Sunday 30 June 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors #WeWrWa


A big welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. Another 8 from my latest m/m release, High-Sticked...


One thing was for sure, my boyfriend was a cool customer whether he was skating his hot ass off and scoring points or showing a room full of tough and rough guys exactly who he was.
He’d handled the situation in the players’ lounge the same way he would have approached a problem on the ice. With guts, determination and well-rehearsed precision to every move, word and gesture. He didn’t make a scene when faced with an opponent, just carried on with what he was doing, his mind on the result.
I glanced at him and saw that muscle still twitching in his cheek. His fists were clenched and his bulk looked primed—ready for fight rather than flight.
His teammates had been right not to push him even though Zhirov looked as though he was about to. Something told me if they had, Todd might just have shown a not-so-gentle side of himself.



If you want to find out more about my Hot Ice series (High-Sticked is the only m/m book in the set) then head over to my website.

Thanks for visiting.

Lily x

Saturday 29 June 2013

Saturday Spankings #SatSpanks


Another Saturday, another spank! This week a little bit of spice from Slap Shot, the third book in my Hot Ice series. This is taken from mid-story when Dana has just performed a private pole dance for Rick 'Ramrod' Lewis, the captain of the Vipers, and now he's introducing her to a little bit of slapping fun before he... well if you want to read a few lines up, when he tells her exactly what he wants, check out this Sat Spanks.


“Ah, sweet baby, your pussy loves it,” he said, thrusting higher inside me. “It’s fluttering around my fingers and weeping into the cup of my palm.”
The noise of my sex filled the room, wet squelching that drifted over the music. Any other time I would have been embarrassed but now all I could think of was the next slap, the next jolt of sensual pain and the next thrust of his fingers.
I didn’t have to wait long. He hit down again, each buttock, fucking me harder with his hand as he did so, his knuckles bashing into my pussy lips and his fingers surging at my G-spot. I clung to the pole, my spine was boneless, the pain driving me up to an almighty orgasm.
“You’re nearly ready,” he whispered by my ear. “So very nearly.”





Friday 28 June 2013

Sexy Hockey Novels - Go Grab 'Em!


Many of you know that I adore writing my Hot Ice series all about those bad boys of the rink. But did you know there are other authors out there as hooked as me on raunchy heroes with determination, passion and desire to be the best of the best? No, well let me tell you, if you've read and enjoyed reading about my Viper players and their wild shenanigans, check out Cassandra Carr and her brilliant hockey tales of love and lust.

A little about my fellow sports erotic romance author - Cassandra Carr lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on the computer. She has won numerous awards for her writing and had one of her books cited as a Top Pick/Recommended Read by over a dozen review sites. Here's some info on her hockey books, I've enjoyed quite a few, and I can assure you, you won't be disappointed, they're steamy, eloquent, modern and above all, bloody good reads!







Radio producer Jamie MacMahon is in over her head with ex-hockey player-turned host Drew Milan. She's attracted to the man who earned the nickname “the Beast” during his playing days from the moment they meet, but he's her boss and she loves her new job. She's made plenty of mistakes with men and loathes the thought of being yet another plaything for Drew, a man who sleeps with women but doesn't date them.
Drew doesn't want to lose a great producer and knows Jamie deserves a real relationship, but can't stay away from the sizzling chemistry they create every time they're together. Jamie's insecurities and the very real prospect of having to leave a great job if this thing doesn't work out, coupled with Drew's fears about opening his heart and the possibility of losing his first competent producer clash.

Pairing: M/F
Named a Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews and The Romance Reviews






Hockey player Jason Monroe lives a double life—star defenseman and soon-to-be Olympian on the ice and closeted gay man outside the rink. A serious relationship is out of the question, and Jason makes do with anonymous sex in barroom bathrooms, not willing to take the chance on coming out as gay in a decidedly macho sport.
Advisor to the US Olympic hockey team Patrick Parker knows a thing or two about being a professional hockey player who’s not out. He’s fifteen years older than Jason, and when he senses the sexy younger man is interested, he knows he shouldn’t give in to the attraction.
The two men can’t keep their hands off each other, though, and with each heated encounter it gets harder to hide their relationship. When their world blows up around them, forcing them into the limelight, though, will their love survive or be put on ice?

