Martin Family, #1
by Parker Kincade
Liquid Silver Publishing
Blurb
Amanda
Martin has the worst taste in men. After being cheated on not once, but twice,
she’s lost all faith in men…and in herself. Determined to regain her
confidence, Amanda decides to have a one-night stand. No relationship, no
promises, no threat of being hurt again…just sex. What she doesn’t anticipate
is meeting a handsome-as-sin stranger who will give her pleasure unlike any
she’s ever known.
Joe Sterling
has spent his life avoiding relationships, his former job as a military sniper
not allowing for such commitments. Now he’s come home to Texas, to let go of
the past and to prove he is more than the killer he’s been trained to be. When
Amanda’s life is threatened, Joe’s killer instinct is tested while Amanda
struggles to protect her heart. Will they succumb to their overwhelming desire
for each other, or lose it all by letting the past dictate their future?
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Martin Family, #2
Blurb
When the past won’t die…
A man
determined to protect her…
Caleb Martin
is no stranger to hazardous situations. He's seen enough bloodshed to last two
lifetimes. When an innocent evening takes a dangerous turn, Caleb takes matters
into his own hands. If she wants his help, it’s his rules, his way. Period.
A woman who
won’t be controlled…
When it
comes to relationships, Samantha keeps things casual, unassuming. Safe. Caleb
Martin is far from safe. His ‘my way or the highway’ attitude pushes all the
wrong buttons, and she’d sworn no man would have that kind of power over her
again.
A hunger
that won’t be denied…
Protecting
Samantha from the man that stalks her shouldn't test his patience—or his
control—but her smart mouth and hot Irish temper stoke the fuel of his desire.
She is pure sin—a distraction he doesn’t need, a temptation he can’t resist.
Despite
their animosity, Caleb has starred in her fantasies for years. His ruthless
sensuality proves to be more potent than she ever imagined. As Caleb masters
her body, Samantha must keep a tight grip her heart.
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Excerpt
He turned to her. Heat pooled in
her stomach as his gaze traveled slowly, deliberately, from her face. He seemed
to take in every inch of her before stopping to linger over her bare legs. “I
don’t sleep much. I’m sorry if I disturbed you.”
“You didn’t.” The devil in her
insisted she cross her legs, exposing more of her thigh to his view. She enjoyed
his eyes on her, as if he saw the woman she was instead of the pain in his ass
he’d claimed her to be. She was tempting fate, knowing that any second he’d
remember who she was and that look in his eye would change.
For now, she’d use any means to distract
him from his pain. Her pain would come later, when she was alone again.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“Why you’re still up.”
He chucked a thumb at the windows. “Daytime.”
She clamped her mouth shut
before she said something she’d regret. And he thought she was stubborn. She
pulled in a slow, steady breath. “True, but barely. On a normal day, I wouldn’t
be up yet.”
“Exactly. Go. Rest.” He closed
his eyes as if to shut her out.
She could feel his irritation,
but, this time, it wasn’t directed at her. It gave her hope as she pressed on.
“Are you hungry? I could make us
some breakfast. If you don’t mind me searching through your fridge, I’m sure I
could find something edible.” In fact, she’d been surprised at the amount of
food she’d seen. She’d half expected him to only have beer and water and maybe
a stray bottle of ketchup. Like Alec’s fridge.
“For the love of christ, what do
you want? I don’t want to eat. I don’t want to talk.” He sighed, apparently
resigned to her company a few minutes more. “What do you want, Samantha?”
Right now? To slap the shit out of you.
Hurt invaded her chest as she
stared back at him. Gone was the pain she’d seen earlier, as well as the male
interest. What remained was the Caleb she knew. Cold, hard, angry.
She shoved the hurt away and bit
back the sharp retort he deserved. She softened her features, allowing herself
to appear vulnerable. It wasn’t much of a stretch. “Can I stay with you?”
* * *
Caleb jerked,
surprised by her request. “That’s not a good idea.”
Even as he said the words, his
cock came to life. It seemed the lower half of his body thought it was a very
good idea. And seeing her in nothing but his T-shirt wasn’t helping. Jesus, he
hoped she had panties on under there. A bigger, harder, part of him hoped that
she didn’t.
