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Friday, November 8, 2013

In Kelly's Corner by Roxie Rivera Book Blitz and Giveaway



 In Kelly’s Corner by Roxie Rivera 
(Fighting Connolly’s #1)
Publication date: September 27th 2013
Genres: Adult, Romantic Suspense

Synopsis:
After a stalker breaks into her home, internet entrepreneur Bee Langston decides Kelly Connolly is the only man who can help her—but  seeking help from the former Marine isn’t easy, especially after she made a spectacular fool of herself trying to kiss the sinfully sexy bodyguard.

When Kelly spots Bee weaving her way through the Houston nightspot where he’s working security, all those feelings he’s desperately tried to deny for his best friend’s sister come flooding to the surface. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if means getting up close and personal with the one woman he simply can’t have.

Soon, Bee’s stalker isn’t his only problem. His gambling addict father is tangled in a mess of debts to two of Houston’s toughest loan sharks. With the family gym on the line, there’s only one way for Kelly to make everything right. He agrees to fight for the Albanian mob in an underground bare-knuckle fighting tournament.

But winning the tournament and saving his family’s legacy comes at a high price—one that just might cost Bee her life.

Purchase:


It's Complicated
I've always been a fan of the "I'm in love with my brother's best friend" trope. Judging by this list at Goodreads, I'm not alone!
I'm not quite sure why that setup revs my engines but it does. It's an inherently complicated situation with plenty of possibilities for high-stakes drama. Plus I've always had a thing for slightly older guys. You know, the good-looking, confident sweetheart with a bit of swagger and a protective streak a mile wide. Added bonus? The best friend of a sibling already has the family seal of approval!
Bee Langston shares my outlook. She knows that she's just asking for trouble but she just can't help falling head over heels for Kelly Connolly, the unbelievably sexy former Marine who takes it upon himself to watch out for her after Jeb's death. Of course, she'd rather Kelly took a more, ahem, hands-on role in her life…
But when a stalker threatens her safety, Kelly unleashes those alpha male overprotective instincts he's kept suppressed. Bee begins to realize they've only just scraped the surface of complicated!
Creating this intense, complex relationship between Kelly and Bee made this such an interesting book to write. Both characters have brothers they love and sibling bonds they would do anything to protect—even if it means keeping some pretty huge secrets. Add in Kelly's gambling addict father and his troubles with not one but two (!) loan sharks and, well, it's a recipe for some super intense drama that really amps up the sexual tension.
And who doesn't love more of that?

Oh Brother!
For the Fighting Connollys series, I wanted to tell the stories of three brothers—Kelly, Jack and Finn Connolly—fighting to save their family legacy. After a rough childhood that included losing their mother and enduring their alcoholic, gambling addict father's abuse, the brothers joined the Marines and survived some truly harrowing moments while deployed multiple times. Each of the brothers lost something over there—a best friend, partial vision and a leg—and now they're trying to rebuild their lives.
The idea of writing about three emotionally and physically wounded alpha males was one I simply couldn't dismiss. Deciding to write about three brothers gave me the chance to explore some interesting themes—brotherhood, sibling rivalry, humor, guilt and even forgiveness. Throw in three love interests and some suspenseful action, and things get interesting very fast!
In Kelly's Corner is the first in a spinoff trilogy from my Her Russian Protector series. In the HRP universe, the heroes of the first four books share brother-like bonds forged in their very early years living in an orphanage. Ivan, Dimitri, Yuri and Nikolai came to Houston to start over and build better lives—and end up rescuing their damsels in distress from the Albanian mob, a Latin street gang, a shady real estate developers, a Mexican drug cartel and a madman hell-bent on usurping a certain mob boss' throne. Kelly, one of Dimitri's employees and Yuri's former bodyguard, finds himself facing some of those same foes—including two of the most notorious loan sharks in the city.
What can I say? Fictional Houston's underbelly is a pretty seedy but dangerously sexy place!


