Did you know that the second book in Laura Kaye's Hard Ink series was released this Tuesday, 2/25?! HARD AS YOU CAN is now available and you can pick up your copy RIGHT NOW! But first, whet your appetite with this excerpt right here. Then go grab it!
Hard as You Can
(Hard Ink #2)
by Laura Kaye
ebook, 384 pages
Published February 25th 2014 by HarperCollins Publishers
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo
“Edgy, sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!” ~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets
Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.
Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.
Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can--and never let go.
Excerpt:
Release week is finally here! And I’m thrilled to share Hard As You Can, the second book in my Hard Ink series, with all of you here today! Hard As You Can follows the surviving members of a disgraced Army Special Forces team as they fight to regain their stolen honor, and finds their investigation crossing paths with a waitress willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect her younger sister. For Shane McCallan, saving Crystal Dean is a mission he refuses to turn down.
One of the reasons I love writing about military men is because they are the real-deal heroes, motivated by honor and decency and justice and doing the right thing. And that’s definitely hero Shane McCallan. So, today, I’m excited to share a peek at a moment when Shane being a good guy is so damn sexy! Here we go:
Shane dropped his hands into his lap. “Would it freak you out if I told you I really wanted to hold you right now? I know you’re in trouble, Crystal. I don’t know how to help, and it’s killing me—”
“Okay,” she said, because she yearned to feel his arms around her again. And because she knew she couldn’t handle any more conversation. Unlike the typical twenty-three-year-old, Crystal couldn’t talk about movies or TV shows or what she’d done with her friends last weekend. She never went to the movies, rarely watched TV, and had no friends. Her conversational reach extended to superficialities on the one hand or life-and-death topics on the other.
“Okay?” His expression looked so happy, like she’d done something special for him when it was clearly the other way around.
Crystal nodded, but then wasn’t sure exactly what to do. No man had ever cuddled her before. Not ever.
Shane reached for her. “Come here, darlin’,” he said, nearly hauling her across the seat until her back came up against his front, her body situated between his legs, her legs drawn up in front of her. And, good God, he was hard and warm everywhere she was soft and cold. Crystal couldn’t help but burrow against him.
He released a satisfied sigh as his arms wrapped around her stomach. After a minute, she let herself relax and rested her head against his shoulder, one of her arms lying atop one of his. And then he laced their fingers together.
A sting rose against the backs of Crystal’s eyes. For some reason, what they were doing hadn’t felt so intimate until he’d done that. Stupid, really, but feeling connected to someone else wasn’t something she was used to.
With his other hand, Shane played with her hair, stroking it back off her face, tucking it behind her ear, wrapping a long length of it around a finger, then releasing. From there, his hand trailed over her arm, just a comforting rub, like he was trying to warm her.
So this is what affection feels like. Yep. But don’t get used to it. Easier said than done. Because Shane’s touch was like water to someone who’d been stranded in the desert. Crystal wasn’t sure how she’d be able to stop with just one sip.
“What just happened?” Shane asked in a low voice against her ear.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You just tensed up, sweetness. Am I making you uncomfortable?” He lifted his arms away.
Instantly missing him, Crystal grabbed his hand and brought it back against her stomach. “No. Not at all. It’s . . . nice.”
“Then what?”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Stupid.”
“Turn around here a little bit, Crystal. Please?” Nerves made her stomach flutter, but she turned on her hip so that her left shoulder was tucked into the crook under his right arm, her thigh propped up a little on his. He nudged her chin upward until she met his gaze. “Nothing you could think or say to me would be stupid. Ever. Please don’t devalue yourself that way because I never would.”
Crystal’s throat went tight. Because Shane—in all his goodness, in all his decency—was
the real deal. And it was both amazing and tragic that she’d ever met him. “I don’t know what to say,” she rasped.
His hand slid up, warm and strong against her cheek. “Just say okay.”
“Okay,” she whispered, because in that moment, she was totally powerless against Shane McCallan. He could ask anything, do anything, and she’d be right there with him. Her eyes dropped to his lips and her memory resurrected the feel of them against her own, the delicious minty taste of his tongue in her mouth, the incredibly arousing sounds he made in the back of his throat as he devoured her.
Against her hip, Shane’s erection grew, and a wave of desire rushed through Crystal’s body.
Gah! This scene gets me every time! I so loved writing it! Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!
