by L. V. Lewis
With a heaving gasp, she falls underneath him, and the smell of her sweet perspiration invades his nostrils, saturating every pore of his being. Gary barely has time to realize he recognizes this scent before he loses all awareness in the emerald green mirrors of the princess’ eyes.
“What in the absolute fuck!”
Gary tries to turn away from the sleek, lithe body beneath him, away from the enchanting eyes, but he can’t. Within seconds, blackness covers him, the world goes cold, then nothing.
***
“Hey. Hey!”
Gary opens his eyes to blurry shapes standing over him. Someone is smacking him in the face, probably the closest blur. He blinks and sees a hand coming forward to slap him again. Catching it, he shakes his head from side to side.
“Enough.”
“Enough? Enough? Look here puke-stain, you attacked my betrothed while she was at her most primal and weakest moment. Climintra are coming for you Human-boy,” a sandy-haired boy wearing makeup yells at Gary.
“The Climintra . . . ?”
Gary laughs. The Climintra are coming for him? Ah well, fuck it, right? He embarrassed himself in the lobby, why not have Master Sergeant Wiles come in here and tell him he screwed up guard duty already?
“What in this god-forsaken dome do you have to laugh about?” Sandy-Hair-With-Makeup asks.
“I thought Princess Amarie was being possessed. You—” Gary has to laugh again. “You mean to tell me y’all were having Meta sex? I interrupted my client’s orgasm? Is that what you’re telling me?”
Princess Amarie speaks up. “Actually, you didn’t interrupt my orgasm at all. That went fine. What you interrupted was a two-person charm that ended up affecting you instead of the love of my life. Which will prove . . . annoying . . . but ensures you protect me with all you possess. You’ve inadvertently been made the perfect guard dog.”
It takes Gary a couple seconds to realize just how much burn the princess put into that speech. Lucky for him, it explains why he got slowed down so much when he burst in here and . . . interrupted . . . sex . . . between an elf and a fairy. He laughs again. Can’t help it. Not sorry. Nope. Not a bit. This is funny shit.
Prince Erihstoll Habbernock, no longer known as Sandy-Hair-With-Makeup, doesn’t find it funny. His anger at the intrusion is palpable. Gary understands anger. Gary can use anger to his advantage. The prince raises his hand as though to strike Gary in the face again.
“You’ve had your fun smacking the dog, Prince Habbernock. Do it again, and the law starts biting back. I suppose, for now, that makes you the family cat. You’re an asshole and we all know it, but we’re gonna keep ya around because we love you. Or in my case, because my master loves you. Go sit in a window or something.”
Erihstoll’s cheeks go red as apples, puffing out like a big bad wolf preparing to blow down a little pig’s house. Gary decides to keep that joke in his head. The prince looks ready to blow a gasket, but manages to subdue whatever outburst he’d prepared when Amarie gives him a look.
The princess herself is dressed now, though the sheer red dress doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Gary feels the magic coursing through his mind as he admires the grace with which she moves, how her lips are set in a grimace betraying her embarrassment, and how her long black hair sits in imperfect lumps over her perfectly shaped shoulders. For fuck’s sake, he thinks. What kind of magic did he jump into?
Suddenly, her smell as she was underneath him returns, and he realizes why he almost recognized it before: the smell of sex, putrid when you’re not party to the fun, intoxicating when you are. Aw fuck, fuck, fuck! He does not want to be that kind of pervert, yet here he is practically begging the gods to smell her goddamn panties. Wait, why is he smelling that smell now? Isn’t the sex over?
“Are you done staring, then?” Princess Amarie asks.
“What? No, I . . . ” Gary stammers.
“Alright puppy, listen. You need to get ahold of yourself. I know the magic is strong, but a little willpower will lessen the effects to a point you can do your job,” she jabs.
Why does it sound like she’s flirting, and why does Prince Habbernock look like he agrees that’s what she’s doing?
“That spell is a . . . two-way street. It was meant strictly for Erihstoll and me. As for what you’re experiencing, your feelings for me are enhanced, and mine for you. Luckily, we don’t know anything about each other. It’s annoying. Still, if you can control your urges, we can remain friends and maybe I’ll get out of this mess alive.”
“Oh, you’ll come out of this alive, Princess,” a new voice interjects, one Gary recognizes. “He’s my best soldier. There’s a reason I sent him, though attacking the client is new to his repertoire.”
“Good evening, Ms. Wiles,” Amarie says with stately accord.
“Master Sergeant, please, Princess Vanyarin. I apologize for entering without knocking, but there is a hole in the door.”
Prince Sandy-Hair interrupts, “Thanks to your ‘soldier,’ I might add. Can we assume the door will be replaced with haste?”
“Yes, not that it matters. Princess Vanyarin will be moving to a safe place elsewhere in the Complex until her threats have been assessed and the issuer found. You can’t be privy to her location from after we leave until the mystery is solved, Prince Habbernock,” Temera replies.
“What? She’s my—”
“She’s your girlfriend at this point, Prince Habbernock. Ergo, by law, I don’t have to tell you shit. That goes into effect now. Princess, please gather a few things you absolutely need. And, for God’s sake, untie your bodyguard.”
Prince Habbernock’s face shows it’s clear he is neither used to, nor okay with, being spoken to in such a gruff manner. However, he provides a dagger to cut the ropes binding Gary. The two knicks he exacts during the release might be accidental, but Gary has serious doubts.
“Hey wait,” a fourth voice squeaks. “You must allow me to go with her!”
Gary sees the flittering light he thought he’d seen when he kicked in the door. In a puff of silvery dust, the light turns into a Human-sized pixie. Also naked. Why are daytime Metas always nude?
“Yes,” Princess Amarie agrees, “Sydney goes with me.”
“I’m afraid that’s not—” Temera starts.
“Then your services are no longer needed, Master Sergeant. You may leave. Be sure to take the puppy with you.”
“We’re forever partners, Master Sergeant! We have been for just over one hundred years! I’ll die, in the literal fashion, if you force our separation. You don’t want to kill a pixie.” Sydney half says, half asks.
“Fine!” Gary surprises himself with the force behind the word. “Sydney can come. But Princess, you are coming with me . . . us . . . unless you have an honest wish to die.”
Princess Amarie brings her hands together in a slow clap at her puppy’s outburst. “Well then. I don’t want to die, so I guess we’re going, Sydney. Tell me, puppy, is your bite bigger than your bark?”
Temera’s eyebrow raises in question, and all Gary can do is shrug. The princess goes into an adjoining room to gather her things. His head pounding, Gary looks back at Master Sergeant.
“I thought we had a device to protect us from mind magic?”
Temera smiles with a twinkle in her eyes. “Oh Suge, they didn’t use no magic on that head. I doubt it would’ve worked anyway.”
Reaching back, Gary feels a lump, fully-formed, on the back of his skull. Prince Erihstoll laughs this time, and pulls a blackjack from his belt into the light. Tanned leather straps hang heavy from the weight of silver pellets shining off their ends, tied to a strong, braided leather handle. Gary can tell the handle was wrapped around a stronger core, but the braids are tight enough he can’t see it. All in all, a more than decent weapon.
“I keep it with me at all times, just in case my subjects try to trifle with things they have no business delving into,” Habbernock says in a calm, princely manner.
Asshole.
A guilty look travels over Temera’s face, one suggesting she knows that weapon. Well, Gary thinks, I don’t have to ask where or how he got such a thing. Only Climintra agents can smuggle items into the Complex. Looks like his boss did a favor for the Prince of Fairies.
“What did you get in return, Boss?”
“Don’t matter none, Suge. It’s water under the bridge. I’m sorry it came back to smack you in the head,” she smiles.
“Yeah. Okay. Well, you do not get to call me ‘puppy’ for any fuckin’ reason, hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Suge. Loud and clear.”