Pairing: M/M
Named a Revved Up Read by The Jeep Diva and a Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews








Sarah Jenkins, a math geek and hockey fanatic, is thrilled when the NHL hires her as an advisor for the Buffalo Storm. She gets to marry her two loves in this perfect job.
Sebastian St. Amant is a young hockey player looking to make the jump from the minors to the big leagues. His lifelong dream is within reach, but he needs to convince the Storm's management and coaches he's ready.
When Sarah and Sebastian meet, sparks immediately fly. Both want to succeed, but neither can ignore the growing attraction and a relationship is out of the question—Sarah’s an influential staff member and Sebastian’s a player, not to mention over ten years her junior. But the impossible becomes the necessary when they can no longer fight their attraction. As everything crashes around them, the strength of their relationship is tested. Will it weather the storm, or should they have known better?

Pairing: M/F






Leo Laporte and Scott Schaeffer are teammates on the ice and roommates off it who also share women. They've been coming into Kelly Chase's bistro after games for months, and they know they want her. As the attraction grows, the men realize they want more than a one-night stand - they want forever.
Kelly's not so sure. Yes, she wants both men. But a permanent ménage relationship? That's taking giving her heart away to a whole new level, and a chance she's hesitant to take. Then Leo is injured and Scott's on the trading block, and she realizes this may be her only shot at true, everlasting love.
There are so many questions swirling around inside Kelly's head. Can she believe in Leo and Scott's love? And will her business and her reputation survive once people find out she's with two men?

Pairing: M/F/M




Luc, Carter, and Jake make up the Buffalo Intimidators' top scoring line. Each of them is also a client of massage therapist Eva. When they decide they want to be more than clients, they approach her. Eva's been secretly lusting after the guys for months but was afraid to say anything, trying to keep everything on a professional level.
She agrees to a menage relationship, but when people on the team start getting sick, will it turn into more than a fun roll in the hay with her hockey boys?

Named Best Book of 2012 in the Menage and More category in the Best Books of 2012 Awards from The Romance Reviews
Pairing: M/F/M/M





Everything Red knew about relationships is called into question when he stumbles upon his roommate Fredrik and his girlfriend Liz going at it hot and heavy and Liz invites him to join them. Struggling with recovering from a knee injury, the young defenseman doesn't know what to make of his attraction to Liz--after all, she's his teammate's woman, right?
As an older player, Fredrik's been around the rink a time or ten, and he knows he has an awesome thing going with Liz. He envisions a future with her, but isn't sure how their interludes with Red fit into the long-term picture.
Liz thinks Fredrik's her forever-guy, but her sudden attraction to Red is causing doubts. The more they play together in the bedroom, the more their outside lives--and emotions-- become entangled. When the unthinkable happens, all three must take a hard look at what they want and make some surprising decisions in the process.

Pairing: M/F/M
Named a Top Pick by The Romance Reviews


Want to find out more about Cassandra and her awesome sporty romance novels, here are her links...





Tuesday 25 June 2013

Dirty Birdies Flock Hop



Welcome to the Dirty Birdies Flock Hop, great to see you here and hopefully you'll enjoy some of the things you see here, as Eye Candy is the delicious theme.

So please hang out and leave a comment, there's a Grand Prize of a gift voucher to the ebook retailer of your choice as well as tons of stuff being given away, including, from me, the first two novels (pdf ebooks) in my Hot Ice series - Hired and Cross-Checked, to really get you in the mood for some steamy, sexy man action. (Details of how to enter at the end of this post.)





HOT ICE is a series jam packed full of eye-candy. These novels are all stand-alone reads, though if you do read them in order you'll see characters from the other books enjoying small cameos.




My latest addition to the series is High-Sticked and is the only m/m story. I'm incredibly excited to see what readers make of Todd 'Pretty' Carty and Matthew Foster's high-octane romance and their struggle against the opinions of the world. Todd is beautiful, model material, and everyone wants a piece of him, so Matthew is commissioned to take photographs of him, in New York, ready for Todd heading up the next big Armani advertising campaign. Though of course Armani have no idea what their hot new face is going to reveal about himself...




I really enjoy writing a series, and this book in particular because Todd was a star in Teamwork and, without giving away the plot from that book, he was in need of some extra attention after I wrote The End, hence High-Sticked and another hot guy was dreamed up.


This is my first full length m/m novel and I really threw myself at it. I wondered initially if I might find it a very different experience, penning m/m romance and sex scenes, but actually I didn't. Love is love and getting hot and sweaty to express desire is the same, for me as an author, no matter what mix of character genders are in the bedroom.




I especially like this cover because there is one incredibly hot scene in Matthew's kitchen when he's just had a shower and wrapped only in a white towel, let's just say Todd makes the most of the easy access. Keep reading to enjoy an excerpt from that moment...