~Laura
Release week is finally here! And I’m thrilled to share Hard As You Can, the second book in my Hard Ink series, with all of you here today! Hard As You Can follows the surviving members of a disgraced Army Special Forces team as they fight to regain their stolen honor, and finds their investigation crossing paths with a waitress willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect her younger sister. For Shane McCallan, saving Crystal Dean is a mission he refuses to turn down.
One of the reasons I love writing about military men is because they are the real-deal heroes, motivated by honor and decency and justice and doing the right thing. And that’s definitely hero Shane McCallan. So, today, I’m excited to share a peek at a moment when Shane being a good guy is so damn sexy! Here we go:
Shane dropped his hands into his lap. “Would it freak you out if I told you I really wanted to hold you right now? I know you’re in trouble, Crystal. I don’t know how to help, and it’s killing me—”
“Okay,” she said, because she yearned to feel his arms around her again. And because she knew she couldn’t handle any more conversation. Unlike the typical twenty-three-year-old, Crystal couldn’t talk about movies or TV shows or what she’d done with her friends last weekend. She never went to the movies, rarely watched TV, and had no friends. Her conversational reach extended to superficialities on the one hand or life-and-death topics on the other.
“Okay?” His expression looked so happy, like she’d done something special for him when it was clearly the other way around.
Crystal nodded, but then wasn’t sure exactly what to do. No man had ever cuddled her before. Not ever.
Shane reached for her. “Come here, darlin’,” he said, nearly hauling her across the seat until her back came up against his front, her body situated between his legs, her legs drawn up in front of her. And, good God, he was hard and warm everywhere she was soft and cold. Crystal couldn’t help but burrow against him.
He released a satisfied sigh as his arms wrapped around her stomach. After a minute, she let herself relax and rested her head against his shoulder, one of her arms lying atop one of his. And then he laced their fingers together.
A sting rose against the backs of Crystal’s eyes. For some reason, what they were doing hadn’t felt so intimate until he’d done that. Stupid, really, but feeling connected to someone else wasn’t something she was used to.
With his other hand, Shane played with her hair, stroking it back off her face, tucking it behind her ear, wrapping a long length of it around a finger, then releasing. From there, his hand trailed over her arm, just a comforting rub, like he was trying to warm her.
So this is what affection feels like. Yep. But don’t get used to it. Easier said than done. Because Shane’s touch was like water to someone who’d been stranded in the desert. Crystal wasn’t sure how she’d be able to stop with just one sip.
“What just happened?” Shane asked in a low voice against her ear.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You just tensed up, sweetness. Am I making you uncomfortable?” He lifted his arms away.
Instantly missing him, Crystal grabbed his hand and brought it back against her stomach. “No. Not at all. It’s . . . nice.”
“Then what?”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. Stupid.”
“Turn around here a little bit, Crystal. Please?” Nerves made her stomach flutter, but she turned on her hip so that her left shoulder was tucked into the crook under his right arm, her thigh propped up a little on his. He nudged her chin upward until she met his gaze. “Nothing you could think or say to me would be stupid. Ever. Please don’t devalue yourself that way because I never would.”
Crystal’s throat went tight. Because Shane—in all his goodness, in all his decency—was
the real deal. And it was both amazing and tragic that she’d ever met him. “I don’t know what to say,” she rasped.
His hand slid up, warm and strong against her cheek. “Just say okay.”
“Okay,” she whispered, because in that moment, she was totally powerless against Shane McCallan. He could ask anything, do anything, and she’d be right there with him. Her eyes dropped to his lips and her memory resurrected the feel of them against her own, the delicious minty taste of his tongue in her mouth, the incredibly arousing sounds he made in the back of his throat as he devoured her.
Against her hip, Shane’s erection grew, and a wave of desire rushed through Crystal’s body.
Gah! This scene gets me every time! I so loved writing it! Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!
~Laura
About Laura Kaye:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.http://www.laurakayeauthor.com/
Giveaway:
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My favorite genre is romance and all it's sub-genres. Everything from contemporary to suspense and everything in between.
ReplyDeleteI read only romance and love all types except New Adult. Been through all that angst twice, a teen daughter, don't need to read about it, lol. I adore military romance and guys that push the edge. Can't wait to get this book!
ReplyDeleteContemporary or historical romance.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is romance and mysteries. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for Easy's story now!
ReplyDelete