Product Description

New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon and rising stars Jaid Black and Kresley Cole unlock the pleasures and perils of embracing the boldest and most powerful of lovers -- 100% alpha males -- in three sensually erotic tales. Discover the physical rapture of his muscular arms.... Become a prisoner of passion, swept away by an encounter with his primal side.... And get lost in the all-consuming thrill of white-hot pursuit by a relentless stranger who may be your most dangerous foe, the best lover you've ever had -- or both.

Let your fantasies run wild with these unforgettable novellas where bigger is most definitely better -- and playing easy-to-get is the only way to go!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6624 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
SHERRILYN KENYON, aka Kinley MacGregor, is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Born to be BAD and BAD Attitude. There are more than ten million copies of her books in print. She lives with her family near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her website at www.dailyinquisitor.com/sherrilyn.

Before becoming a writer, Kresley Cole was a competitive athlete and a Master's grad in English. She sold her first two novels in 2003, and since then, she has published eleven more books and has seen her releases translated into nine foreign languages.

Kresley followed her highly-acclaimed Sutherland Series historicals with the bestselling MacCarrick Brothers Series, a trilogy of Highlander historical romances, as well as the continuing Immortals After Dark Series, a Rita award-winning paranormal romance collection, all with Pocket Books.

In January 2009, she became a #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller with her sixth IAD installment, Kiss of a Demon King.

Kresley lives in Florida with her husband and far too many dogs. She loves to hear from readers and invites you to visit her website: www.kresleycole.com.

Jaid Black is the founder and driving force of Ellora's Cave Publishing, the award-winning online source for erotic literature. She is also the founder and publisher of Lady Jaided, a sexy new magazine for women. Her novella "Hunter's Right" appears in the collection Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, and her novel Deep, Dark & Dangerous is forthcoming from Pocket Books in March 2006. Vistit her on the web at www.jaidblack.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

If there was a Richter scale for erotic experiences, this one would shatter the record.

Robin Daniels moaned deep in her throat as her lover's hand slid slowly up the inside of her thigh in an electrifying caress that culminated with his long, lean fingers stroking her between her thighs where she was wet and hot, waiting for him. She'd been craving him for weeks now. This man with the perfect male body, killer smile and eyes so green they didn't seem to be real.

Perfect lips that quirked up with a wicked charm. Lips that did naughty things to her body. She couldn't wait to feel his cock deep and hard inside her. To hold him close while he thrust himself into her over and over until they were both sweaty and spent.

His touch set her on fire.

But if either one of them were ever caught during one of their secret meetings, their lives would be over.

Their love would be over.

So he came to her at night like some incubus who needed to feed from her body.

She could deny him nothing. Whatever he asked, she would gladly cede.

Opening her legs, Robin gave him full access to the part of her that craved him most. The part of her that was aching and wet, desperate for his touch.

It was an invitation he took boldly as he slid his fingers even deeper inside her, seeking out her warmth and making her body burn with frenzied lust.

Robin hissed, arching her back. Her breasts tightened, straining against the cotton of her T-shirt.

"That's it," he said, his voice deep and husky. "Show me how much you want me."

"I want you, baby," she murmured, barely recognizing her own voice as she took his hard cock into her hand and toyed with the sensitive tip of it.

Oh yes, he felt good there. She let his wetness coat her fingers while she stroked him, exploring the hard, long length of him. She ran her hungry fingers over the thick, heavy vein, down lower until she could cup his sac in her palm.

He groaned at her gentle caress.

She captured his lips with hers, tugging his bottom lip between her teeth as she tasted him fully.

Before this night was over, she would make him hers for all eternity.

After tonight, Brendan would never want another woman.

She was going to ride him until he begged her for mercy....

"Allison. Cleanup, aisle five."

Allison George jerked her head up from her book as she heard her name called over the intercom. It wasn't until the manager had repeated his command that she left her dream world completely.

Damn. She was just getting to the really good part.

It never failed.

Sighing, she flipped to the front of the book and looked wistfully at the advertisement.

What's your fantasy?

Do you ever dream of getting away from it all? Just for a week or two?

Have you ever read a romance novel and thought...

What if?

Have you ever, just once, wanted to be the heroine in a book and to have the man of your dreams come in and rock your world?

Your dreams could come true. Enter the Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes and you too could be headed off to be the heroine in your favorite romance novel. Just send in your name, address and phone number, the title and author of your favorite book and the reason(s) why you need a break from your everyday life.

Two lucky winners will be selected every three months. No purchase necessary. Enter as many times as you like.

For more information, please visit HideawayHeroine.com.

Good luck!

Allison ran her hand over the words. Had she ever dreamed of getting away?

Was Brendan about to give Robin the best sex of her life?

Was he primo fabuloso?

Of course she dreamed of getting away. Every minute of every day. Unfortunately, that seemed about as likely as Brendan stepping out of his book and making her his fantasy lover.

Or of a house landing on top of her evil floor manager during a tornado and putting him out of her misery.

