of
black coffee in the other, or hiking the trails in Yosemite. Connect
with her online at MiaStormAuthor.blogspot.com , on Twitter at
@MiaStormAuthor, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MiaStormAuthor
~Giveaway~
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