Sharon Stevenson's Blog - Posts Tagged "spirits"
Cover Reveal & Excerpt: Raised: Part Three
Fans of the Raised series will be happy to know that book three won't be too much longer! The book comes out on the 20th April and will be on free offer for 5 days 20th-24th April.
PS: If you read book two you might notice that the title isn't what I'd originally planned, but I decided to keep all parts under one title - Raised - basically just to make the series easier to identify.
For now here's a glimpse at the cover and the first chapter...
Excerpt:
One – Nine/Britt
The way he stared at me should have been unnerving. His kiss had left my lips warm and tingling. He’d moved back quickly, leaving me to catch my breath. Those dark blue eyes were so intense. It was as if they were daring me to show him everything I had. He’d want whatever I decided to give him, he was waiting for me. I felt my shoulders shake as a shiver passed over my naked body. The water wasn’t warm anymore, but I couldn’t seem to care. I didn’t want to move. Not as long as he was staring at me like that.
Eight’s usual warnings flashed through my head. You don’t know what he wants, Nine. Be careful.
She was wrong. I did know what he wanted. He wanted into my thoughts. He wanted to dig around inside my head. There was something I knew that he wanted to know.
I bit at my lip. He already knew I wasn’t Britt. What harm could it really do to let him see everything? I mean, I was used to letting Britt check my thoughts, and it wasn’t like that had ever bothered me. It’s not like it ever hurt.
But she had been my master. She was allowed to take whatever she wanted from me and I’d never stopped to question that. Why would I? I only existed because she had made me.
Things were different now. Timmy had shown me that.
“What is it that you want?” I asked because I had every right to know.
He smiled. It was a sexy kind of smile, sly and slow in blossoming. “I’m interested in spending time with you. You don’t display typical behaviour for a clone.”
I felt my face flush. Again, Eight’s voice invaded my thoughts. That wasn’t a compliment. He thinks he has you figured out. You’re not that easy, Nine. Don’t let him mess with you.
It was a sterner talking to that I was used to from the girl I hadn’t even known was a friend until it was too late. And oh yeah, I knew it wasn’t really her. Duh. It was like my conscience, or something. I hadn’t known I had one of those, was all. I realised he was still watching me, waiting to see what effect his answer had on me.
“Liar,” I told him, sipping at my champagne and putting the empty glass down on the side of the bath tub. “Tell me the truth, and maybe you’ll get somewhere.”
“Fine. I’m attracted to you,” he said, sliding forward again and sloshing water over the side of the tub.
It still felt like a lie, but I silenced Eight’s voice before she could tell me to be careful again. I’d been with enough men to know what desire looked like. I could hear it in his voice, husky and warm. I felt it between my legs when he pressed up against me. It was in his eyes, making them seem darker as he gazed into mine. “Britt was a bitch,” he said, breathing quickly as his gaze fell to my chest. “I never once thought of her like this.”
I believed him. It’s why I kissed him back when his lips pressed against mine. It didn’t take long to let my guard down. He moaned as he moved against me. His slow, teasing movements were a distraction. I felt him inside my head suddenly, a foreign presence whispering through my thoughts. I pushed him away when I realised what we were doing.
Confusion clouded the desire in his eyes. “I thought you wanted this.”
“You were inside my head again.” I tried to sound pissed, like Britt would have done, but I didn’t have it in me. I wanted him too much. I couldn’t deny it.
He blew out a breath. “You don’t understand.”
“This just isn’t going to work,” I said it quickly, before I could have time to regret the decision. I stood up and climbed out of the bath, steadying my feet with magic when I slipped on the wet floor. I cursed under my breath. Stumbling around naked in front of a handsome King was so embarrassing. This would have never happened to Britt.
His hand landed on my shoulder as I reached for a towel. I fought the urge to shudder. Something brushed against my neck; his hair, it had fallen forward as he kissed his way down my spine. “Holy Hell,” I whispered.
“Tell me to leave and I’ll go,” he told me, his hard body pressing against mine from behind. His arms closed around me as his lips brushed against my throat. “You’ve never been with another User before, have you?”
I shook my head slowly, not wanting to move. If this was how he could make me feel before we even did anything, I didn’t want him to ever leave.
“When we lose control, it’s not just physical. I can’t stop the magic from opening you up to me. If you were feeling what I am the same would be happening to you. You’d be inside my head as much as I was in yours. I’m fighting it right now, but it’s taking everything I have.” He sighed deeply.
I closed my eyes. This was so messed up. I couldn’t do this. Could I? The heat of his body so close to mine was totally clouding my judgement. “Can’t we do this without magic?”
“We could,” he said. “But I want all of you. The magic is a part of you. It’s a part of me. It binds us together in deeper ways. We’re not like other humans. We’re more than that.”
I opened my eyes and he moved away. “Don’t leave,” I said, biting down on my lip as I realized how desperate I sounded. I wanted him and now he knew it.
“Relax,” he told me, picking up my champagne glass and handing me it. “I’m willing to wait. You want to make sure you understand. I want you to know what you’re getting into.”
I drained my glass. Eight would tell me he was smooth-talking me to get what he wanted. I looked at him as I put the glass down. I realised I didn’t care if he was only telling me what I wanted to hear. I was entitled to some fun. I smiled. “I know exactly what I’m getting in to.”
