Synopsis
He’s a rock star with deadly secrets.
She’s a mafia princess yearning for freedom.
Nick Tennant, the affable guitar hero of Muse of Darkness, has severed ties with his mobster family a lifetime ago. When he meets dazzling Angela, he knows she’s the only woman he wants by his side for the rest of his life. Too bad her father’s goons want to make sure that’s a very short time.
Angela Silvieri has led a sheltered life. Between boarding schools and her dad’s bodyguards, she’s rarely allowed to venture into the real world. A fundraiser for an honorable cause becomes the perfect ticket out of her gilded prison.
When the bosses of the Irish and the Italian mafia vie to turn their love-at-first-sight story into a tale of murder, Nick and Angela must find a place to hide. How will they manage that if he’s a rockstar?
Can Nick forsake his lifelong dream for a woman he’s just met? Can Angela trust her life into the hands of a man who’s been lying to everyone for years?
One-click this book today to find out.
This reimagining of Romeo & Juliet will make fans of Kylie Scott, Jaine Diamond, and Alexa Padgett swoon. No cheating or cliffhangers.
All other books in the Muse of Darkness Series are available now.
SNEAK PEEK
Chapter 5 – Nick
2022@ Liz Gavin
When the elevator doors swoosh open on the twentieth floor, Erik and Christine lead the way as Wes, Maria, and I follow them onto the hall.
“Hey, Erik.” I whistle and taunt, “Can you guys keep it down tonight? I asked you that yesterday, but you just ignored me, and I couldn’t sleep a wink.”
Erik flips his middle finger at me in the same fashion he did last night before adding, “Fuck you.”
This extra day at the hotel has been crucial for the band as we took turns visiting Logan at the hospital and held the press conferences here. But I miss my bed.
As I continue down to my suite, I shake my head and smile. I’m over the moon happy for Erik and Wes finding love, but a dull ache stabs my heart every other second. It’s been like that the whole fucking day through as I remembered the angel I met at the fundraiser. I can’t go on like that.
Tomorrow, I’ll call Robert Davies first thing in the morning. M.o.D.’s lawyer will help me find out all about Ms. Angela Rose Silvieri from New York City.
I slide the plastic card into the lock. When the green light flashes with a loud beep, I turn the handle to open the door and step inside. I knit my eyebrows at the pitch-black welcome I get from the seating area. I thought I had pulled the curtains open before leaving for the hospital.
I flick the switch by the door and all the hidden spots of light in the suite come to life, illuminating my way. I take off the black wool jacket I wore all day and drape it on the back of a chair. As I stroll toward the master bedroom, I pull the black Henley over my head. When I have it in my hands, I freeze at the sight of Angela Silvieri lounging on the winged armchair at the corner of the room. Despite the dim light, she’s a breathtaking vision in a white T-shirt, jeans, and brown leather jacket.
My heart goes wild inside my chest, thudding against my ribs like a fucking hummingbird trying to claw its way out of me to fly to her. But it’s my cock straining against the zipper of my black dress pants that commands the show. It demands most of the blood in my body to swoop down, leaving little for my brain.
I can barely breathe as I watch her surge to her feet and cover the fifteen feet between us. She glances down my body before returning her eyes to mine. A sinful smile curves her lips up.
“I’m glad to see you too,” she murmurs, wrapping her fingers around my shoulders.
I scan her face and probe her stare. For all her bold attitude, I glimpse a trace of awe, born of inexperience, in her expression that she isn’t able to totally hide. And that keeps my raging lust in check.
Barely.
Besides, if she really were the temptress she’s pretending to be, she’d be on my bed wearing her birthday suit when I came in. Or, at a minimum, she’d be in silky underwear instead of fully clothed.
Attempting to buy precious time to get my blood pressure under control, I step away from her, squeeze the shirt I’m holding, and stroll toward the bed. I drape the cotton thing at the end of the mattress.
I clear my throat and ask, “How did you get in?”
She shrugs. “There’s very little a black credit card won’t buy.” She perches herself beside my discarded clothing. “Speaking of which, how much did your bid go for? And who’s the lucky lady? I might need to have a word with her.”
I chuckle. “I like your sense of humor,” I admit, before reminding myself not to get too comfortable around her.
I decide to use the difference in height between our positions to assert a degree of authority. I stand in front of her, clasp my hands behind my back, and set my legs wide apart. Which is a natural stance for me, but I do this deliberately to remind me of who she is and to show her who I am. A motherfucker dominant who has no business craving an innocent young woman like her.
Shaking my head, I add, “At the end of the day, you didn’t miss the auction. There was none.”
The front of her brown leather jacket rises and falls with her exaggerated sigh. I chew the inside of my mouth not to smile at her theatrics. She looks so damn cute right now I want to kiss her senseless. But I resist the temptation of her smiling lips.
She nods. “Not complaining, far from it, actually. But why was that?”
