Dear Reader,
Dangerous Liaisons…the series name alone brings all sorts of decadent images to mind, doesn’t it? Now add New Orleans’ French Quarter and the sultry Louisiana bayous to the mix and, well, you end up with a recipe base that’s guaranteed to be hot, hot, hot.
In POSSESSION, sexy Cajun and ex-marine sniper Claude Lafitte appears every bit the gentleman pirate of his rumored ancestor…until beautiful F.B.I. agent Akela Brooks wrongly suspects him of murder, sending him on the run and forcing him to rely on his bayou roots in order to clear his name. The two match wits at every turn. Only Akela is completely unprepared for the doors of sexual wonders Claude opens up to her. But as the story unfolds, Claude begins to wonder exactly who is possessing whom?
Ooo-wee! This one nearly scorched our fingers just writing it. We’d love to hear what you think. Contact us at P.O. Box 12271, Toledo, OH 43612 (we’ll respond with a signed bookplate, newsletter and bookmark), or visit us on the web at www.toricarrington.com for fun drawings.
Here’s wishing you love, romance and HOT reading.
Lori & Tony Karayianni
a.k.a. Tori Carrington
Some like it hot! We whole-heartedly dedicate this book to
fellow readers who like a little – or a lot! – of spice with their romance novels.
And, as always, to our editor Brenda Chin, who is our third
collaborator in all of our Harlequin endeavors. Thank you!
Excerpt:
“Where are we?” Akela Brooks asked Claude Lafitte.
Of course, her question was little more than a hum because she still had the tape over her mouth.
Finally, she looked into Lafitte’s face. He squinted at her, as if trying to read her intentions, then sighed and scooped her up like a sack of flour.
“There will be time enough for conversation later.”
Akela couldn’t help her expression of shock, even though she’d been trained to keep careful control over her reactions.
Later?
In most hostage situations, the hostage was released the moment he or she was no longer needed.
So why was Claude Lafitte keeping her? And what did he plan to do with her once he was done?
For a man as big as he was, he was surprisingly gentle. Though the earth beneath his booted feet was harsh and uneven, he held her in such a way that prevented any jarring. Akela stared at his strong profile. Tousled dark blonde hair spiked over his broad forehead. His features were too craggy to be considered handsome, but somehow when combined with his full mouth and intense green eyes, he commanded an attention that made her almost uncomfortable giving him. She caught a partial glimpse of a tattoo on his right left arm. It looked like a crude, green snake slithering out from under the sleeve of his T-shirt.
His gaze met hers and he gave her a crooked grin. “Almost there.”
Almost where? She wanted to ask, but couldn’t.
She looked around again at the shifting but same backdrop of the bayou. As a native of New Orleans, she was familiar with the Crescent City’s surrounding swamps, but much like the city’s French Quarter, she’d never spent an extended amount of time there. She preferred air-conditioned surroundings as opposed to the wet, oppressive heat she felt pressing in on her from all sides here. It was almost as if the swamp, itself, hung in the air.
She heard his boots hit something other than dirt and realized he was climbing a set of wood stairs.
The small house in the Louisiana bayous could have been any one of a thousand just like it. One-story. Elevated up on stilts to prevent the wetlands from claiming it. The wood shingles in need of a fresh coat of varnish. A cry from a bird drew her attention upward and she stared at where a vulture perched watching, as if hoping the trussed up package Lafitte carried would eventually be presented to him.
Akela’s feet met with the solid wooden platform of the porch. She blinked at Lafitte as he pulled a knife out of his pocket. With a clean whoosh of metal against metal, the four-inch blade popped up, closer than with which she was comfortable. He bent over and cut the tape at her ankles.
Akela fought against the desire to show her relief.
Lafitte watched her closely. “What, you thought I had other intentions?”
She opened her mouth to speak. A lesson in futility as the duct tape prevented her from enunciating clearly.
Lafitte leaned closer to her, considered the tape, then looked into her eyes. Akela’s breath caught as she read the unmistakable suggestion in his eyes.
“No one’s going to hear you out here, ma catin,” he murmured.
Akela froze as his nose rubbed briefly against hers, nothing more than a feather’s touch. But her reaction was anything but brief or feathery. Fire seemed to burn through her veins at the purposely sexual move.