Samantha shifted, exposing more
of her delectable thighs. “It’s not like I’m asking you to get a root canal.
You can wipe that horrified look off your face.”
Caleb checked his expression,
doing his best to appear calm, bored even. She’d surprised the hell out of him,
coming in his room like she had.
He was angry. Angry with himself
and the past that wouldn’t free him. Angry at her for being here, for looking
as if she belonged here. This was his space, damn it. How was he supposed to
relax with her prancing around half naked, knowing she’d pleasured herself and
called his name?
He wasn’t stupid. He suspected
it was his fault she was awake, and now she was here—checking on him as if he
was a child who needed coddling. He didn’t need coddling. His body demanded the
satisfaction that would only come from pounding his aching flesh deep into her
soft, wet pussy.
As tempting as that idea may be,
he was still trying to wrap his head around how he felt about her.
“You’re tired. You don’t know
what you’re asking.” And he couldn’t think straight. He was low on sleep and
even lower on patience. He shoved his hands into his hair and blew out a
breath. “You can’t be in here. Go back to bed.” Before he forgot all the
reasons he shouldn’t fuck her silly.
“Why did I think… God, I’m such
an —” She closed her mouth, her lips drawn into a thin, tight line. Her cheeks
flushed as she advanced on him. “I’m sick of you judging me. Telling me what I
should and shouldn’t do. If you hadn’t noticed, my night sucked. Hell, the last
year has sucked. So, you can shove
your overinflated male ego up your own ass. I’m not asking you to have sex with
me for chrissake.” She stumbled back and planted her butt on the edge of the
bed. “Just for once, Caleb, can’t you set aside your feelings? Forget your
stupid sense of responsibility where I’m concerned and just be here for me like a normal person?”
What the fuck?
“My stupid sense of what?”
The laugh that escaped her lips
made him uneasy.
“You heard me, horseman.” She eased back to her feet
and sauntered toward him. “You think I don’t know how you feel about me? Let me
see … troublemaker, instigator, bad influence.” She ticked off the words on her fingers. “Oh, and my personal
favorite … menace. Really, Caleb.
Menace? That’s a little strong don’t you think?” She fisted her hands on her
hips, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I know you don’t like me. If it
weren’t for Amanda and Alec, I wouldn’t be here and we both know it.” Her chest
rose and fell in rapid succession as she glared at him. “And I’m sick of being
your charity case.”
Caleb fought the urge to look
away. She hadn’t lied about the words he’d uttered to describe her over the
years, but to have them slung back at him just pissed him off.
“You want to know what I’m sick of, Samantha? I’m sick of you
pushing my buttons. I’m sick of your stubborn-assed attitude when it comes to
your own safety and I’m fucking sick and tired of you calling me horseman!” His shout rattled the
windows, but he didn’t care. He was on a roll now, like a fucking train wreck,
unable to stop.
Crossing his arms over his
chest, he glared down at her. “If you and Amanda hadn’t decided the woods were
the best place to partake in a little underage drinking, the boys and I
wouldn’t have had to saddle up to go find your drunk asses before some wild
animal made you a snack. Did you ever think of that, Samantha? During your
little adventure with my baby sister,
did you stop to consider the consequences? Do you ever?”
Samantha made a noise of disgust
and stormed from the room. “This is what I get for trying to be nice,” she
yelled.
Caleb went after her, following
her into the spare room. “Nice? Nice?” The floodgates were open, his anger and
frustration leaving any sense of self-preservation in the dust. “You think
calling us the horsemen of the apocalypse is nice? Is that fun for
you? Because all it does is remind me
of being scared out of my ever-loving mind that something was going to … that
Amanda …” No, he wasn’t going back there.
Not. Going. There.
“And as for my stupid sense of responsibility, I
protect what’s mine, damn it!”
Samantha’s sharp intake of
breath drifted through his angry haze and punched him in the gut. She sank back
to the bed and wiped the tear that escaped the corner of her eye.
It was like ice water to his
soul.
This woman tested his restraint.
