EVERMORE
Descendants of Ra Book 3 By Tmonique Stephens
Series: Descendants
of Ra
Book Length: 358
Publisher: Tmonique Stephens
Buy Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Evermore-Descendants-Ra-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00ONVHZ1O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1414020590&sr=8-3&keywords=tmonique+stephens
DESCRIPTION/Blurb
There is no such thing as a chance meeting.
There’s no room in Avery Nicolis’s life for an obsession, yet why else
does he stalk Emeline Gamble. Lurking in the shadows, he hungers for a woman he
can’t have. Between the secrets he guards and anarchy roiling in his soul, his
only solace are his glimpses of Emeline. He will resist her, protect her from
himself, and deny his desire to claim her heart.
Emeline Gamble was a Watcher for the Order—a secret society of women
charged with monitoring the offspring of the gods. For months,
she observed Avery Nicolis, an elite mercenary, Descendant of Ra, and
enemy of the Order. Never knowing he had her in his crosshairs.
Trapped in a lie, Emeline is forced to accept Avery as her bodyguard.
Compelled to spend time with him, she learns to care for his tortured soul and
see the hero lurking beneath the assassin’s façade.
But every word out of her mouth is a lie. Every action a betrayal.
Because to save her family she is forced to accept a new assignment,
deliver Avery Nicolis to the Goddess of Chaos, alive…
And do not fall in love with him.
EXERPT
Tires squealed
to a stop. It wasn’t long before a pair of combat boots came into her line of
sight. Strong hands scooped her up and cradled her against a broad chest
encased in a leather coat. Warmth surrounded her, made her want to burrow
closer to his heat. Male musk and a hint of something else, something dangerous
filled her nostrils.
“I got you.” His
voice, guttural and so damn sexy, rumbled through her.
No, he was on
the hook. And she had just reeled him in. Her teeth chattered from the cold,
his heat, her nerves, the lies.
Avery opened the
passenger door and carefully sat her on the leather seat. He hit the overhead
lights and gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Calloused
fingers brushed her hair away and angled her face toward the light.
“Who did this to
you?” Low, his voice promised retribution.
“I didn’t get
their number.” She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. His intensity
made her insides squirm.
“I’ll take you
to the hospital.”
“No.” She
touched his hand. “It’s okay, not as bad as it seems.” She wiggled her jaw and
managed only a slight grimace.
He leaned
closer. All of him filled her vision. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Captured by his
heated stare, she shook her head.
“How many were
there?” His finger trailed over her cheek and down her neck.
Her thoughts
kinda fizzled at his touch. “Who are you?” She remembered to ask again. He gave
her a quizzical look, possibly thinking of a lie, she wondered. Her phone rang.
Emeline fished it out of her purse and answered without looking. She listened
to Zackary pound his chest about hiring a bodyguard for her. He was so proud of
himself and expected a reward. The sick hope in his voice almost made her
laugh.
“Describe him.”
She ordered watching Avery.
“Big guy, bald,
pissy attitude. I wanted his brother, but he volunteered,” Zachary said.
“Thanks,
Zachary. I owe you one.”
“Really? Well—”
She pressed end.
“So you’re my bodyguard?” Perfect. Zachary finally did something right.
“Until I get
someone else.” He stepped back and slammed the passenger door closed.
Why accept the
job only to get someone else? Nerves made her stomach flutter as she watched
him walk around the front of the Range Rover and climb into the driver’s seat.
“Do you have a name or shall I make up one?”
“Avery,” he said
without looking at her. The car rumbled to a start. Something loud and angry
blasted from the speakers. He clicked it off, though she didn’t mind. She
preferred Hip-Hop, R&B, and a little bit of Rap. No love songs, though
Luther Vandross could put the most celibate body in the mood.
“Emeline,” she offered when he didn’t ask. A giggle
threatened to escape, but her bruised ribs would have none of it. ‘Oh what a
tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.’ Well we are both, well and
truly tangled.
“Something
funny?” He pulled into traffic.
He’s observant
as a killer or watcher should be. No more lapses. She had to be on guard.
Emeline noticed his hands gripping the steering wheel. Big capable hands. “Two
men. They wore masks. Tried to steal my purse.” He glanced at the satchel in
her lap. Damn, she should’ve insisted they take it.
“Two men, one
purse?” His gaze locked on hers. “Why do you need protection, Miss Gamble?”
She hadn’t told
him her last name. She could call him on it, but he’d say Zachary told him, so
she let it slide. “I don’t. I’m not the one who hired you.”
“Your ex is very
concerned about you welfare.”
“You know a lot
about me in such a short time, Mr.—what is your last name?” The car rolled to a
stop at a red light. His head turned to her and she shifted in her seat to keep
an eye on him.
“Nicolis. Your
ex filled in a few blank spots before I caught up to you. Anything else you
want to know?”
“Yeah. Did he
fill you in on where I live too ‘cause we’re real close?”
His eyes
narrowed and he glanced at the surrounding area. The light turned green. “Your
boss said someone broke into your house. Beat up you and your grandfather. Now
you’re attacked on the street. Your enemies, who and where are they?”
She lives in a big house on Riverside Drive. I will take you
straight to her. “I don’t have
enemies.”
“We all have
enemies,” he growled. “Some closer than others.”
Ain’t that the truth.
Exerpt #2
A shift in the air alerted
him that he was no longer alone. The hesitant whisper of feet gliding across
the carpet revealed his intruder. And her scent. She smelled of him—of
sandalwood and the night—mixed with her womanly aura that spiked his blood. A
growl rumbled in his throat. Could he not have a moment alone? Maybe if he
didn’t move she’d go away and leave him to finish meditating.
Silence stretched
painfully until curiosity made him open one eye. She sat in front of him, so
close he could count the treasure of gold flecks sparkling in her hazel eyes.
Her gaze skimmed his face, leaving a trail of hunger he no longer wanted to
deny. Her eyes widened when they dropped to his scars. Pity welled.
“Leave. Now.”
Her gaze shot to his.
Questions danced in her eyes. Questions he refused to answer. It would serve no
purpose to spill his guts to a woman who considered him damaged, less than any
other man. Her hand stretched forward. Avery almost leaned into the touch, he
craved her that much. But not while pity surfed in her hazel eyes. He’d have
none of it.
“Don’t,” he snarled and
grabbed her hand.
“It’s…” Her voice wavered.
He held his breath,
waiting for her to finish her sentence with any of the words on his personal
list: ugly, grotesque, monstrous.
“Beautiful.”
Huh? He hadn’t heard right. Didn’t she see the scars, ravaged skin,
and muscles beneath the ink?
“It’s changed. It didn’t
look like this before.”
Shit! Sometimes his Ink did change from one indiscriminate mass to
a slightly different indiscriminate mass.
“Now it’s intricate with
swoops and swirls. Curlicues.”
Curlicues? Not possible.
Her hand kept coming. He’d never let anyone touch it, not even during sex. Yet…he
wanted her to touch him—all of him—but that was not going to happen. “I did it
to hide the scars. Make it pretty. Didn’t work.” He lied.
Again, her hazel eyes
filled with skepticism and her hand kept coming, as if he hadn’t ordered her
not to. He was about to push her away when her fingers veered to his face. His
breath caught, stilled by the possibilities of the moment.
She traced his face with
soothing, lazy fingers. Her eyes, fringed with long, sooty lashes, were
focused, intent on the torture she inflicted on his flesh. A gleam of interest
sparked in their depths and a sultry smile tugged at the corners of her full
lips. He’d dreamed this fantasy, never expected it come true. It was wrong to
want more, yet her gaze caressed his skin.
Her hand dropped and she
swept her thumb over the slight scar on his forearm, a reminder from the fight
with her intruders. A jolt raced through him and he sucked in a startled
breath.
