A gifted psychic with pyrokinesis, Taryn Goldstone wields fire beyond her control– sometimes with dire consequences. With Jason, she discovers that some flames are meant for passion–and healing. She has enemies who covet her powerful gift, but they are about to learn just how far a wolf will go to protect his mate.
Purchase your copy of ICE MOON:
Excerpt
She smiled, a bashful, real, breathtaking smile that warmed my entire
body. I gripped the door tighter to keep from touching her and breaking
the spell.
“Before you go…I need to ask. This is really awkward, and I’ll pay you for your time.” She cleared her throat. “It’s just for show, for my company.”
I raised a brow. “Sounds great so far.”
She rolled her eyes. “My firm sponsors the annual Masquerade Ball here in Tahoe every year, and this time I promised my new community relations manager I would go.”
She stared up at me like she expected me to say something. Problem was, I had no clue what she was talking about.
“And you need me to…build a stage or…?”
Color flushed her chest. I could almost feel the heat on my skin.
“No, I need you to be my date.” I struggled to keep my jaw off the floor while she backpedaled.
“Not like a real date. It’s just that tickets are sold per couple, so I can’t go alone, and I don’t want to involve Charlie. I wouldn’t ask, but you probably guessed I don’t really hang out with people. There’s no one else for me to ask. We wouldn’t have to stay long and you’ll be paid for the time…”
“Yes.” Without thinking, I placed my finger over her lips to quiet her and be sure she heard me. My heart stuttered the instant I touched her skin, and deep inside of me, my wolf howled. The lights brightened as my pupils dilated and contracted. I blinked hard and shook my head. What the hell… “Don’t pay me. I’ll go because I want to, not because it’ll help your business.”
I dropped my hand, half expecting her to slap me, but she didn’t move away. A fine line creased between her eyebrows. “Are you all right?”
That definitely depended on her definition.
From the depths of my soul, my wolf recognized her. Taryn was my mate. Mine. This cool, distant woman, with another wolf’s child. And yet, maybe I’d sensed it before. Maybe that was why I took this job up the goddamn Mt. Rose highway just as winter was coming in. Had I been drawn to her and her little boy?
I stared down into her eyes, my voice barely a whisper. “If I stay here any longer, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from kissing you.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, but she didn’t back away. Her blue eyes searched mine. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.” I closed the distance between us, my lips claiming hers. Light burst behind my eyelids as I carefully slid my arms around her. Her body was warm right through my clothes, and while her kiss started out tentative, gradually she returned my caresses and her hands glided up over my chest, until I smoldered to have her even closer.
Suddenly, she pushed me away. I let her go, struggling to catch my breath. Her eyes welled with tears. Shit. Had I scared her somehow?
She shook her head. “This was a bad idea.”
“Nothing about that was bad.”
Her fingers trembled at her sides. Without my heightened sense of hearing, I never would have been able to make out her words. “Look at your shirt.”
I tipped my head down and frowned. There were two brown streaks on the front of my shirt, like I’d left an iron on it too long. The heat I’d imagined from her touch hadn’t been in my imagination.
“This is why you don’t like to be touched.”
She didn’t acknowledge me, just took another step away. “I’m sorry, Jared. I can’t explain, just…just go.”
I glanced down the hall. “That’s why you keep your distance with Charlie.”
“Walk away, Jared.”
I shook my head. “I’m not afraid.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You should be.”
My Review“Before you go…I need to ask. This is really awkward, and I’ll pay you for your time.” She cleared her throat. “It’s just for show, for my company.”
I raised a brow. “Sounds great so far.”
She rolled her eyes. “My firm sponsors the annual Masquerade Ball here in Tahoe every year, and this time I promised my new community relations manager I would go.”
She stared up at me like she expected me to say something. Problem was, I had no clue what she was talking about.
“And you need me to…build a stage or…?”
Color flushed her chest. I could almost feel the heat on my skin.
“No, I need you to be my date.” I struggled to keep my jaw off the floor while she backpedaled.