Blurb

Dating Todd “Pretty” Carty was a trailblazing, headline-grabbing ride that shocked and divided a team, a sport and a nation. While controversy ruled, our feelings exploded and we couldn’t deny the desire that sizzled between us. Nothing, however, was easy outside the bedroom. Not when my world-class, fearless athlete wanted to shout from Everest that he was in love with another man.

But laying my heart on the line and having my picture dominating the papers was worth it. Everything about Todd turned me on. His bold hockey skills, his courageous attitude and the way he melted in my arms when I kissed him. I melted too, because he knew how to press my buttons, remind me of the man I used to be and take me to those places where ecstasy ruled.


The world might have trouble accepting us, but we’d committed to each other, mind, body and soul, and nothing could change that.








Excerpt



I opened my apartment door an inch so he could let himself in. There were eleven flights of stairs for him to climb. But that was okay, because it would give me time to put on coffee and pull on jeans.
My hand was shaking as I spooned granules into my coffeemaker and I pursed my lips in annoyance. I couldn’t be this on edge. It wasn’t cool. I had to keep it together. Todd was probably coming to ask for the jersey back or change his mind about one of the pictures going to Armani. Well it was too late on both accounts. The jersey was mine and the shots were already submitted.
I flicked the switch on the coffee machine and rubbed my fingertips over my forehead. His mood was going to be dark, judging by his actions on the ice this week and the tone of his voice just then. But it was tough. Just because he was the golden boy of the Rangers didn’t mean he would automatically get what he wanted. That wasn’t how it worked.
“Matthew.”
I startled at the sound of his deep voice then turned sharply and saw him standing in the kitchen doorway, filling it with the width of his shoulders.
“Fuck, you must have run up those damn stairs,” I said, frowning and feeling cross that I hadn’t thrown on jeans first rather than attending to the coffee. I felt far too exposed and vulnerable standing in front of Todd in just a towel - my cock felt far too exposed and vulnerable.
“Yeah, I did. Run that is.”
He wasn’t even vaguely out of breath.
“I thought you were in L.A.?”
“I just landed.”
“And you came here?”
He tightened his lips and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. “I had to see you.”
I rested back against the counter. Crossed my arms over my bare chest and dug my fingers into my biceps. I was aware of my toes curling on the hardwood floor. “Why?”
“You hate me.” He held out his hand, gesturing at my stance. “I can tell you do,” he added.
“I don’t hate you.” I shook my head stiffly. Hate Todd. Never.
“But I behaved like a complete asshole. I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see me again.” He took a step toward me. “Matthew, I am so sorry.”
My throat suddenly felt tight, as did my belly. “Sorry for what? The kiss or telling me to leave?”
“Not the kiss. I’m not sorry for kissing you. No way.” He hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his cream-colored pants, sucked in a deep breath and looked down at his brown leather sneakers.
The coffeepot clicked and started its low gurgling routine. I studied the way Todd’s black top stretched over his pecs, the gray scarf that hung in a loose twist around his neck and the dark beanie perched on his head, covering his soft, trademark blond hair. An annoying swell of lust expanded in my chest and I willed the feeling not to travel down to my cock.
But damn! Why does he have to look so edible?
“I’m sorry for telling you to leave,” he said, looking back up at me. “You must think I’m fucking pathetic.”
“No, I just think you’re confused about your sexuality.”
“I’m not.” He took three fast paces toward me. Stopped when he was so close I could have reached out and touched him. “I’m not confused at all. I like guys, I like you.” He paused. “All this running around with women over the years, okay, I’ve been attracted to them, a few I even thought could be special. But, Matthew, there is something about you, and that kiss. Fuck!” He tugged off his beanie and chucked it at the counter. It landed on a box of biscuits.
“For the first time in my life I feel I can get the satisfaction I’ve been hunting for and never fucking finding.” He paused and pulled in a deep breath. “I feel, with you, I can be the person I’m meant to be.” He shook his head and his eyes looked heavy and tired. “Matthew, I’m gay, bi, whichever slot you want to put me in. I’ve accepted that about myself now, more than accepted it, I’ve known it for a while and I’m proud of it.” He moved closer still. “So please say I haven’t ruined my chances with you because of a knee-jerk reaction to something so powerful it took away my damn ability to think.”
My mind was swimming. “Todd, this is a lot to take in.”
“I know. It is for me too.” He shoved a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in a messy but still über-trendy kind of way. “That’s the first time I‘ve said it out loud.”
“What?”
He swallowed, pulling his lips tight as he did so. “That I’m gay, into guys.” He hesitantly rested his fingertips on my forearm.
I gave a hint of a smile. He deserved recognition for his admission.
“And whatever this is,” he said, “between us. It’s the first time I’ve been honest enough with myself to go for it, and I’m excited and nervous but damn well determined to see it through.”
His touch left my arm, wound up through my black coils of chest hair and settled at the hollow of my throat. Each part of my flesh that connected with his fizzed and burned, a heated trail of longing that was sending blood racing to my cock. There was no way I could stop an erection now. I was hardening by the second.
“Todd,” I managed, my voice shaky as his presence engulfed me entirely. I could smell his tangy cologne, feel his body heat seeping into my skin. He was all I could see, hear, think about. He filled my mind, my thoughts. If I wasn’t careful he would wheedle into a very delicate place in my soul. “Please, don’t make me want you. It’s not fair, I just can’t—”
“Shh.” He pressed his index finger over my lips. “Want me all you want, Matthew. You’ve damn well got me.”





