Delve into Space

 

If you love sexy space mercenaries, you’ll love the Marks family.

  

Rescuing Rory

Marks Mercenaries, Book 1

 

Betrayed and sold into slavery after her father's death, Rory Banks finds herself dancing on the Exos, a deep-space pleasure ship. So when a stranger breaks open her cage and offers her a way out, she grabs it and runs.

 

Kal Marks and his brothers are space mercenaries and traders who have spent the past ten years searching for their younger sister. Their hunt has led them to the Exos and to Rory, who they hope will have information.  But Kal never counted on wanting Rory or on the sexual tension and scorching heat that blazes between them. This mission just got a lot more complicated. 

 

TEASER:

 

Aurora Banks had seen just about everything in her twenty-two years of living, and most of it wasn’t pretty. But this was the last thing she’d expected to happen when she was shoved into the dancing cage a few hours ago.

 

The man standing before her with his hand out was tall and broad and downright intimidating. His eyes were a piercing green, and his silky black hair fell around his shoulders. A thick scar ran from just below his eye by his nose all the way out to his ear.

If she were totally honest, he was handsome in a rough-looking way. Not that it mattered. He was a way out of this nightmare. Rory only hoped she wasn’t jumping from one bad situation to an even worse one.

 

Trusting her instincts, she reached out and took his hand. It was warm and strong as it closed around hers and pulled her to the edge of the cage. He lifted her down from her gilded prison, wrapped one strong arm around her, and hustled her toward the wide red door that blocked their path to freedom.

 

“The guards.” She had to yell to be heard above the din of the yelling and fighting. They called themselves bouncers, but they were here to do more than keep the peace. Their main job was to make sure they didn’t lose any of the merchandise or the money. And all the women on board were considered prime merchandise.

 

“You let me worry about them.” Her liberator reached inside his shirt and drew out a compact-sized blaster.

 

Something crashed behind her, and she automatically began to look toward it. He caught her chin and turned her face away. “Look forward, not back.”

 

That was good advice. She ignored the noise and the fighting and hurried to keep up.

 

 

SERIES LINKS:

 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/38952

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WC8PJ4H/

 

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

 

 

Welcome to Spring!

According to the calendar it’s officially spring. That’s something to celebrate, even if it still looks like winter in my part of the world. But the signs of spring are there.

 

The days are getting longer. After the short days and long dark nights of winter, having the sun shine longer each day makes me feel better and gives me a boost of energy.

 

The snow is melting. If we get another storm—and we often do in April and even May—the snow won’t be around that long. The flowers are hiding under the ground, just waiting for enough warmth and sunshine to burst into bloom.

 

I’m counting down the days until I can put away the scarf, gloves, headband, winter boots, and heavy coat and don a fleece and a pair of sneakers when I head outside. For me, the first real sign of spring is when I can wear my sneakers. It’s the little things…

 

And if you’re still stuck inside on those cold days, I hope you snuggle up and watch a movie, binge on Netflix (or another streaming service), or read a book. There’s so much to choose from. There’s something to be said for enjoying a cozy, chilly spring evening.

 

 

If you’ve read the Marks Mercenaries series, you might remember that Vaden el Gravaso, the hero from Salvaging Abby is from Gravas, a highly secretive world with advanced technology and a kickass military. Oh, and their assassins are the best in the known universe. They’re also all male. This time it’s impossible for a Gravasian assassin to infiltrate and rescue Ivar, a prince of Gravas. When a man can’t do the job, they send a woman who can.

 

 

Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.

 

Ivar’s Escape

Assassins of Gravas, Book 2

 

Ivar el Gravaso—a prince of Gravas—wakes in a prison cell with no idea how he got there or even who he is. If his captor can’t get answers from Ivar, his days are numbered. When a strange woman sneaks into the prison and promises to get him out, he’s suspicious. Is this nothing more than another trick by his captor or is she truly there to help?

Delphi is an assassin sent by the Gravasian government to infiltrate the space pirate stronghold of Tortuga in search of the missing prince. She finds a prisoner who is well-spoken, knowledgeable, and ready to fight, even though he has no idea who he is. He might be her target. It’s difficult to tell due to his ragged appearance. But no way can she leave him behind, no matter who he is.

