Welcome to day 1 of the DELICIOUS TEASE contest! Our first feature is from author Red Garnier. I ADORE this cover and have heard some great things about the book. Adding it to my TBB list now! If you’d like a chance to win a copy of this book and to be entered into the drawing for an iPod Touch, comment here. 5 entries if you post our widget (on yesterday’s blog) on your blog or site. (See details below.) Here’s a message from Red and bit more about the book:

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. A day to celebrate love—I don’t care corny it is, I love my V-day! To celebrate this one, I pulled out an excerpt from my recent print release, THE SATIN SASH, to share with you for the first time.

THE SATIN SASH has been called ‘a passionate, unconventional love story’ by The Romance Readers Connection, and deemed ‘a cut above the rest’ by Romance Junkies. THE SATIN SASH is a story involving three very different people, one itty bitty satin sash, and a weekend that will change their lives forever. I really hope you enjoy!

SATIN SASH
Publisher: New American Library
ISBN: 978-0451228031
Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blurb:
Among three lovers, there are ties that bind…

Business partners and best friends Grey Richards and Heath Solis are as different as night and day. Grey is calm, confident, and always in control. Heath is as passionate as his smoldering looks. No woman can resist them, and it’s always been easy to share. Until now…

Grey is head over heels in love. He’ll do anything to see Antonia Kearny smile, to hear her breath catch, to make her scream his name. And when he realizes that Toni wants another man-and that it’s Heath- he’ll make the ultimate sacrifice…

On a decadent weekend in Mexico, Toni will experience the hunger, the touch, the taste of two men. But will her desire bring them together, or tear them apart?

Three nights, three lovers, and once choice that may destroy them all.

Excerpt:

Through the top of Mrs. Jennings coiffed white hair, while the elderly woman told one of her numerous dog anecdotes, Toni watched the two men. Grey. And that wicked, bold, dark-headed creature. Talking. Very seriously. About something.

Grey’s hard-boned, chiseled blond face was inscrutable, but Toni had noticed he had not glanced at her in a while. Her tummy contracted with nerves. Whatever his partner was speaking to him about, Grey did not seem pleased.

She wiped her hands at her sides, hating the pebbles on her skin, hating that she was almost cowering by the curtains. She did not want to see that black-haired man again. She didn’t even want to think of what had happened, yet the memory was there, flickering in her mind, mocking her.

He’d stood with Grey throughout most of the evening, and the moment Toni had set eyes on him, she’d known it was him. Grey’s overseas business partner. A man Grey respected, admired, and spoke of so often Toni had sensed the man somehow—invisibly—played a part in her and Grey’s burgeoning relationship.

The enigmatic Heath Solis.

They made a riveting picture, side by side. Grey with his sleek blond-streaked hair, Heath his antithesis with a head of tousled black silk. Like day and night, ice and rock, both equally mesmerizing, both oozing masculinity and power. Grey with his imposing presence seemed more intimidating somehow, but Heath was dark and rugged.

Danger had never looked so tempting.

As she’d made her way to them from across the room, people interrupted to draw Grey away—people always sucked up to Grey—and the dark-eyed menace was left alone. He eyed the crowd with the air of one who didn’t want to be there. Then his gaze collided with hers.

Those eyes assessed her in a single sweep and left each inch they covered tingling. Toni hadn’t realized she’d stopped walking until someone bumped into her as she continued to stare.

An older woman in blue silk paused to speak to him. He ducked his head to listen and nodded, his lips forming a lazy smile.

Her heart hammered while other things inside her moved. Should she introduce herself?

She stole a glance at Grey, surrounded by a group of older men and women. He’d promised to introduce her to his partner tonight, but judging by the avid conversation around him, it didn’t seem like it would happen soon.
Her gaze slid back to the tanned, tall stranger as the woman patted his broad, square shoulder and continued on her way.

Heath lifted his head, his eyes returning to her—as dark and tenebrous as what Grey had said of his past—and for a moment everything faded except that aggressive black stare.

