Thirsty Thursday -- The Submissive

This dark little cocktail is a twisted Between the Sheets.
Using an aged virgin cane honey rum and an unaged “cognac” we turn the rolls around in this role-play drink. Brought together with cherries and spiced with pink pepper, all your taste buds will submit to this black velvet master.

Ingredients:
30ml Eau de Vie de Vin (Merlet)
30ml Aged Rum (Zacapa 23)
20ml Maraschino (Luxardo)
10ml Lemon Juice
2 dash Cherry Bitters (Fee Brothers)
1 Egg white
1mg Active Carbon Powder

Preparation:
Shake all ingredients with ice in shake and strain back into boston glass.
Shake again hard without ice (dry shake)
Pour into a chilled Perception Coupe
Garnish with pink pepper from a pepper grinder



Now, enjoy this little preview of Yes, Sir -- Southern Submission book 1 from Page Warren

Summer in Texas was no damn joke. The temperature had been over one hundred degrees every day for weeks now, and it wasn’t letting up anytime soon. It might not have been so bad, but the humidity had been up too.

I wanted to kick the crap out of my car in frustration, but my footwear held me back. The last thing I needed to do was break a toe or worse. Hands on my hips, I stared at my piece of crap car, like it had all the answers. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be imparting any wisdom to me, and I was seriously melting on the sidewalk. Something cold skated down my arm and I turned to see Mr. Sexy standing next to me, a cold bottle of water in his hand, and a panty-melting smile on his lips.

“Looks like you could use this,” he said. “Bad day?”

“You could say that.”

I accepted the bottle of water and took a big gulp, hastily wiping away the droplets that spilled from the corner of my mouth. He nodded toward my car, which still had the windows rolled down from my drive over.

“Either you like fresh air or you don’t have A/C.”

“A little bit of both. The vents don’t work at all anymore, which is a pain in the ass when it rains and the windshield fogs because the defroster doesn’t work either.”

He frowned and leaned through the window of my car to check it out. What the hell he could tell by just looking at the interior I didn’t know. Cars were a mystery to me. I knew you put gas in them, turned the key, and pressed the pedal to make it go. Other than that, I didn’t have a clue. I’d never had a dad to show me how to change the oil or fix a flat tire.

“Why don’t you pull it over to the shop for a minute and I’ll take a look?”

I bit my lip. “I appreciate it, really, but I can’t afford --”

He cut me off. “No charge. No one should drive around in this heat without air. If you got stuck in traffic too long, you could overheat and pass out. I can’t promise I can fix it, but what would it hurt for me to check out it?”

“Why would you do it for free?” I asked, more than a little skeptical. No one ever did anything for free. I just couldn’t figure out what he’d possibly want from me. I wasn’t exactly ugly, but with my hair not brushed and windblown, I wasn’t looking my best.

“Maybe I’m hoping it will convince you I’m a nice guy.”

My eyebrows lifted. “And are you?”

“Most of the time.” He chuckled. “So, what do you say? Let me take a look?”

“Sure. I appreciate it.”

He walked back over to the shop next door and I climbed into my car to pull it over to the open bay that didn’t have a motorcycle parked in it. The interior of the garage was a little cooler than the sidewalk had been and several fans were blasting a nice breeze through the place. Some of the guys stopped what they were doing to see what was going on, and there were one or two smirks, but Mr. Sexy scowled at them and everyone got back to work.

I’d left the keys in the ignition, so Mr. Sexy cranked the engine and played with the air controls. Then he got out and walked around to the passenger side. I saw him grab some tools from a nearby cabinet, but I didn’t want to lean into the car to watch him. He popped back out of the car a few minutes later with some strange looking thing in his hand.

“This is your problem,” he said. “The actuator burnt out. It’s the little motor that controls your air flow. I can look up the part and see if anyone local has one.”

“I really do appreciate you checking it out, but I can’t afford to replace anything right now. I was hoping it was just a loose wire or something.”

His gaze scanned me from head to toe before taking in my poor car. My RAV4 had more dings and dents than most cars, and at twenty years old, the leather seats were tearing and the paint was losing its shine. Even the windows had sounded like they were having trouble rolling up and down the last few times, and I worried they would crap out too and I’d be stuck without so much as a breeze to cool me down.