High-Sticked is available from Ellora's Cave Amazon US Amazon UK and all other good retailers. And if you want a chance to win the first two books int the series leave me a comment telling me who your favourite piece of eye-candy is from the big screen and leave your email address - I'll pick a winner and announce it here on the 29th of June!

If you want to find out more about my critically acclaimed Hot Ice series here are the details, and rest assured, book 6 (m/f) is my current work in progress.

Lily x



Sunday 23 June 2013

Weekend Writing Warriors #WeWrWa


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. This week a snippet from my steamy new m/m release High-Sticked the fifth book in my Hot Ice Series. This is from Matthew's point of view, his love interest, hockey player Todd, has just stopped by and caught him wearing another players jersey - he's ripped it off him and is not impressed, or so it seems...


His piercing blue gaze settled on mine again and he leaned even farther forward, placing his flattened palms on the wall on either side of my head. His pupils were wide and dilated, the depths bottomless and I realized, with a jolt, that the last time a man had looked at me like that it had been Tony, right before we’d made love.
I swallowed again and licked my lips, hyperaware of the brush of denim on denim as our thighs touched. God, I was getting hard, heat and blood rushing to my cock. I couldn’t help it.
“I want…” he said on an expired breath.
“What?” I whispered, not daring to hope Todd was having sexual thoughts about me, but unable to deny the tension sizzling through the air and the very real arousal growing in my groin.
“I want,” he said again, “some of that coffee I can smell, it’s been a long fucking day.”


You can find out more about my Hot Ice series on my website, they're all stand alone reads and High-Sticked is the only m/m, the others are m/f or menage a trios!

High-Sticked Buy Links

Ellora's Cave  Amazon US  Amazon UK


Released only 2 days but already climbing the Gay Romance Chart on Amazon!




Thanks for stopping by :-)




Saturday 22 June 2013

Saturday Spankings #SatSpanks


A big welcome to Saturday Spanking devotees and to anyone joining in the fun from Spankee Doodle Dandy!

This week a few from my new Ellora's Cave release, High-Sticked, book #5 in my Hot Ice series (all may be enjoyed as stand alone reads and this is the only m/m.)

The pages of this book are still hot, it only came off the press yesterday. So it's extra great that this week I can share more than just 8 lines with you, though be warned, it's seriously steamy, right at a naughty bit, and I did mention it's m/m, right!



I faced out of the window, but I was unseeing. All I could concentrate on was Todd’s cock easing through my first tight barrier. I consciously made my asshole relax, though it was hard, my whole pelvis was juddering with anticipation, trembling with eagerness to have him sink to the hilt.
“Ah, yeah, that’s it, take me.” Todd was forcing his way in, each tiny increase in his width stretching me blissfully.
I moaned loud and abandoned. Curled my fingers around the counter edge and shoved my ass higher into the air, inviting him to plunge all the way and give me what I needed.
He brought a stinging slap down on my right butt cheek. Just the way he knew I liked. I yelped as the pain mixed with the pleasure. Allowed it all to brew in my cock and build from deep inside.
“I’m going in all the way,” he said in a strained voice, then rammed forward.
It was a determined, steely drive that forced his balls to squash up against mine. I threw my head back, cried out and allowed the full feeling to bloom right to my core.
“Ah, yeah, so fucking awesome,” Todd groaned, again leaning forward and dropping his weight. “You’re so hot and ready for me all the time, I love it. I love you.” He sucked the fleshy lobe of my ear into his mouth and nibbled then wrapped his arms around my chest and began to pound in and out. Burrowing deep, taking me higher and higher with each shove of his cock.
“Ah, ah, yes,” I gasped. “I love you too, I love you, Todd, so much.”
He pulled out, thrust back in. The heat of him was blissful and the filling, shoving, pushing against my sweet spot just what I needed.
He set a fast pace. I pushed back for more as he gave it to me hard and good. Soon I was getting ready to explode and release my desire, my lust. My breaths were ragged, my cock filled to full hardness and the pressure in my balls was almost painful.
“I’m coming,” Todd shouted, straightening and slapping my butt again. “Come with me. Oh, please, Matthew, come with me.”
It was a good hard whack, and when combined with the lusty desperation in his voice, my climax detonated. “Yes, yes, yes,” I shouted. I didn’t bother keeping quiet like I had the night before, now I let my pleasure rip from my lungs. 