Her heart thundered in her ears, drowning all music, all sound. This had happened before. Across an office desk, when Grey had leveled that cool, amber gaze on hers, and Toni had been taken. Was still taken by Grey. Absolutely. Completely. Damn it. Why couldn’t she breathe?

He advanced. So slowly she might have made an escape if she’d had an ounce of inclination to. As it was, faced with six feet three inches of testosterone approaching, she could barely drag in air. Her pussy gave a little spasm and her throat closed as she tried to swallow.

His jaw was all square bone; his eyes glimmered under the somber slashes of his eyebrows. The arrogant slant of his nose was barely softened by the plump sensuality of his lips. And those lips were curling, slowly, almost sarcastically.

The cruel sexiness of that smile blasted her with a shot of pure, unadulterated lust. A lust Toni had felt for no one but Grey. Until this moment, this man. He was awesome. Bad and primal and animal.

There were whispers around her. People noticed him as one would notice a storm, a hit man, danger. Yet she could not take her eyes off him enough to turn around and appease the people gossiping around them.

His scent reached her before his hand did. He smelled of earth and rain and tree bark, and the aroma made her head spin. Without a word, he engulfed her hand in his hot one and dragged her through the throng of people with single-minded purpose.

Almost stumbling on her dress as she tried to keep up, she was shocked that he didn’t release her when she tried to pull free. “What—what are you doing?”

He paused once they were safely in the middle of the dance floor, flanked by dancers.

“You wanted me to ask you to dance.” His hands slid to the small of her back, drawing her to the incredibly hard wall of his body. “So I’m asking.”

Toni had heard his voice over the phone. Sometimes milky and soothing like Bailey’s, others rumbling like thunder. The thunder now skimmed over her skin like the very satin of her evening gown. He could’ve been Grey for the effect he had on her—and no one made her feel like Grey did.

She felt a moment of panic when his thigh slipped between hers. Their bodies touched from knees to chest; his rock-hard, hers malleable. Flames licked her on the inside, her pussy watering between her legs, naked under her dress.

The moment the top of his bulging thigh brushed her clit through the material, she thought she’d burst. “I—I don’t think you understand. I’m—”

“I know who you are.” With a dangerous smile, he slid his hands to the small of her back, the tip of his long fingers resting on the start of her butt. “You’re Grey’s girl.” And in her ear, “His record.”

The obvious bait brought a smile to her lips as she raised her eyes to his. “And am I supposed to know who you are?”

“You should.” He cupped her rear intimately and an odd little sound escaped her, more like a whimper than a gasp. He grunted, as though pleased, and raised one hand to tug at the satin sash around her throat. The sinuous glide of fabric teased the back of her neck as he bent to whisper in her ear, “I’m your worst nightmare.”

And maybe he was…

When a large, possessive hand curled around her elbow and squeezed, jolting her back to the present, she knew it.

Even before she heard Grey’s voice. “We need to talk.”

***

YUM! Don’t forget, to be entered in the contest to win a copy of this book and the grand prize, comment away! ONE comment per blog post, please. DO NOT post to sweepstakes sites!! For extra chances to win:

1. Post somewhere letting people know about the upcoming release of Delicious and Tease Me. Anywhere. You can talk about the book on your blog, your website, on Facebook, MySpace or even Twitter. Don’t have a blog? Don’t tweet? No problem–you can post a comment on somebody else’s romance website or blog, or even on a message board.

2. Then, come back here and comment below with a link to wherever you’ve posted your qualifying blog/post/comment. This is important, as your comment below is your entry in the giveaway.

3. Please make sure your link works! If I can’t confirm you that you’ve posted/commented/blogged/whatever-ed about the books and contest, you won’t be entered in the giveaway. Each link you post will get you an extra five entries in the contest.

4. To qualify, your blog/comment must be new (meaning it must be posted starting February 10th-April 7th)

5. Pick up the handy dandy Sprout I put up on yesterday’s blog and post it somewhere and you get an extra five entries into the contest!

Thanks so much for helping us spread the word! And don’t forget to stop by this blog each day to win free books and get sneak peeks at what your favorite authors are working on right now!