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The Blurb:
Tall, blonde, and charming, a new adventure has blown into Miami. When Sergeant Severins Bouvier’s wolf senses bring him to a tiny accountants’ office, he unknowingly steps in the middle of a manhunt. Kaia doesn’t trust Sev, but she’ll have to rely on him once a rogue group of creatures catches her scent. Now, they’re on the run together, and chasing after her ex is the only way of ending this nightmare. If you like the dark and sexy plots of the Dark Hunters and paranormal twists of the Anita Blake Series, you’ll love the Loving Red Saga. Buy Loving Red to start this sweetly sadistic affair today. Don't miss the bonus story UNTAMED featuring Ari and her first few weeks at Boot Camp. Excerpt from Chapter One: Severins Bouvier stepped off the military aircraft and looked around the Miami airport. The sounds of bombs and gunfire still backfired in his ears as he loaded his large body with Army-issued duffels in order to hurry up and wait for the bus that would take him to SouthCom. The smells of fried plantains and spicy pork comforted him. The ride through Miami overwhelmed him, until he caught a scent more intoxicating than the salt water and skyscrapers…a woman. He leaned over Michaels, the soldier next to him, as a redheaded woman stepped out of a squat, gray building. Her bangs slanted into her bright, smoke-lined eyes before her fingers brushed them away. The scent of her patchouli and orange soap struck at the emptiness inside of him. The bus turned onto the highway as she disappeared from his view. Severins noted every marker possible on his way out to the base. With a single room and no chance for a roommate, Severins lay back on his bed with a sigh, not bothering to strip out of his uniform. Closing his eyes, he was grateful for the new and familiar aroma in his room—lemon and bleach cleaner, the greasy smell of man and Old Spice, and fresh grass and ocean. He hadn’t often been around the ocean, but as he breathed deeply, he couldn’t fathom being anywhere else after thirteen months of hot desert. An image of the redheaded woman played behind his dark eyelids in circles, making his heart beat in odd rhythms until he grew too tense. Stripping from his uniform, he laid out his boots and jacket for later wear and threw the rest of his clothes in the dingy brown chair by the window. A cheap, fat wooden desk squatted beside it, a sink and mirror to the right, smashed between the reading nook and the closet. Dressed in shorts and shower sandals, Severins trudged down the concrete steps of the barracks and into the blue-tiled bathroom; he washed and shaved with the luxury of a full five-minutes of hot water. He craved to be in the American wilderness, to be in his wolf form, running with the breeze pushing through his fur. Shaking off the excess water, he finished drying himself with the towel before wrapping it around his waist and returning to his room where he dressed in civilian clothes for the first time in over a year. A shiver ran through him again as the faded perfume of the redhead filtered into his senses again. He should call his parents back, like he said he would, but he wasn’t able to sit any longer. It would take him a few hours to get his Jeep out of storage and that would be agonizing enough. Severins needed to find that woman. *** The civilian workday had almost ended when Severins found the corner he’d glimpsed the woman. A sign overhead read Skarin and Co. Bookkeeping. Bookkeeping? He’d need a real reason to enter, and his lack of one didn’t stop him in time. A stout blonde sat at the dark-red, wooden desk, computer angled to the side, a receptionist’s phone beside it, and a nameplate that read, Linda Sweet. Her brown eyes widened as her gaze swept up to him, never truly meeting his own. She smoothed the front of her blouse and sat straighter. “Welcome to Skarin and Co., what can I do you for, handsome?” He smiled, and her red painted lips spread further apart. Linda’s smile wasn’t unappealing, but she wasn’t the redhead he sought. “Well, Linda, I was looking for a bookkeeper. Friend of mine sent me in here with a name, but all be damned, I forgot it.” The soft southern twang he’d accumulated since living in the States seemed to do a number on Linda. Red smeared over her front teeth as she pulled at her bottom lip. “All of our bookkeepers are more than qualified. What type of business do you need them for?” Severins smiled at her, leaning one hand on the edge of her desk. He hated using tactics such as these, but he wasn’t prepared to answer her questions. “He was real particular when he told me who to see. Mentioned to watch out for her, something about redheads…” The resignation registered in her brown eyes, and she nodded, lip falling from her teeth; she looked past him, down a hallway as if her dream ran off. “You mean Kaia Skarin. I think she’s still in.” Linda held up a finger, brought the phone receiver to her ear, and typed out 631. Severins straightened, seeing her crestfallen. Had she lost men to the other woman? “You’ve got something tall and spicy out here, and if you don’t come out, I’m drinking it.” Linda winked at him. Severins smiled in appreciation, and the woman went back to her computer. A door opened at the end of the hall, revealing the redheaded woman; she held a canvas bag in her hand and scribbled onto it as she walked. Placing the bag in Linda’s box, she smiled at the woman. Linda gestured her to Severins, causing the redhead’s eyes to widen before pink filled out her cheeks. She stepped forward with her arm extended. “Hi, I’m Kaia. You’re interested in using our bookkeeping services?” Her sweet voice swept through him like electricity; the hair on the nap of his neck tingled. He cleared his throat. “That’s right. I didn’t realize how late it was, though. You must be on your way out.” Kaia and Linda exchanged glances; Kaia’s cheeks flaming brighter. “Nonsense. Come back to my office, and we can look over a few different types of accounts.” She motioned down the hall. “Please, after you.” Severins stepped forward, ready to follow her. She moved into the hallway, and he winked at Linda, who