Title: Hard As You Can
Series: Hard Inc.
Author: Laura Kaye
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.
Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.
Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can—and never let go.
Excerpt
It’s release day! And I’m thrilled to share Hard As You Can, the second book in the
Hard Ink series, with all of you here today! Hard As You Can follows the surviving members of a disgraced Army
Special Forces team as they fight to regain their stolen honor, and finds their
investigation crossing paths with a waitress willing to do whatever it takes to
stay alive and protect her younger sister. For Shane McCallan, saving Crystal
Dean is a mission he refuses to turn down.
Today, I’m excited to share Shane and Crystal’s
first kiss! Don’t you love first kiss scenes? Gah! I so do. *grins* Here we go:
“Tell me not to,” Shane said, his voice a raw scrape.
“I can’t,” Crystal whispered in a shaky voice. “I
don’t want to.”
Shane’s body took over then, all urgent need and
basic instinct. The rest of the world be damned. He pulled her in and kissed
her, his lips devouring, his tongue exploring deep. Nothing held back. Nothing
denied. Not even as her lips reawakened the sting from the cut on his lip.
Totally worth it.
Crystal’s arms came up around him. She trembled against
him, and Shane wasn’t sure if it was caused by adrenaline or fear. Unable to
tolerate the thought that she might feel forced, he eased off.
She moaned and held him tighter, like his retreat
had made something snap within her. Their kisses deepened, and her body moved
against his, sinuously, maddeningly, desperately.
They tasted one another again and again, giving in
to the heat that had sparked between them from the moment Crystal had collided
with him at Confessions. Little nips and bites of lips and teeth warred with long,
sensual strokes of tongue that stole his breath and made him instantly hard.
The sting in his lip, the throb of his GSW, the aches from Nick’s asskicking,
every bit of it faded away—no, her touch made it all go away.
The few times they’d spoken, Crystal had most often been
guarded, tentative, fearful. Just as she’d been when he first kissed her. But,
now, she was revealing a passionate woman who could be fearless, giving and
receiving openly and without hesitation. Christ, the thought that this
fierceness was the real Crystal slayed him because it meant she was burying and
denying her true self, not because she wanted to, but because she had to.
No, because someone forced her to.
The thought reminded him of the bruises on her arm. Shane
had known this woman for three days, and twice in that time she’d been hurt by
another man. And both as a consequence for things Shane had done.
A crack of thunder echoed from the heavens, making Crystal
jump and gasp into his mouth.
“I’ve got you,” he rasped around a kiss.
Part of him wanted to say more, to tell her he had
her and he’d keep her safe. But he couldn’t make himself give up her heat, her
sweetness, her obvious hunger—for him.
So he made her a silent promise instead.
Never again, Crystal. He’ll never hurt you again.
Not on my watch.
Because Shane McCallan had made a mistake like that
once. And, as bad as his sister’s disappearance had been, something’s happening
to Crystal would actually be worse because Shane knew it was coming. The one break
he’d ever given himself over Molly was that he’d had no way to know
she’d be abducted. Didn’t excuse the role he played in allowing it to happen,
but he couldn’t have known. But with Crystal, while he might not know when or
how this Bruno asshole would strike out to do the ultimate damage, it was all
but a done deal at this point. Always was with guys like him. And Shane would
go to the grave before he let it happen, before he failed another female for
whom he cared.
Because he did care. Made no damn sense given how long
he’d known her. And the timing was beyond piss-poor. But there it was all the
same.
So that’s Shane
and Crystal starting to give in to what they feel for one
another – I hope you enjoyed! Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!
~Laura
“Edgy, sexy, and
full of suspense! A great read from a great new author!”
~J.R. Ward on Hard As It Gets
Read an Extended Excerpt of Book 1, Hard
As It Gets
Q&A WITH LAURA KAYE
HARD AS YOU CAN is your
second book in the “Hard Ink” series (after USA Today bestseller, HARD AS IT
GETS). What can readers look forward to?
Readers can look forward to tons of sexy
alpha male goodness, awesome bromance between the Hard Ink men, more antics
from the Hard Ink puppy, and another great love story between Shane and
Crystal. But readers should also be ready for a book that is darker, more
intense, and more emotional. This book pushed me to emotional places that were
tough as a writer, and might be tough for readers, too. But I think that just
makes the payoff at the end so much sweeter!
Describe Shane and Crystal.
What are their best traits? What are their weaknesses?
Shane and Crystal are such an amazing couple
to me. They’re each exactly what the
other needs. Shane’s best traits are his protectiveness, his fundamental
kindness, and his soul-deep loyalty (his southern accent and humor are also
right up there!). His biggest weakness for sure is a tragedy from the past for
which he blames himself—and it’s something that continues to motivate him in Hard As You Can. Crystal’s best traits
are her courage, protectiveness, and selflessness—she’s willing to do anything
to keep her younger sister safe. Her biggest weakness is also that
selflessness, because the sacrifices she’s required to make are getting bigger
and bigger and bigger.
If you could describe your
book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?
When a woman in trouble assists an ex-soldier's
covert mission to regain his team's stolen honor, he finds a new mission to
save her, too
What are you most excited
about with this second book release?
I’m really excited to take readers
deeper into these awesome characters and into the mystery behind the Hard Ink
team’s ambush and discharge!
What books are you reading
right now?
I’m almost done with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (yes, I’m very late to the
party but OMG JAMIE FRASER!!!). And I’ve recently devoured and loved Juliana
Stone’s Offsides and Shelly Thacker’s
time-travel historical romance, Forever
His.
What can fans of your “Hard
Ink” series look forward to next?
There will be two more Hard Ink books in
2014!
Hard
to Hold on To – August 2014
Hard
to Come By – November 2014
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today
bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal
romance. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment