We so excited to be able to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Laura Kaye's HARD AS STEEL!! HARD AS STEEL is a Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. It is due to be released on September 22, 2015! Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!
Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated | September 22, 2015 | Romantic Suspense
Hard Ink, book 4.5
★★★★★
SOURCE: INKSLINGER
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.
{ 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.
{ excerpt } .
HARD AS STEEL EXCERPT: UnforgettableI’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:
Voices woke her. No, one voice.
Ike. Talking and restless in his sleep. She couldn’t understand the slurred words, so she turned onto her back and closed her eyes. Ike’s body followed hers. He turned on his side and curled himself around her—close enough to feel that his cock was totally hard against her thigh.
The heat that shot over her body had nothing to do with Ike’s fever.
God, he felt big and thick against her. Her hands itched to stroke him. She licked her lips, her mouth hungry to feel his heaviness on her tongue, against the back of her throat. She shifted her hips, her core clenching at the thought of feeling him penetrate her, open her, ride her. Hard.
Nearly holding her breath, Jess stayed still. His erection would go away and her heart would stop racing and then she’d fall back to sleep and forget this ever happened.
As if. In the dark, she rolled her eyes at herself.
There were cocks and then there were cocks. This one did not feel forgettable, thank you very much.
“Jess,” Ike whispered.
“Uh, hey.” Because it wasn’t weird at all for them to talk while his hard-on was touching her.
No answer. And then: “Fuck, Jess.” His hips rocked, grinding his erection against her thigh. He released a rough breath and nuzzled his face against hers. His lips dragged across her cheek until he was pressing his lips against her ear.
Holy fucking shit.
“Uh, Ike?” she said. Was he awake? If not, did she want him to be?
A hand dragged up her stomach, pulling her tank top with it. He squeezed her breast, hips grinding, harsh breaths in her ear.
My God, she was gonna die from how fucking hot this was.
He mumbled something that sounded a helluva lot like “need you,” and Jess was pretty damn sure if he kept this up, she was going to come without him getting anywhere near her clit.
Not to mention, if he was dreaming about being with her and needing her, what did that even mean? Something? Nothing? Everything?
He didn’t give her time to debate it. Ike shifted, his body rolling partially on top of her. It was too much weight on her thigh and knee, which she forced up and out from under him—unintentionally putting her thigh under his waist and his big body between her legs.
He rocked against her, but this time his cock ground against the very top of her thigh. Fuck, so close to where she was absolutely throbbing for him.
She didn’t want this to stop, but she couldn’t let it go on, either. Could she?
{ review } .
I have enjoyed so many things in this series. I love the brotherhood, I love the relationships, I love the drama... I feel that Laura Kaye has taken tough issues and she's done extremely well with them. Easy and his thoughts of suicide?
Awesome emotion, great writing.
Beckett and his guilt with Marz's injury?
Awesome emotion, great writing.
Marz fearful of losing the friendship with Beckett, but also using humor to cover up his own sadness and demons (and my goodness, the fear when he goes limbless for the first time with Emilie)?
Awesome emotion, great writing.
Needless to say (...again), I think this series has some great writing, and some awesome emotion.
This little novella proves to be no different.
Jess and Ike work with Jeremy and co. at Hard Ink's tattoo shop. This novella takes place at the same time as HARD TO LET GO. Ike takes Jess to his cabin to keep her safe while everything else is happening back at Hard Ink. He's attracted to her, yes, but his only goal at the moment is to keep her safe. He has no desire for a relationship, having failed in the worst way possible with a previous one, but he certainly cares for Jess.
His feet were in motion before he'd made the conscious decision to move. Partway down the trail, the surface smoothed out to mostly dirt, and that was when Ike noticed the shoe prints. He slowed to a walk. Just one set. Small foot size. Which meant... He was gonna kill her. He really fucking was. Right after he pulled her into his arms and made sure she was ok.
Ike ran the rest of the way into the clearing, his gaze quickly settling on a grouping of people down at the Alderson's old dock. And there, in the middle of the group, was a very petite woman with black hair wearing all black.