Oh, yeah, these boys are so bad yet oh, so good, and it seems particularly so in the kitchen which is one of the reasons I love the cover so much.

Happy spanking and happy Saturday! And look, High-Sticked is already climbing the Amazon Gay Romance Chart!



Lily x






Friday 21 June 2013

High-Sticked OUT NOW!


My 5th Hot Ice novel is out today. High-Sticked is the only m/m story in my series about the fictional Vipers hockey team and I'm incredibly excited to see what readers make of Todd 'Pretty' Carty and Matthew Foster's high-octane romance and their struggle against the opinions of the world. (If you've read Teamwork, you'll have already met Todd, but you don't need to have read any of the other books in the series to enjoy High-Sticked.)

I especially like this cover because there is one incredibly hot scene in Matthew's kitchen when he's just had a shower and wrapped only in a white towel, let's just say Todd makes the most of the easy access!




Blurb

Dating Todd “Pretty” Carty was a trailblazing, headline-grabbing ride that shocked and divided a team, a sport and a nation. While controversy ruled, our feelings exploded and we couldn’t deny the desire that sizzled between us. Nothing, however, was easy outside the bedroom. Not when my world-class, fearless athlete wanted to shout from Everest that he was in love with another man.

But laying my heart on the line and having my picture dominating the papers was worth it. Everything about Todd turned me on. His bold hockey skills, his courageous attitude and the way he melted in my arms when I kissed him. I melted too, because he knew how to press my buttons, remind me of the man I used to be and take me to those places where ecstasy ruled.

The world might have trouble accepting us, but we’d committed to each other, mind, body and soul, and nothing could change that.