Now is not the best time to go into details about the drama Logan caused before the auction even started. So, I offer her the shortest version of facts.
“Logan ruined it.”
She crosses her legs, her nostrils flare, and she twists the hands she keeps on her lap.
“I’m sorry Welcoming Hills didn’t get the money, though,” she murmurs, holding my stare.
When my only reply is an arched eyebrow, she squirms, gulps, and sinks her teeth into her lower lip for a couple of beats. Guess my plan to show her my true colors is working. The problem is the side effects of it. My cock twitches inside my pants and my fingers itch to free her plump lip from its prison. I grit my teeth until the throbbing in a vein in my jaw slows down and I trust my voice.
“Oh, don’t worry about the kids.” I dismiss her concern. “We managed to raise the funds Maria needs. Erik came up with a plan to secure the money for the non-profit and ended up getting his angel back.”
Angie tilts her head and pushes off the bed, standing to her feet in front of me. “His angel?” She furrows her brow, scanning my face and catching a slip of the tongue that has bypassed my brain like a fucking thief in the night.
I take a step back. She takes two forward and cups my cheeks in her palms. Time dissolves into nothing as her gray eyes dive into mine, reaching for my heart.
“Why did you emphasize ‘his’ just now?” Her hoarse voice short-circuits my brain cells.
How has she noticed something I had no idea I felt up until a moment ago? I just shrug in reply because words flee me as I try to wrap my head around that notion.
Angie plasters her soft curves against my painful hard-on. We groan.
She insists, “I’m curious to know, Nick. What were you contrasting ‘his’ with when you said that?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, taking a deep breath, and kicking myself mentally to get some sense into my thick head. She’s too innocent for my dark appetites. She deserves a loving boyfriend who takes her out on dates, buys flowers, and worships the ground beneath her feet. All I can offer her is a damaged soul and kinky sex.
But when I open my eyes again and take in the pure lines of her high-cheeks, I hurl my good intentions into the dungeon of my mind. I wrap my fingers around her pointy chin, relishing in the feel of her skin, soft as petals, under the callous the strings of my guitar have gifted me.
Playing with fire too alluring to resist, I lean my head down until my lips graze hers. I kiss a way up her cheek to her ear. We’re both panting when I pull the fleshy earlobe into my mouth and nibble at it.
“Yes, I said his angel because you, Angie, are mine,” I murmur.
“Nobody calls me Angie. I like that.” She spears her fingers through my hair, pulling at it.
I move my lips down her face to cover her mouth. I thrust a leg between hers and she humps my thigh as our tongues dance together, the heat radiating from her pussy burns my skin even through the layers of clothes. Our moans mix as we deepen the kiss, sucking at each other’s tongues. She nibbles at my lip. I lick hers.
When we come up for air, she buries her face in the crook of my neck and I glance down as I unbutton her jeans, opening the zipper. The tight denim slides down to her thighs and I cup her sex. Male pride swells my chest at confirming she’s as aroused as I am.
I tease her entrance with a finger over the damp silk of her panties. “I knew you would be wet for me, Angie.”
She trembles in my arms and the caveman in me takes over. I claim her lips again, pulling to the side the material covering her pussy. She gasps and her knees buckle, but I support her body with an arm around her waist, crushing her round breasts against my chest.
Not wanting this to end too soon for either of us, I withdraw my fingers from her wetness. She groans a protest, digging her fingers into my back. I chuckle against her neck, moving my hand around the curve of her hip to cup her ass. For a beat, I freeze as my fingers slide over her soft skin without barrier. When they get to the strap lace of the thong separating her ass cheeks, my heart skips a few beats.
“Fuck me,” I groan in pain, straining my neck over her shoulder to check her backside.
“Like what you see?” She whispers.
I straighten my back and lock eyes with her, gulping at the naughty invitation in her expression. I frown. Could it be I’ve read her wrong? Is it possible she isn’t as innocent as I first thought? At this point, my brain has checked out and I give in to my dark urges.
“You’ve no idea,” I growl, walking us to a full-length mirror on the wall. I place her in front of me as we face the glassy surface. I grab the hemline of her top and pull it up. She throws her hands up in the air and I slide the white cotton T-shirt over her head and drop it on the floor. My eyes zero in on her perfect breasts pushing against the black bra as she heaves.
“I put this underwear on for you,” she confesses, grinning and hooking her fingers on the waistline of her tight jeans to push them down. But I like that they hug her thighs, restraining her movements.
“Leave them,” I command.
She blinks but obeys the order.
“Good girl,” I praise, stepping closer behind her, grabbing her hips to keep her in place, and nestling my erection between her round ass cheeks.
“Lean your head on my shoulder.”
When she does it, I wrap a hand around her chin, poking her lips with my thumb. She parts them for me as I slide her panties to the side again, spread her folds, and insert two fingers inside her. Her tight walls squeeze my hand as I search for her G-spot. I find it and press hard on it.