She studied the slight
demarcation. “Your wound? It’s gone. Want to explain?”
Kiss her, part her soft pouty lips and taste her. He shrugged.
“Genetic anomaly. I heal fast.” He waited for more questions, but she surprised
him when she cupped his face, and rubbed her palm over his day-old stubble.
Desire flooded his system, turning the darkness within him into a sea of need.
Take her. Take what you want. Spread her. Fuck her. Take. Take. Whispered,
taunted, and finally screamed. Avery balled his hands and kept them at his
sides, anything to keep from humiliating himself. If only he could lock away
his unending need, treat her as a client and not the only woman who’d ever made
his blood simmer.
If he could do that, then
he could walk away, but a little bit of Emeline wouldn’t be enough. And if he
couldn’t have all of her, he’d rather have none.
He had to leave.
Her hands slid down his
neck to his shoulder, and brushed his burn. Avery jerked away. The skin
sizzled, as if freshly torched, but it wasn’t pain that seared his body.
“W-what? What did I do?”
Her lovely eyes filled with concern.
Her stuttering mimicked
his fluttering heart. When she touched his scar, all his nerve endings were
zapped. He felt her soft hand stroking him, when his damaged skin hadn’t sensed
anything in more than two decades.
“How did this
happen?”
Though he never wanted her
begging for anything, ever, Avery shook his head. Those dark memories didn’t
belong here, tainting this moment. He took her hand, caressed the smooth back,
and brushed her knuckles.
“Tell me,” she whispered
and squeezed his fingers.
He brought her fingers to
his tortured skin. “Touch me again.” The unspoken ‘please’ hung in the air between them.
Emeline hesitated, and for
long seconds he suffered in anticipation. Then she slid her hand from his elbow
to his shoulder over the burned skin. Bliss roared through him, leaving his
restraints in tatters.
His head dropped back.
Lust, potent and violent, clawed through him as never before. Did he moan or
did she? The blood storming through his body and pounding in his ears muffled
everything except her hand on his flesh. No one had ever come close to making
him feel this way. No one, but Emeline with her luscious lips and arresting
eyes. With her coy scent and fat curls bouncing on her shoulders, making her
eyes do a peek-a-boo dance. Beneath the towel, his cock turned to stone.
She moved away and he
nearly screamed at the loss. He grabbed her, couldn’t stop himself from hooking
her around the waist and sliding her body under his.
Her hand braced against
his chest. “I-I’m not having s-s-sex with you.”
Sex? Is that all she
thought this was? He wished the feelings she evoked in him were so simple. Sex
he could get anywhere, with anyone. With Emeline, he wanted all that she would
give…and more. More he could never have.
She’d said no, though her
half-mast eyes were dreamy, waiting for his next move while her tongue flicked
out and stroked her bottom lip. Damn, burying himself inside her and never coming
out sounded like an epic plan, but her breathy words shackled him.
“Just touch me,” he said.
He was ready to demand that she place her hands on his skin.
Her bottom lip trembled
and a sliver of fear entered her gaze. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she rasped.
Her words already had.
They doused his desire and delivered an unwanted dose of reality. This was
wrong on every level and at least one of them had the balls to admit it.
“Same here.” He didn’t
want to hurt her either, and that’s exactly where this would lead. Nothing
about him had changed. He was still a mercenary, dealt in death. Family
obligations came before all of his longings and always would. Let her go, whispered through him.
I will…in a minute.
Slowly, her hands went
from fists, ready to push him away, to warm palms and splayed fingers on his
pecs. “Why did you agree to be my bodyguard? The truth.”
Heat traveled from her to
him, straight to his cock. He leaned into the touch, seeking more. “Because I
couldn’t take my eyes off you. Still can’t.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tmonique
Stephens wrote her first novel about a reporter and a hockey player after the
U.S. hockey team won gold in the 1980 Olympics. She loves writing flawed
characters who reflect the emotional baggage we all carry. She writes
complicated stories for complicated people. Paranormal romances and fantasy
novels are her favorite genre.