“Just how much trouble are you in right now?” he finally asked, his gaze going to the bruise on my cheek.

I didn’t know how much to share with him, what with him being a stranger and all. It wasn’t like we were BFFs chatting over coffee. It was sweet that he was trying to take care of me, but I’d been standing on my own two feet for so long I’d almost forgotten how to accept help when it came my way, which was seldom. He nodded toward the door on the far side of the shop and I followed him out of the work area.

Inside, the air conditioning was going full blast and I nearly sighed in relief. There was a small waiting area with black leather couches, a desk with a register, and then two closed doors. One had a bathroom sign on it, so I assumed the other was the office. Mr. Sexy pushed open the unmarked door and motioned for me to have a seat across from the rather large desk littered with papers.

“So, you’re the manager here?” I asked, checking the place out.

That damn irresistible smirk was back. “I’m the owner.”

BUY SOON!

Thirsty Thursday

Alien Buzz

• ice
• 30ml banana liqueur
• 30ml Midori melon liqueur
• 30ml peach liqueur
• 30ml malibu coconut rum
• 30ml blue curacao
• soda water, to top (or ginger ale)

1. Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add all ingredients except for the caracao & soda water.
3. Shake & strain into a highball (tall) glass.
4. top with soda water, leaving enough room to.
5. float the blue caracao on top.

THE BOOK! Shaalon (Married to the Aliens 3)

by Ashlynn Monroe Shaalon knows she made a mistake, but she never thought she'd be sacrificed to an alien. Thrust in a cell with a blood thirsty male of Xerra's warrior class, she expects a terrible death. Bracing for the worse, she never expects to see hope in his eyes. Cayylen wanted a warrior's death, not the disgrace of an execution. With a single sun cycle left to him his last request is to fuck the daughter of his enemy. He never expects his request to be honored, but the moment he looks in Shaalon's eyes he realizes she is his mate. The strength he gains from finding his woman is enough for him to break free, but he refuses to let her go. War has been coming for a long time, but will taking his woman hostage be the tipping point the warriors need to fight the system trying to end their lines? *** Cayylen paced in his cell. He had to get out before they executed him. Cayylen, son of Braxxon, the Duke of Miin, serving a death sentence. The notion was more than he could fathom. He was the heir to the wealthiest region of Xerra, but that wouldn't save him. He'd been caught in the middle of training. The punishment for warriors passing down their skills was an immediate death sentence for both the master and the apprentice. He'd been teaching his nephew the way. Strength ran deep in the roots of his family tree. He'd seen the traits in the boy from an early age, so when he was approached, he couldn't turn his blood away to find another teacher. Cayylen prayed to the gods that Hexxer still lived. Anger filled him with a white-hot rage that blinded him. One day the warriors would rise again to restore the true religion to Xerra. The pretender on the throne would enjoy no mercy as his life ebbed under a warrior's blade. Hopefully mine. Cayylen slammed his fist against the stone wall and raged until his throat hurt. He wasn't ready to die, but being trapped here was its own kind of death. "I wish they'd hurry and get it over with," Cayylen mumbled to himself. He leaned against the cold stone; his head hung low, his soul mired in despair. And then the door opened. A woman came tumbling into the cell to land on the rough stone floor, crying out in pain. The door slammed shut. The terrified woman peered up at him through her long brown hair. Loose hair meant she was either a prostitute or a woman who'd just married. Judging from her short, sleeveless dress, she was a new bride. Purple. She wore the color of his house, but she was not of his people. Her lighter skin and golden brown hair marked her as laborer class. Long ago her people had been bred to be subservient, hardy workers for the upper classes and warriors. The practice stopped long ago, but there was still a stigma associated with her ancestry even though those of laborer descent outnumbered everyone else on Xerra three-to-one. Confusion and anger bubbled in him. He could handle death for his beliefs, but not mockery. The woman appeared terrified. Her big brown eyes were huge and very prominent in her small, regal features. He'd never seen a woman who was so beautiful in such a simple way. It had been far too long since he'd had a woman under him. Cayylen's eyes narrowed as he pierced her with his gaze. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" She gasped, rolled on her side, and curled into a ball. Then he remembered his flippant last request. He'd asked to be given the daughter of his enemy. But this woman was no enemy. "Damn the gods!" This girl was meant for him to enjoy, but he was no rapist. She shook. He saw her damaged knees bleeding and something twisted inside him. A connection hung between them. Maybe it was just that they were captive here together, or maybe it was... He refused to let his mind speculate over a Soul Union. He had no male he'd be willing to share a bride with, so the revered Soul Trinity was never going to be his. Soul Union was far rarer, and the impossible odds of finding his mate here, while he awaited death, was laughable. Something protective rose up inside of him and made him angry at himself for putting her here with him. He had never thought for a moment they would give him a woman when he'd made the flippant request. "Who are you?" he repeated. "Please don't kill me," she whimpered. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks, and he had the strangest urge to wipe them away. "Do I have a reason to kill you? What have you done?" She paled. His words had the desired effect, and she stopped crying. "I -- nothing. They've sentenced me to death, and you are to be my executioner." Cayylen loosed a long string of curses under his breath. These idiots believed the rhetoric about warriors becoming bloodthirsty maniacs. Lies were told to children to profane the glorious past and prevent the young from seeking out the once illustrious ranks of the Warrior's Guild, Protectors of Xerra. Cayylen crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you believe I will kill you?" He took a step toward her. She scrambled away until her back hit the wall opposite him. "Yes." He imagined what he must look like to her. He stood twice her size and bare-chested. Men no longer honed their muscles as the warriors did. In only two generations, society had made his guild monsters. Stories of how they sacrificed babies to achieve immortality and a change of cultural attitude toward polyamory contributed to the spreading of falsehoods. "Why? Have you ever met a warrior?" BUY! AMAZON!

