It’s
release day! And I’m so excited to share Hard
As You Can,
the second book in the 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.
Today,
I’ve got a super sexy scene to share with you, one that was a total
surprise to me as I was writing it! I hope you enjoy this peek at the
first time Shane and Crystal find themselves alone with each other:
“Do
you like to dance, Crystal?” Shane asked in a low voice.
“Uh,
what? Why?”
His
smile was crooked, playful. “ ’Cause dancing’s something people
do when they’re getting to know each other.”
“Really?”
Maybe where he was from. Then again, she worked in a strip club.
Dancing was something people did to make money. So, okay, maybe her
view of dancing was
a
bit jaded.
“Absolutely.
Ask anybody.” The song faded away, followed by the announcement of
a Southern rock station’s call sign. A new song started, and Shane
turned to her with a smile. “Dance with me.”
Crystal
peered up at him without the slightest idea how to respond. Because
her body was saying hell,
yes!, while
her brain was screaming bad
idea, really, really bad idea.
He
stepped closer, arms raised, expression full of all kinds of
invitation.
The
next thing she knew, her right hand was in his and her left had
slipped around his neck. Ohmigod,
ohmigod,
ohmigod,
ran
over and over in her mind. What
am I doing?
But then he tucked her hand against his chest and tugged her against
him with the hand that settled at her lower back. And the closeness
stole her breath.
He
moved them to the beat of the song, a slow, sexy, bluesy number she
didn’t know but would never forget. Some songs carried memories
like the images were imprinted upon the very lyrics themselves, and
she had no doubt this would be one of them.
All
of a sudden, the air in the room felt ten degrees warmer. As they
swayed to the beat, Shane’s body pressed against hers from thighs
to chest. With every step and move and turn, Crystal’s breasts
rubbed against the hard plane of his chest. Strong hands held and
guided her body, making her want to feel them explore her everywhere.
Arousal rose like a waking dragon inside her. Cautious. Curious.
Dangerous.
This
was wrong and stupid on so many levels. But, scary as it was, it felt
so
freaking good that she couldn’t force herself to pull away. One
song. It’s just a dance. Just a dance just a dance
just
a dance.
And,
holy crap, she wasn’t the only one aroused.
Against
her belly, Shane hardened.
Crystal
sucked in a breath, and he pressed his lips close to her ear. “We’re
just dancing here. That’s all. I promise,” he said. But the
adrenaline was already in her blood, setting her to a trembling she
couldn’t control. Part curious interest and part instinctive fear.
“Sshh,” he almost cooed. “Just dancing.”
The
echo of her own thoughts from a moment before allowed her to draw a
breath that almost calmed. They turned and swayed to the music,
moving closer, pressing tighter, Shane’s lips so close to her face
that she could feel his breath shudder across her cheekbone.
He
was a fire she had no business playing with. She knew that even as
she leaned her face against his . . . and got exactly what she’d
hoped for.
He
kissed her.
Just
a brush of his lips against her cheek, but a kiss all the same.
And
as much as it made her head spin, it was the little catch of breath
in the back of his throat that sent a jolt of electricity down her
spine to settle low in her belly. Light as a feather, he caressed her
cheek, her temple, her ear with his lips. With him, always such
gentleness, so different from almost every other sexual experience
she’d ever had. It made her feel safe to allow this to continue.
Between
them, his erection was firm, long, totally unyielding.
She
shivered, caught between interest and fear, desire a river moving
faster and faster inside her. The whole experience was a
revelation—that her body had the capacity to respond this way, that
a person existed who could pull these reactions from her.
For
a moment, she gave herself over to the dizzying sensations. In her
mind’s eye, she saw them undressing, fumbling their way back the
hall, falling naked and wanting on the bed. What would it be like,
just once, to take something that she wanted without worrying about
anyone else, without being afraid? Just one wild, secret night, all
for her? What would Shane
be
like?
So
that’s Shane and Crystal for you! Did you have a favorite line?
Thanks for reading!
~Laura
“Edgy,
sexy, and full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”
~J.R.
Ward on Hard
As It Gets
About
Hard
As You Can:
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.
Q&A WITH LAURA
KAYE
HARD AS YOU CAN is your second
book in the “Hard Ink” series (after USA Today bestseller, HARD
AS IT GETS). What can readers look forward to?
Readers can look forward to tons of
sexy alpha male goodness, awesome bromance between the Hard Ink men,
more antics from the Hard Ink puppy, and another great love story
between Shane and Crystal. But readers should also be ready for a
book that is darker, more intense, and more emotional. This book
pushed me to emotional places that were tough as a writer, and might
be tough for readers, too. But I think that just makes the payoff at
the end so much sweeter!
Describe Shane and Crystal. What
are their best traits? What are their weaknesses?
Shane and Crystal are such an amazing
couple to me. They’re each exactly what the other needs.
Shane’s best traits are his protectiveness, his fundamental
kindness, and his soul-deep loyalty (his southern accent and humor
are also right up there!). His biggest weakness for sure is a tragedy
from the past for which he blames himself—and it’s something that
continues to motivate him in Hard As You Can. Crystal’s best
traits are her courage, protectiveness, and selflessness—she’s
willing to do anything to keep her younger sister safe. Her biggest
weakness is also that selflessness, because the sacrifices she’s
required to make are getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
If you could describe your book
in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?
When a woman in
trouble assists an ex-soldier's covert mission to regain his team's
stolen honor, he finds a new mission to save her, too
What are you most excited about
with this second book release?
I’m really excited to take readers
deeper into these awesome characters and into the mystery behind the
Hard Ink team’s ambush and discharge!
What books are you reading right
now?
I’m almost done with Diana Gabaldon’s
Outlander (yes, I’m very late to the party but OMG JAMIE
FRASER!!!). And I’ve recently devoured and loved Juliana Stone’s
Offsides and Shelly Thacker’s time-travel historical
romance, Forever His.
What can fans of your “Hard
Ink” series look forward to next?
There will be two more Hard Ink books
in 2014!
Hard to Hold on To – August
2014
Hard to Come By – November
2014
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.
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