About the Author
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the.. next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.
Author
social media links:
Twitter - @KateEvangelista; https://twitter.com/KateEvangelista
Excerpt |
“I bet you’re completely regretting
saying yes to this now.”
She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, you shouldn’t have.” She’d backed
herself into a wall and Balthazar reached her in two steps. She flinched when Balthazar spread one hand
on the wall beside her head. He shifted his weight there as he leaned over her
and whispered, “You smell like roses.”
“I-i-it’s the bath water. They used rose
oil,” she stammered. Having Balthazar so close frazzled her brain. He seemed
bigger somehow. Like he’d grown ten feet since she'd last seen him. And so
broad too. When did his shoulders and chest get so broad?
Balthazar touched the tip of his nose to
the base of her neck and traced a line up to her jaw, inhaling as he went. The
move sent Arianne slumping against the wall for support, her knees threatening
to give way beneath her. She raised her shackled hands until they spread over
the center of his chest. She clutched at the buckles there, the cool metal
digging in to her palms. Balthazar tsked after he’d pulled away far enough to
stare into her eyes—eyes now lined with kohl. She found herself shaking her
head along with him.
“You shouldn’t have spoken over me the
way you did,” he said with the softest threat. The kind that sent tingles down
her spine.
“I didn’t.” At least she didn’t stammer
anymore. Instead, her voice sounded breathy, which seemed so much worse.
He touched her lips with the tip of his
finger. “Oh, but you did. I'd pretty much convinced Solara that you didn’t need
to change for the Underball, but you had to go and ruin it by agreeing without
my consent. Not that I’m complaining.” He raked his gaze over her body again.
Like a bomb exploding, Arianne felt all her blood rise to the surface. “But
something has to be done about this master/slave relationship we have here.”
“W-w-what do you mean?” Great, the
stammering returned. The muscles in her abdomen quivered in the most delicious
way. Arianne tried to ignore it and focus, but her body betrayed her more and
more the longer Balthazar stood this close to her. She only noticed now, so
close to him, that he smelled like sandalwood. The spicy earth scent brought her
back to the time her mother burned incense around the house. She went through a
whole New Age-y phase before Carrie got sick. Standing a nose away from
Balthazar sent a sense of comfort surging through her body with a hint of
something more. A feeling Arianne didn’t care to acknowledge. Hot. Drugging.
Dangerous. She knew if she let herself cross the line she wouldn’t find her way
back.
Balthazar moved his hand from the wall to
her cheek. Arianne fought against leaning in to the touch. Even with the fingerless
gloves, she could feel the warmth of his hand. The calluses on his exposed skin
didn’t feel rough on her face at all.
“You put us both in danger if you don’t
act like an obedient slave, Ari.” He whispered her name like the sweetest candy
on the tongue. A part of her wished he’d say it again. The other part of her
struggled to continue the conversation.
“I won’t disobey you. I promise.” And she
meant it too.
“Remember when I said you shouldn’t force
me into teaching you a lesson about what it means to have a master?”
She nodded. They’d had that conversation
right before they entered the Voyeur mansion. Balthazar had warned her, yet
she’d forgotten all about it the second Solara came into the room with her
demons. Arianne thought she’d done something good by agreeing. Unfortunately,
her good deed backfired in the most frightening yet insanely delicious way.
She hardly recognized the guy standing
before her. The sarcasm and gruff nature had disappeared, leaving behind
someone who oozed sex appeal like some cologne he’d sprayed on. Heat pooled
inside her stomach, causing every muscle below it to clench. If Balthazar
didn’t step away now, she’d find herself flat on the floor.
“You know what happens now, don’t you?”
His eyes locked with hers again. His voice grew even softer.
She shook her head into his touch.
“I punish you.”
The way he said punish blew the last of
her knees’ power to support her body weight. The second she began to slide down
the wall, Balthazar’s other arm snaked around her waist and pulled her forward
until her body fused against his. Every buckle that touched her skin made her
shiver.
She looked up and Balthazar’s lips
descended.
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ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to this one. It's been on my wishlist for ages!
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