Thirsty Thursday -- Cardboard Hero

Cardboard Hero

by Shelby Morgen

Victoria Townsen's falling in love with her hero. Ewan MacKenzie is a dangerous man. He's in control of almost every situation -- except the woman who haunts his fantasies.

He's perfect. The embodiment of every fantasy Tory's ever written. There's only one slight problem. Tory's always written sweet romances. Her publisher wants something spicier. Tory's just discovered her perfect lover's not anatomically correct! That's a problem she should be able to solve. With a little help.

Then there's Evan. Her modern day hero. Her protector. How can Tory possibly expect him to understand she's already in love -- with the hero in the cover art he posed for more than a decade ago?

Publisher's Note: Wild Geese is the companion story to Cardboard Hero -- the book Tory is writing in Cardboard Hero.

BUY!

Hot Scotch Cocktail

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 oz Butterscotch Liqueur (Wenneker Butterscotch)
Hot Chocolate
Whipped Cream
Glass: Irish Coffee Glass


DIRECTIONS
Add butterscotch liqueur to a warm Irish coffee glass.
Fill with hot chocolate and stir.
Top with whipped cream and serve.

Thirsty Thursday - Stargazer Cocktail

Stargazer Cocktail made with 

Club Soda

Cranberry juice

Ice

Stoli Orange Vodka

Stoli Raspberry Vodka

pour vodka and blue curacao into tall glass over ice if desired. top up with lemonade or soda water. slowly pour grenadine down side of glass till it settles at bottom.

EXCERPT!

Captain Samuel Mayfair would have aborted this disastrous exploratory mission and taken the entire squad back to the ship if his damned com-unit had worked. But the device had gone dead right after he'd realized most of his crewmates were missing, and his navi-unit showed every direction pointing toward the planet's north pole so he couldn't even tell where the hell he was. To top all of that off, the only member of the squad who did remain was the one person of the hundreds on the Stargazer who got under his skin with almost everything coming out of her mouth.

Dr. Ilandra Veran, his Sensitive Officer, didn't seem the least bit phased by the situation. Instead, she'd affected her usual posture of pseudo-tranquility with her closed eyes and even breathing. Getting in touch with something's vibrations probably, even though they were the only sentient creatures here -- at least to the best of his knowledge. His intruder detector didn't work, either.

And what a weird-ass place this was. Not a building in sight, just vegetation. Trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses. Veran called it "lush," he called it green overload, city rat that he was. At least, his weapon seemed to function. He discharged it at a rock where the contact made a satisfying hiss and sent off a blast of heat.

The noise got the good doctor's attention, finally, because she jumped and plastered her hand over her heart. "Did you have to do that... sir?"

