MFRW Hook – K.A. Raines

#MFRWHooks ~ Seal the Deal (@KA_Raines)

November 11, 2020November 10, 2020K.A. Raines7 Comments

Welcome to MFRW’s weekly Book Hooks blog hop! To check out the other blogs in this hop, simply click the banner below or in the side bar.

For this week’s book hook, I thought I’d share an excerpt from The Infiltrator. A virus has rendered humanity mostly extinct. Keira Starr is alone, staying alive by staying on the run, sleeping in empty gas stations and the trunks of cars long abandoned on the highway. The world is overrun by “Ghosts,” the mindless, bloodthirsty dead, but they are the least of her problems. She is being hunted by ragtag groups of ruthless men, independent contractors working for a mysterious human trafficking ring. When she is finally captured, she discovers that Derrick Caine, despite his gruff demeanor and appearance, may just have a different agenda altogether.

In this scene, Derrick prepares to track a missing man and little girl into the woods who disappeared from their community, the Fortress, while surveying the stars.

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Keira stabbed a Ghost in the temple angrily, blinking back sudden tears while working out the brunt of her aggression on the dead thing. She couldn’t look at Derrick as she re-sheathed his hunting knife and turned to climb back into the truck, her formerly clean clothes now spattered with blackened Ghost blood. This could be it. He could die out there trying to find a man and a little girl who were probably already dead, and she would never see him again. She hated this—that she still felt. This was exactly why she had avoided people for so long. She didn’t want to feel.

“Hey.” A hand caught her bicep in a firm grasp, and she found herself being wheeled forcefully around, colliding suddenly into a hard chest. Before she could even process what was happening, rough fingers were gripping the back of her neck beneath her hair, pulling her forward, and she just caught a glimpse of Derrick’s eyes glinting in the moonlight as he crashed his lips against hers.

The kiss was desperate, unpracticed, and tasted like cigarettes as their teeth clanked together—but she didn’t care. It was a promise, a sealing of a deal she hadn’t even realized had been made until that very moment. I’ll be back, he seemed to be saying. This ain’t done. We ain’t done.

And then, just as suddenly as it began, it was over. Guns were firing. Ghosts, now pouring out of the woods in a steady torrent, bits of exposed yellowed bone and gnashing teeth reflecting off the Dodge’s headlights, were falling to the ground in a barrage of bullets and brains. Ig was yanking her by her arm, and he practically shoved her into the cab of the truck. He was shouting, but she couldn’t ascertain the words. As she yanked the door shut and wrenched the truck around—bodies thumped sickeningly beneath the wheels—Keira watched in the rearview mirror as Derrick disappeared into the Ghost-infested woods on his own. Drawn by the vehicles, none of the dead things seemed to notice him as he slinked off into the darkness.

Nevertheless, as she touched her lips that still tingled from his hasty kiss, she felt dampness on her face—and she couldn’t help but curse him.

~~~

Be sure to check out my debut novel, The Infiltrator, available HERE ~ Only $2.99 and always FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

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#MFRWHooks ~ Clear as Crystal (@KA_Raines)

October 28, 2020October 27, 2020K.A. Raines6 Comments

Welcome to MFRW’s weekly Book Hooks blog hop! To check out the other blogs in this hop, simply click the banner below or in the side bar.

For this week’s book hook, I thought I’d share an excerpt from my WIP, which I’m aiming to release early next year. Homicide Detective Elle Roshan is stumped by her current case of serial murders, but when she’s partnered (against her will) with handsome, arrogant FBI Special Agent Ty West, the last thing she’s expecting–or wanting–is to actually like him.

In this scene, Elle meets Agent West for the first time. Snark coupled with undeniable attraction ensues.

“Agent West,” Evans indicated the suit with a nod, “this is Detective Elle Roshan and Detective Mike Dixon. They lead the homicide division here. Detectives, this is Special Agent Jonathan West with the FBI.”

Mike had come around his desk to shake Agent West’s hand, but I didn’t bother standing, thereby forcing him to come to me. The room wasn’t very big. Therefore, I felt a small, petty amount of satisfaction in making this very attractive, well-dressed fed accommodate me by crossing the short distance. As he leaned down and grasped my hand, he smiled, and I got an eyeful of dimples and very white, very straight teeth.

Goddammit. There was no way this man was that attractive. He had to be hiding a flaw beneath that tailored suit of his. A hairy stomach that would put Bigfoot to shame. His twin brother who couldn’t be surgically removed due to intricate vein placement. I’m pretty sure I saw that on a medical show once.

When he glanced down at our hands—mine looked ridiculously small in his overly large one—I felt self-conscious about my jagged nails despite myself. I’d chewed them to nubs last night while going over the case and pacing in my apartment after downing about six cups of coffee. If he didn’t look too closely at my scalp, he might not notice the grays at my overgrown roots—I’d meant to grab a box of root cover-up for weeks—or the fact that I hadn’t washed my hair in two days. I was barely awake this morning when I’d pulled the first clean set of clothes I could find out of my closet, so I knew I was a hot mess.

What the hell was wrong with me, anyway? Who cared what this guy thought?

Despite myself, I couldn’t help but glance at his left hand, taking note of its glaring lack of a band. He was single. At least, he wasn’t married.

“Please, just call me Ty,” Agent West said as he released my hand and stepped back. “Nice grip.”

My brow shot to my hairline. “For a woman?” While it was my personal experience that most women weren’t taught how to shake hands, as a man he didn’t get to point that out. “Army,” I admitted when he opened his mouth again—presumably to apologize.

His smile widened. His teeth were so damn bright that they made my eyes hurt. “Well, thank you for your service, Detective Roshan. I was a Navy Seal myself. We should compare notes sometime.”

That’s when I noticed the smirk Mike directed at me, and this time I did kick him because, conveniently, he was within kicking range now that he’d walked up alongside my desk to shake hands with West. The movement went unnoticed by both West and Evans as Mike winced.

“Detective Roshan is heading the LaFave case,” Evans informed West while gracing me with his best behave yourself or die look.

“I’ve read your working profile of the killer.” Agent West—I absolutely was not going to call him “Ty”—turned to me once more. “Impressive.”

“Working profile?”

In the corner of my eye, Mike concealed a snort behind his hand, and I refrained from kicking him. Again.

Agent West smiled. Goddamn him. I bet he thought he was charming. “I meant no offense, Detective. It’s very good. I just think it could use some…refining.”

“Refining.” When I merely parroted the word back at him, my tone dripping with disdain, West’s smile finally wavered, which caused Mike to high-tail it back to his desk; the asshole was about to bust a gasket.

“Yes, Detective,” Evans intervened. “Refining. Which you and Agent West will be doing together. Meet your new partner. Until this case is solved, you and Agent West will be working, eating, shitting, and sleeping this thing. And I don’t wanna hear a word of complaint. Clear?”

I blinked up at the chief. Evans wasn’t easily irritated, but I knew I was pushing it with my attitude when he got like that. I smiled sweetly. “As crystal.”

~~~

Be sure to check out my debut novel, The Infiltrator, available HERE ~ Only $2.99 and always FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

A virus has rendered humanity mostly extinct. Keira Starr is alone, staying alive by staying on the run, sleeping in empty gas stations and the trunks of cars long abandoned on the highway. The world is overrun by “Ghosts,” the mindless, bloodthirsty dead, but they are the least of her problems. She is being hunted by ragtag groups of ruthless men, independent contractors working for a mysterious human trafficking ring. When she is finally captured, she discovers that Derrick Caine, despite his gruff demeanor and appearance, may just have a different agenda altogether.

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#MFRWHooks ~ Predator and Prey (@KA_Raines)

October 13, 2020October 14, 2020K.A. Raines7 Comments

Welcome to MFRW’s weekly Book Hooks blog hop! To check out the other blogs in this hop, simply click the banner below or in the side bar. This week, I thought I’d share another excerpt from The Infiltrator, or the scene where Derrick and Keira are FINALLY about to get it on. Warning: This excerpt contains adult content, although it’s nothing too explicit.

After stringing up a sheet in Derrick’s corner of the garage, Keira stepped back, admiring her handiwork. It wasn’t much, but it would afford them some privacy should the night rover find his way down here at this hour. Also, it muffled the light from the incinerator, leaving just enough of a glow by which to see. Satisfied, she began to undress. Her body hummed with anticipation, every nerve ending sensitized, her physical sensations heightened as she neatly folded her pajamas and placed them next to his cot. The hunting knife Derrick gave her went on top, her boots went lined up neatly next to the stack. As she climbed on top of the tattered but neatly smoothed quilt, clad only in a pair of ridiculously impractical panties—she didn’t bother asking Roz where she found them—she was so giddy with excitement she almost felt drugged.

Her heart hammered as she waited, warmth pooling between her legs and dampening the scant lace, all from mere anticipation of his touch. She was going to have him. She was finally going to have him. They had things to discuss—things that wouldn’t wait much longer—but they would consummate this thing between them first.

She laid back against his single lumpy pillow, hand roaming over her breasts. She pinched her nipples and bit her lip, trailing her hand lazily down her belly and between her legs. When she was younger, she had criticized her body harshly. But her body, while not as young as it once was, was strong. It was a tool that had enabled her survival, and she respected it. And she didn’t have any qualms about enjoying it—or about giving it over to Derrick for their mutual enjoyment. She didn’t dip her fingers into her panties just yet, but idly traced the dampness through the lace, lightly teasing herself. She was tempted to start without him as she thought about earlier that evening, before the alarm interrupted them. She recalled his words, raw and feral: “Wanna taste you.”

