Eileen Ann Brennan brings the mancandy.

Quick contest reminders: 1) don’t forget about the contest posted Saturday. You can enter here. 2) Karen Booth still has a contest open for her latest book, here.

Welcome Eileen Ann Brennan to the chair for another day of the Pricked Party, this awesome event in which we’re talking about all of the Ellora’s Cave Pricked books.

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Thanks for joining me at the Pricked Party.

Sidney, thanks so much for having me here today. I’m really excited about being part of the Pricked series at Ellora’s Cave. It’s great to be included with so many talented authors.

I had a lot of fun writing Nick at Night particularly because of the heroine who has a secret side to her personality. By day, Mia is a stuffy executive married to her company but she has a wide wild streak that surfaces when she’s out of the office.

Nick is the ultimate corporate alpha male. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. It never occurs to him that his way isn’t the right way for him—and everybody else. When Nick finds that Mia has a tattoo in a most provocative place, he takes full advantage of Mia’s sexually adventurous nature and ends up falling in love with her after only one night. But, as usual, the road to happily ever after has loads of potholes in it.

Since Nick at Night is part of the Pricked Theme Series, it seems only natural to write about tattoos today. The Ellora’s Cave submission call intrigued me but I wasn’t familiar with the art and I wanted to make sure Mia had the right tattoo so… Research! Surfing the net, I found tons of fascinating information.

Interestingly, I found that they’re pretty much universal. History has recorded them for thousands of years in just about every culture. They’ve ranged from being symbols of tribal nobility to the mark of “loose women.” In past centuries, they were associated with the “working class,” circus sideshows, and the military. Now, just about everybody has one.

Of course, the best part of researching was the wonderful pictures that popped up.

I knew every tattoo design has a meaning but I wasn’t sure what they were so…more research. Some meanings are pretty obvious. My nephew had “Mom” tattooed on his calf last Christmas. It was to thank my sister for all she’s done for him, which might be a common reason for a “Mom” tattoo. But other designs may be more subtle—an expression of the inner person displayed externally.

For instance, a tattoo of a dog suggests the wearer is loyal, companionable and friendly while a tattoo of a cat indicates independence, agility and comfort seeking. And of course, the tattoo may simply be a tribute to a favorite pet. No surprise that the four leaf clover represents luck and the cherry represents innocence and a bee can be both sweet and dangerous. But a candy tattoo can represent both reminiscence of childhood or be incredibly erotic, depending on what type of candy it is and where it is inked.

Personally, I am a big fan of tribal tattoos. Dwayne Johnson’s and Lenny Kravitz’s come to mind as two spectacular and sexy examples. What do you think?

 

Anyway, these are just a few of the things I discovered while researching and writing Nick at Night. I hope you found them as interesting as I did.

I’m giving away a copy of any title on my backlist to a commenter. Let me know what your favorite tattoo design is. Sidney will announce the winner tomorrow.

Below are a blurb and an excerpt for Nick at Night. I hope you enjoy them and thanks for stopping by.

Eileen Ann Brennan | Sensual…Seductive…Sizzling… | Visit my webpage | Visit my blog

Nick at Night by Eileen Ann Brennan

When Mia goes home with a handsome, mysterious stranger after her best friend’s wedding, she’s expecting a one-night stand, nothing more. But Nick’s heated caresses and seductive smile manage to wend their way into her heart. Too bad she’s got more pressing matters—like a big promotion she’s been working toward for years.

As for Nick… He’s head over heels after one night with the intoxicating, fun-loving, sexually adventurous Mia and her sexy tattoo, but his years of corporate raidership have come back to haunt him. He’s stunned to find out that by day Mia is straitlaced Maria, and that his feelings for her—and his dreams for a long, hot future between them—are going to be put to a difficult test.

Mix one woman’s white-hot arousal, one man’s devilish determination and a scorching tattoo in a most startling place and wait for the fireworks!