He could call her on lack of deference to his authority, but to be fair, he shouldn't enjoy startling her. "I wanted to see if any of my equipment worked... Doctor."

She reached to her belt and turned on her matter-analyzer. All the right lights and noises went off. "This seems fine."

"Good thing. If we can't get the hell off this dismal planet soon we may have to find something we can eat," he said.

"It's not dismal at all, sir."

He glanced around. The place was what lots of people would call lovely, if you liked that sort of thing. He'd had little experience with anything other than the depths of the metropolis he'd grown up in. The climate here was warm enough but not too hot, and the air hadn't been recycled a dozen or more times. They were supposed to explore, but they'd accomplish nothing without communication with the ship.

"I suppose you like it here," he said.

"I don't want to be stranded, and the rest of the squad disappeared," she said. "I wouldn't wish for any of that."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Do I hear a 'but' at the end of your assessment?"

"Overall, I get a feeling of benevolence from this place," she said. "There's a definite hum. Kind of a silent planetary song."

It was exactly that sort of statement that made him grind his rear teeth. If planets could sing, which they couldn't, how would their song be silent? Sensitive Officers were all the rage with the chain of command higher than his pay scale. And he had to admit there was some evidence they had creative ways of processing information more hardheaded types, like himself, didn't possess. So, he'd ended up with Ilandra Veran, PhD. And now she was staring at him with the expression saying she knew he didn't believe a damned thing she said and she didn't care. She didn't have to care. He couldn't fire her. If he'd had to end up stranded on an uninhabited planet with someone, why did the person have to be her?

Sure, she was easy to look at. Tall enough for her nose to come up to his chin, and with dark, wavy hair tumbling over her shoulders. She filled out her uniform in all the places that said "female," and her lips looked uncomfortably kissable. And yeah, he'd had more than one hot fantasy about her, during which she'd remained silent. But the light of irritation in her green eyes kept her from being too attractive to resist. The feeling was mutual.

"Do you have any sense..." He put more emphasis on the last word than necessary. "... about what happened to the others?"

BUY!

Thirsty Thursday -- Bloody Mary Vampire Style

Thirsty Thursday -- A Really Bloody Mary

When I lived in California where HURT ME GOOD, Dirty Rotten Vampires 1, takes place, I frequented a bar called Sneaky Pete’s. Their Bloody Mary came with pickled green beans. The bartender, whom I got to know well, told me they use them because they have a longer shelf life than celery. I fell in love with Bloody Mary made this way and have since found spicy dill pickles and spicy pickled okra work just as well. Tabasco has a line of these pickled delicacies!

This recipe will serve about 6 if you use an old fashion glass.

3 cups of tomato juice

6-8 ounces of vodka (you can use peppered vodka if you like)

3 tablespoons of lemon juice (or to taste)

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of your favorite brand of pepper sauce (you may want to cut in half if you don’t want it too spicy)

½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper

½ teaspoon of celery salt (This gives a little taste of celery if you use pickles/beans/okra)

6 Tabasco Spicy Beans, Tabasco Spicy Okra, Tabasco Spicy Dill pickles, or you can opt for the celery.

In 2-quart pitcher, combine tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, Worcestershire, red-pepper sauce, black pepper, and celery salt. To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes (I don’t use ice-no need in diluting a good thing!) Divide tomato mixture among glasses. Garnish with your choice and enjoy!

Hurt Me Good 2^nd edition is available at Changeling Press

Excerpt:

It wasn’t until she cried, “No!” that Barringer realized what he had done.

It didn’t stop him. “Aww, hell.” He continued to pump inside her pussy, sending his seed deep. “He’ll never do this to you.” He thought she would pull from him, but she didn’t. “He’ll never give you delicious pain or his precious seed.”

Her arms wrapped around him, she spiked her hips up, and took more of his cock. Constricting her muscles, she milked him of every drop. “Yes, yes,” she murmured. “Barr… com… coming, oh God.”

Feeling her orgasm surround his dick caused more semen to pulse from him. “Tell. Him. You’re. Mine.” He punctuated the words he spat at Armada with jabs into her pussy.

She stilled and stared at him. “What?”

“I know why he wanted you away from The Cemetery.”

“Barr, what are you talking about?”