 

TEASER:

 

One shot was all they’d have. If she failed, she’d have to leave Ivar to save herself.

And that she wouldn’t do.

 

Not only because she’d given her word—to the Gravasian king, her sister’s husband, and to Ivar himself. No, she couldn’t have Ivar’s death on her conscience.

 

He’d shown such composure under extreme pressure. He had no idea who he was, yet the core of the man shone through. Honor wasn’t just a word to him. He’d been concerned with her safety.

 

She’d held his hand.

 

Curling her fingers inward, she cursed the phantom heat from his touch. Straightening her palm, she rubbed it against her pants.

 

Get your head in the game and do this.

 

 

LINKS:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MDXY2PP/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1052405

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ivar-s-escape

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ivars-escape-n-j-walters/1138137767

Evernight Publishing: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/ivars-escape-by-n-j-walters/

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

 

 

KYLER'S JUSTICE is here!

 If you’ve read the Marks Mercenaries series, you might remember that the hero from Salvaging Abby is from Gravas, a highly secretive world with advanced technology and a kickass military. Oh, and their assassins are the best in the known universe.

 Gravasian assassins are ghosts, whispers on the wind, and feared by all. Kyler el Darkos is even deadlier, more dangerous. He’s no ordinary assassin. He’s the king’s blade, answering only to the king of Gravas, his loyalty absolute. Few know of his existence. He lives and works alone. Gravasian justice is swift and brutal. His job is to see it carried out.

 

Kyler’s Justice, Assassins of Gravas, book 3 

 

Kyler el Darkos is an elite Gravasian assassin who answers only to the king of Gravas. His mission: Find Balthazar and eliminate him and any of his associates for their part in abducting the king’s son and trying to market stolen Gravasian weapons. His search has brought him to the planet of Mortis and Hell’s Gate, a bar owned by Balthazar’s father. The last thing he expects is to fall for Etta Mortis—his target’s sister—a woman who tempts him to risk his honor for a chance at love.

 

 

TEASER:

 

“Kyler. My name is Kyler el Darkos.” He never told anyone his birth name. It was information that could be used against him. But he needed to hear her say it. He was a ghost, sliding through the various worlds he visited, unseen and unacknowledged, living in the darkness alone. Only she could make him real, more than a shadowy killer.

 

“Kyler el Darkos.”

 

Everything inside him stilled before roaring to life. The world snapped into focus, no longer shadows and gray, but light and filled with color. It was as though he’d spent his entire life searching for this particular moment.

 

 

Want to read more? You can find KYLER’S JUSTICE here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WC4C3TY/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1068531

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kyler-s-justice

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kylers-justice-n-j-walters/1138805287

 

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

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Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

 

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

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Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

BJORN CURSED--TEASER

 

Who are the Forgotten Brotherhood? They’re a group of paranormal assassins, the misfits that other paranormal creatures fear. They aren’t the monsters lurking under the bed. They’re the ones that kill them.

 

They live by a strict code: Kill only those that truly deserve it and let their gods sort them out. Kill them before they kill you. Never, ever betray a fellow assassin.

 

 

BJORN CURSED

Forgotten Brotherhood, Book 4

 

Lucifer is up to his old tricks, causing problems for the Forgotten Brotherhood. This time, he’s had a woman removed from the Norse afterlife and placed her right in the path of Bjorn Knutson. After the slaughter of his wife and family centuries ago, tortured and broken, Bjorn was cursed as the first Norse werewolf. Now he’s been tasked by Odin himself with killing the woman who escaped. Failure is not an option.

 

Before he can track her, he stumbles across a woman being accosted by three men in the middle of the night. Even though she’s human, he intervenes and is shocked to recognize the face of the one woman he could never kill — his wife Anja.

 

She’s also the one he’s hunting…and if he doesn’t kill her then both their lives are at stake.

 

TEASER:

 

Anja grew even paler, her skin almost translucent. “I have done nothing, but the gods will destroy me. Freya will believe I betrayed her.”

