Jan 28
Happy Birthday to Me!
But instead of throwing a party, I’m going to give you a little something: A new DELICIOUS excerpt!
Very sorry it’s been a long while since my last blog. I’m under a killer deadline, and I’ve been sick, BUT I’m headed for the home stretch. I wanted to take a few minutes to share with you… Enjoy!
Wicked Lovers, Book 3
Publisher: Berkley HEAT
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release Date: March 2, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-23242-2
Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders |
Books-A-Million | Indie Bound | Overstock
Pre-order Download: Kindle | Nook
Excerpt
Alyssa was a stripper, for fuck’s sake. Not the sort of woman who went without sex for two years. He’d been an idiot to believe that when she’d whispered the trembling lie as he’d tumbled her into bed three months ago. She was in the business of leading men around by their dicks. And she was good at it. He couldn’t be angry with her for being herself; she’d never pretended to be anything different. But he could—and should—be furious with himself for caring.
Despite the lot being completely empty, he’d parked three spots from her. As he pressed his key fob to unlock the driver’s door, he watched her do the same with her black sports car. Luc fisted his hands. She’d go home now, lose that little black skirt, white tank, red bra, and fuck-me shoes. Even though she played no part in the future he craved, he itched to follow her home . . . help her out of every garment, sink down into that perfect, tight body.
He swallowed. Keep your dick in your pants. Cook, shut up, and get the hell out of Lafayette. Seven days. Think you can find some self-control?
A feminine shriek zipped across the lot, shattering his thoughts. Alyssa.
Luc’s heart stuttered, and he nearly leapt over his car as he rushed across the asphalt. She backed away—right into his chest. He steadied her, palms cupping her bare shoulders.
“What is it?” he demanded.
Alyssa drew in a shuddering breath. “Bastards!”
Before he could ask her who or what she meant, she reached into the interior and yanked on something. A moment later, she produced a long, serrated knife with a piece of paper attached. Under the streetlamps, it gleamed the word WHORE in bright red lipstick.
Shock crested, then quickly morphed into molten fury. It was ironic; he’d been thinking something similar only moments ago. But he would never have said it aloud, much less stabbed it to the front seat of her convertible.
“Who would do this to you?” His voice vibrated with rage.
She tossed the knife into her front seat and cast him a wary stare over her shoulder. “Who knows?”
Luc turned her to face him and clenched his jaw. “Who. Did. This. To. You?”
His tone took her aback. “Look, it’s not new. Shit happens all the time.”
All the time? That only infuriated him more. Luc drew her closer as a thunderous frown stole across his face. She wasn’t afraid, and he was scared as hell for her. “What have the police said in the past?”
“Police?” She shook her head. “This is just . . . a prank or a pissed-off customer who thought I didn’t pay enough attention to him, most likely.”
And whoever did this could also be dead serious. That blade was no laughing matter. “What if someone really sick wants to hurt you? How long has it been going on?”
“Like I said, it happens. It’s been a while but—”
“Get in my car.” He was done allowing her to stand like a convenient target in a shadowy parking lot. He didn’t provide personal security detail like his cousin Deke, but he’d spent enough time with the man and his business partner, Jack Cole, to know that remaining out in the open could be deadly.
“What?” She looked incredulous. “I’m not leaving my car here.”
“I’m driving you home. You’re calling the police and reporting the crime so they can investigate.”
Alyssa hesitated, then softened. “Luc. Your concern is really sweet, but—”
“Get in the fucking car.”
She blanched, and he cursed under his breath. He needed to get control of his temper. But the soaring sexual frustration, coupled with his alarm, had him on edge. Who thought they had the right to malign and scare her? Fists curled, Luc craved a chance to pound the asshole.
Alyssa sighed, and Luc readied his next argument, but she strolled toward his SUV. “Fine.”
He opened the door for her and watched her slide inside, the strands of her platinum hair settling over her shoulders. She looked somewhere between placid and reserved, despite the fact she’d just been threatened. Was she out of her mind?