“The name is Barringer, Barringer Ganteau.” Somehow, her calling him anything other than Barringer or Ringer felt too intimate. Realization he knew changed her eyes crimson with anger. “Didn’t you think I’d find out?”

Shoving him off, she jumped from the bed and glared at him. “You think I slept with Split?”

Remaining naked, he pushed back in the bed and rested against the headboard. “Since I have not drawn from his vein in decades, it took me a while to figure out whose old blood soared through you giving you abnormal strength.”

“He saved my life.”

“Honey, he’s no different than me, he’d fucked you just like I did. Shit, he’d fuck the nearest stump if it had a vagina.”

“You bastard.”

His shields slammed down and locked her out, but not before a brief glimpse in Armada’s mind of her naked in the woods, lying in Kryder’s arms taking sustenance directly from his heart. Ringer sank into an angry quagmire of jealousy. No vampire did that unless… shit, now Split Kryder would have stronger leverage when he wished to invade his mind. Was that why he’d sent his lover to him; had he thought to find out if Barringer really was on the edge of being malevolent? Or did he simply tire of her and want her out of Cicalee’s space?

None of what happened tonight could be allowed to leave this room, so he needed to find a way into her mind, close every bit of information from Split. Without her help, that wasn’t going to happen. Barringer was strong, but he didn’t equal Kryder’s strength or abilities. The council already sought an audience with her, and his ass wasn’t on their good list.

“If he learns of this, if the council obtains information on our indiscretion, we will both regret it.” Finding himself in the position of needing a female’s help for any reason rankled him as much as the fact that Split had had his way with her. How many times had he tasted her charms? Did he make her come as hard as she had for him? Stop! Fix this, fix it.

She walked to his dresser, opened a drawer and took out a shirt. “Do you have any pants that would make do?” Stepping to his closet, she threw the doors open. “Lord, you have a shoe fetish or something?” Armada looked over her shoulder. “Let me guess, all man-made.”

“With the finest Italian leather and especially for me. Fabricating doesn’t…”

“I know, I know -- fabrication is not good enough for you.”

He covered her in a pair of white cotton pants. “You could do it if you concentrated with your vampire half.”

She continued to look at him. “You wish to teach me how to subjugate my demon side?”

Did he? Hell, Split had left her lacking in many ways, probably to keep her beholden to him and at his beck and call.

That could be his answer.

“What we did is against the law, and though I don’t give a damn about the council or their edicts, I won’t see you punished for my weakness.”

“You broke the law, not me.” He saw her head tilt. “Why didn’t you stop?”

“I was… irritated.”

“Why?”

Thankfully, he’d managed to keep his feelings from her during the throes of passion. “Let it go.” Allowing her to discover anything more than she already suspected would be stupid and senseless. However, she was right. He knew lodging his seed in her was wrong. Not so much because the council forbade it; Barringer found himself thinking about the resulting spawn, his offspring. Slayers would hunt the creature before it could gain strength and it would disappear as others had. Armada would bear the pain of losing something that grew in her, a living being. That brought to mind Split’s final words to him.

You hurt her, you die.

Want more Dirty Rotten Vampires? Click HERE

Thirsty Thursday -- Rainbow Paradise

 Rainbow Paradise

INGREDIENTS
1 part Cruzan® Coconut Rum
1 part DeKuyper® Blue Curacao Liqueur
1 part Pineapple Juice
1 part Grenadine

HOW TO
Pour the grenadine in a highball glass and add ice.
Layer the Rum slowly over an upside down spoon, followed by the pineapple juice and finally the Blue Curacao.
Garnish with a Pineapple and Cherry (optional)

Paradise Earth

Box Set

by Samantha Winston

Planet Earth is failing. Global warfare and asteroid bombardment have left the planet devastated… perhaps beyond repair. Now a small group of terra-formers have just seven years to rebuild Earth's ecosystems. Failure means exclusion from the Federation; without the Federation's assistance Earth is condemned to death.

Adam, an Earth biologist, and Evan, a scientist from the Mars Colony, find it impossible to resist the passion that draws them together despite prejudices and mutual mistrust. When a new asteroid strike leaves them stranded - with Earth's hope for the future resting on their shoulders –- they find themselves fighting for their lives and the life of an entire planet.

A science fiction thriller and a tender love story, Paradise Earth is an epic story of apocalypse and rebirth.