She moans around my thumb. “Suck it, Angie. Suck my thumb like your sweet pussy is sucking my fingers.”
I bite the side of her neck as my cock begs for release inside my pants. I grit my teeth to control myself as my palm rubs her hard clitoris. It doesn’t take long for Angie to come undone under my fingers.
“Oh, God! Nick,” she cries out, pulsing around my hand, her pleasure covering it as I speed up my movements.
I can’t wait to sink my dick into her quivering sex, but I’d rather prepare her for my girth. So, I need to wring a couple more orgasms out of her before she’s ready for me.
Swirling her in my arms, I kiss her again and walk us to the bed. I settle her on the edge, slide the jeans down to her ankles, and spread her thighs apart.
I kneel between her legs. “Brace yourself. I need this to be fast,” I order as my cock threatens to explode at the sight of her damp panties.
Her jaw drops and she combs my hair with her fingers. The sweetest expression of disbelief shines on her face.
I frown. “What?”
She shrugs, “I didn’t know a man could hold off for so long.”
I’m sure she’s talking about the young guys she’s known so far. I bet they were done with her in ten minutes flat.
She leans down and kisses the tip of my nose, “I also never thought I could come so hard on someone else’s hand.” Her cheeks gain a furious shade of red. “In fact, I’ve never gushed like that on mine either.”
My heart forgets to beat. I swallow hard before asking for confirmation, “You have had sex before, right?”
She shakes her head and throws my world upside down.
As tempting as this sounds, I won’t be her first.
I can’t.
I shouldn’t.
Propping my hands on the mattress, I rise to my feet.
“Nick, what happened? What did I do wrong? You don’t want me?”
“You kidding me? There’s nothing I’d love more to do right now than to fuck you senseless, just to start all over again. I want to hear you scream my name until your throat is raw. And I’d love to make you come so hard, and so many times, you’d be feeling me inside you for days. But you deserve the best. And in this case, the best means being wooed, pampered, and adored.”
Which are things the selfish bastard in me can’t conceive of another man doing. It’s got to be me only I can’t do that.
Heart shattered and mind numbed, I point to the door of the bathroom. “Go wash in there and pull yourself together. I’ll wait for you in the living room.”
She grabs my hand. “Nick, don’t. Please. I want this. I want it to be you.”
I hold her stare. “I wish I were worthy of you, Angie. I’m not. I’m not good for you.”
She squares her shoulders as her eyes brim with tears.
“What was I thinking? You’ve got your pick of top models, Hollywood stars, and all kinds of gorgeous women,” she scoffs.
“Stop it,” I order.
She blinks the tears away, but the hurt remains. I grab her hand and cover my cock with it. Under the material of my pants, it throbs against her fingers.
She rounds her eyes. “Oh.”
I smirk. “Exactly. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I want you so hard I’m in pain. But I won’t take your virginity tonight. You deserve so much better than what I can offer you.”
Her lips curve in a bright, smug smile. “You won’t take it ‘tonight’?” She follows the last word with air quotes. “That leaves the door open to the possibility of other nights.”
My brain has put me in trouble again.
“You’re too smart for your own good, Angie.” I guffaw. “Now go wash while I fix us a drink.”
I whistle my way to the bar in the seating area in the same rhythm as her humming inside the bathroom. I put the glasses on the counter and pour whiskey inside them at the same time she turns off the water. I sink to a crouch in front of the minibar, swing the door open, and grab the tray of ice. The thud of a door closing announces Angie’s presence.
“That was fast,” I comment.
Her high-pitched shriek has me on my feet in the blink of an eye, dropping the ice tray to the floor. But my brain takes a moment to register the bald man standing on the other side of the counter, grinning at me.
“What the fuck?” I demand, looking over his shoulder at the giant blond holding Angie from behind, his large hand covering her mouth.
Her panicky eyes plead with me, and I recognize the men as the two bodyguards who took her and her mother away yesterday at the fundraiser. I skirt the bar to rush to her rescue.
“Get your paws off of her,” I growl.
“Stay out of this,” the bald one grabs me by the neck, swirling me around to face him.
Before I can do anything, his fist punches my temple and my knees hit the floor. I scramble to get up, but the metal point of his cowboy boot kicks me in the balls. I grunt and roll over to kneel and get up. I look up to find the blond one is dragging Angela out of the door as she flails her arms and legs.
“Motherfucker, let her go. You’re hurting her,” I grumble.
“She’s not your concern, asshole. Don’t come after her or next time I won’t be so generous and leave you still breathing,” the bald guy promises before swinging his leg back and kicking the side of my head.
My heart breaks when the muffled sounds of Angie’s pleas for help die out as darkness fills my mind, rendering me powerless to save her.
Nick and Angela’s story releases on November 28th.
Get your copy here – Nick.
All other books in the Muse of Darkness Series are available now.