Blurb:
Zev Hassick is surprised and confused when he finds himself attracted to his best friend. His very human, very male best friend. Zev is the son of the pack Alpha, regarded as the strongest wolf in generations, born to lead. And everyone knows a male shifter has to mate with a female of his own kind to keep his humanity. So shifters can't be gay, right?
Jonah Marvel wants a relationship with Zev, his best friend, the man he has loved since childhood. It wasn’t easy to maintain that relationship over years spent living apart while Jonah studied to become a doctor. And then things grow more difficult when Jonah becomes his own patient. Before he can make a life with Zev, he has to understand his past and cure the unexplained ailments that plague him.
Zev and Jonah know they’re destined for each other, but they’re facing traditions ingrained over generations and long-buried secrets that may threaten any future together.
Sexy Excerpt
“It doesn’t have to hurt, Zev. In fact, I’m pretty sure it feels good. Guys enjoy it. At least, I think I’d enjoy it.”
The disbelieving expression on Zev’s face made Jonah laugh. He was actually explaining the ins and outs of sex to a six and a half foot, two-hundred-twenty-pound man as if he were a pubescent teenager. The whole thing was kind of endearing. He looked at Zev tenderly and kissed his way across that strong jaw. Letting his tongue lead the way, Jonah traced a path down Zev’s neck and over to his ear, where he took a few moments to suck on the lobe.
“You ever watch porn online, Hassick?”
Zev pushed his hands under Jonah’s shirt and massaged his back.
“Nuh-uh.”
The idea hadn’t even crossed Zev’s mind. Zev’s every sexual fantasy involved Jonah, so he hadn’t ever wanted to watch other men. Plus, he didn’t have a computer in the tiny trailer he was now calling home. It was an improvement over the tent, especially since he’d dug a well and put in a septic tank, but it was still pretty rudimentary. Zev spent very little on the trailer so he could keep saving to build a house Jonah would want to call home.
After nuzzling Jonah’s neck, Zev moved one hand from Jonah’s chest to the back of his friend’s head and drew the blond into a kiss. He gnawed on Jonah’s lip, sucking it into his mouth, and licking it. Jonah gave as good as he got, and it wasn’t long before he was straddling Zev’s lap, pushing his hard dick against Zev’s stomach, and sucking Zev’s tongue into his hot mouth.
When the men finally separated in search of air, Jonah rested his forehead against Zev’s shoulder and continued their conversation.
“I wanna show you, Zev.” He reluctantly moved off Zev’s lap and pulled him off the couch. “Come on.”
Zev followed Jonah to the desk and stood behind him, massaging his shoulders as Jonah clicked a few buttons on the keyboard. It didn’t take long for the screen to be filled by a view of two naked men in a bed. One was on his hands and knees and the other was behind him, pressing first fingers and then a hard dick into his waiting ass. The blissful expression on both men’s faces and the happy moans that streamed from their mouths seemed to prove Jonah’s point.
“See. It feels good.” Jonah’s husky voice was accompanied by a motion from his rear end against Zev’s crotch. Zev was leaning over his shoulder, staring at the screen. “Damn, Zev, from the feel of things back there, I think you might be interested. Wanna try it?”
Jonah’s hands went to the sides of his track pants and he hooked his thumbs in his pants and briefs together, pushing both of them down to his knees. Jonah felt a large, warm hand moved over the globes of his ass reverently, and Zev’s mouth took purchase of Jonah’s neck, sucking and nibbling
“Can’t do that, Blondie. Not yet. Need to think first. But, oh, man, do I want you.”
Zev moved his hand to the button of his pants and managed to get them down. His briefs were next, and then his cock was free to rub against Jonah’s ass.
“Lotion.” Jonah gasped. “I have lotion in the right drawer.” Jonah scrambled to the side, pulled open the drawer, and found the bottle of lotion he used to beat off when he was alone, watching his favorite videos on the computer. Then he flipped the cap and pulled Zev’s hand in front of him, squeezing some of the liquid onto it. “Coat your dick with it. Do whatever you want to me, Zev. I want it. Want you.”
And with those words, Jonah stopped talking. He bent over the desk, rested his face on the surface, raised his ass in the air, and reached back, spreading his cheeks.
“Holy shit, Jonah. Damn.”
Zev moved his finger up and down Jonah’s cleft and soon replaced the finger with his cock. Once the hard member was settled between Jonah’s cheeks, the two men moved together, back and forth. It wasn’t the penetration Jonah had been seeking, but just having Zev pay attention to that part of his body was enough to spin Jonah into overdrive. He met Zev’s thrusts and moaned his pleasure. When Zev’s hand reached around him and started stroking his cock, Jonah shouted and came all over his desk.
“Jonah! Oh, Jonah.” Zev bucked against his firm body, groaned and shuddered, coating Jonah’s lower back with his seed and biting into the muscle where Jonah’s neck met his shoulder.
Although he’d previously licked and nibbled on that part of Jonah’s body, Zev had never truly bitten him. Even at that moment, he hadn’t let his wolf canines out or broken the skin, but this bite was definitely harder than any other he’d bestowed on his mate. Before he could worry about whether he was hurting Jonah with the firm grip his teeth had on the other man’s neck, Jonah cried out his name, and Zev felt the dick he was still holding come back to life and climax once again.
With his muscles too spent to hold himself up, Jonah’s knees buckled and he collapsed. Zev put one arm around his mate’s shoulders and the other under his knees. Then he lifted Jonah in his arms and made his way to the bed. His motions were slow and awkward since his pants were still pushed down around his ankles, but once he reached the bed, he yanked off his clothes, undressed Jonah, then wrapped the other man in a tight embrace.