Publisher's Note: Paradise Earth (Box Set)contains the previously published novellas Adam and Evan, Revelations, and Apocalypse.

EXCERPT!

Evan took a step closer and knelt in front of Adam's chair. He traced a line from the top of Adam's forehead down his nose, over his upper and lower lip to his chin. A feather touch. Adam tilted his head back and closed his eyes. His lips tingled where he'd touched. When Evan's lips met his, the tingle turned into a slow burn.

The kiss deepened. Adam tasted longing, or could it be his own longing? He didn't care; he looped his arms over Evan's shoulders and drew him closer. His cock, already half-hard from just looking at Evan, grew erect and thick. It squeezed his pants tight and he reached down and unbuttoned his jeans.

Evan slid closer so that their chests met, and Adam pressed his cock against Evan's flat belly. "I want you so bad," he whispered, their lips still touching.

Evan nodded, his eyes closed.

"Open your eyes."

He did, and a jolt ran through Adam's belly at the sight of his irises. Close up, they were more incredible, with swirls of molten gold and bronze, metal eyes, with cat's pupils. The pupils widened as Adam watched, taking over the whole eye so that they were nearly black. Black with desire.

Evan took Adam's hand and put it firmly on his cock, thrusting his hips so that there was no question of his arousal.

He rolled Evan's cock in his hands, massaging it through his jeans. Thick, hard as granite, and long, reaching almost to his waistline…

Adam groaned softly, his balls contracting tightly and his cock getting stiffer. Still sitting in his chair, he leaned back, jutting his hips into the air. His cock stuck straight up now, and he undid the rest of his buttons with hands that shook. Then he pulled off his shirt, tossing it to the floor.

Evan's eyes grew heavy-lidded and a low purr started to rumble in his broad chest. He too undid his jeans, and his cock sprang out, ridged with pulsing veins and purple-tipped. He took it in his hands and pumped it slowly. He smiled, showing his white teeth with his slightly elongated canines. "I want to suck you."

Adam nodded, his voice locked in his chest. His heart beat so fast he could see it lifting the skin between his ribs. He leaned further back in the chair, baring his long, flat belly. Its line of dark curls seemed to beckon a hand or a mouth to follow them to where they pointed -- straight to his cock.

"But first I have to show you something, and you can decide afterwards if you still want me." Evan moved gracefully, standing up. First he stripped off his shirt, folded it, and set it on his chair. Then he shed his jeans. Naked, he stood for a minute in front of Adam, a feral smile curving his lips. Not a hair on his body, just smooth, golden tan skin, and his cock, erect and thicker than Adam had expected. Then something twitched, and Adam saw he also had a tail.

The first shock over, he nodded to Evan. "Turn around."

Evan's grin broadened. "Hackles and a tail, are you sure you want to try?"

The tail was hairless and short, only about thirty centimeters, but muscular. It moved like a snake, curling and then straightening.

"Can you control it? How do you keep it hidden in your pants?" Adam's cock twitched in time to Evan's tail's movements. Little shocks of pleasure ran through him, starting in his belly and pouring toward the tip of his cock.

The tail caressed Evan's buttocks, then curved, inserted itself into the crack in his ass and thrust slowly, disappearing nearly completely. Adam's mouth grew dry as he imagined walking around all day with a twitching tail up his ass. He'd come every five seconds, that's what would happen. And as he watched, Evan's cock grew harder. Evan threw his head back, the hackles on his arms rising nearly straight.

"Oh God." Adam arched his back, a jewel-like drop of come popping from the tip of his cock. "Suck me, now," he begged.

BUY!

Thirsty Thursday -- Green Beer

Ingredients

• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle light beer (such as Bud Light(R))

• 8 drops green food coloring, or as desired

Directions

1. Gently pour beer at an angle into a glass to reduce foaming.
2. Stir in the green food color and serve.

EXCERPT!!

Accounting for Love (Wit and Wizardry)

by Kate Hill

"Well, try to be nice to her," Dillon said.

"Nice isn't in my nature."

"I hadn't noticed. Believe me, Lucas, the only reason you're working here is because you're great at your job and because you don't have to work directly with paying customers."

"One thing I've always liked about you, Dillon. You're honest."

