Happy New Year!!! I hope you all had a fabulous time last night (and aren’t nursing a hangover!).
Well today I’m doubly excited. My story that won the contemporary category in the Stroke of Midnight contest almost two years back (formally titled Grounds for Arousal) releases from Samhain Publishing today!
Dangerous Grounds is the first book in the Seattle Steam series. The second book, comes out in April!
Something’s hot in Seattle, and it’s not just the espresso.
Madison’s needs are simple. All she wants are two things: Make Ooo La Latté the newest trend in espresso, and seduce the sexiest cop in Seattle. But things aren’t going exactly as planned.
First, Gabe’s a little hung up on the fact that she’s his best friend’s little sister, and he’s determined to keep his hands off. Second, her shop gets robbed by the increasingly violent Espresso Bandit, and now she’s the only one who can identify him.
Gabe whisks her into hiding for her own protection, but soon finds his heart is under assault by the luscious—and persistent— Madison. But no matter where they hide, danger follows.
On such dangerous grounds, the trick will be to live long enough to keep the flame alive.
EXCERPT
He picked up the wide mug and brought it to his mouth. His lips pursed as his blew on the steaming liquid.
Madison’s gaze focused on those lips and she held back a groan. Just think, soon those lips could be all over my body.
He took a sip and then swallowed. His expression remained the same. Then he raised his gaze to her questioning stare and gave a brief smile.
“Um, I like what you did with the fresh chocolate on top.”
“Thanks. I’m a chocolate activist.”
Time to get him thinking about something besides coffee. Madison walked back toward the counter, making sure her elbow nudged the straws so they tumbled onto the floor.
“Oops, I swear I am so clumsy sometimes.” She bent over slowly and smiled as she felt her jeans pull downward with the motion. If she was correct—and from the sudden coolness on her bare skin she knew she was—her thong would be quite visible right now.
She picked up the straws, trying to figure out if his silence meant he was checking her out. She glanced over her shoulder to where he was sitting. Bingo. His eyes were focused very intently on her ass. They immediately shifted when he realized she had turned to look at him.
“It’s good, huh?” she asked and turned her attention back to the straws. “Your mocha.”
“It’s…pretty damn good.”
Madison clutched the straws in her hand and deposited them in the garbage.
She came back and sat beside him. He glanced everywhere but at her. His mocha, the door, the wall full of ceramic mugs.
“Gabe?”
His gaze turned to her, almost with reluctance.
“Can I get you anything else? Are you hungry? Do you want some biscotti? Maybe a bagel?” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “Or how about a blowjob?”
Lauren Dane (who I love and whose book Wolf Unbound also comes out today) gave me my first author quote…
“Shelli Steven’s Dangerous Grounds is one sexy read! Friends to lovers is one of my favorite themes and in Dangerous Grounds Stevens gives us a mouthwateringly masculine and sexy hero who’ll protect the heroine with his own life. Wonderful sexual tension, witty dialog and a well written suspense backstory team up to give readers a thrilling ride.”
All week long I’ll be posting excerpts, and stories of how this book came to be. If you want to pick up Dangerous Grounds, you can buy it at Samhain publishing here.
