HARD AS STEEL: A Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Novella After identifying her employer's dangerous enemies, Jessica Jakes takes refuge at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. Fellow Hard Ink tattooist and Raven leader Ike Young promises to keep Jess safe for as long as it takes, which would be perfect if his close, personal, round-the-clock protection didn't make it so hard to hide just how much she wants him—and always has. Ike Young loved and lost a woman in trouble once before. The last thing he needs is alone time with the sexiest and feistiest woman he's ever known, one he's purposely kept at a distance for years. Now, Ike's not sure he can keep his hands or his heart to himself—or that he even wants to anymore. And that means he has to do whatever it takes to hold on to Jess forever.
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About Laura Kaye: Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. 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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Excerpt
I’m thrilled to be here
celebrating the release of my 21st book, HARD AS STEEL! After a
midnight break-in at her apartment, close friends and Hard Ink Tattoo
co-workers Ike Young and Jessica Jakes are forced into hiding—and forced to
confront the feelings they’ve always denied for one another. I have always adored
friends-to-lovers and forced proximity stories, and HARD AS STEEL delivers that
and more, including a taste of both my award-winning and best-selling Hard Ink
and upcoming Raven Riders series! Check out this excerpt:
“Any
better?” Ike asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Jess
peered up at him. “A little.”
His eyes
narrowed. “You’re still cold now, aren’t you?”
She
shivered and pulled the cover tighter around her shoulder. “Yeah.”
“Fuck.”
Ike scrubbed a hand over his bald head and mumbled something she couldn’t quite
make out. “Maybe I shouldn’t have put you in the tub after all.”
“I think
it was the right thing, Ike. I was so out of it. It is better than it was before.” She worked at a small smile. No
matter how bad she felt, the last thing she wanted was to make him feel bad
given everything he was doing for her. As if he hadn’t already gone out of his
way in giving her a place of refuge and his personal protection for as long as
she needed it, now he had to play freaking nursemaid to a sicky. Which, on top
of everything, was super attractive.
The only
upside to that ice-cold bath was that Ike had gotten wet and tossed his shirt,
and Jess thought she might be willing to be sick more often if it meant getting
to see him shirtless. Because, holy bad-ass tattooed biker on a stick, he was
so freaking hot. Cut muscles, ink everywhere, two insanely delicious indents
low on his waist. And scars Jess had never seen before and had no idea how Ike
had gotten.
All that
goodness and Jess couldn’t even see the big Ravens tat that she knew covered
Ike’s broad back. But she’d seen it before, back at Hard Ink when Jeremy
occasionally did a new piece for Ike. She’d seen it enough to know that she’d
love to have a good reason to dig her fingers into that tat…
Oh, for
fuck’s sake, even sick she couldn’t stop fantasizing about what it would be
like to be with Ike. Just once.
“Jess?”
Her gaze
snapped to his eyes. “Huh?” Hopefully the warmth crawling up her cheeks would
pass for a fevered flush. Because she was so busted.
“I, uh,
asked if you thought it would help if I got in with you.” The expression he
wore said he was dubious about the idea.
And as
much as Jess loved the idea, she didn’t want him doing anything with her that
he didn’t really want to do. “That’s okay. Why don’t you go get some sleep now?
It’s gotta be almost morning.”
He looked
at her for a long moment, and then he tapped his hand against her arm. “Scoot
over.”
“Ike—”
“Damnit,
scoot your scrawny ass over already.” He cocked an eyebrow, humor sliding into
his eyes.
“Well,
I’ll scoot over,” she said as she made herself move. “But you and I both know
there ain’t anything scrawny about my ass.”
“Jessica?”
Ike said as he got in next to her wearing only his jeans.
“Yeah?”
The minute he was down, she nearly dove into the crook of his body, her
forehead against his neck, her breasts against his ribs, her bare legs
intertwined with his denim-clad ones. She wasn’t sure where to put her hand,
because the not-sick part of her brain wanted to touch him everywhere right now oh my god I’m in bed with Ike! But
she settled for resting it on his chest, the hair on his pecs ticklish against
her fingers.
“Shut up
and go to sleep.” He took the edge off the words by clasping her hand in his
and pressing it more firmly to his skin.
“Be nice
to me. I’m sick,” she said, burrowing in further.
Ike
wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tighter against him. God,
he felt good, warm and hard and strong. “Woman,” he said, his voice full of
gravel. “This is me being nice.”