Looking For Inspiration
Sometimes I find inspiration in the oddest places. A few months ago, I was trying to figure out who exactly Kelly's love interest was. I knew she was his best friend's younger sister but I didn't have much else beyond that. Then I happened upon the documentary Startup Kids while browsing the instant video offerings on Amazon. Less than five minutes into it, I knew exactly who Bee Langston was.
I found the idea of an internet entrepreneur on the cusp of something big very intriguing. The possibilities for sabotage, blackmail and stalkers was endless. Lately, all the romance books I'd read featuring tech entrepreneurs tended to cast that lead character as male. I found that perplexing because all of the programmers I know are women—and all of them are super successful and highly innovative.
When it came to Kelly's character, I looked at only one place for inspiration. Three words. Tom. Freaking. Hardy. From the moment I dreamed up his character while writing YURI (Her Russian Protector #3,) I knew that Kelly Connolly had to be that deliciously sexy. Also—it was a fantastic excuse to watch one Tom Hardy movie after another while working on this book! J



EXCERPTS
)

"Where is Winn?"
Kelly's gruff, rumbling voice caught me by surprise. I whirled around to find him standing a few steps behind me. Wearing only shorts and sneakers, he wiped at his ridiculously sexy chest with a white gym towel before slinging it over his shoulder. The sight of his tanned, toned chest and the tattoos accentuating the rippling bulges of muscle left me momentarily speechless.
"Bee?"
Shaking myself from my lust-induced stupor, I said, "He's in the restroom. I sort of busted his nose."
He looked taken aback and then smiled proudly. "Way to go, sweetheart."
"Um…not exactly. It was an accident."
"An accident?"
"Well, it tickled and I started laughing—"
Eyes narrowed, he asked, "What tickled?"
"Winn's hold on me."
"I see." His lips twitched, and I knew he wasn't angry at all. Touching my cheek, he murmured, "I'll have to keep that in mind…for later."
At the mention of later, I trembled with anticipation. "Oh?"
"We'll practice some of the holds Jack showed you."
"Holds, huh?" I daringly traced his navel and delighted in the way he inhaled sharply. Thinking of the moves I had just learned, I considered whether or not I could take Kelly down. He was a foot taller than me and nearly twice as heavy. Could I catch him off-guard?
Deciding there was no time like the present, I hastily planned my attack. Kelly reached out to stroke my face, but I kicked out my leg to hook his knee. The expression on his face was comical as the realization that I was attacking him registered—but his lightning fast reflexes, honed by years at war, snapped into action.
I gasped as he snatched my ankle mid-air and jerked hard enough to pull me off my feet. The thick mat cushioned my fall. Kelly followed me down to the floor, attempting to trap me, but I twisted my hips and narrowly evaded him. My brief victory didn't last. He grabbed my wrists in one big paw and pinned them overhead before insinuating himself between my thighs.
Remembering Jack's lessons, I arched up onto my shoulders and tried to squeeze his ribs with my knees. Kelly shifted, and I ended up wrapping my legs around his waist. Our bodies locked together in such an intimate way. Suddenly my failed attack started to feel like foreplay.
Changing tactics, I hooked my ankles at the small of Kelly's back and rocked my body against his. His low groan sounded almost pained. Eyes flashing with need, he lowered his face and warningly growled, "Bee."
Breathless and shaking with desire, I whispered, "Kiss me."
He capitulated to my request and brushed his mouth against mine. Refusing to be denied what I wanted most, I thrust my aching breasts against his hot, hard chest and dipped my tongue between his lips. A rumbling noise emanated from his throat, vibrating against my lips and sending white-hot shivers through my core.
A loudly cleared throat interrupted our steamy kiss. Tearing away from each other, we glanced in the direction of the noise and discovered Jack standing a few feet away and watching us with amusement. The rest of the room was empty except for Winn, who seemed to have gotten his bloody nose under control.
Jack rubbed his jaw as if thinking. "You know, I'm pretty sure that's not a self-defense technique I teach."
Not the least bit embarrassed, I simply shrugged. "You'd have a hell of a lot more signups for your classes if you did."

Excerpt 3 (Short, Steamy)

With his personal business in order, Kelly drove to the nearest big box store to pick up everything on Bee's list. He had never shopped for a woman before so he was glad she had been specific about the brands she wanted. A couple of times she didn’t note the fragrance she liked so he had to resort to strange measures to get it right.

Glancing around, he sniffed the soap and antiperspirant until he found the ones that smelled right. He prayed no one would come around the corner. They would probably report him to management for being a soap-sniffing freak.

As he pushed his cart down the aisle of shaving supplies, Kelly considered what it said about his feelings toward Bee that he had memorized her scent profile. The threat against her had shaken him up enough that abiding by some unspoken rule of friendship no longer seemed important. The twenty years of friendship he'd shared with Jeb had been the greatest of his life. Never again would he have a friend like that.

But right now the possibility of creating something real and intimate and lifelong with Bee hovered just before him. He'd put his life on hold for the last four years—and he was done. It was time to live.

