Welcome to this week’s MFRW Book Hooks blog hop. If you’re looking for your next romance read, check out the links to all participating authors’ posts, at the end of this one.
My hook today comes from Wild About That Thing, a three-way erotic romance that is available both as a stand-alone title and as part of my boxed set collection Triad, which is free on Kindle Unlimited.
Blurb
There's more than one way to beat the blues
Ruby
Jones has clear priorities. Her teenage son comes first, then her
struggling blues club. Her love life ranks as a distant third,
despite the efforts of Zeke Chambers to convince her otherwise.
Zeke's the lead singer in her house band, a devoted friend, and an
occasional lover. He can drive her wild with desire, but can't get
her to make a commitment. Deserted by her cheating ex-husband, Ruby's
determined she's going to make it on her own. She's hot-blooded like
her bluesman daddy, happy to satisfy her physical cravings, but she's
not about to let any man into her heart.
The stranger who
takes the stage on open mike night upsets the delicate balance in
Ruby's world. From the moment Ruby sets eyes on him, Remy
Saint-Michel inspires irresistible lust and inexplicable sympathy.
Confused, guilty and worried about her prized independence, Ruby
decides that the only way to deal with the two men is to push them
both away. Zeke and Remy, however, have other ideas.
The Hook (Rated R)
Fresh applause greeted Zeke’s invitation. He stood up there on the platform—his hands jammed into the pockets of his jeans jacket, his axe hanging around his neck—and grinned like the country boy he used to be. At six-foot-one, with the solid build of a halfback, Zeke was an imposing figure. He’d broken up more than one drunken brawl for her over the past two years and he had a temper that could be scary. To Ruby and Isaiah, though, he’d been nothing but kind. Whatever success the Crossroads could claim was largely due to him.
“To kick things off tonight, I want to invite a very special lady to join us here on stage. She’s been through some hard times, friends, and she knows the blues. It’s in her blood, passed on from her daddy, Jimmy ‘The Harp’ Jones. When she sings, she spills her soul. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Ruby Jones, the lovely owner of the Crossroads Blues Bar!”
Applause filled the club. Zeke’s invitation hadn’t been a surprise. They’d discussed having her warm up the crowd, and of course, she’d been performing since she was a kid. Nevertheless, his effusive introduction made her feel self-conscious. Ruby wished she’d worn something a bit more glamorous than her usual jeans and tailored shirt.
She picked her way between the tables, headed for the stage. Zeke held out a big hand. When she grasped it, he swung her onto the platform, and quite neatly, into his arms. The crowd roared.
Zeke brushed his lips across hers. His distinctive scent engulfed her—clean sweat, Jim Beam and Ivory Soap. It was like turning on a movie—she instantly remembered the last time he’d been inside her. His blond stubble grazed her cheek. She saw him in her mind’s eye—body suspended above hers on powerful arms while he scanned her face, focused on her pleasure. She wondered if Zeke could smell her growing dampness. Hell, what about the rest of the band?
“Stop it,” she whispered, pushing against his rock-hard chest.
Zeke released her with obvious reluctance. “I love her,” he told the audience, eliciting a chorus of hoots and whistles. Aching, hungry and guilt-ridden, Ruby knew he meant every word.
She smoothed the wrinkles from her blouse, noting in passing the tautness of her nipples, and took a deep breath. “Good evening,” she said into the microphone. As always, the amplified sound of her low alto startled her with its depth and richness. “I’m so glad to see you all. I hope you have a great time—that’s why I’m here, to make that happen if I can. Like Zeke says, the blues is in my blood. I can’t get away from it. I just gotta give in and let it out.”
She turned to nod at Zeke and the other musicians. They picked up the intro to Bessie Smith’s famous lament.
“Once I lived the life of a millionaire,
Spending my money, I didn’t care.
I carried my friends out for a good time,
Buyin’ them bootleg liquor, champagne and wine…”
The audience was as silent as a few dozen folks crammed into a low-ceilinged bar could be. Ruby dug deep and let the pain flow out into her song.
“Nobody knows you when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny
And my friends I haven’t any…”
Zeke and Jojo gave her solid backing, keeping it simple and strong to avoid drawing attention away from her vocals. She didn’t need to think—she’d learned this song at ten years old. She could sing it in her sleep.
She wanted to soar, to turn the sorrow in the piece into some kind of revelation, but worry weighed her down. She couldn’t get her mind off the letter. It was from some fancy uptown law firm, scorn hiding behind politeness. We regret to inform you…
She paused to give Zeke and Jojo their solos, blinking hard in a fight against looming tears. The new owner of the building at 127 Fourteenth Street has expressed an intention to not renew the lease. Two years of her sweat and sacrifice, not to mention every penny she owned, down the drain. Please vacate the premises on or before … The owner will be taking possession… Why did she have nothing but bad luck? Didn’t she deserve some happiness for a change? What was she going to do?
Zeke’s chord change signaled the end of their solos. She nearly missed the cue.
“Mmmmm…when you’re down and out…”
Ruby could feel Zeke gazing at her. If she lifted her head, she knew she’d see surprise and concern on his face. And he’d see the wet gleam in her eyes.
Down and out. Her voice wobbled, vibrating with emotion, as they brought the number to a close. The audience screamed its approval. Ruby bowed and tried to smile. She’d beaten the blues before. She wondered if she had the strength to do it again.
You can find buy links for Wild About That Thing at https://www.lisabetsarai.com/wildaboutbook.html
Triad is Amazon-exclusive and free on KU: https://www.amazon.com/Triad-Three-way-Romance-Lisabet-Sarai-ebook/dp/B0DCT7NC8C
Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks!