No other woman, save his sister, had ever pushed him so hard. It was
infuriating and intoxicating at the same time. She left him off balance, out of
control—two things that spelled disaster where he was concerned.
Caleb ran his hands through his
hair, settling his palms on the back of his neck.
“Samantha.”
His heart skipped a beat as
emotion played out on her face. Sadness, regret, and finally … resolve.
“Get out.” Her voice was soft.
“God, what was I thinking? Just get out.”
He stood there, unable to move
as he struggled to comprehend the vulnerability pouring out of her. His gaze
traveled over the delicate features of her face, the line of her shoulders. The
rise of her breasts, her slim waist, and long legs. Her feet were bare. Her
toenails were painted a rich red that spoke of fire. Passion.
She shifted on the bed and
winced, making him feel like a total ass. Again. Her night had sucked. With her
tough-as-nails attitude, Caleb hadn’t considered she might actually need
comforting.
He took a deep breath. “I’ll stay.”
Her eyes, blue and blazing,
snapped up. “Of course you will. Because why in the hell would you listen to
me?”
“You asked me to stay.”
“I asked you to leave.”
“As you so diligently pointed
out earlier, I don’t listen.” And he still had things to say.
She rubbed her temples, as if their
argument had given her a headache. “Fine. Whatever.”
“Samantha. Look at me.” When she
didn’t move, he crouched in front of her. He tilted her chin until she looked
at him. “I don’t dislike you. I need you to know that.”
She offered him a sad smile. “The
gesture is appreciated, Caleb. Thank you.” She pulled her face away.
Refusing to let her retreat, he
tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her face. Soft, warm
skin greeted his palm. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, amazed by its
smoothness. “It’s the truth. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean —”
She put a finger to his lips and
he barely resisted the urge to open his mouth and taste her.
“Yes, you did. And it’s okay. We
may not get along, but at least you’ve never lied to me. Please don’t start
now. I’m a big girl, Caleb. I can take it. And I owe you an apology. I’m sorry
for not considering your feelings where Amanda is concerned.”
Her touch rocked him. Revamped his desire to
have her wet and screaming his name. “I’m sorry for all that.” He offered her
what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m so used to you calling me horseman
now, I’m afraid I’d never answer to anything else from your lips.” Those sweet,
succulent lips. “What is it about you that makes me so crazy?” he murmured.
She chuckled. “I’m too tired to
fight anymore, Caleb. The best course of action would be to find the evidence I
need to bury Matteo. Then we can move on.”
The mention of her stalker
snapped his brain back to attention. He had a job to do. Eliminate the threat
and protect Samantha.
Best he remember that.
Distractions led to mistakes. He
couldn’t afford any more mistakes.
He forced his voice level,
undemanding. “It’d be a lot easier if you’d let us help. Let me help. Trust me to take care of this
for you.”
Asking for her trust was a long
shot. In truth, he probably didn’t deserve it. But, he had to try. Needed to
try. He would protect her.
“Trust you?” She seemed to
consider his words. After a moment, she surprised him by nodding. “I can’t
promise miracles, but I’ll do my best to follow your lead … until this is
over.”
Caleb resisted the insane urge
to pump his fist in the air. “So, we have a deal then?”
She caressed her fingers over
his jaw. He leaned into her gentle touch, feeling it all the way to his bones.
“Oh, now you’re willing to make
deals?” She looked him dead in the eye. “All right then, but once Matteo is
caught and the threat against me is gone? You’ll go on with your life and I’ll
go on with mine, and hopefully, we can stay out of each other’s way. That’s the
deal.”
She dropped her hand to her lap.
“After this, Caleb, we’re done.”
Author Bio and Links
Parker
Kincade is the award-winning erotic romance author of The Martin Family Series.
Her first novel,
One Night Stand, won
the 2013 Reader’s Crown Award for Best First Book, the category of Best Erotic
Romance in the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Golden Claddagh contest and was
named finalist in the Romance Writers of America/Passionate Ink Stroke of
Midnight contest.
Parker lives
in the southern United States with her husband, children and beloved boxer
sidekick. She loves reading, playing golf, spending time with her family and
friends, ice cream from the ice cream truck, taking her dog to the park and
watching old musicals.
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