Excerpt


“Todd,” I said, folding the jersey and putting it over the back of one of the sofas. “You know I don’t just like Gatsby in an admire-his-talent-on-the-ice kind of way.”
He bent over a laptop on the coffee table, flicked it open and whirred it to life. “What are you talking about?"
I pulled a memory stick from my pocket. “I mean, I like him in a quite-fancy-getting-naked-with-him kind of way.”
He looked at me, rubbing his finger over the cute vertical dent in his chin. “Yeah. I get that.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah, you’re gay. You like being with a guy rather than a woman.”
I rolled my lips in on themselves. Hesitated, then, “And you like being with a guy and a woman.”
He frowned, a small crease forming between his eyebrows. “Yeah, I did. But that’s over now.”
Something in his tone warned me not to push the conversation. Whether he regretted telling me about the threesome or suspected I guessed it was Raven who’d really held his attention, I couldn’t tell. But one thing was for sure, I wasn’t going to poke a bear then complain at being bitten. I would just let it rest.
“Here we go,” I said, shoving my memory stick into the portal of his laptop. “I’ve got the final selection of your photographs, plus the first wave of proofs for my exhibition. They’re all at the printers now being made into canvases.”
Todd walked over to the kitchen area, grabbed two bottles of beer from a glass-fronted fridge, then wandered back. He flipped off the lids and handed one to me.
“Thanks,” I said, taking a sip and setting it down on the table. I reached for the laptop and sat back on the sofa with it resting on my thighs.
He dropped down next to me. Close. So close his leg touched mine. But it didn’t mean anything, it was just so he could see the screen that was now balanced on my lap.
I pulled up the first of his shots.
“Oh god,” he groaned, knocking back a big chug of beer. “I look like a complete dork at the top of the Empire State Building.”
“You think?” I was surprised, I’d liked this set. The day had been clear and the backdrop of Manhattan stunning. And that was even before looking at the main focus of the picture—Todd, in full hockey gear, spinning a bottle of Raw toward the camera from the tip of his stick. Okay, the bottle had been Photoshopped on afterward, but the effect was great.
“Yeah, why the hell would I be up there in my hockey gear? I felt stupid at the time.”
“Okay,” I said, flicking through to the end of that sequence. “I’ll discourage them from using one of those.”
“Yeah, cool.” He reached over and clicked shift, drawing up the photographs we’d taken of him on the ice at the Rangers’ rink. He stayed leaning slightly over me.
I willed my breathing to remain normal as heat from his body poured onto mine. The soft breeze of his breaths washed over my forearm and made the hairs tickle against my skin.
“Much better. This is home away from home for me,” he said, jabbing his finger toward the screen.
“Yeah, they’re all great,” I managed, loving the way his stunning blue eyes shone for the camera. They could have been chips from an iceberg the way they sparkled. I glanced sideways at him and to my surprise found him looking at me. No, his eyes were warmer than ice, more like the Indian Ocean than something from the Arctic. “What?” I asked, when he carried on staring.
He turned away, shifted and reached for his beer. “Nothing.”
I swallowed a tight lump in my throat and let my leg rest a little heavier against his. I’d been tense, that was all, and now I was relaxing—or so I told myself. “And this lot are from the Intrepid.” I scrolled through them. “The very last one we took, after all that effort, all those days of work, is the one my gut is telling me Armani will go for.” I pulled it up, full screen. “It’s the look they were talking about capturing.”
“Ah, yes,” he said, studying the rain bouncing off his bare shoulders and the wind ruffling his hair. “That was really fucking cold.”
“You didn’t look like it bothered you.”
“Nah, it didn’t. Guess I was just happy it was nearly over. I would’ve put up with anything to hear you say it’s a wrap.”
I laughed. “So you won’t mind if that’s on billboards?”
“Whatever. I’m not vain, I just know the kind of stick I’ll have to take in the locker room and on the ice, that’s all. My teammates’ minds are filthy, opponents’ minds are obscene, so the less ammunition the better.”
“Well, regardless of teammates or opposition, I think you could be forgiven for being vain.”
He huffed and shoved a hand through his hair, which tonight was soft and feathery, absent of product. “Why?”
“Because you are…” I hesitated.
Oh, go for it.
“Gorgeous,” I said. “But I’m sure you know that. Look at the string of women you leave in your wake. And for god’s sake, just being asked to head an Armani campaign is pretty strong evidence.” My words tumbled over themselves and my heart raced. Had I really just told Todd Carty, hot new forward for the Rangers, that I thought he was gorgeous?
It seemed I had.
“More gorgeous than Gatsby?” he asked quietly.
A strange, dense feeling grew in my belly. “Yes.”
His mouth twitched, a tight little smile. “You’re not bad yourself.”
I laughed. A sudden release of tension, like a bubble bursting. “Very kind of you to say so, but I don’t think I’ll ever be asked to switch sides of the camera lens.”
He reached for his beer. The movement made our legs press even harder together and when he sat back our shoulders touched, rubbing against each other as he lifted the bottle to his mouth. “Everyone is different in what they think is attractive, handsome or pretty,” he said with a shrug. “I appreciate a variety of looks, but you should understand that, being a very visual person.”
“Yeah, I guess.” An electric current of hope burned through me but I tamped it down. Todd thought I was handsome even though I was a little rough around the edges. My hair was low maintenance, my jaw more often than not unshaven and sure, I was big and butch, but my gym membership wasn’t quite getting its dollar-per-mile worth—my abs were tight but could be more defined.
“So let’s have a look at your exhibition pictures,” he said, snapping me from a sudden urge to suck in my actually-not-too-bad belly.
“Er, yeah, sure.” I tugged my gaze from his bent knees. Encased in denim, they were square and strong. The jeans were faded and the paler material skimmed up his wide thigh before darkening over the creases at his groin. “Let me just…” I drew up the images, my fingertips fast and efficient across the keyboard. “This is Gareth and his partner Joel. They’ve been friends of mine for years. Gareth is an accomplished photographer but he does look great on the other side of the lens.”