giggled. The citrus smell of her grew more potent in the smaller space, and it rode his every animalistic instinct to claim her. He clenched his fists to keep himself in check until she rounded her desk. The room was done in dark reds, black, and gold. She gestured to the two seats beside the door for him to sit. “Well, I have several options I can discuss with you, Mr…” “Sergeant Bouvier.” Kaia slipped as she sat in her office chair. “Sergeant.” A small smile flickered at the edge of her lips. “Ah, anything a Miami native might have an easier time with?” “Afraid not. First name’s Severins.” “Really?” She fumbled with the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a file. “I don’t think I can get a grasp of either of those in one meeting. Would Sev be okay?” Sev… “Suits me fine, Ms. Skarin.” That smile—her bright red lips spreading to reveal perfect teeth. “Kaia.” “Well, Kaia. It’s officially five.” He pointed to the wall clock behind her, but she didn’t look. “Since it’s also officially after hours, how about I treat you to some grub to make up for barging in here so late.” She leaned forward, her forearms covering the file on her desk. “I tell you what. You treat me to a grilled cheese down the street, and I will bring the paperwork. Then we’ll call it even.” *** Blond and beautiful, this man was built like a brick shit house. He sat low, so he had to look up to meet Kaia’s gaze, and his eyes made her bold. Men often tried to court her, a decent number of them nice looking, but this man…Sev did things to her insides that she’d only experienced once before. “You’ve got yourself a deal, beautiful.” Sev stood and offered his hand. Shaking her head, she stood on her own, gathering the file and putting it in her purse. He took his hand back but didn’t seem at all uneasy with her assertion. With a smile, he took the hint and led the way out of her office. Mmm, what a great butt…Kaia, girl, what are you getting yourself into here? Once out of her office, she took the lead, heading straight for Five Guys and their fabulous grilled cheese. “So, Sergeant, were you stationed overseas?” He didn’t skip a step. “Two tours. Afghanistan.” “What branch of the military?” Her fingers threaded through the straps on her purse. God, he was big. She glanced up at him, her gaze catching on the V of his collar where it showed the dimple of muscle. Kaia refrained from biting her lip and looked ahead of her again. This man had to be made of pheromones. “All Army, baby.” His voice dipped, and she folded her arms to fight off the chill, even through the Miami heat. “You on some kind of leave? Planning on going back?” “Am I completing the screening interview, beautiful?” Sev’s sharp blue gaze hit her and dislodged the shiver she had been suppressing. Dropping her arms, Kaia straightened her back and gave Sev a challenging look she knew would drive him through a loop. “Yes. I need to be sure we can meet all of your needs.” His nostrils flared—the only change in him. Still, for her, it was enough. “Well, I just got back. I’ve been in near eight years, so my contract is almost up. And I have a whole three weeks to myself to make sure you meet every one of those needs I’ve got.” She turned, chewing on her cheek, glad to have reached Five Guys. The familiar smell of freshly baked sourdough calmed her nerves so she could remember that this was only business. Sev bent to speak in her ear, his breath rushed over her neck and into her hair, causing her muscles to bunch back up. “What’s good here?” Kaia pointed at the menu. “Pretty much anything written up there on that board.” He stood back, and she advanced to order. Kaia pulled her bag forward and smiled at the woman with the apron behind the counter. “Grilled cheese with bacon on a sourdough, please.” The cashier nodded and looked up at Sev. “And for you, sir?” “Two more of the same, please.” Sev winked at the woman and pulled out his wallet. Right, this was just business, a fair trade of goods for goods. But Kaia’s hands itched to grab her wallet and pay for her own food, even as he forked over some bills. Was she trading for more than that? The woman behind the counter flustered over him a bit, and it made Kaia move down to grab utensils and napkins as he waited on their food. She chose a spot in the back corner booth and slid in so that her back faced the wall. Her vantage point showed the whole place, and more specifically, Sev as he smiled, took their order, and walked her way. Halfway across the dining room, he paused and seemed to catch someone’s eyes, his nod so minute Kaia almost didn’t notice it. Her gaze shifted to take in a large, dark man with a slicked back, black ponytail and a hard five o’clock shadow. The darker man gave the same nod and watched her potential client sit beside her. Kaia met his yellow gaze before she looked over at Sev. “Someone you know?” “No, but we’re in the same line of work. It’s relatively easy to spot each other.” Sev placed a sandwich in front of her and opened his own. Kaia looked at the other man again, who openly eyed her before he went back to his meal. “I didn’t know they let men have long hair in the military.” “That wasn’t the line of work I was referring to. Don’t fret about it. Let’s talk about these options you have for me.” Something about the way Sev sat, close to her, back to the corner as she positioned herself; he feigned relaxation with his shoulders pulled forward, no worry lines in his face, but she felt how tightly coiled he was as she picked up her grilled cheese. “Why do I have a feeling you don’t really care all that much about what I brought from my office?” The muscles in his shoulders rolled, and his blue eyes lifted to look into hers. “Because I’m a terrible liar?” “Mmm hmm.” “But, since I’ve been outed, I can skip to the chase and ask you out on a proper date.” She froze; although she half-expected it, her palms grew sweaty. Wiping them, she took a bite of her sandwich, the bacon so crisp it fell apart within the cheese. Chewing slowly, she contemplated him. What brought him to her office? Why the pretense of being a client? And what was the deal with that ponytail guy? “And what if I say no?” “You won’t.” |