“Just the same,” he said. “You make any noises that don’t have to do with conversation or pleasure and the tape goes back on.”
Pleasure?
She nearly choked even as he slowly pulled the tape back from her sensitive skin, her breasts feeling suddenly tender, her body going on alert.
“That’s good,” he said, apparently approving of the fact that she hadn’t screamed.
Truth was, Akela didn’t appear capable of voicing much of anything at all...
Order your copy from
eHarlequin.com, Amazon.com,
or Barnes & Noble today!
"Fans of Tori Carrington will be especially satisfied with this book. As usual, with most of their books, I read this one long into the night and loved it! This really good read is full of a great relationship and sexual tension." Jeri Neal for The Romance Readers Connection
"Don't miss a story filled with action, intrigue and a love that burns hotter than a Louisiana heat wave. OBSESSION will have you reaching for a fan while leaving you breathless wondering what's going to happen next. Pick up another winner from the fabulous Tori Carrington." Patti Fischer, as posted to Amazon.com
"OBSESSION is a dark modern day gothic romantic suspense that grips the audience from the moment that Josie and Drew meet and never slows down... Tori Carrington provides a gripping blazing thriller." Harriet Klausner for The Best Reviews
"Ms. Carrington makes the hot steamy nights of New Orleans come alive with the couple’s passion. I could feel the heat and hear the music and see the sight that is New Orleans. So pick up a copy of see what all the Obsession is about. " Lydia Funneman , Writers Unlimited Reviewer
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Obsession
Dangerous Liaisons Miniseries
Book 2 of 3
ISBN 0-373-79247-6
April 2006
THE FRENCH QUARTER:
WHERE SEDUCTION IS A GAME...AND THE RULSES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
The Game: Obsession
The Players: Josie Villefranche, notorious hotel owner, Drew Morrison, business shark
Object of the Game: Have a Cajun-hot love affair, without getting burned
Bordello-turned-hotel-owner Josie has a hands-off rule when it comes to men. Too many have wanted her only for her talents in bed. But when too-sexy-to-resist Drew checks in, she decides to make an exception: use him, then lose him — no regrets.
Ruthless businessman Drew has a hidden agenda: to buy the cash-strapped hotel. But he's been bedding its bewitching proprietor instead. When a murder puts Josie in both financial and legal trouble, Drew must make a choice: grab the hotel and run — or sacrifice everything for another night in her bed....
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Order your copy from
eHarlequin.com, Amazon.com,
or Barnes & Noble today!
"Fans will enjoy this strong romantic suspense with an odd final twist that no one could anticipate yet the clues were out in the open." Harriet Klausner for The Best Reviews
"Tori Carrington delivers another lustful and sexy tale for readers to enjoy. This book is HOT! Packed with sensuality and fast-paced action, SUBMISSION is a sterling addition to the authors' list of brilliant achievements. A non-stop, incomparably tantalizing read!"
~ Leena Hyat, Senior Editor, The Best Reviews
"For readers who like mystery, suspense, and a bit of voodoo mixed in with their romance, this may be right up your alley. The New Orleans setting and secondary characters add a unique flavor to this story, and the romance is an intense one. I found the story to be compelling, though it wasn’t always a comfortable read."-- Joan Lee, All About Romance
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Submission
Dangerous Liaisons Miniseries
Book 3 of 3
ISBN 0-373-79253-0
May 2006
THE FRENCH QUARTER:
WHEN DARKNESS FALLS, THE GAMES BEGIN...
The Game: Submission
The Players: Alan Chevalier, homicide detective
Molly Laraway, murder victim’s twin
The Object of the Game: Give your lover all you’ve got…but take even more.
When sexy Molly Laraway shows up asking about her dead sister’s murder investigation, hardened detective Alan Chevalier tells her to go home and let him do his job. But with the oh-so gorgeous lady saying she won’t leave his side until he solves the case, he decides she could be useful to him—on the beat during the day, and in bed at night.
Molly’s no fool. She knows the tough-as-nails New Orleans detective spells trouble. But he’s the only one who can track down the “Quarter Killer.” Besides, something about this darkly attractive man makes her want a taste of danger. And she has no doubt that taste will only whet her appetite…
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