★REVIEW + EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY★Hard as Steel by Laura Kaye

Shannon_review_5

MY RATING

I loved it!

Four stars for this hot treat!  Fans of the Hard Ink series have been waiting to see what Ike and Jessica got up to after they fled Baltimore on his bike in the wake of mayhem and tragedy at Hard Ink. A 100-page crossover novella, Hard As Steel closes out the Hard Ink Series and gives us new insight into the lives of the Raven Riders MC.

Book infos & Purchase Links

2_1001 Dark Nights_Laura Kaye_LOWA Hard Ink/Raven Riders Crossover Novella

After identifying her employer’s dangerous enemies, Jessica Jakes takes refuge at the compound of the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. Fellow Hard Ink tattooist and Raven leader Ike Young promises to keep Jess safe for as long as it takes, which would be perfect if his close, personal, round-the-clock protection didn’t make it so hard to hide just how much she wants him—and always has.

Ike Young loved and lost a woman in trouble once before. The last thing he needs is alone time with the sexiest and feistiest woman he’s ever known, one he’s purposely kept at a distance for years. Now, Ike’s not sure he can keep his hands or his heart to himself—or that he even wants to anymore. And that means he has to do whatever it takes to hold on to Jess forever.

Author : Laura Kaye
Title : Hard as Steel
Series : 
Hard As Ink #
Publisher : Evil Eye Concept
Pages : 128
Release date : September 22, 2015
Genre : Erotica.

 

Excerpt

Hard-As-Steel-Teaser_low-Voices woke her. No, one voice.

Ike. Talking and restless in his sleep. She couldn’t understand the slurred words, so she turned onto her back and closed her eyes. Ike’s body followed hers. He turned on his side and curled himself around her—close enough to feel that his cock was totally hard against her thigh.

The heat that shot over her body had nothing to do with Ike’s fever.

God, he felt big and thick against her. Her hands itched to stroke him. She licked her lips, her mouth hungry to feel his heaviness on her tongue, against the back of her throat. She shifted her hips, her core clenching at the thought of feeling him penetrate her, open her, ride her. Hard.

Nearly holding her breath, Jess stayed still. His erection would go away and her heart would stop racing and then she’d fall back to sleep and forget this ever happened.

As if. In the dark, she rolled her eyes at herself.

There were cocks and then there were cocks. This one did not feel forgettable, thank you very much.

“Jess,” Ike whispered.

“Uh, hey.” Because it wasn’t weird at all for them to talk while his hard-on was touching her.

No answer. And then: “Fuck, Jess.” His hips rocked, grinding his erection against her thigh. He released a rough breath and nuzzled his face against hers. His lips dragged across her cheek until he was pressing his lips against her ear.

Holy fucking shit.

“Uh, Ike?” she said. Was he awake? If not, did she want him to be?

A hand dragged up her stomach, pulling her tank top with it. He squeezed her breast, hips grinding, harsh breaths in her ear.

My God, she was gonna die from how fucking hot this was.

He mumbled something that sounded a helluva lot like “need you,” and Jess was pretty damn sure if he kept this up, she was going to come without him getting anywhere near her clit.

Not to mention, if he was dreaming about being with her and needing her, what did that even mean? Something? Nothing? Everything?

He didn’t give her time to debate it. Ike shifted, his body rolling partially on top of her. It was too much weight on her thigh and knee, which she forced up and out from under him—unintentionally putting her thigh under his waist and his big body between her legs.

He rocked against her, but this time his cock ground against the very top of her thigh. Fuck, so close to where she was absolutely throbbing for him.

She didn’t want this to stop, but she couldn’t let it go on, either. Could she?

Shan's Review

Ike Young has always fought valiantly against the attraction he and Jessica Jakes have for each other, but when her safety is threatened he finds that even the ghosts from the past that haunt him can’t withstand the burning desire that rages between them in the close confines of his getaway cottage.

Hard As Steel is a hot, dirty, fun and quick read that gives us a glimpse into secondary characters we’ve been wanting to know more about.
We get to know Ike as the bad boy who never really wanted to be a bad boy, but whose past tragedy chains him to a half-life where hope and happiness seem like just a far-off dream.
And Jessica proves to be sweet and vulnerable under her fiery exterior, as she, too, has past regrets that plague her.
I loved getting to know Ike and Jessica, loved knowing how their pasts made them who they were and how much passion and respect they had for each other for all this time. My Kindle was nearly aflame with the blistering hot eroticism flowing from the pages.
She reached out in the darkness…to find him still hard.  “Oh, God,”  she said, her heart beating in her throat.  She might not survive this night, but what a way to go.
“I’ve got four years of pent-up fantasies about you,” he said, flipping her over.  “I’m gonna make them all come true tonight or pass out trying.”

Of course, as a Hard Ink fan, I was tickled that there was this short installment to feed the need for more of the drama.  And I always love glimpses of up-coming series’.  Laura Kaye‘s writing is always so sharp, sensual and gripping, I can’t wait to read about the Raven Riders.

On its own, Hard as Steel couldn’t really stand.  It’s comes across as more of a gift for Hard Ink fans.
The references to the conflict and dramas of the other books are many, important and would be confusing/boring to anyone who didn’t know what it was all about. Because Hard As Steel is happening simultaneously with Hard To Let Go, there’s information in it that would be spoiler-ish if it were read before, but it also doesn’t add anything to that particular story line.
I would recommend the reader have a knowledge of the Hard Ink saga and that if a Hard Ink fan wanted to skip it, not to worry about missing any essential knowledge.  But, let’s be honest, we all needed to know what happened between Ike and Jess.  It was sweet, sexy and I thank you, Laura Kaye, for your gift to the Hard Ink fans!

Hard-As-Steel-Teaser-4_low

Author Bio

Author PhotoLaura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Giveaway

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  • (3) Signed copies of Hard as Steel and 1001 Dark Nights swag.

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