Eternity, Everlasting, and Evermore
are the first three novels in her Descendants
of Ra series. Currently, she is working a contemporary revenge series and Encore, the fourth novel in the Descendants of Ra series. She will read
anything about fairies, demons, or angels.
She also enjoys Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Preston and Child.
Born in
St. Thomas USVI, Tmonique Stephens grew up in The Bronx, New York one mile from
Yankee Stadium. She loves SyFy, the History channels, and also Asian cuisine.
But her heart and stomach longs for anything from the Caribbean.
Author (Contact
Links)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tmoniquebooks
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/TMonique-Stephens/e/B0094ODM30/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1413918164&sr=8-2
Eternity
4 Stars
2000 years Roman has been wandering the Earth hoping for his chance at love with the woman who is his soul mate. There have been more than 6 reincarnations of her, but each time something went terribly wrong. When he stops looking for her she suddenly pops up once again will this time be the one that changes everything?
Shes always been a nobody, but when a serial killer goes for her, but doesn't manage to kill her her life gets turned upside down. Stella wakes up from a Coma and the first thing she sees are the same eyes of the man who tried to kill her, but is it really the same man?
This story takes you in a different paranormal direction than what you might be used to. There are immortals, monsters, and Egyptian gods. While you're trying to figure out myth from fact there's a mad man out to get Stella, and you're right there with the characters as they try to figure out just what is really going on.
Roman is an alpha male who's not used to not getting his way, so when someone stands up to him he has to figure out how to do the right thing without getting his foot jammed into his mouth.
Stella's life might not have been easy, but shes lived it the best way she could. She's strong and feisty and smart and just when you think you've got her figured out she throws you though a loop.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters and had fun with the storyline and am excited to read more in this series.
Everlasting
4 Stars
Twin brother of Roman, Reign has been missing for 2,000 years. Now that we've found out where he was we also see just what he went through and what he is willing to do to protect his brother.
Alexis, the hard ass cop from book 1 we see there's more to her than we realized. She has tried to make her father proud all her life, but never seemed to measure up. Trying to solve a case that is shrouded in mystery and revolves around things she didn't know existed just might be the end of her life as she knew it.
Regin is just trying to survive and help those he cares for, but he's also trying to help himself out of the hell he has been in for so long. Sometimes his secrets are for good reason and sometimes keeping them backfires on him.
Alexis is a strong female lead, just trying to figure out what is really going on. She doesn't take the easy way out of things, and leave the heavy lifting to others, she follows her gut and tries to do the right thing.
In this one we see more of the Egyptian characters and begin to better understand their part in the story. We see the storyline from book 1 continue while also allowing you to learn more about other characters. I enjoy the mix of myth and fiction blended in this series and am eager to see what happens next!
Evermore
4 Stars
Avery. If you thought the first two Nicolis were complicated it's nothing compared to Avery. He has his secrets and keeps everything to himself, never letting anyone in even his brother.
Emeline was a part of a secret order to keep an eye on descendants of Egyptian gods, but that all ended when her Grand needed her to take care of him. Her last job was to keep an eye on Avery and now forced back into doing the orders bidding she's supposed to gain his trust and betray him. But even before their official meeting she knew she could never do it, but what will happen when they come together and what happens when he discovers her secrets.
Avery is strong, silent, dangerous and angry. Keeping his anger in check is a chore but he does the best he can. He's also honorable and for those he cares about he would do anything.
Emeline is headstrong, but she also has great inner strength. She tries to do everything herself because she doesn't want anyone else to get hurt.
Where Avery opens up to protect those he loves Eme is closed of in order to protect them. They have their share of troubles, and it's quite a journey to see them figure everything out.
We see more of the storyline continued from the first two books and we understand more and see where the story will take us in the future.
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