And speaking of the devil, he was headed straight for her. Allison hid her novel behind her back as her manager came down the book aisle with a stern grimace on his face. At fifty-two with salt and pepper hair, Dan might have been attractive at some point, but the constant disdainful sneer robbed him of any appeal.

"Allison, there's a toddler who threw up on aisle five. Move your butt. We can't leave it there for someone to step in." He barely looked her way as he went past her.

Oh yeah, her life was just one great big bowl full of cherries.

If she was really lucky, maybe on her way home some uninsured driver would plow into her beat-up Dodge Neon and total it while leaving her completely hale and whole enough to walk back to work tomorrow and mop up more vomit. She sighed in disgust.

Wondering if she had just in fact conjured up another visit from the Bad Luck Fairy, Allison tucked the romance novel into her smock pocket.

For weeks now she'd been carrying it around, rereading the entry form and debating on whether or not she should enter.

But why bother?

No one like her ever won anything anyway. It was always some rich doctor or lawyer. Someone other than her. Someone who didn't really need the money or the break.

Still that tiny voice in her head kept saying, "Yeah, but maybe this once..."

She hated that voice. It had gotten her into plenty of trouble in her life.

Grabbing a broom and the special dry solution she needed to clean up the mess, Allison went to the aisle and tried not to think about just how much she truly hated her job.

As she worked, a small smile hovered at her lips. Hey look, I'm already Cinderella. All they need to do is send me over to housewares with the fireplaces and have me clean those out and I'm in business.

"Ally?"

She looked up and it took a full second for the voice to register. It was one she hadn't heard in way too long.

Margaret Dale.

The two of them had been best friends in high school. And in the ten years since they had graduated, Margaret hadn't changed a bit.

"Maggie May!" she exclaimed, using her old nickname for her friend.

The broom forgotten, Allison hugged her tight, grateful to see a friendly face again. "Good Lord, how long has it been?"

"Six or seven years, at least."

Allison's eyes teared up as she stepped back. Maggie's elegant blond hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail. She wore a black pair of slacks and a chic, short-sleeved black sweater. But then Maggie had always looked like some fashion model walking away from a shoot. "You look fantastic!"

Maggie beamed, until she looked Allison up and down and then the smile faltered. Not in a condescending way, but in a way that said, "I'm sorry I got out and you got trapped in this godforsaken place."

Allison offered her a joking grin, even though a part of her was mortified at what she knew Maggie saw.

She stood in front of her elegant friend in her dark blue polyester smock, ill-fitting jeans and faded-out, oversized shirt. Worse, her own frizzy blond hair was in bad need of a trim and deep conditioning. Neither of which she could afford at the moment.

"I'm sorry about your mom," Margaret said quietly. "Had I known, I would have been here for the funeral."

Allison patted her arm as her throat tightened. She'd loved her mother more than anything. Ten years ago when she and Maggie had graduated high school, Maggie had gone to the University of Georgia, then moved off to New York after graduation to be an editor. Meanwhile, Allison had stayed home to help her mother, who was dying of cancer. For nine years her mother had fought hard and then last spring, she'd lost the war.

God, how she missed her. It was still a raw, aching pain inside her. Her mother had been everything to her.

"I know," she said, rubbing Maggie's arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think about sending word to you until after the funeral was over. I just wasn't in my right mind."

Maggie nodded in understanding. "You've been busy. My mom told me that you're engaged to Gary Mitchell. Congrats. I know how much you always loved him."

Allison drew a shaky breath as she thought about her rattlesnake ex. "Yeah," she said in an overly exaggerated tone. "Just l-o-v-e him to pieces."

"Uh-oh. That sounds ominous."

She sighed as she picked up the broom. "Well, I found the dog in bed a week ago with one of the strippers from the Night Owl."

Maggie's face showed the horror Allison had felt when she'd stumbled in late from work to find the two of them going at it in her bed. "No!"

"Oh yeah."

"What did you do?"

"I grabbed my broom, swept both pieces of trash out of my house, then I went through and decided it was time to do a little fall cleaning. I gathered up everything of his I could find, threw it into a pile on my front lawn and then proceeded to have a weenie roast. I'm told you could see the flames for up to a mile away."

Maggie laughed. "What did Gary do?"

"He called the cops and I spent the night in jail. But it was so worth it. I just wish I'd been able to get my shotgun loaded before the police got there and had had a chance to fill his backside with buckshot...."

"Allison? Are you on break?"

Allison cringed at Dan's voice coming from behind her. She looked around to see his soured frown. "I'm just helping a customer, Dan. She wanted to know where the lightbulbs were."

He didn't buy it for a minute.

Allison led Maggie away from his hearing. "Sorry, Maggie, I can't really talk right now."

Nodding, Maggie let her gaze dip down to the pocket of Allison's smock where the top of her book was peeking out. She smiled. "Sugar and Spice by Rachel Fire. You like it?"

"I love it. It's a great book."

Maggie's smile widened. "I edited it."

"You did not!"

"Yes, I did. She's one of the authors I discovered last year." Maggie tilted her head and looked back down the aisle to where Dan was still watching them. "Look, I don't want to get you into trouble. What time do you get off work?"