Dillon grinned and shook his head. "The second thing I wanted to say is you don't have to stay late tonight. You have plenty of time to set things in order during working hours. What's the point of taking a vacation if you're stressed again by the end of your first day back? It's St. Patrick's Day. After work, my brothers and I are going to the pub to hang out with friends. Why don't you come along?"

"Your brothers hate me and so do your friends."

"They don't hate you."

"And I'm not too fond of them, either."

"You'll be doing me a favor if you come. Truth be told, I don't feel like celebrating anything so soon after..."

Dillon paused and Lucas shook his head. Dillon's girlfriend had left him recently and despite his grinning exterior, he still hadn't gotten over it.

"You need to put that woman out of your mind entirely," Lucas said. "Tell you what, instead of going to the pub, maybe you should work late, too. I find that if I immerse myself in --"

"Forget it. I've worked enough late nights and early mornings. I need to relax. If you change your mind about joining us --"

"No thank you, Dillon. I'm not leaving this office until it's back in order. Pixie slurs aside, I ask again, who looked after this department and left such a mess?"

"That would be me. Your employer." Dillon grinned and winked before he turned and left Lucas muttering over his paperwork.

* * *

Cait sat at her desk in one of the tallest towers of the magical headquarters of the Wit and Wizardry brewery. She loved working in a renovated castle and she adored her office in the sky. Whenever she needed inspiration, she merely turned to the window and gazed out at the gorgeous Irish countryside.

She'd been staring at her computer for too long and decided she needed some of that inspiration now. To her surprise, instead of sunlight over green fields, she saw moonlight on darkness.

Glancing at her watch, she realized that it was nearly time for the building to close -- or at least the operational area. The workers had probably already started leaving, either to go home to their families or perhaps out with friends to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Cait had several invitations, but had declined, not because she didn't love her family and friends, but because at this time, her job needed extra attention.

Someone tapped on her office door.

"Come in," she called.

One of her bosses, Daryl Dunn, stepped in carrying a long, slender package wrapped in green paper and decorated with a gold bow.

"Aren't you going home, Cait?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I want to finish a few things first."

"It's already late and it's St. Patrick's Day. Don't you have plans?"

Smiling brightly, she said, "Yes. To stay here and finish my latest project. By Monday I'll have something amazing for you."

He approached her desk. "How about an early look?"

"No, please," she said, stepping in front of her computer. "I want to iron out some kinks and give a proper presentation at the meeting."

"I'm sure it will be excellent, Cait. You've been working nonstop since we hired you. Go home now and enjoy the weekend. Work will still be here on Monday."

"Thank you, sir, but I wouldn't be able to relax. It should take just another hour or two. I want to make sure that Wit and Wizardry is still the most popular brewery in the magical world and I don't want the recent incident to affect sales. It would be my fault if that happened, and believe me, this new campaign will keep the faith that we're the best."

"The incident and its effects on our business are the fault of one person -- my brother, Dillon. I love the guy, but I don't know what he was thinking, mixing a true love potion and adding it to random beers before shipping. I think he's completely lost his mind."

"No, sir, just his love," Cait said with sincere sympathy.

She wondered what kind of woman would break up with one of the Dunn brothers. They were rich, attractive and generous. They were also, due to their Leprechaun ancestry, clever and good at business. Good men were hard to find -- not that Cait was on the lookout. At the moment she was content with her life. She had a job she enjoyed, her friends and family. Maybe someday, if the right man came along, she'd think about romance...

BUY

Thirsty Thursday

Classic Hurricane Cocktail

I had my first Hurricane when I visited New Orleans in 2015 and it quickly became my favorite cocktail. So, when the hero in Broken Trust joined a pub crawl in the French Quarter, he enjoyed his first Hurricane, too.

They say it was created at Pat O’Brien’s bar on St. Peter Street and it’s served in a glass that looks like a hurricane lamp, hence the name.

Here’s a basic recipe, but you can vary the amounts according to your tastes.

Hurricane 

2 oz light rum
2 oz dark rum
2 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz orange juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 tbsp simple syrup
1 tbsp grenadine

Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Broken Trust Excerpt

Dan looked up and met the bartender’s eyes. Without warning, nerves fluttered in Dan’s belly and his heart began to race. He had trouble speaking. This might be the hottest man he’d ever seen. No offense to Brad, a blue-eyed, blond pretty boy, who was beautiful in his own way, but the bartender’s dark intensity was a real turn-on. If Dan had to put a label on this man, he’d call him a wolf. Lean, muscular, and semi-hairy, the bartender resembled Joe Manganiello. The wolf ran a hand through thick black locks that kept falling over eyes so dark they appeared black. Then he winked. Dan’s jaw dropped. His face heated.