The black-and-white picture was of two men on a beach in Cape Cod. Their backs were to the camera and the waves washed over their ankles in a flurry of froth. Gareth—only I knew it was him—had his palm pressed into the small of Joel’s back. Neither wore any clothes and the sun was setting, casting long shadows over their footprints that led down to the shoreline. It was an intimate, sensual photograph that showed their absolute comfort with homosexuality and with each other and I adored it on so many levels.
“It’s great,” he said, leaning forward again and studying the photograph. “Awesome in black and white.”
“It’s my favorite medium. So honest, so detailed, the many shades of black to white are so adept at capturing contours, movement and symmetry.”
“And this is Gareth?” He pointed to Joel.
“No, that’s Joel. He’s a few years younger than Gareth. They met in Hawaii, hit it off straightaway and have been an item ever since. I’m good mates with the pair of them, they’re always there if I need someone to hang out with.”
“Were they there for you after Tony left?”
I was surprised Todd remembered my ex’s name. “Yeah, they were.” I flicked to the next photograph. “This is Raymond. He’s a complete exhibitionist.” The shot was of a ridiculously made-up Raymond dancing in the streets of New Orleans. It was unusual to see this kind of shot without color but that was what had drawn me to it. That and the fact the group of us had enjoyed a wild time down south last year. It was over my birthday and the gang had taken a few days out of their busy schedules to celebrate with me. They were amazing buddies, the best.
I reached for my beer, took a slug then set it aside as a barrage of fun memories besieged me. Between that and Todd being right next to me, so close we were touching, my heart was now tripping along faster than ever.
We sat for a moment studying the details in the picture. The apartment was so quiet. It was just us, just our breathing and the hum of the laptop. I couldn’t ever remember being so aware of another human intruding into my personal space.
I liked it. A lot.
“He looks fun,” Todd said with a slow nod.
“Yeah, Raymond is great.” I scrolled through the next few pictures, willing my heart rate to settle. There was Paris in the spring, the pink blossoms a dusky gray. Central Park in the fall, the trees a silvery white and a cyclist tossing up a shower of leaves in his wake. Cape Cod on a bright summer morning, Joel’s dog Rufus running along the beach.
Finally I came to the last picture. It was another of Gareth and Joel, and one I’d captured spontaneously although the viewer could be mistaken for thinking it was staged. It replicated a famous WW2 picture of a GI kissing a girl in Times Square, tipping her back and devouring her mouth in the most unchaste of ways. My picture had been taken on New Year’s Eve when we’d been out having fun. At the stroke of midnight, Joel had grabbed Gareth, dropped him over his arm and kissed him. Camera always at the ready, I’d captured the shot—ticker tape fluttering around them, people celebrating, lights and noise bursting from the frame. But the real beauty was how they were totally lost in each other, oblivious to everything else. The kiss transported them to their own perfect time and place—a whole year of fun to look forward to, a whole previous year of wondrous times to look back on.
A flush of envy washed over me. It often did when I looked at that shot. “So that’s it,” I said, clearing my throat. “My exhibition is a collection of portraits and landscapes, places I enjoy and people who have stood by me. I’m thrilled the curators at Theodore Gallery think enough of my work to want to show it to the world.”
“You mean other than on billboards and magazines.” He set his bottle on the table.
I laughed. “Yep, other than billboards and magazines. That’s when I’m being told what to take shots of instead of choosing my own subject.” Suddenly my words caught in my throat. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t, I mean, not that I wouldn’t want to take shots of you, obviously, that was—”
It was his turn to laugh now. “I know what you mean, don’t stress.”
His body nudged mine as his chest rose and fell. I quickly shut down the window and flipped the screen shut, tugged out the memory stick and set it and the laptop on the coffee table.
I sat back and stared at my knees. The exhibition and Armani should be the main things on my mind right now. But how could they be when Todd Carty was sitting next to me with his big hand resting only an inch from mine?
The pale fuzz of his sun-bleached hairs skimming up the back of his wrist and onto his forearm made me want to stroke, kiss, lick them. An image of doing so rushed through my mind. Damn, a wave of heat to my cock warned me of an impending erection. I was such a fool. Why was I even here, torturing myself like this?
“Matthew,” Todd said.
I turned, saw his keen, intelligent eyes gazing straight into mine. He was so close I could make out every whisker on his chin, the delicate shadow within the upper indent of his lip and each individual eyelash. “What?” I managed, tensing my stomach and resisting the urge to reach for him, kiss him. Just grab him and make him mine for a few sweeter than sweet seconds. Hell to the consequences. Hell to the black eye I would no doubt get.
“Matthew, I…” He shook his head and his eyes narrowed. He lifted his hand and cupped my cheek in his palm, his fingertips grazing my earlobe and his arm resting down the column of my neck and onto my collarbone. Jaw set tight he said, “Fuck, I want to kiss you.”
“What?”
“I want to kiss you, right here, right now,” he said in a strained, dark voice.
“But, I…?”
“Please, don’t question it.” He leaned closer still. So close his lips were just a hairsbreadth from mine. “It’s just, I’ve been thinking about it so much, and I have to do it, now.”
His mouth connected with mine, big firm lips pressing with both hesitation and determination. It was a close-mouthed peck, not wild, not full of movement, certainly no tongues, but one of the most sensual kisses of my life.
I shut my eyes and rested my hand over his, showing him how much I liked having his palm on my face—the possessive, controlling hold. The heat and hardness in my groin was growing by the second, hot urgency and a gripping fist of longing.
He pulled away.