Back at the penthouse, he used the private elevator to access the top floor of Yuri's skyscraper. He wasn't surprised to be greeted by Winn the second he stepped off the elevator into the reception hall of the luxurious suite. The highly decorated soldier had obviously seen the security feed of Kelly entering the elevator from the parking lot but he wasn't taking any chances. Kelly liked him all the more for it.

"She's in her room." Winn held open the door since Kelly's hands were full. "We ordered a late lunch. There's a sandwich and salad in the refrigerator for you."

"Thanks." He crossed the living area and glanced at Sully who was fiddling with a book of Sudoku puzzles. They nodded at each other before he disappeared out of sight. When he reached the master suite, he knocked twice. "Bee?"

"Yeah?"

Taking her response as permission, he opened the door—and lost his grip on the bags. They tumbled to the floor amid Bee's gasp of surprise. Unable to stop himself, Kelly raked his needy gaze along her very naked and incredibly nubile form. The dampness of her hair told him she'd just had a shower. The foot propped on the bed and the tiny bottle of complimentary lotion filled in the blanks.

Finally shaking herself from the shock of being discovered in this precarious position, Bee reached for the towel but Kelly stopped her with one gruffly spoken word. "No."

Closing the door behind him, he pushed aside the bags with the toe of his boot and flipped the lock. Bee slowly lowered her petite leg. She bit her lower lip and eyed him like prey keeping a wary eye on a prowling jungle cat. Not wanting to push her too fast, too soon, he said, "Tell me to leave, Bee."

She didn't even hesitate. Holding out her hand, she said, "Stay."

So he did.


Excerpt (Long, Sexy, NSFW)

My belly trembled violently as Kelly strode toward me. Wondering where that surge of bravery had emanated, I counted the steps until he could touch me. Standing there as naked as the day I'd been born, there was no way for me to hide the way he affected me. One look at my breasts and the puckered peaks there and Kelly would have no doubts about how much I wanted him.

He came so close to me that I had to tilt my head back to gaze into those bright green eyes of his. The scent of him, that masculine mix that made everything feminine in me go crazy with desire, surrounded me. I could feel the throbbing heat of him and wanted nothing more than to burrow against his wide, sculpted chest.

Kelly traced my collarbone with his long, thick finger. "I've never kissed you properly."

I laughed nervously and gestured to my naked body. "I think we're going about this whole thing backwards."

His sexy mouth slanted with amusement. "Seems rather fitting considering the way the two of us have gone about everything else in our lives." He dragged his finger across my lower lip. "I want to kiss you but I need you to be sure, Bee. I've been able to hold back and stay away from you but once I taste you? All bets are off."

Showing him I was ready, I rose on tiptoes and sought his descending mouth. Ever the alpha male, Kelly refused to let me have control over our first kiss. I let him have this small victory, certain there would be plenty of times for me to play the aggressor in the future.

Gently, he cupped the back of my neck and brushed his lips against mine. My heart thudded in my chest and my knees wobbled as he lovingly claimed my mouth. I clung to his arms, gripping the thin cotton of his t-shirt, and closed my eyes as a joyous chorus erupted in my head. Finally!

Our chaste and sweet kiss quickly transformed into a hungry, needful thing. Instead of stooping down to kiss me, Kelly slipped his hand around my waist and dragged me back toward the bed. Not once breaking contact with my mouth, he sat on the mattress and tugged me between his thighs.

His rough, strong hands glided over my skin. Like a spark to dry tender, passion ignited within me. The burning flames of it licked at my core and made my clitoris pulse. I squeezed my thighs together but it was no use. The ache there couldn’t be assuaged.

Kelly's tongue flirted with mine. Whimpering, I wound my arms around his neck and relished the feel of his brawny arms enveloping me. He drew me against his heat and stabbed his tongue between my lips, tasting me and taking what he had so long denied himself.

He palmed my soft flesh and rubbed his thumb over my dusky pink nipple. "I used to dream about this."

His confession surprised me. My voice sounded husky as I asked, "When?"

"Over there."

Afghanistan or Iraq? I didn't dare ask lest the moment be ruined by dredging up the horrific memories of his seemingly never-ending deployments.

He pressed a noisy kiss to the swell of my breast. "I used to imagine the way your skin would feel. I wondered how you would taste and what sounds you would make if I did something like this."

When his tongue started to trace my nipple, I almost crumpled to the floor. My poor legs shook so bad that it was only Kelly's supporting arm that kept me upright. Clutching his shoulders, I exhaled a shuddery breath. "Kelly."

He made a happy noise. "Yeah. That's about how I imagined it."

As he began the sensual torment of my breasts with his mouth, I asked, "What made you stop?" At his confused look, I clarified, "Imaging us like this, I mean."