Did he think about that a lot? Tasting her? Did he fantasize about it? And she had no doubt in her mind that he touched himself while thinking about her. Because she thought about him…and she knew that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. She propped herself on her elbows, losing her patience and tempted to hunt him down, when she realized that he was watching her from the edge of the sheet she’d just strung up. In the dim lighting, his eyes looked almost dangerous, his expression rapt. He’d slunk in without her noticing, evidently frozen at the sight of her, halfway inside the barrier she’d erected, with the sheet draping over his back. He was bare-chested, droplets of water from his shower still gleaming on his chest and beard. He was beautiful. Keira sat up and wordlessly beckoned him, and he obliged eagerly, his expression turning predatory as he stalked toward her. When he stopped at the foot of the cot, she could clearly see, even in the semi-darkness, his sizable erection tenting his dark sweatpants. Her mouth practically watered as she crawled toward him on hands and knees, feeling every bit the predator herself, before raising fully onto her knees. Her arms slid up his bare chest before snaking around his neck, and their mouths met greedily.

Buy HERE ~ Only $2.99 and always FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

~~~

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#MFRWHooks ~ Sweeter Than Peaches (@KA_Raines)

September 23, 2020September 27, 2020K.A. Raines6 Comments

For this week’s book hook, I thought I’d share an excerpt from The Infiltrator.

He entered the kitchen, finding it abandoned since dinner had technically wrapped up an hour ago. Food was left on the serving line for the returning groups and for people coming off their watch rotations. Only a single server and dishwasher remained, the latter of whom was currently out in the hall playing a rather boisterous game of poker. The remainder of the kitchen crew had already finished up and gone back to their respective rooms to enjoy the remainder of the evening or else to get ready for their watches.

He found her in the back by the freezer, standing on the tips of her toes and reaching for a bowl of peaches on a high shelf. He moved up behind her stealthily, barely brushing his body against her back as he reached up and plucked a peach from the bowl.

Keira jumped in alarm and wheeled around, one hand shooting to the base of her throat. “Jesus, you scared me.”

“Shouldn’t let your guard down—not even in here,” he admonished. “An’ I ain’t Jesus.” He took a bite from the peach, not bothering to put any distance between their bodies as he stared down at her wide eyes and parted lips. Lips that looked even sweeter than the peach. He wanted to take a bite, but he refrained. “Whatcha doin’ back here?”

“They were out of fresh fruit,” she said, swallowing noticeably. “I was making you a tray…and they only had the canned stuff left out there.”

He grunted. “Mighty thoughtful of ya.” He took another bite from the peach, the deliciousness exploding over his tongue as the juice drizzled down his chin.

They were staring at each other, the heated tension between them as thick as butter when Keira leaned up rather abruptly, her tongue darting out and tracing the trail of juice that had escaped his mouth. He growled at the raw, wet feeling of her tongue on his unshaven jaw, which elicited a jolt straight to his crotch. His hands going to her hips, he roughly hefted her up onto the countertop while squeezing her ass and stepping between her legs that instinctively splayed for him.

“You stayin’?” he growled, lips on her ear as he nipped her lobe—hard.

Keira gasped at the sweet pain, hands going around his back and working their way under his tee while her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Haven’t decided yet,” she whispered, a tremor in her voice, and it was obvious that it had taken her a moment to process what he was asking.

Her whole body trembled against his in clear anticipation, and Derrick growled again, overwhelmed by the idea that she was as desperate for him as he was for her, but he was conflicted. This couldn’t end well. He wanted her to stay, but he didn’t know why. He didn’t want to want her to stay, and if they did this it would fuck up his head even more. He couldn’t give her what she deserved; he simply didn’t have it in ‘im. And he wouldn’t use her to scratch an itch, either.

With a force of will he hadn’t realized he possessed, he took a half-step back, and her legs slid from around his waist, releasing him only reluctantly. She literally moaned in disappointment and bit her bottom lip.

Fuck. He had to leave. Now. ‘Cause if he didn’t, there was no going back. He was gonna fuck her right here on this countertop, and that would be that, consequences be damned.

Derrick picked up the abandoned tray of food on the counter next to her as she stared up at him with lust-clouded, confused eyes. Her chest was still heaving when she slid to the floor on noticeably shaky legs.

“Nah,” he growled, more certain of his words than he had been of anything in a long while. “Y’ain’t leavin’. Are ya?” He took another bite of the peach, turned around, and left her there staring after him with ill-disguised yearning. He didn’t know where this was going, and he didn’t know why he cared, but fuck if the woman hadn’t already fucked up his head. He was gonna eat, get himself off again, and then sleep for a goddamn week—and put off the inevitable for as long as he could.

Buy HERE ~ Only $2.99 and always FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

M/F, erotic romance, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi/fantasy

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear from you!

Kari

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