Well I hope that tides you over until the 20th! I will post the links on this blog when the book is released. FYI It's going to be exclusive to Amazon, just like the second part.
PS: If you read book two you might notice that the title isn't what I'd originally planned, but I decided to keep all parts under one title - Raised - basically just to make the series easier to identify.
For now here's a glimpse at the cover and the first chapter...
Excerpt:
One – Nine/Britt
The way he stared at me should have been unnerving. His kiss had left my lips warm and tingling. He’d moved back quickly, leaving me to catch my breath. Those dark blue eyes were so intense. It was as if they were daring me to show him everything I had. He’d want whatever I decided to give him, he was waiting for me. I felt my shoulders shake as a shiver passed over my naked body. The water wasn’t warm anymore, but I couldn’t seem to care. I didn’t want to move. Not as long as he was staring at me like that.
Eight’s usual warnings flashed through my head. You don’t know what he wants, Nine. Be careful.
She was wrong. I did know what he wanted. He wanted into my thoughts. He wanted to dig around inside my head. There was something I knew that he wanted to know.
I bit at my lip. He already knew I wasn’t Britt. What harm could it really do to let him see everything? I mean, I was used to letting Britt check my thoughts, and it wasn’t like that had ever bothered me. It’s not like it ever hurt.
But she had been my master. She was allowed to take whatever she wanted from me and I’d never stopped to question that. Why would I? I only existed because she had made me.
Things were different now. Timmy had shown me that.
“What is it that you want?” I asked because I had every right to know.
He smiled. It was a sexy kind of smile, sly and slow in blossoming. “I’m interested in spending time with you. You don’t display typical behaviour for a clone.”
I felt my face flush. Again, Eight’s voice invaded my thoughts. That wasn’t a compliment. He thinks he has you figured out. You’re not that easy, Nine. Don’t let him mess with you.
It was a sterner talking to that I was used to from the girl I hadn’t even known was a friend until it was too late. And oh yeah, I knew it wasn’t really her. Duh. It was like my conscience, or something. I hadn’t known I had one of those, was all. I realised he was still watching me, waiting to see what effect his answer had on me.
“Liar,” I told him, sipping at my champagne and putting the empty glass down on the side of the bath tub. “Tell me the truth, and maybe you’ll get somewhere.”
“Fine. I’m attracted to you,” he said, sliding forward again and sloshing water over the side of the tub.
It still felt like a lie, but I silenced Eight’s voice before she could tell me to be careful again. I’d been with enough men to know what desire looked like. I could hear it in his voice, husky and warm. I felt it between my legs when he pressed up against me. It was in his eyes, making them seem darker as he gazed into mine. “Britt was a bitch,” he said, breathing quickly as his gaze fell to my chest. “I never once thought of her like this.”
I believed him. It’s why I kissed him back when his lips pressed against mine. It didn’t take long to let my guard down. He moaned as he moved against me. His slow, teasing movements were a distraction. I felt him inside my head suddenly, a foreign presence whispering through my thoughts. I pushed him away when I realised what we were doing.
Confusion clouded the desire in his eyes. “I thought you wanted this.”
“You were inside my head again.” I tried to sound pissed, like Britt would have done, but I didn’t have it in me. I wanted him too much. I couldn’t deny it.
He blew out a breath. “You don’t understand.”
“This just isn’t going to work,” I said it quickly, before I could have time to regret the decision. I stood up and climbed out of the bath, steadying my feet with magic when I slipped on the wet floor. I cursed under my breath. Stumbling around naked in front of a handsome King was so embarrassing. This would have never happened to Britt.
His hand landed on my shoulder as I reached for a towel. I fought the urge to shudder. Something brushed against my neck; his hair, it had fallen forward as he kissed his way down my spine. “Holy Hell,” I whispered.
“Tell me to leave and I’ll go,” he told me, his hard body pressing against mine from behind. His arms closed around me as his lips brushed against my throat. “You’ve never been with another User before, have you?”
I shook my head slowly, not wanting to move. If this was how he could make me feel before we even did anything, I didn’t want him to ever leave.
“When we lose control, it’s not just physical. I can’t stop the magic from opening you up to me. If you were feeling what I am the same would be happening to you. You’d be inside my head as much as I was in yours. I’m fighting it right now, but it’s taking everything I have.” He sighed deeply.
I closed my eyes. This was so messed up. I couldn’t do this. Could I? The heat of his body so close to mine was totally clouding my judgement. “Can’t we do this without magic?”
“We could,” he said. “But I want all of you. The magic is a part of you. It’s a part of me. It binds us together in deeper ways. We’re not like other humans. We’re more than that.”
I opened my eyes and he moved away. “Don’t leave,” I said, biting down on my lip as I realized how desperate I sounded. I wanted him and now he knew it.
“Relax,” he told me, picking up my champagne glass and handing me it. “I’m willing to wait. You want to make sure you understand. I want you to know what you’re getting into.”
I drained my glass. Eight would tell me he was smooth-talking me to get what he wanted. I looked at him as I put the glass down. I realised I didn’t care if he was only telling me what I wanted to hear. I was entitled to some fun. I smiled. “I know exactly what I’m getting in to.”
Well I hope that tides you over until the 20th! I will post the links on this blog when the book is released. FYI It's going to be exclusive to Amazon, just like the second part.