“What the hell was that, Zev?” Jonah asked as he burrowed against Zev, trying to get warm and curb the shivers that had taken over his body. “I’ve never come that hard in my life. Or twice that quickly. Damn, I never thought I was into pain, but when you bit me, my entire body felt like it was on fire. A good fire.”
“It’s not the pain.” Zev stopped himself before he said anything else and blew his secret. He wanted to tell Jonah everything. Wanted to explain shifting, mates, and the claiming bite. That’s what had aroused Jonah, a bite so very close to the one Zev would one day use to permanently mark his mate and let the world know Jonah was taken. Based on Jonah’s reaction, Zev knew his mate’s body was ready for that step, but it couldn’t happen until they finally tied together.
Oh God, did Zev want to explain tying. He’d been wondering how tying would work with a male mate and now he knew. And if his mate’s words earlier that evening were any indication, Jonah was very much up for it. Well, Jonah was up for sex. The human didn’t know about tying.
But there was no way for Zev to tie with Jonah and then let him go. It was already hard enough to live apart from his mate. The distance between them went against every one of Zev’s instincts. He had to regularly remind himself that he had to let Jonah follow his dreams and couldn’t drag his mate back to Etzgadol and force the man to stay by his side.
Once they were tied together, Zev knew his wolf wouldn’t allow Jonah to leave. Hell, Zev wasn’t at all convinced his human could remain civilized enough to allow the distance between them after he tied with his mate. So there was no other choice. Tying would have to wait until Jonah graduated from college and moved back home.
Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3154
Author Bio: Cardeno C. is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a little happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno often feels that characters write their own stories and just hopes to find enough time to get those stories on the page. And Cardeno loves to hear from readers so please drop a line to share your thoughts on a story.
Website: www.cardenoc.com
- Must be 18yrs or older
- Leave a comment (tell me how sexy the post is ^^) with email
- Winner has 48hrs to reply to my email or another winner is chosen
- Contest runs until August 21st 11:59pm EST
Thanks for having this excerpt on your blog! So, how do readers win a free a copy of the book?
ReplyDeleteYou're Welcome!! I must be having a brain off week. I jut realized that there's no rules or anything >.< Fixing it pronto!!
DeleteThat sounds interesting. I like the "mate to keep humanity" concept.
ReplyDelete(By the way, I read the title the first time as "Wake Up Inside Me" and laughed--that would be a very different proposition! ^_~)
That would be different, though I've written a book with a scene fitting that very description. That one is called Where He Ends and I Begin. (And, in that scene, those locations are one and and the same.) ;)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletesexy werewolves... the post is soooo sexy my monitor is melting into a puddle of goo....please count me in ... I've loved all the earlier books and have reread them until I can almost recite parts of them.... I will await with crossed fingers....
ReplyDeleteWow, very sexy... I want more.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's just divine. Friends to lovers with a shifter twist, and hot as hell to boot! Mmm...
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you very much for that sexy excerpt. Very hot!!! Must read more. :D
ReplyDeleteSince I saw the title of this book, I keep thinking about the Evanescence song Bring Me to Life. It has that same line in it - wake me up inside. Love that song. :)
Congrats on your new release and thanks for the giveaway!
lkbherring64(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks, everyone! Glad you enjoyed the excerpt. And, Lisa, you're completely right - the title is based on the Evanescence song! After you read the book, listen to the song and let me know if it fits. In my head, that song was perfect for this book and what the characters are to each other.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a very sexy information, this is also like everyone.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm...tying. Very sexy. I love the idea of never being able to let go. Please include me in the contest. tmadamski(at)msn(dot)com
ReplyDeletePlease count me in! This one sounds so hot! I love Shifters and I listen to the Evanescene when I run, so this has to be a great book! And considering He Completes Me is one of my all time favorites this one is on my must buy!
ReplyDeleteDoublemom2001(AT)googlemail(DOT)com
"Where He Ends and I Begin" is one of my favorite books. Big fan of C Cardeno and quite interested in this new book, which is the first shapeshifter book that I know of from C.
ReplyDeleteJess1
strive4bst at yahoo dot com
Anonymous: Yup, it's my first shape shifter book. But I wrote a free vampire short story for an All Romance ebook contest. If you're interested, the link is on my website. So glad you enjoyed Where He Ends!
ReplyDeleteMandy: Zach Johnson, from He Completes Me, yaps in my head all the time! I'm happy enjoyed it.
Oh Zach is the best, Aaron's a sweetie, but Zach is my favorite.
DeleteDoes him yapping in your head mean any more stories with Zach and Aaron? * looking very hopeful* :)
Very sexy...I like the sound of this on for sure... please count me in. Thanks
ReplyDeletechellebee66 at gmail dot com
WoooHooo a Sexy Shape Shifter Book my Cardeno C, I just have to get this Book!!!! Thank you for the Teaser from "Wake Me Up Inside", Hmmmmm it sure woke me UP!!! ;) Even if I'm not lucky enough to win this Great Read, it will be a part of my eLibrary very soon.
ReplyDeleteI would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered in your very generous giveaway.
Take Care & Stay Naughty,
PaParanormalFan (Renee’ S.)
paranormalromancefan at yahoo dot com
Does drool on my keyboard indicate the level of hot sexiness? Can't wait to read this one, it goes on my wishlist if I'm not the winner.
ReplyDelete