Time to reveal the heroine of Thunderfire! Here's an excerpt for you, but you have to be 18 or older to read it!
Ashley had never imagined Chris Keys could be so considerate of her. Yes, she’d love a shower. Tired though she was, she wanted to rinse the experience at Paige’s flat off her body, get rid it before she went to bed with Chris.
Maybe his telepathy helped him understand but it didn’t explain his love of art. And he did love art. Her father was a collector but he collected pieces his financial advisers assured him were sound investments, went with his décor and were done by fashionable artists.
Chris didn’t do any of that. He loved his art. It didn’t match or go together to make a “designed” apartment, although he’d tried to place the pieces where they worked best, and his collection didn’t have a theme or a decoration scheme. The Pollock in his front hall took her breath away and then she’d seen the large living room with its beautiful Henry Moore. Chris loved art as much as she did.
Now she knew why he didn’t bring people here often and why he’d never thrown a party or allowed photographs. The official reason, that he liked his privacy, didn’t explain it adequately. This art wasn’t just beautiful, it was valuable. And Chris Keys lived in an intensely personal place. She couldn’t believe he’d brought her here, now that she’d seen it for herself.
Ashley didn’t fool herself. She was the unforgiven as far as Corinne was concerned, the woman who’d stolen her fiancé Tom, who’d trailed after Pure Wildfire for years, who hadn’t the talent to succeed on her own. Ashley assumed her sister had communicated it to the rest of the band. She’d slept with them all, except for Aidan, but now that Ryan and Jake were blissfully married, there was only Chris left. And her other men. Ashley was far from the pure maiden she appeared onstage. She’d given up on that a long time ago.
Here, in this lovely place, she felt cheap and sullied, not adventurous and liberated. So she turned away from Chris. “Maybe I should use the spare room after all.”
His hand on her shoulder stopped her. She didn’t want a fight, so she didn’t fling his hand away. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
A gentle movement in her mind told her he was there. He must have spotted her discomfort. “If you can read my mind, you know.” She wasn’t sure she liked this feeling although he felt incredibly warm and soft there.
“Don’t hold it against me.” Reluctantly she turned around to face him. He spread his hands in a gesture of apology. “It’s natural for me and my kind. I’ll try to stay out of your head if you want me to.” A tinge of sadness colored his words.
“Too late.”
“Yeah.” He lifted his hand to her upper arm. “Sorry. Ashley, I wouldn’t have brought you if I didn’t want you here. Once I saw your reaction to my collection, I knew I was right, although I originally meant to bring you here because I didn’t think you should be alone tonight.”
She sniffed. “I don’t cry much. Already you’ve got me close again.”
“Talk to me. If you want to,” he added hastily. “But I’m a friend and I know something about what you’re going through. Don’t cut yourself off, Ashley. I want to be with you. I don’t think you’re any of the things you think or no more than I am at any rate. Promiscuous? I can match that and probably double the number of people you’ve been with. So if you are, so am I.” He guided her to a door at the far end of the room. “Shower? On your own or not?”
She sighed. “Not. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” He sounded relaxed but she knew he wasn’t.
She went through the door, not altogether unsurprised to find a big, luxurious bathroom on the other side. The shower stall could hold two, maybe three people comfortably and four if they wanted to move over. However, Chris was one big Texan and he might find it a squeeze. It might be the sort of squeeze he enjoyed if he let anybody else in here.
She stripped, knowing he’d seen her naked before but unaccountably shy. The rustle of clothing told her he was undressing too. Bare-chested, he walked to the shower and turned it on but reached under it to feel the temperature. He glanced at her over his shoulder. “This is supposed to be a luxury apartment but the heating system isn’t luxurious.”
Although the water might be cold, suddenly Ashley wasn’t. Flushing with unaccountable embarrassment, she crossed her arms over her breasts and then, realizing the gesture was silly, forced herself to lower her hands to her sides. She smiled but she felt the tremble at the corner of her lips.
He came to her and slid his arms around her waist. “It’s been a hard day for you, Ashley, hasn’t it?”
She nodded and allowed her forehead to rest on his broad chest. It felt so good.
“Come on, the water’s warm now. Don’t do anything, I’ll take care of you.”
He led her to the shower, currently exuding steam, and herded her inside the ivory-tiled space. The click signaled the moment he closed the glass door. The fitments were brass, not deliberately old-fashioned but not aggressively modern either. She liked them. He reached for a bottle and steered her under the main stream of water, although three heads currently spurted down on them.
“What are those?” she asked when she lowered her head so he could rub shampoo into her hair. Several openings adorned the walls, about a foot from the bottom of the shower.
He grinned at her. “Toys.”
He flipped a button on the panel just above the toiletry shelf and water sprayed from the lower openings, hitting her at the top of the thighs. He watched her, his fingers busy delivering a wonderful scalp massage. She opened her legs and he drew her forward until she gasped. The spray hit her pussy, massaging her clit and opening with delicious warmth. She groaned. “I’ve got to get one of these.”
His hands worked up the lather and then drew her back under the shower to rinse. She moaned when the shower spraying between her legs moved away from her clit and he chuckled. “Want to go back?”
“Does a cat love heat?”
She moved back and sighed in pleasure. “This feels so wrong, in such a good way.”
“Good.” He leaned over her to pick up another bottle and she managed to catch his nipple between her teeth. It was his turn to groan. “Very nice.”
She liked this gentle, playful side of Chris. Liked it a lot. He stayed where he was but the scent of lemons told her he’d opened the bottle and his hands moved lower on her body, rubbing the sweet-scented gel against her back and shoulders. “Mmm. So good.”
She licked and he rewarded her with a groan and a moaned, “Oh I like that.”
The tickling between her legs was becoming—not enough. She moved back, releasing his nipple, and admired her handiwork. It stood proud, reddened by her attentions, so she moved on to the other one in the interests of symmetry.
Chris pulled away but only to work the gel around her breasts. His touch, firmly cupping and rubbing, soothed and excited her at the same time. She lifted her head for his kiss.
He didn’t disappoint. When he bent to her, she felt heat radiating off him and moved closer to rub her body against his. He chuckled against her lips. “You feel like a cat.”
“Not a slut?”
“What?” He drew back and stared at her, his dark eyes fierce, sparkling with the gold lights she’d noticed a time or two before. “What did you say?”
“It’s only what people call me sometimes. I don’t mind.”
“Yes you do.”
“Are you in my head again?”
“I don’t need to be. I can see it in your face. You mind all right.” His arm snaked around her and he dragged her close. His erection pulsed between them but anger sparkled in his eyes. “Who calls you that?”
“Just people. The press sometimes, my father a lot.”
“Oh sweetheart, don’t listen to them. You do what you want to, that’s all. Nobody has the right to call you names.”
“But I do.” She felt like a little girl, stripped of all the layers she’d carefully applied to give the impression of a sophisticated woman of the world who went her own way. “I have to stop this, Chris.”
“This?” His hold on her relaxed.
“No. The way I live.”
He caressed her back, smoothing his hands along her spine. “If it makes you happy, then you don’t have to give anything up.”
“But it’s not. Making me happy, I mean.”
Abruptly he reached up and switched off the water, opening the door with a touch of his foot. He grabbed a couple of large bath towels and swathed her in one, roughly drying himself with the other before he dropped his towel on the tiled floor and reached for her.
He dried her with soft strokes of the towel, rubbing her hair until it didn’t drip any more but not bothering with anything else. Then he took her hand and led her back into the bedroom, not stopping until he stood by the bed.
He turned to face her. “What we do in this bed is between us and nobody else. The offer of the guest room still stands but I want to be with you tonight.” He didn’t allow her to reply but took her mouth in a deep kiss. His tongue plunged into her mouth as his erection rose between them once more, hardening against her stomach.
Drawing away, he pulled back the dark purple comforter to reveal crisp ivory sheets. He guided her to sit, then lifted her feet to lay them on the bed before he joined her. Immediately he took her into his arms and resumed their kiss.
She could have let him do anything he wanted to her until she realized she always did that, always waited for someone to tell her how to position herself, what to do to her partners. Tentatively she smoothed her hands down his back to his firm buttocks and cupped them. She couldn’t reach any lower. His low groan into her mouth told her he liked what she was doing. When she pushed his shoulder, he rolled onto his back and she lifted on one elbow to stare into his face.
His gaze met hers and she caught her breath. She’d never seen Chris so open before. “Do it, Ashley. Whatever makes you feel good.”
She smiled. “You make me feel good, Chris.”
“I’m glad.” And he really seemed so. “Ashley, I never really saw you before tonight. You were Corinne’s sister, a hanger-on and a fuck buddy who didn’t make a fuss when I went on to someone else. But you minded, didn’t you?”
She bit her lip. “Sometimes. I’ve been passed over all my life. Oh God, it sounds so fucking needy. I’m not needy.”
“Not from here you’re not. I’m the needy one.”
Chris’ chest fascinated her, with its sprinkling of light brown hair, darkening as it arrowed down his body. It made her want to taste. So she did, touching her lips and tongue to him in light caresses. His responsive moans were better than any music. When she got to his cock she took a minute to take a good look. She’d had this inside her before but never given it proper attention, never taken her time. Always frantic coupling, no nuances, not even any kissing sometimes and Ashley loved kissing.
Long and curved at the end, Chris’ cock looked as if it was kissing his belly. Cut but it showed off the head beautifully. A shame there was no foreskin to play with. As she studied it, she traced the veins with her nails, gently stimulating him. She loved the way he responded and his soft groans filled the void in her heart.
She had to stop thinking like that. Unless she was completely on the wrong track, Chris Keys was offering her friendship. No more. Even that was more than she’d had before. Friendship was a step up from fuck buddy, she supposed.
When she kissed the drop of moisture away from the tip, he sighed her name. She licked him, letting time slip away. He tasted so good, of salty pre-cum and something essentially him, Chris. Without warning, she sucked the cock head into her mouth, not stopping until it hit the back of her throat, then released it, creating a strong vacuum as she sucked, only to let it go again. The rhythm enticed her into doing more, so she cradled his balls in her hand, massaging as she sucked.