“I’m Paul, and you’re…”

Dan gulped. “Uh… Dan.”

“So, what are you drinking, Danny Boy?”

“I… uh…”

“Undecided? Let me mix you the specialty of the house. You won’t be sorry.”

Paul turned away before Dan could protest. Dan’s cock swelled as he watched the muscles ripple in Paul’s back. I could be in trouble here. Sexual frustration boiled inside Dan. Early on, he and Brad had set a tone for their sex life, Brad bottomed, Dan topped. Now Dan felt pigeonholed into a role he was getting tired of. One look at the boner-inducing bartender, and Dan wanted to pull his jeans down and bend over. Maybe he should leave before he did something stupid. Dan looked around for the exit.

“The local favorite.” Paul set down a tall glass of red liquid, garnished with orange slices and cherries. “A Hurricane.”

Available at: https://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=199

Thirsty Thursday Excerpts and More!

The Cat's Meow
1 oz Whiskey
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

1) Simply wiz it up in a blender and pour into a small snifter or an old fashioned glass and enjoy! It may sound weird because of the whiskey, but it's delicious

EXCERPT!

Casey sat in the lobby, waiting for Travis, whose cousin just happened to be working the night shift at the desk of the Holiday Inn Express.

That was a fine thing. Not so much sneaking around needed.

“Dude, you talking ‘bout the city folks? They took the suite for eight weeks!”

“No shit. They say what they was here for?” Travis leaned on the desk, talking quiet, but Casey still heard.

“Nope. The little one, he was looking green around the gills. I bet he gets bit tonight. That big male, he’s looking for trouble.”

“Damn.” Travis glanced back at him. “Can we dip in the hot tub if it’s empty, man?”

“Sure. Sure, it ain’t like we’re all full or nothing.”

“Thanks.” Travis handed over a bag of Taco Bell. “Seven layer burrito and a Mexican pizza.”

“Oh, dude. Dude! You totally rock.” Butch bounced, still ninety percent kitten.

“I know.” Travis chuckled, then headed back to Case. “Come on, babe.”

“Suite, huh? They aren’t sleeping together. The little kit is pouring with need.”

“I bet they were supposed to have two rooms. Why you think the big guy changed his song so fast?”

“Boredom? Jealousy? He’s a psycho?”

“Not helping,” Travis told him.

They made their way back to the pool and hot tub area, and score, no one was there.

They stripped down and slipped into the water, starting the bubbles up straightaway. That was the best, all that hot water and the jets and a naked Travis. Just the best.

“Is that him?” Travis whispered. “Up in the second floor window?”

Casey peered up, and he thought it sure looked like their wee hottie. Pocket kitty. He raised a hand and waved.

Oh, the sheers moved, the curtains fluttering. Hello, kitty.

Travis raised a hand, as well, motioning to the man in the window. Beckoning.

Casey knew how impossible that was to resist.

He swore he could hear the moan, the low, soft moan that meant Robin was with them.

Come on, kitty. Come play.

They could risk it, have a little nibble, a little stroke and purr, couldn’t they? Just the quickest little taste.

Travis chuckled when the curtain dropped into place, the shadow moving toward the door. Casey agreed. Hoo yeah. “This is going to be fun, hmm?”

“We’re going to set the world on fire.”

Robin slipped out of the back door of the hotel, robe pulled tight around him. He tiptoed, looking around furtively. “Um. Hey.”

“Hey. We didn’t mean to get you in trouble, kit.”

“Oh, he was just ready to get some rest, I think.” Robin vibrated, chewing on his lower lip when he looked between Travis and Casey.

Casey held out a hand. “Come and join us?”

“I’d like that. The water looks fine.” Robin slowly untied his robe.

“It is. Bubbly.” Casey floated to one side to let Robin in. No crowding right yet.

“Warm, too. I take it y’all are from here?”

“Yessir.” Travis moved just enough to let Robin have space. His adorable, aggressive lover.

BUY!