* * * * *

High-Sticked is available from Ellora's Cave and should be landing on  all other good retailer's shelves as you read this...

Amazon US  Amazon UK

If you want to find out more about my critically acclaimed Hot Ice series here are the details, and rest assured, book 6 (m/f) is my current work in progress.

Lily x





Thursday 20 June 2013

Theme Tune!




Recently I was asked if music played a part in my writing, in particular if my latest release Breathe You In had a soundtrack. The answer was a big YES, and most definitely one song was with me the entire time I was writing this story...

With Or Without You by U2



Breathe You In had been lurking in my mind for years. Before I became an author of erotic romance I worked in London as a nurse. As part of a post graduation course I got to spend time observing cardiac surgery, which, looking back, was when this story was born. Because it wasn’t just the surgeries that fascinated me but also caring for these patients after life-saving and life-changing operations.

Seeing a chest wide open, a heart beating, being repaired or even transplanted held something magical for me, so much more so than a hip replacement or a bowel operation. I remember chatting to a woman in the post-op ward about her operation and she was completely fascinated that I’d observed her surgery and actually seen her heart. In fact, she called me over to speak to her husband about it when he visited that evening. He looked at me as though I’d told him I’d seen a fairy at the bottom of the garden. I’ll never forget that look on his face.



Why? Because the heart is the foundation for our lives, not just the chemical, electrical and engineering qualities it possesses, but also the way we refer to it when we love someone. It’s more than that even, we say it breaks when someone leaves us, pines for a lover we are separated from or beats more quickly when we’re held, kissed, made love to.

The heart is an organ referred to more than any other in our day-to-day lives. When I started outlining the plot of Breathe You In it was these thoughts that kept playing with the threads of the storyline. I became fascinated by the thought of a girl obsessing over the recipient of her dead husband’s heart. She wanted to see him, to know where the heart that loved her so much was when she went to sleep at night. It’s the one piece of him that she cannot stop thinking about. I guess that’s where that haunting U2 song, With Or Without You comes into play. The words, not being able to live with someone or without them worked for the situation my heroine found herself in. She’s torn up with grief but also fascinated to find the one part of her husband that is still alive, still breathing, beating. I even managed to add the songs references to thorns into her thoughts at the end of the first chapter.

In the UK donor families and recipients can communicate and even meet, but it has to be mutually agreed and coordinated through a liaison officer and can take years. In my story, Katie, can’t wait, she has to see the recipient  but that’s it, just see him from a distance, and she hires a private detective to seek him out. But when Ruben Strong turns out to be not only fit and healthy but gorgeous and charming things start to get complicated, not least because she doesn’t tell him what he has inside of his chest used to belong to her husband.



It was this complex tangle of emotions that, for me as a writer, were so much fun to play with, and satisfying too, because I didn’t want this to be a sad story, I wanted it to be about overcoming tragedy, trauma, getting out of the lowest point of your life and finding love and happiness, passion and laughter once more. It’s an emotional tale that is fun and sexy too, my very favorite sort to read and write, and I even managed to get the song With Or Without You into the novel because U2 (like me) were her husband’s favourite band and that leant itself to a mention.

One other song features in the book, The Police, Every Breath You take. That worked so well for my hero and heroine’s first dance, in fact my beta reader wrote a comment when checking through the manuscript that she was crying with joy at that point and had to walk away and compose herself before she could carry on reading – which I took as a compliment!





Reviews so far are very positive, much to my delight, and out of my 30 novels and short novels that I’ve published, this one is certainly a story that tugged my heartstrings when writing it – pun intended.

Thanks so much for reading about the special songs which inspired several scenes within this story and have a wonderful day.

Blurb

Soul-aching desire was just the beginning!

If the road to Heaven starts in Hell then I was ready to start climbing my way out and Ruben Strong was the man to accompany me. With his devastating good looks, seductively sexy charm and lust for adrenaline he was sure to make it a sensual and erotic experience as well as one to re-awake the passionate, throw-caution-to-the-wind woman I’d once been.

I’d given Ruben something, though, without him realizing, and that gift had come from the man I’d loved before. But I couldn’t tell Ruben. I had to keep that a tight secret even as our naked bodies wound together, sought out pleasure and hit the dizzy heights of ecstasy as one. Because Ruben had my husband’s heart, literally, and that heart was still in love with me, so it seemed, and now I was in love with Ruben.

Emotions tangled with bliss, and fears were locked away as I surrendered to the touch of Ruben’s hands, the taste of his skin and the sounds of his pleasure. I couldn’t deny that Ruben had brought me back to life the same way I had him and there was no way I was giving up that feeling, not for anyone.