ANGEL SEDUCED by Jaime Rush
(February 25, 2014; Forever Mass Market; $8.00)
Kye knows that her boyfriend Kasabian is in grave danger, investigating a series of kidnapped children. She knows he's pushing her away for her own safety, but she won't let him face it alone.
Kasabian will risk anything to rescue the children, and he has a bold plan to allow himself to be taken hostage by the kidnapper, Silva. While he tries to reason with Silva, Kye is racing again time to discover where the kidnapper is holding him .
If Kye is reunited with Kasabian, will their combined powers be enough? The fate of the Crescents-and Kye and Kasabian's hearts-hang in the balance.
Kasabian will risk anything to rescue the children, and he has a bold plan to allow himself to be taken hostage by the kidnapper, Silva. While he tries to reason with Silva, Kye is racing again time to discover where the kidnapper is holding him .
If Kye is reunited with Kasabian, will their combined powers be enough? The fate of the Crescents-and Kye and Kasabian's hearts-hang in the balance.
About Jaime Rush
Things that go bump in the night have always fascinated Jaime Rush. Sometimes those things are human; other times, not so much. Now she has twisted them all together in the Hidden, a trilogy about humans with the essence of gods who walk the knife's edge between the glamour of Miami and a place filled with dark magick and dangerous beauty.
Jaime is the author of the Offspring series and also writes under the name Tina Wainscott. She is the bestselling author of eighteen romance novels. She lives in Southwest Florida with her husband, daughter, and cat.
Jaime is the author of the Offspring series and also writes under the name Tina Wainscott. She is the bestselling author of eighteen romance novels. She lives in Southwest Florida with her husband, daughter, and cat.
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Excerpt:
It was damn annoying how Kye's attention kept
straying to Kasabian through the night, how her mind kept replaying their
conversation. Women gawked and flirted, but he didn't flirt back. She was glad
to see him leave while she finished up with a client session after closing
time.
Her relief evaporated when she stepped into the
well-lit parking lot and spotted him leaning against a deep yellow sports car.
As though he were waiting for her. The thought fluttered in her chest. Not
helping, the Lotus's license plate read NOANGEL, and black angel wings spread
across the hood. She told herself it was enough to enjoy the view. Men who took
care of their bodies, working out enough to build muscle without looking too
jacked up, were eye candy. No calories in looking.
The thick black heels of her short boots clunked on
the asphalt. She felt such an odd pull toward him that she forced herself to
give him a brief smile and bypass him.
“Aren’t you hot in that?” he asked, gesturing as
though he were wearing a jacket.
She slowed to a stop in front of him. “Only when I
dance.” No matter how warm she got, she never took off the black leather jacket
with her patches and studs.
“And you didn’t dance.” He tilted his head, giving
her an oh-my-gods-stop-my-heart pout. “Pity.”
"Are you flirting with me?"
"You make it sound like a crime."
"What you're hearing is surprise. I know it's
painful for Caidos to feel desire, punishment you unfairly suffer because your
angel forefathers fell to human temptation. Don't worry. As a therapist, I'm
sworn to secrecy," she added. "Caido clients tell me it's easier to
shut down their desire. Yet you do … feel desire."
"Ah, so you did sense it."
"You threw me off back at the bar. First that
you were flirting, then that you asked me outright to feel you. I mean, to
sense your feelings. You're different."
"Very. I don't usually flirt." He let his
gaze drift down over her black leather skirt and fishnet stockings. His eyes
met hers again, jumpstarting her heart. "You have a strange effect on
me."
Ditto,
buddy. Which made her all too
aware that they were outside alone together.
His chuckle rolled across her skin. "Don't
worry, I'm not waiting out here to pounce on you."
She'd forgotten how Caidos could pick up others'
emotions. "But you are waiting for me."
"Yes, I am."
"You're not going to ask me out or anything,
are you? Because I don't date." He didn't say anything, which made for a
really awkward few seconds. "It's a general rule, nothing personal. If …
that's what you were going to ask." She would have thwapped herself on the forehead if it wouldn't look stupid.
