Sometimes a romance starts with an explosion of lust on the first meeting. And sometimes everything goes wrong making that first meeting awkward to say the least. The latter is how everything starts for Lorelei and Quintus and it’s made worse by who put him and his men there. Be sure to visit the other bloggers on the linky list at the bottom or click the Book Hooks image and you’ll be taken to the Book Hooks blog.
Set up:
Lorelei and her sisters are searching a swampy area for some men they believe have been looking for some Erysi men they believe have been trapped in spells. She’s found two but there is at least one more.
Excerpt:
The flare of one more active spot pulled her away. Magic poured from her palms and swirled over the outside of the tree. Pale pink and purple with streaks of black drifted through the silver and gold, countering the spell.
The swirling magic flickered and disappeared. A black-haired man slumped to the ground and rolled onto his back. His hand lifted, but slapped back onto the dirt. He stared through half-closed eyes. Exhausted, but the man was gorgeous. He might be weak, but damn, he filled out that white shirt.
Leaves crunched and a soft murmur drifted through the trees. She straightened and shifted her shoulders. Focus and stop lusting after the Erysi.
“Which one of you is Shara’s son?” She tilted her head.
“Why do you want to know?” The man’s eyebrows lowered. Blue eyes followed her slightest move.
So suspicious and guarded. She bit her lip. He probably didn’t have the magic power to fight his way out of a wet paper bag, but if she attacked, he’d give it his best. And a drained Erysi was still a threat.
“She’s looking for you. You’ve been missing for a while.” Lorelei knelt at his side. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Where’s the woman who did this to us? Sylvie Benoit.” He took a deep breath and tried to rise again, but collapsed.
“She’s dead, but not gone. Unfortunately, she also happened to be my grandmother.” Lorelei lowered her head.
He drew back.
“I know, not reassuring at all. We’re trying to figure out her plans and stop her. Apparently, we missed almost every fucking thing she did these last few years.” Lorelei waved her hand. She should have seen the signs. “Why would we release you if we wanted to hurt you?”
He exhaled and managed to sit up. “You have a point, but to be fair, I’m recovering here.”
“Not a problem. I’m Lorelei.” She stood still. Making him nervous wouldn’t help matters.
“Quintus.” He tried to push to his feet and couldn’t.
Not the formal “son of” introduction, but then this was hardly the time. The single name was enough.
“Lori, there’s a cold spot building up over here. We need to move these men,” Daniela yelled.
“Do you have a plan or a way to leave?” Quintus tried again to push to his feet. He managed to stand, then fell back against the tree.
For a few moments, he leaned against it. His skin glowed with health, but his shoulders slumped. Something had sapped every bit of his energy. He couldn’t stand. The contradiction slammed through her. Although he and the others needed time to regain their strength, they couldn’t linger here.
“We’re taking you to Erys.” Lorelei looked to him. “Can you gather enough energy to walk? We need to go, before Mémère causes more damage than she has.”
“You can’t transport me to Erys. You’re mortal.” He frowned, straightening away from the tree.
“I’m not mortal.” She clenched her jaw to keep from smiling. He should be able to sense that.
“I can walk. My energy is returning.” He took a deep breath and straightened.
Maybe not the complete truth, but he’d probably die before admitting to anything else. She nodded. Better not to confront the macho warrior with it.
Blurb:
An evil ghost. A mystical warrior. Either way, her heart’s in trouble.
Lorelei is searching for the truth. A witch, part Erysi, she needs to discover who the ghost terrorizing the city is, even if it is her grandmother, and stop that spirit before anyone else gets hurt. The treachery she uncovers goes deeper than she ever imagined and leads her to a gorgeous, arrogant, muscled, Erysi warrior who makes her burn with desire.
Quintus needs to get back to his mission after being encased in a spell for years. Helping sexy witch, Lorelei, might help him get that back on track, because her grandmother was probably deeply involved in every part of it. Every time they’re together, it’s hard to keep his mind on the hunt and off her sweet body. The attraction between them burns out of control.
Lorelei and Quintus’ hunt leads them to a plot that could rip apart the lives of innocents. They must work together if they hope to stop the dangerous scheme. Even as she fights at his side, she falls for him. With so much danger around them, she can’t risk love or weakness. Maybe after they finish the fight, they can claim the love building between them
Buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Magic-Daughters-Selene-Book-ebook/dp/B079CJJ8WJ/
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Moonlight-Magic-Daughters-Selene-Book-ebook/dp/B079CJJ8WJ/
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/Moonlight-Magic-Daughters-Selene-Book-ebook/dp/B079CJJ8WJ/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonlight-Magic-Daughters-Selene-Book-ebook/dp/B079CJJ8WJ/
Books to read universal: https://books2read.com/u/3RokZn
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moonlight-and-magic-rebecca-airies/1127893876?ean=2940158551116
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/moonlight-and-magic/id1341137409?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/moonlight-and-magic-3
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rebecca_Airies_Moonlight_and_Magic?id=bDJJDwAAQBAJ
Linky list
There’s something so satisfying about a bad first meeting, isn’t there? It leaves so much room for improvement!
Yes, it does. Things can only go up.
Interesting scene!
Thank you, Mary!
First meeting is indeed awkward. This could become very interesting
Thank you, Janet! It can’t get much worse for them.
He is suspicious, I see. This will be interesting!
Yes, he is and I can’t blame him.
Well, if she’s thinking about confronting that macho warrior, while he’s weak is the best possible time.
Yep, it would be the easiest chance if she wanted to, but would take the situation straight to horrible for her.
Oh, I see trust issues ahead. Sounds like an interesting book.
Thank you, Linda! I loved writing it and I’m looking forward to getting started on the next in the series.
Funny, but this didn’t strike me as awkward as you’d led me to expect.
I like the snippet a lot, though. Especially when Lorelei says “I’m not mortal”.
It could have been worse for them. You’re right about that, but awkward was the word that fit best when I was coming up with a title. Thank you! Lorelei was a great character and easy to write.