Exclusive Peek: Marked for Desire by Jennifer Leeland

From Jennifer Leeland:

Ah Princess Sera Placido.  She was a challenge.  First of all, every time I had to think of her, plot her story, focus on her personality, she insisted on running "A Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears.  Most of the time, my characters like Metallica, Staind, Stream of Passion, Within Temptation and Evanescence.  You know, dark and agsty music.

But Britney?  Really?

But the princess was persistent.  So, with Britney blaring in my head, I tried to write this complicated woman's story.  The first challenge for me was to figure out Sera's motives, the thing that moved her.  And she wasn't being totally honest.

Like many people, Sera has the person she presents to the world and the person she truly is inside.  And she had the added pressure of being a futuristic celebrity.  The universe is fascinated with her.  She's royalty, the last of her line, that has represented a people scattered throughout several systems.  Surrounding her is a mystery-an abandoned planet, magical objects and unexplained power.  The media hounds her, Placidians look to her to save them, and the Blueshift Brotherhood wants to kill her.

It's enough to drive any woman insane.  And though Sera doesn't shave her head, she does have her own brand of crazy.

In the end, Leo Eyler is exactly the man she needs.  He's a dominant with a rough past and absolute conviction about the job that has to be done.  It's his confidence in her that gives Sera the strength to face her deepest fear--that she won't be enough to lead her people.

Because when all is said and done, Sera takes her responsibility very seriously, regardless of the media attention and the danger.

But she drove me crazy.

Seriously?  How much Britney Spears can one author handle?  Quit a bit apparently.  I both loved Sera and wanted to throttle her.  I think Leo feels the same way.  LOL!

Here's a little snippet of Sera being bad.  I hope you fall for her the way I did.

Exclusive Excerpt:

“Princess,” he finally said quietly.

She jumped as if she’d forgotten he was in the room. “Yes? What did you want?” she snapped.

“I want you to let me do my job.”

Her gaze was back on the scene outside the window. “I am.”

He stepped closer. “You’re not. You make appointments without consulting me. You meet with people I haven’t cleared. I can’t do my job when you won’t stop defying me.”

Her gaze met his. “This is my life, Mr. Eyler. I’m not defying you. I’m just not changing what I do to suit you.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve given up my solitary walks, and I don’t go to the clubs without you. What else do you want?”

“I don’t want anyone to have access to you except through me, Princess.” He glared at her and thrust his face closer. “I’m trying to keep you alive, damn it.”

She shook her head. “No. You’re using me as bait. Did you think I didn’t know that?” She raised her eyebrows. “I did some checking. Your mate was murdered by the Brotherhood. Is that the real reason you’re here? Revenge?”

“What is this prophecy that woman was talking about?”

She pursed her lips together and turned her gaze back toward the window. He sighed. “You see? You want answers but give none in return. Who were those people?”

“Friends of my mother’s.” She still wouldn’t look at him.

He hardened his tone. “Tell me.”

She whipped around to face him, her hands clenched, her eyes narrowed. “It’s none of your business. It’s no one’s business but mine.”

For a moment, Leo thought about explaining that she was his business. And he’d show her exactly what “business” he fantasized about. In his mind, he saw her cuffed to her bed, unable to call anyone, unable to do a damn thing without his permission, without his help. The thought made his cock hard and his heartbeat pound. Her defiance, her constant challenge just turned him on more. After all, it satisfied him much more to bring a stubborn submissive to her knees.

He shouldn’t touch her. He shouldn’t stare at her. He did both. His hand curled around her arm, and he jerked her closer. “You shouldn’t challenge me, Princess.”

“Fuck you,” she snapped.

“Is that an offer?” He was playing with fire. Electricity sparked between them, and her breath quickened. His hand tingled where her skin met his, and every muscle strained toward her. The temptation to overwhelm her, take her, almost swamped his better judgment.

Her pupils dilated, and her voice was breathless. “Get your hands off me.”

He tightened his hold. “Get this straight. Either you clear each and every meeting with me, or I’ll tie you to your bed.”

Her nostrils flared, and he wondered if she’d continue to fight him. Then she relaxed, her blue eyes dull and lifeless. “Fine. Now, get out.”

“Princess—” Disappointment churned his stomach. Was he some kind of sick bastard that wanted her to defy him? Answer? Yes. He wanted to win, but to win, he wanted a battle.

She turned her back to him. “Get the personal meeting schedule from Riordan,” she said.

He stared at her still form. This was the side the rest of the world didn’t see and he often did. Her quiet misery, the trapped expression on her face, the vulnerability that made Leo want to keep her locked up and away from anything that might harm her. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, and the feeling was a far cry from the need to clash with her.

A shake of his head brought him out of his reverie. She was the Princess Sera Ellysa Placido. She didn’t need his pity.

Did she?

He sought words to comfort her, to chase the shadows away from her face. But there were none he could say. The only thing left to do was his damn job.

Summary from Publisher's Website:

If Leo Eyler had any other way to find his enemy, he would use it. A stubborn princess doesn't suit his plans. Unfortunately, Princess Sera Placido is his only clue. The last thing she wants to do is cooperate with a Nyral Dominant who can’t keep his hands off her.

When Leo insists on running her security against the deadly Brotherhood, Sera realizes that assassins and a life-sucking planet may not be the most dangerous thing she has to deal with. Her growing passion for Leo is. For although they clash, he intends to win both her body and her heart, and she's having a hard time resisting.

If they're going to survive, Sera has to learn to submit. Leo teaches her that she's marked for desire.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, BDSM theme and elements, female/female interaction, moresome (m/f/f/m with homoerotic interaction), voyeurism.

Available now from Loose Id (ebook).

Note: This title is included in the list of giveaways for the ongoing contest.