Shaking his head, he dashed around to the driver’s seat. When he slid inside, she was already on the phone.
“Sorry it’s late, Remy. I thought maybe I should call y’all. Someone messed with my car . . .”
Quickly and unemotionally, she relayed their location and the event. Luc heard murmurs of the Sheriff’s conversation, his tone more good-ol’-boy than concerned, and he frowned. Didn’t anyone take this seriously?
He grabbed the phone from her and spit out an introduction. “Dust for prints. She touched the weapon, but you may find other sets on the handle. Whoever did this broke into her car.”
“Doubt it was much more than a prank. Boys down here get a little rowdy from time to time—”
“And stab the word ‘whore’ into her seat? That’s funny how?”
Remy cleared his throat. “It’s not. But I don’t think no one meant no harm.”
Luc gritted his teeth together. “Do you usually solve all your cases before you visit the crime scene?”
Finally, Remy got serious. “I’ll investigate.”
“Thoroughly.”
Alyssa grabbed the phone. “Thanks, honey. I appreciate it.”
When the ended the call, Luc could barely unclench his jaw as he sped away from the parking lot. “Honey? The man didn’t even want to investigate, and you call him ‘honey’?”
She shrugged. “It’s a Louisiana thing. You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”
“Yeah?” he challenged. “Or is it a ‘he’s-my-customer’ thing. Did he watch you strip tonight?”
She swallowed. “I asked all the local enforcement to come, including the sheriff. Keeps down the possibility of rowdies getting out of control and trashing the club.”
Luc gripped the wheel tighter as he peeled out of the parking lot. “So that’s a yes.”
Fighting the urge to hit something in an unusual show of temper, he took a deep breath. The night he’d spent with her, it had been easy to pretend she had no other lover. They’d been alone, her house quiet. No phone ringing, no customers nearby, no psychos leaving menacing “gifts” in her car. Just the two of them, and hours upon hours of pleasure. God, he’d been so damn gullible.
She nodded. “Why does it matter if Remy and the boys were there?”
The short answer was that it shouldn’t.
Ah, but Luc, we all know it does. LOL! Leave comments here for the chance to win a DELICIOUS ARC. TWO chance to win for spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, blog, Good Reads, message board, Yahoogroups, etc. If you choose to spread the word, leave the links here. Thanks all!
52 comments52 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Thank you for writing the characters we love and can relate to.
It seems like we’ve been waiting on Luc’s story forever and now it’s just a month away. Thanks for the excerpt and Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!!
great exceprt.
Damn, you sure know how to whet an appetite.
Hope you’re having a wonderful day! Thanks for the sneak peek. Cannot wait!
Posted on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Shore/154036297131?ref=search&sid=48005921.781699930..1#/cynthia.netherton?ref=profile
Happy Birthday Shayla! Thx for giving us a present on your BDay. Sounds like we’re in for a great time with Luc and Alyssa. I’d crawl across broken glass for the chance at an ARC. I’m tweeting as we speak! http://twitter.com/thedemasti
Such a tease! Can’t wait to read Luc’s story – he’s my favorite. I posted it on my FB page also – have to share the wealth!
http://www.facebook.com/BchBaby926?ref=profile
oh hot except and cover
happy birthday to u and go out an d celabate , you deservie it !!!!
Awesome, I can barely stand the waiting! Luc is amazing.
Happy Birthday!! Thanks for the great excerpt and the chance to win an ARC.
All I’ve got to say is that this book can’t come out fast enough for me! ;) I’ve been looking forward to this book for a long time & now I’m just counting down the days!
Happy Birthday!! I want March here now!!!! I’ve been looking forward to this book.
Happy Birthday!!! It’s my Dad’s birthday today
as well. Thank you for the excerpt it will
have to hold me over until March.
Happy Bithday my dear!! May it be a day filled with love and laughter.