"Who said I did?" He pinched my nipple between his fingertips. The bright arc of pressure traveled right to my clit in the most delicious way. "It started over there, after the last barbecue, and never stopped."

Placing my hand along his jaw, I commanded his attention. Even though it embarrassed me to bring up that spectacularly awkward rejection, I had to know why. "So why did you push me away on New Year's Eve?"

He drew a shape on my chest that felt suspiciously like a K. "You can't imagine how guilty I felt when Jeb was alive. The way I felt about you then?" He shook his head. "It's not right. You're not supposed to have those kinds of thoughts about your best friend's sister. I think Jeb knew that I liked you way more than I should have. He started pulling away from me on that last deployment. I couldn't…I couldn't reach him."

Kelly talking about guilt made me think of Jeb and the secrets he had carried to the grave. My brother's guilt over his double-life had spilled over into his friendship with Kelly and ruined the support system he had so desperately needed as our mother lost her battle with cancer.

Even now, all these years later, I had to bite my tongue. I'd sworn to Jeb that I would never tell anyone his secrets. The lies between Kelly and me made me uneasy. If anyone deserved to know the truth…

"When you kissed me at New Year's, all that guilt came rushing to the surface. I reacted badly." He captured my mouth so tenderly. "It was wrong of me. I should have been man enough to own my feelings."

"You're owning them now. That's enough for me." Not wanting our naughty interlude to be distracted by discussions of the past, I dragged it back on course with a playfully provocative question. "What else did you imagine us doing?"

With all the skill of a seasoned lover, Kelly expertly scooped me up and flipped me right back onto the bed. The movement made his incredibly muscled arms flex in the most deliciously enticing way. His short sleeves bunched up to reveal even more of the heavy tribally influenced tattoos emblazoned on his skin.

Placing his knees on either side of my thighs, Kelly pinned me beneath him on the bed. I grew lightheaded as he kissed me into submission. There was no doubt who was in charge here. With my lack of experience, I happily placed my trust in him, certain that whatever Kelly had planned for us would feel so good.

"You're so damn beautiful," he murmured, his caressing hands gliding over my breasts and along the slope of my belly.

"Let me see you." I breathlessly pleaded for him to remove his shirt. Smiling indulgently, he let me drag his shirt up high enough to bare his navel before taking over for me. In one swift movement, he ripped it over his head and tossed it behind him.

Our mouths crashed together as the years of pent-up passion exploded between us. I couldn't get enough of his hot, sexy body. The light smattering of hair on his chiseled chest fascinated me. I'd spent so much time dating men who were more comfortable in cubicles than on the battlefield that I'd never experienced the thrill of being completely at the mercy of such a delightfully beastly man.

Kelly showed his incredible strength by sliding his hand under my back and dragging me up another foot or so on the bed. Still straddling me, he nuzzled his nose against my cheek and coaxed me to turn my face. When he nipped at the curve of my neck, I gasped and bucked against him. "Kelly!"

He chuckled softly and continued to lick and suck that sensitive spot. I worried he might mark me but then decided I wouldn’t mind carrying around the reminder of our tryst. Though I'm sure his grazing teeth left a red trail on my skin, he wasn't harsh enough to leave a lasting sign.

Sliding onto his side, Kelly kept his leg crooked across mine as our tongues started a dance as old as time. The erotic coupling of our mouths mimicked the movements I desperately hoped would soon be happening between other parts of our super-heated bodies. His roaming hands stoked the fire deep in my core and my thighs clenched.

"Tell me what you want, Bee." His eyes were dark with desire.

I gulped nervously but found the courage to say, "I want you to touch me."

"Where?" He teased his lips across mine.

My face was on fire now. "You know where."

He caressed my hip. "Here?"

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I stared up into his teasing face. "Um…a little lower."

His hand moved to my thigh, bypassing the place where I wanted to feel his touch most. "Here?"

"You're getting warmer."

He walked his fingertips up my thigh. "Am I getting closer?"

I parted my thighs and encouraged his curious hand. "Yes."

AUTHOR BIO:

I like to write super sexy romances and naughty erotica that make your pulse pound. You can get updates on new releases by visiting my website (roxierivera.com), signing up for my newsletter (http://eepurl.com/sX-z1) or liking my author page on Facebook.
I also write erotic romances as Lolita Lopez including the red-hot GRABBED series for Ellora's Cave and the upcoming Dragon Heat series from Forever Yours/Grand Central.

Author links:


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1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a yummy series! Thanks for the excerpts and the giveaway AND for the woman role model!

    ReplyDelete