That was his girl.
Well, not his.
Whatthefuckever.
I loved how strong Jess was, but more than that, I loved that she wasn't one to put herself first. She weighs her options -- making her levelheaded -- but she certainly isn't selfish. She holds a good grudge though..!
Ike and Jess's chemistry was off the charts; perhaps one of my favorite relationships in this series. They both had their dark pasts and fought like heck to keep them covered -- but sometimes those things just have a way of coming out. They bicker and tease, and were just fun to read.
"Anything else, warden?" she asked.
"You're not funny," he said.
"I'm a little funny," she said.
"You're a little pain in my ass," he said.
Often when I read novella length stories, I feel jilted in some way. The story isn't long enough, they fell for one another too quickly... but that's not the case with this one. While yes, all of HARD INK relationships have been quick-to-happen relationships, what I liked most about this one was that Ike and Jess had been playing this song and dance for the last couple of years. The looks, the flirting.. it had all been there. Her body wasn't a secret to Ike, either, as he's the one who did most of her ink. Their feelings had already started to grow, it just took them being thrown together, alone, for the flame to fully burn -- making this fall-in-love story not fall in that 'insta-love' category.
Awesome emotion, great writing.
Beckett and his guilt with Marz's injury?
Awesome emotion, great writing.
Marz fearful of losing the friendship with Beckett, but also using humor to cover up his own sadness and demons (and my goodness, the fear when he goes limbless for the first time with Emilie)?
Awesome emotion, great writing.
Needless to say (...again), I think this series has some great writing, and some awesome emotion.
This little novella proves to be no different.
Jess and Ike work with Jeremy and co. at Hard Ink's tattoo shop. This novella takes place at the same time as HARD TO LET GO. Ike takes Jess to his cabin to keep her safe while everything else is happening back at Hard Ink. He's attracted to her, yes, but his only goal at the moment is to keep her safe. He has no desire for a relationship, having failed in the worst way possible with a previous one, but he certainly cares for Jess.
His feet were in motion before he'd made the conscious decision to move. Partway down the trail, the surface smoothed out to mostly dirt, and that was when Ike noticed the shoe prints. He slowed to a walk. Just one set. Small foot size. Which meant... He was gonna kill her. He really fucking was. Right after he pulled her into his arms and made sure she was ok.
Ike ran the rest of the way into the clearing, his gaze quickly settling on a grouping of people down at the Alderson's old dock. And there, in the middle of the group, was a very petite woman with black hair wearing all black.
That was his girl.
Well, not his.
Whatthefuckever.
I loved how strong Jess was, but more than that, I loved that she wasn't one to put herself first. She weighs her options -- making her levelheaded -- but she certainly isn't selfish. She holds a good grudge though..!
Ike and Jess's chemistry was off the charts; perhaps one of my favorite relationships in this series. They both had their dark pasts and fought like heck to keep them covered -- but sometimes those things just have a way of coming out. They bicker and tease, and were just fun to read.
"Anything else, warden?" she asked.
"You're not funny," he said.
"I'm a little funny," she said.
"You're a little pain in my ass," he said.
Often when I read novella length stories, I feel jilted in some way. The story isn't long enough, they fell for one another too quickly... but that's not the case with this one. While yes, all of HARD INK relationships have been quick-to-happen relationships, what I liked most about this one was that Ike and Jess had been playing this song and dance for the last couple of years. The looks, the flirting.. it had all been there. Her body wasn't a secret to Ike, either, as he's the one who did most of her ink. Their feelings had already started to grow, it just took them being thrown together, alone, for the flame to fully burn -- making this fall-in-love story not fall in that 'insta-love' category.
Also, I loved the introduction to the RAVEN RIDERS series. We only meet a few of the members, but already you can tell this is a tightly-knit club {under the watchful mama eye of Bunny (with her refurb-ed cabins for those down on their luck)}. I cannot wait for RIDE HARD to come out (...Ben & Sam's dad, Slider, maybe...? Someday, at least?)!
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Thank you so much! ~Jessica, InkSlinger PR
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