Nick at Night is available now through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Ellora’s Cave.

Excerpt

With Nick’s assistance, she climbed into the limo and slid across the seat, making room for him to follow. The chauffer shut the door, cocooning them in the darkened interior. She placed her bouquet on the seat opposite where it took up half the space. The roses sprinkled a light fragrance within the limo but not enough to overpower the delicious scent of her companion.

“Where to?”

She gave him her address, and he relayed it to the driver. With the flick of a button, the privacy panel rose to cut off the front of the limo, isolating them in a world of silent, sleek sensuality.

She smoothed her hand over the rich leather seat and let the moment surround her. Here, alone with Nick, her body thrummed with a need she hadn’t felt in a long time. Well, if she didn’t count that intoxicating flood of excitement on the dance floor.

It had been a while since she’d wanted a man the way she wanted Nick. It wasn’t the obviously expensive suit or the trappings of wealth the chauffeured limo symbolized that attracted her. Growing up comfortably as she had, money had never been a draw. No, the need escalating inside her for this man came from the intensity that emanated from him, that aura of casual power that declared he would take whatever he wanted. Whether or not it was his to take was not an issue. The attitude that anything he desired was rightfully his flowed from every pore of his body.

She lowered her lashes and slid her gaze to his face. The tinted glass left the car in complete darkness, assuring them of total privacy. He hadn’t switched on the light but she could discern the outline of his profile and broad shoulders as the car pulled into traffic. He turned toward her, and she knew with certainty he was attuned to her every movement, her every breath, to the very beat of her pulse. A warm palm slid up her arm. She jumped at the unexpected touch.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. Touching you on the dance floor wasn’t enough. I need to feel how smooth your skin is again.”

Soft fingertips grazed her bare shoulder lightly working their way up her throat to turn her head into his kiss. “God, I’ve wanted to do this from the minute you walked down that aisle.” His lips, warm and searching, brushed her cheek before settling over her mouth.

Oh yeah, she’d wanted this, too. The feel of Nick’s mouth nibbling hers, easing her into a slow seduction, taking his time to arouse her.

She leaned into him as his arms came around her, pulling her close. He deepened the kiss, sliding the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened, welcoming the gentle invasion.

A hot palm covered her breast and squeezed. She tried not to moan, but it was useless. The sound of her near breathless gasp filled the limo. He toyed with her breast, stroking his thumb across its hardening tip. The thin fabric of her gown offered no resistance, but the urge to feel his fingers on her straining flesh took hold with a maddening intensity.

She opened her eyes, wanting to see his hands on her body but the total darkness of the limo’s interior thwarted her. Unsettling as it was to feel his fingers sliding along her skin, yet not being able to discern where or how he would stroke her next, gave her the freedom to abandon any sense of inhibition.

New possibilities for this encounter formed in her mind. Since this had all the makings of a one night stand, why shouldn’t she explore a few new avenues? He seemed adventurous. Most of the men that attracted her were. Why not turn up the temperature and do something totally decadent?

His mouth blazed a trail of fire down her neck to the top of her breast. “God, you taste good,” he murmured, “just like I imagined.” All the while, his hands moved in hypnotic circles along her hips and across her back.

She pulled away, gasping for breath. “I need a moment.”

He stiffened and his hands stilled, but his lips continued to graze across her breasts just above the neckline of her gown. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

She caught a note of desperation in his growl and hurried to re-assure him. “Of course not.” She threaded her fingers through his hair and massaged the nape of his neck. “I just had an idea. Can anyone outside see inside? I mean, if you were to turn the light on?”

“You want the light on?” His hand moved, and she reached to stop it.

“Wait. Just answer me. Can anyone see inside if it’s on?”

His hesitation sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Nick wasn’t stupid. He had to know what she was thinking.

“No.” That one word held a world full of interest, which encouraged her to proceed with what she hoped wasn’t too outrageous of a seduction.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Wait a minute and you’ll find out.”

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