 

“I won’t let that happen.” He knelt before her and took her hands in his.

 

“You cannot stop them. Your heart is brave, your sword arm strong, but you are still only a man, Bjorn Knutson.”

 

He shook his head. “I have not been a man for more than fourteen hundred years. Do you not wonder why I did not find you?”

 

She nodded. “Many times. When I wasn’t cursing you, I prayed you were in Valhalla or that you had been reincarnated to serve the gods. I feared you had forgotten me.”

 

“Never!” It was time to tell his wife the truth. “I am much more than a man. I am a member of the Forgotten Brotherhood.”

 

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PSF72N3/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bjorn-cursed-n-j-walters/1138427394

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bjorn-cursed

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/bjorn-cursed/id1543726061

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

 

 

New Release

 

Here's an excerpt from my latest release IVAR’S ESCAPE, book 2 of the Assassins of Gravas series. Hope you enjoy it!

 

If you’ve read the Marks Mercenaries series, you might remember that Vaden el Gravaso, the hero from Salvaging Abby is from Gravas, a highly secretive world with advanced technology and a kickass military. Oh, and their assassins are the best in the known universe. They’re also all male. This time it’s impossible for a Gravasian assassin to infiltrate and rescue Ivar, a prince of Gravas. When a man can’t do the job, they send a woman who can.

 

 

Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.

 

Ivar’s Escape

Assassins of Gravas, Book 2

 

Ivar el Gravaso—a prince of Gravas—wakes in a prison cell with no idea how he got there or even who he is. If his captor can’t get answers from Ivar, his days are numbered. When a strange woman sneaks into the prison and promises to get him out, he’s suspicious. Is this nothing more than another trick by his captor or is she truly there to help?

Delphi is an assassin sent by the Gravasian government to infiltrate the space pirate stronghold of Tortuga in search of the missing prince. She finds a prisoner who is well-spoken, knowledgeable, and ready to fight, even though he has no idea who he is. He might be her target. It’s difficult to tell due to his ragged appearance. But no way can she leave him behind, no matter who he is.

 

 

TEASER:

 

The man wasn’t moving.

 

Delphi glanced at the door at the far end of the corridor. It was solid wood. She should be safe enough. Taking a risk, she eased a candle stub and matches from her pants pocket. Primitive but effective.

 

She struck the match and touched the flame to the wick.

 

He exploded from the pallet and lunged. She scrambled away, her back hitting the cell door behind her. Shit, he was fast. If it hadn’t been for her training, he’d have his hands around her neck right now.

 

Miraculously, the light hadn’t gone out. The candle was on its side. The large male grabbed it and pulled it inside, giving her a good look at him.

 

His hair was long and dark and matted. An unkempt beard covered the lower half of his face. His clothes were in tatters, his feet bare. His eyes were golden brown, like a coywolf she’d seen a picture of once, and just as feral. A barely healed scar ran down the left side of his face, starting at his temple and disappearing into his beard.

 

She held up her hands to show him she was unarmed. “I’m not here to hurt you.” It was only dumb luck that she hadn’t rattled the steel doors when she’d hit them and possibly woken the guard. He’d been drinking, but it might not be enough for him to pass out.

 

Still in a crouch, the prisoner studied her. He’d see the image she wanted to project—a teenage boy with a pockmarked face. Disguises were part of an assassin’s bag of tricks, and this was her specialty.

 

“What’s your name?” Given his appearance, it was hard to tell if it was her target. He’d lost weight and was totally disheveled and dirty. It was doubtful his own mother would recognize him in a fully lit room, let alone by dim candlelight.

 

He swallowed heavily, his throat rippling. His fingers tightened around the stub of candle. He opened his mouth, closed it, and tried again. “I don’t know.” His breath hit the flame directly, blowing it out and plunging them into darkness.

 

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MDXY2PP/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1052405

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ivar-s-escape

Evernight Publishing: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/ivars-escape-by-n-j-walters/

 

 

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

 

 

SPEAR'S SEARCH--New Release

I’m so excited about the release of the first book in my new science-fiction romance series—Assassins of Gravas.

