The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter
Release: May 31, 2016
Type: Paranormal Romance
Series: Lords of the Underworld #12
New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him…
Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another…and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.
Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart. .
But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.
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Excerpt
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared onNightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.
Excerpt
Rage mixed with possessiveness and lust, heating Baden from head to toe. Steaming him. He closed in on Katarina at last, dropped to his knees and cupped hers, spreading her legs with a single push. She watched him, wide-eyes sparkling, but she didn’t protest as he moved between her thighs. Her breath caught as he leaned in, flattening his palms on the coffee table where she sat to cage her with his strength.
“What are you doing?” she asked softly. Tremors rocked her sweet little body. Behind her, sunlight streamed through an oversize oval window, illuminating the dust motes dancing between them.
She had used him. At the moment, he didn’t care. He wanted to mark her. Had to prove she belonged to him, and only to him.
“Your loyalty is to me,” he said. As he inhaled, she exhaled; as she inhaled, he exhaled; they were breathing each other’s breaths. “You need me to survive in this world. To protect you and our dogs.”
“I soooo don’t need—”
“Oh, but you do.” He slowly dragged his tongue between the seam of her lips. Liiiick. Tasting her sweetness, savoring it.
She gasped his name, jerking as if hit by a bolt of white- lightning. “I’m not doing this. Not with you.”
“You are. You want more, krásavica, so let me give you more.”
She shook her head. “You don’t like me anymore.”
“I don’t think you like me anymore, either. Does it really matter?” He still burned for her. “I want you.”
She leaned toward him, melting, only to catch herself. She cursed his name and plucked at the collar of his shirt. “You’re too old for me. Way too old.”
“Age didn’t bother you earlier, when you were grinding on my thighs.” As she sputtered for a response, he added, “You’re too weak for me, but I got over it.”
“I’m not too—you know what? It doesn’t matter. You were a temporary distraction then and you’re a temporary distraction now. Despite our unsuitability, you can still give me an orgasm. One I deserve after putting up with you.”
He knew they were temporary, but her blasé attitude was far from appreciated. However, admonishing her would have been counterproductive to his goal: getting her into his arms, achieving the ultimate satisfaction.
She tangled her fingers in his hair. “You better give me the pleasure you promised me before I change my mind about this.”
There would be no changing her mind. He scowled even as he traced his tongue over her lips. This time, her tongue emerged to greet him. Flames of arousal spread through him, a blistering wild fire that couldn’t be stopped. There was pain because of skin to skin contact, as usual, but it didn’t compare to his need.
The beast protested. She’s our betrayer. She means to harm…means to…She tasted of mint and whipped cream. She’s dessert.
“What are you doing?” she asked softly. Tremors rocked her sweet little body. Behind her, sunlight streamed through an oversize oval window, illuminating the dust motes dancing between them.
She had used him. At the moment, he didn’t care. He wanted to mark her. Had to prove she belonged to him, and only to him.
“Your loyalty is to me,” he said. As he inhaled, she exhaled; as she inhaled, he exhaled; they were breathing each other’s breaths. “You need me to survive in this world. To protect you and our dogs.”
“I soooo don’t need—”
“Oh, but you do.” He slowly dragged his tongue between the seam of her lips. Liiiick. Tasting her sweetness, savoring it.
She gasped his name, jerking as if hit by a bolt of white- lightning. “I’m not doing this. Not with you.”
“You are. You want more, krásavica, so let me give you more.”
She shook her head. “You don’t like me anymore.”
“I don’t think you like me anymore, either. Does it really matter?” He still burned for her. “I want you.”
She leaned toward him, melting, only to catch herself. She cursed his name and plucked at the collar of his shirt. “You’re too old for me. Way too old.”
“Age didn’t bother you earlier, when you were grinding on my thighs.” As she sputtered for a response, he added, “You’re too weak for me, but I got over it.”
“I’m not too—you know what? It doesn’t matter. You were a temporary distraction then and you’re a temporary distraction now. Despite our unsuitability, you can still give me an orgasm. One I deserve after putting up with you.”
He knew they were temporary, but her blasé attitude was far from appreciated. However, admonishing her would have been counterproductive to his goal: getting her into his arms, achieving the ultimate satisfaction.
She tangled her fingers in his hair. “You better give me the pleasure you promised me before I change my mind about this.”
There would be no changing her mind. He scowled even as he traced his tongue over her lips. This time, her tongue emerged to greet him. Flames of arousal spread through him, a blistering wild fire that couldn’t be stopped. There was pain because of skin to skin contact, as usual, but it didn’t compare to his need.
The beast protested. She’s our betrayer. She means to harm…means to…She tasted of mint and whipped cream. She’s dessert.
About Gena Showalter
She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfan
