Hold by Claire Kent
Publication date: February 24th 2015
Genres: Erotica, Romance, Science Fiction
Publication date: February 24th 2015
Genres: Erotica, Romance, Science Fiction
Synopsis:
Find the strongest man there. Give yourself to him in return for protection. It’s the only way you’ll ever survive.
Convicted of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to a prison planet—a dark primitive hold filled with convicts vying for power. Her only chance of survival is with Cain, a mysterious loner who has won his territory in the prison through intelligence and brute strength. Sex is all she has to offer, so she uses it. She’s under no delusions here. No one is ever released, and no one ever escapes. Survival is all she can hope for—until Cain.
An earlier version of this book was published under the same title and a different penname by Ellora’s Cave. It has since been substantially revised and expanded.
Convicted of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to a prison planet—a dark primitive hold filled with convicts vying for power. Her only chance of survival is with Cain, a mysterious loner who has won his territory in the prison through intelligence and brute strength. Sex is all she has to offer, so she uses it. She’s under no delusions here. No one is ever released, and no one ever escapes. Survival is all she can hope for—until Cain.
An earlier version of this book was published under the same title and a different penname by Ellora’s Cave. It has since been substantially revised and expanded.
Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TVMLRXM
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/hold-3
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940151741118
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id969820569
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/hold-3
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940151741118
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id969820569
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Excerpt:
He’d
leaned forward to cup his hands under the running water when he sucked in a
sharp breath and stiffened suddenly.
Something
about the way he moved told Riana something she should have known before. “Are
you hurt?”
He
didn’t answer. Didn’t even acknowledge the question as he leaned down toward
the water again.
Instinctively,
Riana got up and walked over to him. “Seriously, are you hurt? I should have
asked before. Was it from the fight yesterday?”
“I’m
not hurt,” he gritted out, reaching for a towel.
While
he was distracted by drying his face, Riana pulled up the side of his t-shirt
to expose the side he’d seem to favor a moment before.
His
entire side was a mass of ugly, purple bruises.
“My
God. Cain. My God!”
He
jerked away. “They’re bruises. Nothing to whine about.”
“They
look horrible,” she said, trying to get his t-shirt pushed up more so she could
see the extent of the damage. “Why didn’t you say anything? And you did all
those exercises this morning. It must have hurt like hell.”
He
gave her an unpleasant look. “Are you through?”
“No,”
she said, too upset to even consider whether she was being wise to press her
attention on him in this matter. “Can I see how bad it is?”
“Why?”
“I
know some first aid. If you broke a rib or something—”
“I
didn’t break a rib.”
But
he didn’t object when she’d pushed his t-shirt up and then carefully pulled it
off over his head. The bruising went from his left shoulder blade all the way
down his side and forward toward his lower belly.
Riana
brushed her fingers along the damage, wishing she could remember more of her
medical training. “This must be why you didn’t want to fight just now.”
He
tensed palpably. “I could have taken them easily.”
“I’m
sure you could,” she assured him quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply you
couldn’t.” She winced as she noticed a particularly dark bruise on his lower
side. “But this looks terrible. Thorn did a number on you.”
Her
voice had been gentle, but it was clearly the wrong thing to say—yet again.
Cain stiffened and pulled away. “I promise he looks worse.”
She
blinked up at his closed-off face, and she realized he was still bristling with
a wounded masculine ego.
What
the fuck was wrong with men anyway? No matter how tough and rugged they were,
they still managed to be sensitive about the slightest hint they weren’t
invulnerable.
“I’m
sure he does,” she said lightly, instead of following her urge to complain
about his acting like a baby. “He must look so bad he’s been afraid to show his
face all day.”
This
apparently was the right thing to say. Cain relaxed and gave a snort of what
almost sounded like amusement. “I’m pretty sure I broke his nose.”
“Good.”
She smiled and continued inspecting the damage on his body, making instinctive
note of the rippling muscles of his back and the scattering of course dark hair
on his chest. “I hope it heals crooked.”
He
didn’t respond, but she saw the corner of his lips quirk up. This time it was
longer than a moment. It wasn’t a full-fledged smile, but it was closer than
anything she’d seen.
She
ran her fingers down his back—pretending to check for damage but mostly because
she found the smooth, strong planes irresistible. “I wish you’d told me about
your bruises before,” she murmured. “Last night I mean. When we were… I hope I
didn’t hurt you.”
He
turned on his heel, so sharply she didn’t expect it. Facing her, he reached out
to grab her by the hips. “Nothing about last night hurt,” he said, his voice as
thick and rough as gravel. “I’m not that injured.”
Then,
as if to prove his point, he slid his big hands back until they were spanning
the curve of her ass. He lifted her up to a position where she automatically
wrapped her legs around his waist.
“Your
bruises,” she gasped, squirming as she tried not to put any pressure on his
damaged side.
He
started to walk, his grip so strong there was no sense in fighting it. “I told
you. I’m not that injured.”
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AUTHOR BIO:
(No author photo)
Claire has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. She has a PhD in British literature and, when she's not writing, she teaches English at the university level.
She also writes romance novels under the penname Noelle Adams.
Author links:
She also writes romance novels under the penname Noelle Adams.
Author links:
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