The sighs turned into words. “Oh God, oh yes, baby, keep going!” Everything slid away except this, his hot, masculine scent, the hard cock under the velvet-soft skin, her tongue massaging and the suction she never let up until he suddenly said, “No!”
He grabbed her under her arms and hauled her up the bed to face him. He was smiling and his eyes gleamed with desire. “Another time we can do that all night if you want. If I can stand it. You’re good, really good at oral. I’ll have to show you how good I can be, won’t I?” With a shock, she realized Chris had never gone down on her.
He didn’t wait for her answer but grabbed a condom out of the open drawer of the nightstand next to the bed. He ripped the packet apart and reached down to cover himself. Ashley obligingly moved up onto hands and knees but she wasn’t quick enough to see him sheathe his cock in the latex.
Still smiling, he swung her on to her back, bending to touch their lips together in the briefest of kisses. “My turn. I’m supposed to be taking care of you, remember?”
He kept gazing into her eyes as he entered her. Ashley stared back at him, lost. She’d never felt anything so intimate in all her life.
Then she heard his voice in her head. Relax. Let me take you somewhere there’s no sorrow and no worry.
At the moment she’d let him take her anywhere. Distracted by his Texan accent, as potent in her head as it was when she heard it any other way, she smiled up at him but when she closed her eyes he stopped moving. “No, Ashley. Look at me.”
Her eyes flickered open. The blazing intensity in his nearly made her shut them again. She felt open and vulnerable like never before. Nobody had asked this much from her.
“Don’t be afraid, Ashley. Let it go.”
So easy to do something she’d never done before. Ashley relaxed, became a receptacle for the hard, driving strokes of his cock, which somehow hit a place inside her nobody had touched before.
Ashley generally had sex because she liked the man and sometimes because it was easier than saying no. Never because she needed it like this. But with every thrust Chris took her away from the nasty experience earlier this evening and toward something new, fresh and untainted. And all the time he watched her, his eyes open, with the little golden flecks that made them sparkle.
He lifted up, his elbows to either side of her, and his rhythm changed. Something caught inside and Ashley found herself whirled into a new world of sensation, a place she’d never been before.
Buy Thunderfire here |
Thunderfire is the fourth and last release in the Pure Wildfire series by talented author Lynne Connolly, and it’s a nice ending for a totally enjoyable and entertaining group of stories. I have to say that Ms. Connolly did a very nice job expressing the unsettled emotions of both Chris and Ashley in a variety of situations, and when she got them together…WOW! The emotions of both our hero and heroine are explosive and as blistering hot as fire, or a firebird.
You won’t be disappointed in the final action packed scenes of this fast-paced book either, so take a chance and read this series. You won’t be sorry you did.
Scandalous Minx for Literary Nymph Reviews
Just like the book's title, THUNDERFIRE, there are plenty of spectacular fireworks in and out of the bedroom as well as other interesting places. As Lynne Connolly brings the ending of the series to a thundering finale, readers are left hanging on the very edges of their seats to find out the fate of PURE WILDFIRE and the memorable members who make up this captivating ensemble.
J.T. for Romance Junkies
I think it is one of the best of the Pure Wildfire series so far. No sagging middle here, this plot is a roller coaster ride all the way. There are delicious plot twists that make an already great story even better. My opinion of Ashley, a former villainess, changed tremendously as she cleaned up her act and matured in this story. I began to like and even admire her as I saw her through Chris’ eyes. There is a multiple party ménage scene, but most of the sex is the arousing, sweet discovery and bonding kind like Chris and Ashley have never experienced before. The author’s knowledge of the inner workings of the rock scene is notably interesting too. I enjoyed this book and recommend it enthusiastically.
Karen Haas for Just Erotic Romance Reviews
Totally rocking! describes Thunderfire. I was extremely happy to watch as they grew together and Ashley was slowly accepted by the other band members for who she really was, rather than what they thought she was. The final battle was spectacular and I held my breath on how I thought it would end. However, I soon discovered that Ashley had more depth to her and a firm belief in right and wrong. I loved how it all finally ended. Thunderfire puts an ending on the Pure Wildfire band, but it is one I would not have missed for anything. You won’t want to either.
Jo for Joyfully Reviewed
Yum! Thunderfire is absolutely delicious. I haven't read the first three books in the series so I don't really have them to compare this installment to, but I definitely loved the action, the romance and the danger. Ashley seems to be the bad girl looking to go good while Chris is all around bad boy. I could just feel the sexual tension radiating between them. Oh, and the sex scenes? Divine people! I couldn't get enough. Ashley is kind of sweet and appeared innocent to me. She has no idea what she's getting into with Chris. Chris won my heart when he accepted Ashley. Ashley and Chris don't fall in love right away and I loved the build up to it. The story didn't rush, I wasn't left hanging and I truly fell in love with the characters. I'm rushing out now to pick up the first three so I can read them all!
Amanda Haffery for Paranormal Romance Reviews |
Lead guitarist Aidan, aka Splinter, and second guitarist Corinne
Charismatic vocalist and lyricist Ryan
Bassist and ex Texan sheriff, Jake Keys
Drummer and lover of all things beautiful, Chris Keys