And, of course, as a Caido, he picked up everything
she was feeling, which put a damned incredibly sexy smile on his face. "As
much as I'd love to hook up with you, it's not feasible. Or wise."
He'd love to hook up with her. She tried to staunch
her reaction to those words.
He gave her a sympathetic smile. "The love
guru doesn't date? That seems sad."
She debated being obtuse but decided it was better
that he knew she wasn't just playing hard to get. "Being involved with
someone interferes with my abilities. The drama and distraction, even if things
are going well, takes over my mind. All I get is noise when I read
someone."
"And that terrifies you. Why?"
She really hated that he could read her.
"Helping people is important to me."
"Which leads beautifully to the reason I'm
waiting for you. The Caido/Deuce couple who came in and greeted you like you
were their best friend, who danced together, and kissed … you helped them,
didn't you?"
Kye had watched them snuggling together on the
dance floor with just a tiny bit of longing. "Sorry, client
confidentiality."
He rubbed his chin. "So you did help them. The
only way they could be together is by doing the Essex. I assume you know about
the exchange of essences that balances the Caido so he's not as sensitive to
her emotions. Because it only temporarily ease his pain, a long-term
relationship would mean that her essence would eventually be depleted. No
self-respecting Caido would do that to someone he cares about. So how is it
that they're together?"
She could only give him a general answer.
"I've come up with a way to make the Essex permanent."
He pushed away from the car, interest crackling off
him as he came closer. "Tell me more."
She fought the instinct to back up a step.
"I've had a few mixed-Caido couples approach me about circumventing the
pain. They hadn't meant to fall in love, but now they wanted to be together. I
tried several different spells and magick devices, but nothing worked."
He crossed his arms in front of him and rocked back
on his heels. "And you take it very hard when you can't fix someone."
"You get that from me too?"
"I suppose we both bear a similar burden in
picking up feelings we have no business sensing. How does it work?"
She laid one of her hands on top of the other and
let her fingers barely settle between each other. "With the Essex, you're
limited to how much essence you can exchange, kind of the way my fingers can't
slide together. That's why it's temporary. The Cobra, which I named for the
tantric position, allows both essences to reach fully toward each other, like
this." She laced her hands together, fingers straight so that they formed
an X. "This starts the bonding process. The last step is when both parties
actually pull each other's essence into their souls, permanently locking them
together." Her fingers wrapped over her hands as though in prayer.
"At least, I think it's permanent. The first couple did it four months ago
and it's still holding strong."
"Why haven't I heard about this magick of
yours? The Caido community should be buzzing."
"There are some side effects I'm still working
out. The Caido is bombarded by every emotion he's ever repressed. It can be
intense. One Caido even experienced a resurgence of buried memories."
Kasabian's eyes shimmered. "Buried
memories?"
"It apparently caused some big problems, but
he couldn't give me any details beyond that. He just wanted me to know that it
happened."
He went silent for a few moments, rubbing his
fingers across his mouth. "Can you do it so a Caido can simply experience
desire?"
"Only if you have a committed partner who
wants to be permanently bonded to you. Because that's what it does."
"That would not be a good thing. For any
woman."
"Why?" The mystery of him pulled at her,
the dark desire she'd sensed.
"Oh, love, there you go, needing to help even
though you know you should run the other way." He lowered his chin, the
street light reflecting off his razor-sharp jawline. "And you should. I'm forty
ways fucked up."
She swallowed. No one had ever made her this
off-balanced. "I do want to help. Too many messed up people are not only
suffering but inflicting their misery on others."
"I assure you that I'm not inflicting my
anything on anyone." He reached out with the back of his hand and brushed
it down her cheek. "As much as I'd like to."
She stumbled back, his touch curling throughout her
body. "I should go."
Hunger flashed in his eyes. "Yes, you
should."
Go, run,
and never look back.