If you’ve read the Marks Mercenaries series, you might remember that Vaden el Gravaso—the hero from Salvaging Abby—is from Gravas, a highly secretive world with advanced technology and a kickass military. Oh, and their assassins are the best in the known universe. Spear el Gravaso is Vaden’s older brother. This prince of Gravas is also one of their elite assassins. But he might have just met his match with Sass.

Spear’s Search

Assassins of Gravas, Book 1

Spear el Gravaso—prince of Gravas and assassin—is on a mission to find his brother. His hunt had led him to an auction of Gravasian weapons that can only belong to the missing man. He needs to secure the items, get any information he can, and kill all those involved. Nothing and no one will stop him.

Sass was taken from a harsh life on the streets as a child and trained to be an assassin by the powerful Artemis. The lives of those she loves is on the line if she fails her mission—to win the auction of Gravasian tech. Only one problem—Spear is in her way.

Their battle escalates, as does the explosive heat between them. When it comes down to it, they can fight each other and one of them will die or they can join forces. But can they trust each other?

TEASER:

He’s going to kill me.

Not this exact moment, but eventually.

There was nothing hiding him—no disguise, no mask. She knew what he really looked like.

And holy Vusarian cave snake! The man was a work of art.

Breathe, Sass. Just breathe.

There wasn’t an inch of fat on the man. His shoulders and arms were massive, his pectoral muscles perfectly defined, and his abs ripples of strength. His skin was slightly darker than hers, not hard considering she was pretty pale.

Those amazing eyes of his never stopped assessing, trying to figure a way to turn the situation to his advantage. He wasn’t just gorgeous but intelligent and skilled.

Yup, he’s definitely going to kill me.

There was no other explanation for him allowing her to see him in all his primal glory. Not when he took such pains to hide his identity.

Find Spear's Search:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CD7GNTQ/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1031385

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1137303521

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/spear-s-search

         

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

                   

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

The Marks Mercenaries Series

Flynn’s Assassin is the final book in the Marks Mercenaries series. I’ve loved writing about the Marks family. They’ve been with me for quite a few years. I wrote the first book back in 2014. But a publisher closer meant the rest of the series never got written. I couldn’t stop thinking about this amazing family and wrote the rest of the books. I’m thrilled that the entire series has finally been published.

If you love sexy space mercenaries, you’ll love the Marks family.

Flynn’s Assassin 
Marks Mercenaries, Book 5

When mercenary and space trader Flynn Marks is approached by a woman in a seedy bar, he assumes she’s not just looking for a good time. He’s made enemies over the course of his life. With his family finally safe and settled, he’ll handle this latest threat on his own.

Cerena Phelps has been tasked with killing a man if she ever wants to see her teenage son again. While she’s no stranger to fights—being a woman bouncer is a tough job—she’s never killed a man. Her plan? Lure Flynn away from the bar, seduce him, and kill him when his guard is down. Not a hardship given her unexpected and intense sexual attraction for her target. When her attempt on Flynn’s life fails, they must learn to trust each other if they both hope to survive and rescue her son.

TEASER:

“I tried to kill you,” she all but shouted.

He couldn’t help himself; he grinned. Her lips thinned, and her entire body all but vibrated against him.

“You think that’s funny?” she demanded.

“Little bit.”

“You are out of your mind. You know that, don’t you?”

“You act like you’re the first woman who’s tried to kill me.” She felt so damn good against him. He liked arguing with her almost as much as he liked having sex. She was strong-willed and determined, wouldn’t be intimidated by him. That was sexy as hell.

“Why am I not surprised to hear that?”

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XCWZHQV/ 
Evernight Publishing: https://www.evernightpublishing.com/flynns-assassin-by-n-j-walters/ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/956440 
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flynns-assassin-n-j-walters/1133314466 
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/flynn-s-assassin

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.



Visit me at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bo

Excerpt teaser from Bear Magick

I'm so excited to be sharing Connie and Anthony's story with everyone. This couple was a lot of fun to write. Here's an excerpt from Bear Magick (Bears of Blackrock #2). Enjoy.