I have been waiting for Delicious since I ordered it last June! To help me pass the time until that big brown truck rumbles down my street with a much anticipated package, I am off to re-read Wicked Ties and Decadent so as to be up to date on everyone Luc knows. I love curling up with a good book on a cold winter evening, but I would also like to curl up with an ARC on a cold winter evening!
So awesome! I cannot wait to read this book
WTF?!?!?!? You mean I’ve got to wait until MARCH for this???????? There oughta be a law against this kind of teasing!!!!!
Happy Birthday, even with bronchitis!! Hopefully, the drugs will help you sleep and not cough the other lung out!
Later,
Lynn
Happy Birthday Shayla
I just had mine on the 15th and gotta tell you they are not getting more exciting!
The excerpt sounds great, good luck with Delicious
I think I just fell in love with you. Luc is mewlicious
Thanks for writing great books! Can’t wait for Luc to get whipped into shape
Count on it….I will def spread the word…but I sooo want to keep Luc to myself..LOL
But I want that ARC more…
Getting sooo excited for the book to come out!!
A belated Happy Birthday! Finally more Luc … can’t wait!
Good excerpt Shelley and happy birthday a day late.
Zina
Happy Belated Birthday! I hope you had a nice celebration and thanks for a chance to win an ARC.
AWESOME post! Thanks for the tidbit can’t wait for the real thing!!
I can’t WAIT to get this book!
I tweeted – http://twitter.com/blackcatkitchen/status/8391435234
Oh wow! Delicious sounds Awesome!!! http://www.facebook.com/Danielle.Reviewer4CTR?ref=profile
I love your books! http://www.myspace.com/1977bookworm
I ca not wait for this to get into my hot little hands! The excerpts are bliss and torture at the same time….
oooh I am sooo impatient! I dont think another month is gonna make it before I will really HAVE to read it! :-)
p,s I dont know how to share the link on facebook? or I surely would!
LUC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=feed&story_fbid=305415937672&id=685100288#/profile.php?id=524758844&ref=mf
http://twitter.com/mrsrony
LUC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have been dying for this book. When it comes out, I’m gonna read them all in order again. I can never get tired of reading your stories!!
Vitch sent you over and Delicious sounds like an awesome read!!
I can’t wait! I re-read Decadent last week. Luc was always my favorite.
I hope you had a great birthday and I hope you feel better soon! Thanks for the chance to win.
Happy Birthday hope you get every thing you want for your Birthday.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Happy Birthday Shayla!!
I did a blog post here…..
http://nosuchthingas2manybooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/want-to-win-arc-of-delicious-by-shayla.html
I can’t believe Luc is almost here!!!
Happy Birthday to you… happy birthday to you… okay be thankful you can’t hear me sing right now, lol!!
Tweet tweet
http://twitter.com/crazybookslut/status/8481990808
tenasocal(at)aol(dot)com
Happy belated b-day! Fantastic excerpt, can’t wait for the book.
I facebooked:
http://www.facebook.com/jenma76?ref=profile
jenma76(at)hotmail(dot)com
I can’t wait to read this one.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/Sparima/status/8496677925
The covers great and I’m looking forward to the read! tWarner419@aol.com
Awesome, awesome excerpt. ;)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/INCiDeNT_Zinc/status/8500411828
vimto.syn@googlemail.com
I’ve been waiting for this book, not so long anymore!
Happy birthday! The book looks great!
I can never really tell if I love excerts for giving me somthing to look forward too, or if they just make it longer for me to wait and read more? Almost here though! Thanks for a peek!
Thanks for the new excerpt, the books looks so great.
the book sounds good!
I cannot wait for this book to be released!!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!!!! I am looking forward to Reading Luc’s story
Thanks for the great new excerpt. Can’t wait to read the book.
I spread the word on about happy books – especially romances. That’s my blog where I publish reviews of my favourite books.
Great excerpt. Looking forward to reading it. Happy Birthday!