“Not like a real date. It’s just that tickets are sold per couple, so I can’t go alone, and I don’t want to involve Charlie. I wouldn’t ask, but you probably guessed I don’t really hang out with people. There’s no one else for me to ask. We wouldn’t have to stay long and you’ll be paid for the time…”
“Yes.” Without thinking, I placed my finger over her lips to quiet her and be sure she heard me. My heart stuttered the instant I touched her skin, and deep inside of me, my wolf howled. The lights brightened as my pupils dilated and contracted. I blinked hard and shook my head. What the hell… “Don’t pay me. I’ll go because I want to, not because it’ll help your business.”
I dropped my hand, half expecting her to slap me, but she didn’t move away. A fine line creased between her eyebrows. “Are you all right?”
That definitely depended on her definition.
From the depths of my soul, my wolf recognized her. Taryn was my mate. Mine. This cool, distant woman, with another wolf’s child. And yet, maybe I’d sensed it before. Maybe that was why I took this job up the goddamn Mt. Rose highway just as winter was coming in. Had I been drawn to her and her little boy?
I stared down into her eyes, my voice barely a whisper. “If I stay here any longer, I’m not going to be able to stop myself from kissing you.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, but she didn’t back away. Her blue eyes searched mine. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.” I closed the distance between us, my lips claiming hers. Light burst behind my eyelids as I carefully slid my arms around her. Her body was warm right through my clothes, and while her kiss started out tentative, gradually she returned my caresses and her hands glided up over my chest, until I smoldered to have her even closer.
Suddenly, she pushed me away. I let her go, struggling to catch my breath. Her eyes welled with tears. Shit. Had I scared her somehow?
She shook her head. “This was a bad idea.”
“Nothing about that was bad.”
Her fingers trembled at her sides. Without my heightened sense of hearing, I never would have been able to make out her words. “Look at your shirt.”
I tipped my head down and frowned. There were two brown streaks on the front of my shirt, like I’d left an iron on it too long. The heat I’d imagined from her touch hadn’t been in my imagination.
“This is why you don’t like to be touched.”
She didn’t acknowledge me, just took another step away. “I’m sorry, Jared. I can’t explain, just…just go.”
I glanced down the hall. “That’s why you keep your distance with Charlie.”
“Walk away, Jared.”
I shook my head. “I’m not afraid.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You should be.”
Man, I seriously stalk this series. It's such a fantastic world created by this author, and it just gets better every time. And I must say, I think Jason might be my favorite wolf so far. He's so freaking cute, with his love for his dog- which is totally a turn on for me- and his ridiculously cute relationship that blooms with Charlie, the cutest kid ever!! But things are complicated, Damien is not dead, and he's trying to basically encroach on the pack's territory. He wants to buy a house right in the middle of them, and he's going to use Taryn, the best real estate agent around, to do it. But Taryn doesn't know what and who Damien is. And when she hires Jason to rebuild her deck at her home, it gets even more complicated. And there's a little secret about Taryn's son Charlie that blew everyone's mind. Jared and Taryn need each other to heal themselves. With Taryn having her own pyrokenetic abilities that can cause some serious destruction, Jared having some serious anxiety over a past trauma, and a really cute little boy who just wants to be happy and loved- everyone can't forget that there's a mad man on the loose.
I couldn't put this one down. Seriously, I stayed up way to late because it was a must to read it ASAP! I am thrilled with how things turned out, though I think I cried a good bit too. Some happy tears, some sad tears, and some seriously shocked tears over a little secret that Malcolm kept from the entire pack. And the action and suspense and mystery of Nero and the bad guys just gets better with every new book. I adore this author's writing talent and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book. I need it-please gimme!! Amazing! 5 PAWS!!!
About the author:
Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.
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, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
Connect with Lisa Kessler
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Newsletter
Other books in the series
my 5 PAW review is here
my 5 PAW review is here
my 5 PAW review is here
my 5 PAW review is here
No comments:
Post a Comment