Princess Amarie comes out with two bags and a flying light on her shoulder. “I’ll call you whatever I want, puppy. Come along. The night draws heavy and I am tired.”
The princess, Sydney, and Master Sergeant make their way out, but Prince Habbernock pulls Gary to the side. Waiting for the sound of the elevator beep to know the ladies are out of earshot, Habbernock leans in close enough for Gary to smell his minted breath. Putting a hand on Gary’s shoulder, the prince whispers, “You don’t touch her. You don’t love her. Hell, you don’t even like her, hear me? That spell is strong magic meant only for two people who love each other to share intimate secrets with. It’s built to bring lovers closer together, and you got it instead of me. You don’t even know what you have, Human. Even so, you stole it; it isn’t yours. So keep your hands to yourself, and we won’t have any more issues. You remain an upstanding man; I’ll even respect you, some. That’s saying a lot, for a Human.”
Gary removes the hand from his shoulder. There’s murder in Habbernock’s eyes. The time for smartass remarks has passed. He levels his own gaze to match the prince. Letting the tension build until it seems the room will crack in half, Gary sheds his Human side and lets the soldier come out. Habbernock’s eyes are brimming with hatred, his body coiled to react to any movement Gary might make. Exactly where I want you, Habbernock. Gary reaches his hand up and the prince jerks. A small jerk, but definitive. The hatred in his eyes burns hotter.
“I’ll let you know when we find whoever is threatening Princess Amarie. In the meantime, you can count on me to protect her twenty-four hours a day.”
Habbernock takes Gary’s hand and shakes it.
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
All the niceties taken care of, Gary turns on his heel and heads out the door. Taking the elevator down, he finds the princess and Master Sergeant waiting for him. The ladies get onto Temera’s Flyer together, Gary back on his own.
“Start,” he orders.
The Flyer follows the command without complaint.
END OF EXCERPT
AUTHOR BIO
Growing up, L.V. Lewis wanted to be an internationally known rock star, but she unfortunately lived in the wrong part of the country to pursue that career (and neither American Idol nor The Voice were available at that time) An early love for the written word gave her the “Plan B” she needed. Now, she pens romance novels that let her live vicariously through rock stars and other fascinating archetypes.
Learn more about L.V. Lewis at: www.lvlewis.com .
Also, subscribe to L.V. Lewis’s newsletter at: https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/g4y1z8 and receive notifications about new books.
COMING NEXT FROM LV LEWIS
Heart of Knives © June 2017
The Complex Book Series.
A Lone Planet. One Complex.
Unlimited Chaos.
When an elf princess is threatened for her activism, who will come to her rescue—her fairy prince fiance’ or the handsome human bodyguard she adores?
Princess Amarie Vanyarin has a reputation for doing what’s right, no matter the cost. When she volunteers to act as Elf ambassador at the Complex—a domed community of Humans and Metas on the planet Lorn—a faceless assassin threatens her life. Soon, the civil rights activist is torn between thwarting another war and concentrating on her betrothal to Fairy Prince Erihstall Habbernock. Their plan to strengthen their mystical bond with a love spell goes awry when the magic inadvertently enchants the wrong person.
Or does it?
Amarie soon discovers that her fiancé and Gary Locke, the human bodyguard who’s captured her heart, both have ulterior motives—neither of which bodes well for her.
With the future ahead uncertain, will the headstrong princess continue to fight for Human-Meta peace, or will she choose to confront the emerging threat targeting the men she loves?
BACKLIST TITLES BY L.V. LEWIS
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever © 2012
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY to the second power meets Keisha and Jada from the Block.
If you’ve wondered how an ethnic girl from the hood might’ve handled an arrangement with an experienced white Dominant, this is your book. If you’d like to see the sexiest TWIN DOMS in a contemporary romance series involving interracial relationships, this is most definitely your book.
Aspiring recording studio owners, Keisha Beale and Jada Jameson, score a rare meeting with venture capitalist, Tristan White, and are thrust into a world beyond their wildest imaginations.