"Midnight."

"Okay, I'll be waiting out in the front lot with a pizza, a pack of Ho Hos and beer. Sound good?"

Allison laughed. When Maggie had been a college student, they would always celebrate her...

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Collection of Stories!
The Anthology "Playing Easy to Get" is one of the better anthologies out there. All three contributing authors have gifted the reader with some alpha yummy hero's and paired with feisty heroines. The end result...one hot entertaining read!

Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Turn up the Heat" is one fun read. Allison spends her days cleaning up aisle "whatever" in her local Wal-Mart. When her friend suggests that she should enter a contest where the winner can live out her favorite romance novel she at first scoffs...ya like she's ever going to win anything. But, she does and the second she sets eyes on Vince...she knows her life will never be the same. Vince is on the run from "the family" they want him dead, and he's rather attached to the concept of living to see another day. So when his best friend from childhood saves his bacon and finds him a safe place to hide out he's all for it...that is until he sees Allison getting off the plane. Now staying one step ahead of the bad guys is not his only priority. Now he has to keep a lid on his lust. Will he be able to do this or will this bad boy finally give in?

Jaid Black's "Hunter's Oath" is the story of Sofia. She's just been bride napped by one scary looking cabbie. She's alone in life now since her brother was recently killed in active duty. She's wondering what life has to hold for her now. Well she should have been careful what she questioned. Because now she is going to live underground in a lost Viking world as the bought bride of Johen Stefsson for the rest of her life. But, will this be as bad as she thinks it will or has she just found her hearts desire?

Kresley Cole's debut paranormal read "The Warlord Wants Forever" Myst is a Valkyrie with a problem...she's the forever bride of a vampire. Now lets just forget the fact Valkyrie's and Vampires don't mix...ever...she happens to be attracted to him. Wroth is everything she's been taught to hate. Will she be able to put a lifetime's teaching behind her and accept her fate as this handsome vampires bride or will she let pride and family get in the way?

All three of these short stories are yummy! Now readers should keep in mind...these are not full-length efforts but the author have made the most out of the word count allotted them. Ms. Cole's debut paranormal effort is very good and I look forward to reading her next book. It goes without say that Ms. Black and Ms. Kenyon know their stuff. Ms. Kenyon offers readers another BAD book and Ms. Black's Viking story...hot, hot, and hot. For a quick but very entertaining read...look no further. You won't find so much talent in one book very often.

Dynamite Trio of 'Smoking' Hot Stories
This is a wonderful collection of highly sensual laden and sweetly sinful stories from three extremely accomplished authors.

TURN UP THE HEAT by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Kenyon gives steamy and exciting story with a Cinderella heorine meets a `bad boy' on a fantasy island. Allison is the winner of a `live the novel' romance contest that lands her on a dream island, complete with major `stud muffins' and one darkly dangerous hunk who is hiding out from the mob. Attraction between the two sizzles and between bedroom gymnastics and dodging bullets these two create spontaneous combustion! HOT!

HUNTERS OATH by Jaid Black - Inconsolable over the loss of her brother Sofia didn't pay much attention to the roads the cab driver took while plowing thru the snow to catch a plane back to Tampa. Too late she discovered that she'd been kidnapped and brought to a secret underground `otherworld' where she is auctioned off on the marriage block. Having been given a powerful aphrodisiac by the guardian of the `outsider brides', Sofia couldn't help the `itch' that her new husband, the seven foot warrior Johen is only too willing to take care of. Once the drug wore off, Johen himself becomes the aphrodisiac that convinces Sofia to stay. Romantic and sizzling!

THE WARLORD WANTS FOREVER by Kresley Cole - `Myst the Coveted' is an immortal Valkyrie who considers vampires and other such ghouls her mortal enemy. Nikolai Wroth, a warlord general is a vampire who recognizes Myst as someone special. At first he didn't know just what exactly she was until just before he'd lost her. It then took him another five years to capture this very special Valkyrie. Their battles would be ferocious and their lovemaking exquisite as Wroth fought to convince Myst that she was fated to be his `forever bride'. HOT & SPICY!

I've read Kenyon before and she definitely knows how to heat things up with her BAD boy series; Jaid Black was brand new for me and my,oh my, I do plan plan to look her up in the future. I've read great historical fiction from Ms Cole before and with this debut effort into the paranormal genre she has proven herself equal to the task. The reader won't be disappointed in availing themselves of this exceptional trio of short but extremely titillating stories. These are `smoking'!

Interestingly hot Mix
I love Kenyon and have all but her rare books. This was my first time with Jaid Black and Kresley Cole and I was surprised, I liked Black and Cole's stories better. As for hot factor, theirs have Kenyon's beat.
Kenyon's story was too short to really further her BAD or Sex Camp series and although I liked the characters, I can never seem to get into stories where the hero and heroine meet and within one day can't be without each other unless you are dealing with supernatural stuff to make the bond happen.

Black's story was erotic and out there. The Spanish fly had me laughing and the sex scenes had me looking for my husband. :-)

Cole's story was HOT HOT HOT, enough said?