Today is the release of Wild Nights by Karen Erickson (AKA Monica Murphy)! This is the third and final book in the Vegas Nights series.
Natalie’s girls-only weekend in Vegas is shot to hell, thanks to her friends ditching her for very sexy, very famous guys. Not that she blames them. She knows what lonely feels like. A nurse’s long hours leave little time for a social life.
Then she collides with and spills her drink all over a very fine, very exposed male chest. A chest belonging to Noah Wilde, lead singer for the infamous Wilde & Wicked rock band. Thankfully, he’s merely amused as she tries to take care of the mess she made.
Noah sure would like to make a mess of the gorgeous, petite lady with luminous blue eyes. There’s no resisting the urge to tempt her along for an adventurous night of gambling, drinking, eating, and sin.
But during the harsh light of day, Noah has a change of heart. Not about the fact he likes Natalie—a lot. He’s not sure he wants to drag this sweet lady through his sordid life. Even though sparing her could cost them both a chance at forever.
Warning: Contains a nurse who thought she knew all there was to know about anatomy, and a rock god who’s about to show her a few spots she missed. To say they both hit the jackpot would be an understatement.
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USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson writes what she loves to read - sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she's a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children.
Excerpt
Where’s the fun in playing with your money?” She couldn’t do it, couldn’t take his money from him. She barely knew him. It wouldn’t feel right.
“Trust me, it’ll be a lot of fun, because I’ve arranged for you to play with a lot of money.” He grinned, but when she continued to scowl at him, the smile faded. “Come on, don’t be stubborn. Let’s make a deal. You win, you get to keep your winnings and you pay back what you spent to win it. Whatever’s left is yours. You lose? We call it even.”
“This is a great deal for me,” she said wryly, making him chuckle.
“I know. That’s why you should just give in and say yes.” He stopped walking and so did she. Reaching out, he touched her cheek, his fingers caressing her skin and making her shiver. “Come on, Nat. Give in.”
She wanted to give in at the hypnotic sound of his voice. Desperately. Taking his money, though...it didn’t feel right. Who cared if he was rich and what she lost in gambling would be no big deal to him? It would still weigh heavy on her conscience. “I don’t know...”
“Do I need to kiss you in order to convince you? Would that work?” His dark eyes smoldered as he slid his hand into her hair and cupped the side of her head. His grip was firm, the look he sent her set everything inside of her ablaze, and she blinked up at him, searching for the right words.
Was he serious? He really wanted to kiss her in order to convince her she should gamble away his money? That was sort of crazy. Perhaps it was just an excuse to kiss her, which meant he might really want to kiss her, and if that was the case...
She needed to quit thinking and start encouraging.
“It might work,” she finally whispered, feeling daring and bold for even suggesting such a thing. She couldn’t believe he’d mentioned it either, though maybe she shouldn’t be so surprised. He was a known player. “A kiss. Or maybe two...”
He silently swooped in and settled his mouth on hers, capturing her top lip with his teeth and giving it a gentle tug before releasing it. She gasped in surprise, her mouth dropping open, and he took advantage, his tongue sliding in and tangling with hers. She stepped into him, her arms automatically going around his neck, his hands dropping to her butt and giving it a squeeze. He was so tall and she was a total shrimp, but somehow, they seemed to fit perfectly together.
And he kissed perfectly too. Oh good Lord, she should’ve expected it. The man had a reputation for being a consummate lover, and his tongue alone was sending chills racing down her spine. His big hands kneaded her ass and she moved even closer to him, molding her body to his. Her nipples came to life at first contact with his muscular chest and she whimpered low in her throat, heard Noah growl as he somehow deepened the kiss even more. His tongue moved in a sensuous rhythm that mimicked sex. Thrusting. Made her think of naked skin and messy sheets and sweaty bodies coming together again and again...
The discreet coughing finally drew her attention, and she broke away from Noah to find the man in the black suit glaring at them, his mouth thinned into a straight line. Guess he wasn’t big on public displays of affection.
Normally, neither was she, but the first touch of Noah’s lips on hers and she’d lost her head.
“Sorry about that,” Noah said, not sounding sorry whatsoever. She glanced up at him, noting the cocky smile on his face. His hands still rested on her butt and he caressed her there, his fingers gathering up the fabric of her skirt the slightest bit. If he didn’t watch it he’d flash the man her thong underwear and she couldn’t have that. “Got a little carried away there.”
“Are you ready to go?” the man asked, sending them both a pointed look. One that said keep your hands to yourself.
What a spoilsport.
Heat spread across Natalie’s cheeks and she disentangled herself from Noah’s grip, making sure there was plenty of distance between them. She could hardly look at him she was so embarrassed. Her legs were shaky and her lips tingled, all from one stupidly awesome kiss. Tossing her head back, she started to walk, only to have Noah grab her hand and stop her.
“You upset by the kiss?” he asked, his mouth right at her ear, his hot breath wafting across her neck.
She jerkily shook her head. “N-no.”
“Good.” He paused, his teeth nipping at her earlobe, making her suck in a harsh breath. “Because I can guarantee that’s going to happen again. Soon.”
Oh. My. She couldn’t bother to utter a word of protest.
Not that she wanted to.
Read the beginning of the series.
WICKED WEEKEND (Vegas Nights Series #.5) by Karen Erickson
Between nursing school and starting their careers, Reagan, Andrea, and Natalie have had no time for dating. After saving up for a special vacation, they’re on their way to Vegas for a long-awaited weekend of fun, sun, gambling and partying.
When their luggage goes missing, an impromptu shopping trip leads them to James, who makes them an unusual offer—to be part of the female scenery at his boss’s upcoming party. Not just any scenery, but women who are pretty in a real way, not the nipped, tucked and dyed Hollywood version.
Accept a “private party” invitation from a complete stranger? These ladies weren’t born yesterday. Yet before “no thanks” crosses their lips, Reagan discovers who James’s boss really is: Declan Carter, an actor she’s crushed on for, well, forever. Now she’s determined to be the eye candy who catches Declan’s eye. No matter what it takes…
RECKLESS NIGHTS (Vegas Nights Series #1) by Karen Erickson
Reagan can’t believe her luck—and not in a good way. One minute she’s hanging out with her friends at an exclusive party in Las Vegas. The next, she’s attracted the attention of a famous actor. Not just any actor. Declan Carter, the man on which she used to—okay, might still—have a fangirl crush. Whose blue eyes leave her embarrassingly tongue tied.
All Declan wants is to meet a nice, normal woman who won’t use him as a stepping stone to fame. Something about Reagan tells him she could be that rare woman, and he follows his instinct to invite her back to his suite—where they proceed to have wild monkey sex. All. Night. Long.
What was supposed to be one night of no-regrets sex stretches out into a blissful weekend of two people who can’t get enough of each other. But when the glamour of Sin City wears off, they’re standing on the edge of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn a weekend fling into something lasting. Will they take the jump?
ENDLESS NIGHTS (Vegas Nights Series #2) by Karen Erickson
Andrea and her two best friends have shed their nurses scrubs for a long-awaited weekend in Las Vegas, and nothing—flight delays, lost luggage, or the slightly weird guy with the sketchy invite to an exclusive bash—is going to stop their fun.
Within minutes of arriving at the opulent party, she’s deep in conversation with gorgeous, funny Luke Nelson, wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. For some crazy reason, he can’t seem to keep his eyes—or hands—off her.
Luke isn’t looking for a hookup, he just wants to relax…until he gets one look at the classy brunette in the barely-there dress. One minute they’re talking, the next they’re all over each other in a dark corner. It’s like he’s an addict and she’s the fix he’s been searching for all his life.
One night of hot sex isn’t nearly enough. But after a weekend spent never more than a few inches apart, the time is quickly approaching when they’ll have to make a long-distance relationship work—or break it off.
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Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.
