Seducing Fate by Antonia Pearce out now from Siren Publishing

We interrupt my regularly scheduled blog to bring you a bit of promo from one of my good friends and critique partners, Antonia Pearce. First let me say a few words about her. She's hot!!! And her writing is volcanic. I should know, this is the first book I critiqued for her way back when. She's also a wonderful person with a completely big heart. Show a girl some love and check out her book.

Here's some blurbage and a bit of excerpt for your enjoyment.

Luke Hanson burned for only one thing—Merryn Porter. Beautiful, smart, and totally off-limits. Determined to do the right thing, he rejects her love and ends up dead. Now Fate has cut him a deal, and he has one shot at making things right.

For Merryn, the pain of Luke’s rejection left her with an empty heart—until a freak accident on her best friends’ wedding day leaves her in a limbo she can’t escape. Confronted with the love of her life, she has to choose between redemption and temptation.

With the clock ticking, the past meets the present and never-forgotten desire threatens to consume them. Now Merryn must decide if she can trust Luke again before it’s too late.

Note: This book contains anal sex.

A Siren Erotic Romance

excerpt:

Time to hitch up her big girl panties, or, in this case, take her panties off, and launch her offensive. Merryn Porter sat up, peeking cautiously at her friend, Serena Hanson, sleeping in the other bed. Serena was sprawled on her side, her pillow clutched over her head, muffled snores rumbling out into her designer room in her brother Luke’s house. Perfect. She didn’t want any witnesses.

Merryn, finally of legal age, had been in love with Luke since she’d turned twelve. She’d always considered her passion for Luke a hopeless cause. Who could compete with the older, sophisticated supermodel types he dated? The friendship they’d built, the common interests, the hours spent discussing everything from life-after-death to entertainment—none of that could create romantic interest where none existed.

Lately, faint hope flared in her heart once again. She’d imagined she’d caught him staring at her at odd moments, like tonight at the little housewarming party he’d thrown. She’d enjoyed her first taste of champagne—just one taste, but a treat nonetheless. She could feel the tingles from that rare gaze as she sipped from his crystal glass, laughing as the bubbles tickled her tongue. Though quickly extinguished when she turned to him, she’d caught the peculiar gleam in his eye. Maybe she’d pissed him off and the gleam represented a glare of disapproval, or maybe he actually liked her too but didn’t want to behave “dishonorably” with his younger sister’s best friend. Luke always tried to be noble, to do the right thing with his family, in his business, and in life in general. That, among many other qualities, led her to fall irrevocably in love with him. It also annoyed the crap out of her because she desperately wanted him to be more than a bit naughty with her, and she didn’t see it happening. Not without a considerable nudge from her anyway. She had to do something to erase Luke’s perception of her as just his kid sister’s friend.

In her typical bull-headed, crafty way, she’d planned to override his iron control. She wanted him. She burned for him with a carnal craving she understood only in theory, but one that drove her to action. A tiny twinge of guilt stung her conscience, and she hoped Serena would forgive her for wangling extra invitations to be around when Luke might be there. Forgive her for lusting after her brother, and forgive her for tonight—her last ditch, pull-out-all-the-stops effort to show Luke how much she loved him and how good they could be together before she and Serena headed off to college. Well, actually, she hoped Serena never found out if she went down in flames. She risked enough humiliation without adding that shame.

She slipped out of the bed, heart beating madly, butterflies assailing her tummy. She didn’t know if she possessed the courage to do what she planned, but did she really want to wonder “what if” for the rest of her life? At the very least, she wanted Luke to be her first. Even if he didn’t love her or want her long-term. She’d trade anything for one night with him.

So she set aside her innate shyness, crept from the room, and silently closed the door behind her. The hall leading to the master suite, to Luke, loomed long before her, the distance seeming to grow rather than diminish with each step. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The antique clock on the landing provided a rhythm for her careful footsteps on the cool hardwood floor. If only her heartbeat would stay that slow and measured. She shivered a bit. Though the furnace battled the chill, temperatures outside had dipped into the teens and cold spots peppered the house. Fear of rejection didn’t help to steady her tremors, either.

She twisted the knob, relieved to find his door unlocked, and stepped into Luke’s bedroom. The warmth from the fireplace embraced her and bathed the room in a golden glow. Her toes sank into the plush carpet, and her gaze immediately turned to Luke’s sleeping form in the big bed across the room. She held her breath, but he didn’t stir. She let out a shaky exhale and softly closed and locked the door.

Luke lay on his stomach, the sheet just draped across his hips and waist, his muscular back and legs uncovered, his skin gleaming in the firelight. Her mouth watered, and a familiar odd tickle began low in her belly. His dark reddish-brown hair curled forward over his face—his chiseled features softened in sleep. She couldn’t believe how much younger and more vulnerable he looked. Her heart cracked a little.

Yeah, she had it bad for this man. But did he have any feelings for her?

Her hands shook as she grasped the hem of her nightgown and pulled it over her head, dropping it to the floor. Need dominated her fear, pushing her forward. When she reached the edge of the bed, she took a moment to listen to his peaceful breathing and draw his unique scent into her lungs. She loved the way he smelled—a hint of sandalwood soap, a bit of musk, but all Luke. His fragrance was as overwhelmingly dear and attractive to her as the man himself.

She pressed down on the mattress, putting all her weight on one knee and climbing up beside him. He mumbled something incoherent, stirring restlessly, and she froze. What should she do? Her body decided for her. Without conscious plan, she reached out and drew her fingertips down the smooth flesh of his back. His muscles twitched in response. “Luke,” she whispered.


Seducing Fate available now from Siren Publishing