Street-wise Keisha is startled to realize that what she really wants is this rich white man, despite the fact that he is out of her league. Unable to resist Keisha’s sassy, irreverent, and fiercely independent spirit, Tristan knows from day one that he wants her too—as his first African-American submissive.
Upper Class Jada of the “Springfield Jamesons” has traveled in almost the same circles, as the White brothers, and has had a secret crush on Nathan White, the point guard for the Chicago Bulls, for quite some time.
Both brothers have succumbed to jungle fever, and want a little coffee in their cream.
Lured by Tristan White, and his offer of fronting the capital for her business in exchange for kinky sex, Keisha finds herself with no other option. She is also tortured by a demons from her past, and an inability to come to terms with threats to undermine the future of her business, and her tumultuous, unconventional relationship with Tristan.
Erotic, amusing, and hilarious, the The Jungle Fever Romance Quadrilogy is a parody with a unique take on a Fifty Shades-type story that will take you even further into the BDSM world, and promises to make the vanilla original Fifty Shades even Blacker.
Exit Strategy © 2013
The Highly Anticipated Follow-up in the Jungle Fever Romance Quadrilogy!
Ex*it Strat*e*gy (noun) 1. A pre-planned means of extricating oneself from a situation that is likely to become difficult or unpleasant. 2. The method by which a venture capitalist or business owner intends to get out of an investment that he or she has made in the past.
Will Keisha and Tristan exercise their elaborate EXIT STRATEGY, and end their unorthodox arrangement?
Assailed by demons she thought she had conquered, Keisha Beale has uttered words that could end her tumultuous relationship with Tristan White. Separated, they grapple for a time with their personal demons, however, when their lives apart become unbearable, a credible threat brings them back together - prematurely.
As they work together to determine the culprit responsible for the threats, several seemingly unrelated incidents throw them into a tailspin. Will Keisha’s youthful indiscretions or Tristan’s un-reconciled feelings for an ex derail their tenuous arrangement?
In the meantime, trouble in Nathan and Jada’s paradise send dramatic ripples through their relationship. Is there a hint of future difficulties in the idyllic pairing?
Nothing Ventured…
Tristan uses his vast wealth and connections to correct a gross miscarriage of justice, while Keisha makes herself utterly vulnerable to Tristan, fearing that he has chosen to exercise his own exit strategy.
…Nothing Gained!
Will this be the end of the indecent proposal that became a fairy tale? Or, will Keisha and Tristan disclose the trauma from their pasts, so they can heal and completely embrace their relationship?
> Sensual, suspenseful, and infused with the riotous levity of Triple-G and Fairy Hoochie Mama, the Jungle Fever Romance Quadrilogy departs from a full parody to explore a distinctive take on love, loyalty, sacrifice, redemption, and acceptance.
Redeeming the Amazon © 2013
Most come to The Beaudelaire Hotel a few times a year, merely to indulge in sexual fantasy, but the stakes are higher for Karen Freeman and Paul Beaudelaire this New Year’s weekend. Karen is nine years post-op from a double mastectomy, and her vain ex-husband was against her decision to remove her remaining good breast, and eschew reconstruction. In the end, the decision cost her. She lost her marriage, but she’s certain the surgery prolonged her life.
Truthfully, returning to a normal dating and sex life has been difficult. She hasn’t made love fully unclothed, since the demise of her marriage, and her most significant relationship occurred right after her surgery. When she was still recuperating, she had an affair of the heart with a Marine amputee, and Ph.D. classmate.
Paul Beaudelaire once led a charmed life, as a ladies’ man, which had his pick of women in the upper echelons of New Orleans society. He’s completely good with continuing in this vein, until a Marine recruiter woos him from LSU with tales of valor, courage, and commitment. And, his career in the corps is cut short by the loss of his left leg. Paul returns to New Orleans with the best prosthesis Johns Hopkins orthopedics experts can fit him with. The problem is that he’s left his heart in Baltimore with a beautiful former model, whose crippled marriage is the only deterrent to his waning honor.
