As the Sheriff of Malus, Texas, JW takes his oath to protect its citizens very seriously. Born from an ugly past, he swears no child, woman, or man will ever endure what he and his brothers have. As he seeks retribution of the ones who have wronged him, his past and his present finally collide. Secrets are laid open. Ones that are so heinous, they'll rock the very foundation of JW's life.

When Eden blazes into town, hot with her own threatening troubles baring down on her, JW steps in as her protector. It's not only his duty, but a need he can't ignore. The chemistry between the two is instant and all too tempting.

Giving in was easy, but the consequences were high.

Little does JW know, the disturbing destruction that would rain down on Malus by getting involved with the red-headed gypsy.

Danger lurks just around the corner--it's dark, terrifying, and malicious.

JW is bitter because of his gruesome past. Eden is sweet despite hers. Together, will they create a beautiful future, or will it all end in bitter sweet hell?

Excerpt

“I wanna talk to you,” JW murmurs, interrupting my perusal of his family and friends.

Before I can answer, he’s tugging me away from the group and around the corner of Trouble’s office building. I open my mouth to ask what in the world he’s doing, but I’m stopped short when I’m pressed to the brick building and his lips are devouring mine.

All thought escapes me as he attacks my mouth, demanding entry with the rough swipe of his tongue. I open immediately, because I’m weak and have no chance, let alone no desire, to deny him. JW can be very persuasive, especially with his talented tongue.

His arms band around my waist, tugging my chest against his, at the same time my hands lace through his hair, yanking his head closer to me. The man is impossibly addicting. I love his taste, and I love the way he makes me feel. Like I’m the only person in the world. Like I’m special.

His groan is deep and growly when he pulls away and begins trailing his lips over my chin and down my neck. I tilt my head to the side to give him easier access to the tender spot he’s laving.

“You taste so fuckin’ good,” he whispers. “I could live forever just from the sweet taste of you.”

I breathe out a sigh of pleasure. “JW.”

His hand smoothly moves across my butt to the back of my thigh, where he pulls my skirt up to my knee, lifts my leg, and wraps it around his hip. Feeling the hard bulge behind the zipper of his jeans feels so good I shamelessly grind against it. All reason has fled my mind as soon as his lips touched mine again. There’s nothing and no one who can make me feel as good as JW.

“We gotta stop,” I whimper, both hoping he heeds my words and ignores them.

“In a minute,” he mutters, gently biting down on my collar bone.

I bite my lip to keep back the pleasurable cry wanting to slip free. His face moves to my cleavage, where he buries it between my boobs. I toss my head back against the brick wall and nearly come undone when his hips press harder against my center. I’d give almost anything to have him pull up my skirt, slip his cock free, and take us both to heaven as he plunges his hardness inside me.

He lifts his head from my boobs and lays a biting kiss against my lips. “Wanna know something?”

I open my eyes and regard his through a lust-filled gaze. “What?” I gasp.

“I almost killed Remi’s brother.”

The seriousness of his tone says he’s not joking.

“Why?” I ask through a dry throat.

“Because I had no clue who he was. He could have been one of Diego’s men and could have hurt you.”

This is something that crossed my mind as well. It could have been so easy for Kian to hurt me. Yes, he probably would’ve been caught with so many people around, but the damage would’ve already been done. Diego is just the kind of guy who would sacrifice one of his men to do his bidding.

“That wasn’t the only reason though.” He nips my lips once and pulls back, giving me his eyes. Ones that are grim and shining with intent. “He had his hand on you.”

“It was just a simple handshake,” I scoff.

“He had his hand on you and looked like he wanted to do a fuck of a lot more than shake your hand. No man touches what’s mine or looks at you the way he did.”

“I’m not yours,” I retort irritably.

“Like fuck, you aren’t. Every single Goddamn inch of you is mine. Deny it all you want, Gypsy. It won’t change that fact.”

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About the Author

Alex Grayson is the bestselling author of heart pounding, emotionally gripping contemporary romances including the Jaded Series, the Consumed Series, and three standalone novels. Her passion for books was reignited by a gift from her sister-in-law. After spending several years as a devoted reader and blogger, Alex decided to write and independently publish her first novel in 2014 (an endeavor that took a little longer than expected). The rest, as they say, is history.

Originally a southern girl, Alex now lives in Ohio with her husband, two children, two cats and dog. She loves the color blue, homemade lasagna, casually browsing real estate, and interacting with her readers. Visit her website, www.alexgraysonbooks.com, or find her on social media!