Pre-order it today.

#Kindle: http://amzn.to/1hgUMws

#Nook: http://bit.ly/1LzKthv

#iBooks: http://apple.co/1WUZDEe

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1hHF3aH

ARe: http://bit.ly/1EoObej

Except:

The beat of the music thumped through the air and on the ground, flowing around her. She swayed from side to side in tempo. Glee filled her as each note left the sensual mouth of the lead singer, Anthony.

His blue eyes met hers from time to time while he sang. Each glance sent a bolt of heat straight to her core. She let her gaze roam down his large, muscular body, loving the way his faded blue jeans hugged his form. A wave of heat washed over her, and she tore her gaze from him. Flashes of his naked body from earlier that evening filled her mind.

Damn. The urge to climb him, to lick every inch of him, grew stronger each time she saw him. Something about his stern glare, rugged unshaven face, and messy black hair stirred a primal need deep in her core. She couldn’t sleep without him invading her dreams.

Oh gods, she had to get out of there before she did something crazy. Like jump him the first chance she got. Yet the three Black brothers, along with their dad, jammed out better than most pros she’d heard.

“Are you feeling well?” Nichole asked.

The bonfire lit up her face enough that Connie could see her friend’s brows drawn together. Leaning her head on Nichole’s shoulder, Connie let out a soft sigh. “I’m a little tired.”

It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. No, Connie would not be telling her BFF about her aching need to lick the dark-haired Marshal all over.

“Yeah. Me, too.” Nichole rubbed her slightly swollen belly.

A wide smile lifted Connie’s lips as her heart swelled. Nichole was two and a half months pregnant, which was equal to about four months for a normal human pregnancy. Shifter babies grew at a slightly faster rate.

Connie studied her friend for a few moments. A longing deep in her soul bloomed. Nichole radiated happiness and fairly glowed with her impending motherhood, something Connie wanted someday. With a sigh, she glanced briefly to Anthony as he talked with his brothers. The thought of how overprotective Trey had been with Nichole before she got pregnant, then how he hovered even more now that she carried their cub filtered in. Connie wasn’t sure she wanted someone hovering over her.

Bears, as well as other shifters, were like that. They protected their mates and family with their lives. And weren’t afraid to show it.

The music stopped, and Connie took that time to make her escape. “I’d better be getting home before it gets any later.”

Connie kissed her friend on the cheek and stood. After rising to her feet, Nichole drew her into a hug. “Stay the night.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I have a few things to take care of in the morning.” Connie tried to keep her tone calm, but she could tell that Nichole didn’t buy the excuse. However, she didn’t comment on it.

“Oh, okay. Drive careful.”

Hugging her back, Connie almost caved in and agreed to Nichole’s request. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t stay that close to Anthony and actually get any sleep. “I’ll text you when I get home.”

Nichole’s eyes brightened slightly. “Okay.”

Connie turned, only to come face-to-face with Anthony. The Marshal stared at her, his blue eyes boring into hers. “Leaving so soon?”

A lazy smile formed on her lips, and she closed the gap between them. “I have to work in the morning, but I could be persuaded to stay a little longer.”

His eyes darkened as his body heat coiled around her, sending shivers of desire racing through her. “I thought we’d go for a walk.”

Oh, man. This was a change from earlier that evening in the forest. Then again, he had warned her to be careful what she asked for. Blinking her eyes, she tried to give him a blank stare. “Why?”

“You know why,” he growled.

Yeah, she knew. Tracing a finger up his cotton tee, she nibbled on her bottom lip. “I might.”

He let out a frustrated breath, grabbed her wrist, and tugged her down a path leading to a small stream. She stifled a laugh as she stumbled forward to walk by his side. Wiggling her wrist out of his grasp, she linked their fingers. Anthony stiffened, making her smile a littler wider. “What do you plan to do with me?”

A low growl vibrated from him before he drew to a stop. His blues eyes narrowed, but his nostrils flared as if taking in her scent. After a moment, he leaned in so their lips were barely a breath apart. Her heart pounded in anticipation, the thought of finally tasting him making her lightheaded.