With: Naima Simone
Congratulations to "Carito L.", the winner in Naima's giveaway. Please contact JUST CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE to claim your prize.

It’s all of those things that had me write SIN AND
INK. Ex-MMA champion turned tattoo shop owner, Knox Gordon has been secretly in
love with Eden Gordon for years. Even while she was married to his brother. But
now his brother is dead, and Knox bears the guilt of his death, and Eden is
still off limits to him. Because having her could cost him everything.
In the scene below, Eden goes out on a blind date with
a man, and Knox is jealous seeing her with another man. The heat between them
has already exploded a time or two, but he’s trying to maintain his distance.
Good luck with that. :)
Aaand scene!
*******
“What’re you mad about?” I demand. “That I didn’t get
permission before going out with a man? Maybe I would’ve considered telling you
my plans if you hadn’t been avoiding me like the effin’ clap the last two
weeks.” Like by going out of state with
another woman. “But this is the thing. Last time I checked, I’m a grown-ass
woman, and I don’t need your okay.”
Knox’s eyes narrow, and his mouth firms into a flat,
grim line.
“What? No denial about avoiding me?” All the hurt,
confusion, and anger seething inside me bubbles up my chest and into the
brittle, cracked sound that some optimistic soul could label a laugh. “Screw
this.”
I push past him, but a large hand wraps around my bicep
in a gentle but implacable grip that stops me short. In the next second, the
solid wall of his chest presses against my back, his thighs columns of marble
behind mine.
“No, I’m not going to deny it,” he rumbles in my ear.
“I left the f**king state twice to get away from you. It was either put as much
distance between us as possible or slam you up against the nearest wall, table,
chair, or goddamn floor and f**k you until your voice gave out from the
screaming.”
His hand releases my arm and slides over my shoulder
and cups my breast through my dress. I whimper, arrows of sharp pleasure
darting from the tip to my clenching core.
“But I might as well as have saved the money and the
gas. It was just geography. Didn’t stop me from lying there in that bed, imagining
your mouth on me. Didn’t prevent me from believing I could still taste you on
my lips.” He shifts forward, moving across the room, and I have no choice but
to go with him, his huge body moving me like a marionette, and his frame, his
hot words, the strings guiding me. “Didn’t keep me from wanting you and
despising myself for it.”
I try to smother the caustic sting the last bit of his
serrated confession sends blistering through me. He loathes himself for
desiring me. Probably resents me, too, although he didn’t admit that.
Before I can reply, my spine aligns with the wall, and
he plants his fist on either side of my head, his body looming over me. I’m
surrounded by his heady scent, his warrior frame.
“I’m tired, Eden.” The hushed words are so at odds with
the gritty language that preceded them that I’m taken aback. Can only stare up
at him, struck speechless by the weariness that throbs in his voice and etches
his taut expression. Eyes closed, he leans forward and presses his forehead to
mine. I have to fight the urge not to brush my fingertips over the sensual
curves of his mouth…over the light purple smudges under his eyes that telegraph
his battle with sleep. “I’m so f**king tired of fighting.” His lashes lift, and
I swallow a moan at the shadows darkening them. But not so dark I miss the
sadness in their depths. Or the lust. The burning, glittering lust. “Give me
the strength, baby,” he whispers. “Be my strength to walk away.”
That would be the right thing to do—the virtuous,
moral thing. But the need blazing through me like an out-of-control wildfire
razes morals and virtue to the ground, leaving the ashes scattered in the wind.
Instead, I choose to be his weakness.
Our downfall.
****

SIN AND INK
Giveaway:

SIN AND INK
There's sin, and then there's literally going-straight-to-hell sin...
Being in lust with my dead brother's wife pretty much guarantees that one day I'll be the devil's bitch. But Eden Gordon works with me, so it's getting harder and harder to stay away. I promised my family—and him—I would, though.
My days as an MMA champion are behind me. But whenever I see her, with those wicked curves and soft mouth created for dirty deeds, it's a knock-down fight to just maintain my distance. "Hard Knox" becomes more than just the name of my tattoo shop. However, surrendering to the forbidden might be worth losing everything...
To win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me your fave
taboo/forbidden romance book!
Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST Oct. 16th. Due to GDPR regulations you no longer need to submit your email address in the comments. If you have been selected as a winner your name will be posted at the top of the post. You may then contact maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com to claim your prize. Your email address will be shared with the author/publicist providing the giveaway.
I literally just started the series this week but American Prince and Queen by Sierra Simone are hands down my favorites so far. Everything in those books is taboo but oh so effing delicious 🤤
ReplyDeleteI just saw a post this morning where someone was discussing this series. I was like, I need this in my life! LOL!
DeleteI love the illicit nature of it as well Naima!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it delicious? It adds to the sexual tension, and I just love it! <3
Deleteno fav
ReplyDeleteNo prob! Just check out the recs here! :-)
DeletePriest by Sierra Simone. I read it on a plane ride and my face was on FIRE!
ReplyDeleteI have this on my Kindle right now and I haven't read it yet! Obviously, I'm missing out!
DeleteA specific title is not coming to mind, but I love books like this one!
ReplyDeleteI do, too, Colleen! The forbidden adds to the sexual tension and it's hot! :-D
DeleteMy very first one was Ana Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I was pretty young when I read but I was so in love with the story that I think, now that I'm a grown up woman, I always tend to read forbidden romances every chance I can. Thank you for the opportunity
ReplyDeleteCan you believe, I've never read Ana Karenina? Now I'm thinking I need to rectify that...
DeleteNo book comes to mind, but I do remember the TV series SISTERS where one of the sisters did marry the ex of a sister.
ReplyDeleteI remember that show! It stared Swoosie Kurtz and Sela Ward, I think. Yes, that's a great taboo relationship! I'd read a book with this trope! Hands down!
Delete