Genre: Erotic Sci-Fi Romance Heat Level: 3 Word Count: 38, 575 ISBN: 978-1-77233-106-6 Editor: JS Cook Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Dusk by Erin M. Leaf

Heat Level 3
$3.99
SKU 978-1-77233-106-6
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Stronghold, 2

Lucy Soren never expected to live through an alien attack. Months later, her nightmares won't let her forget the pain she suffered, or her strange attraction to the man who saved her from certain death.

Sentry Solomon Dusk never wanted to heal a mortal woman, but he can't forget Lucy's bravery or beauty. Even though he vowed to never again fall in love, Lucy attracts him like no other woman ever has before.

When their enemies again slip past the Sentries' defenses, Solomon's only thought is to protect the woman he refuses to love. Lucy's only hope is to run from the danger to her heart. Unfortunately, the fate of the planet rests on their ability to work together. Fear of commitment has no place when love is the only thing that will save them from annihilation.

Be Warned: anal sex, sex toys, bondage

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Excerpt:

Solomon couldn’t help himself. He cupped her cheek, savoring the softness of her skin under his palm. “I am not taking you back to your parents’ house. I’m taking you home to mine.”

She stepped back. “Oh, no you’re not.”

He moved forward, pinning her against the ship. Her soft curves felt like heaven against his weary muscles. “Lucy, please come home with me.” He wanted her to say yes, so he leaned down and kissed her lightly.

She trembled. “Why? Why do you want me to come with you?”

He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. “Because I am tired of worrying about you.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m fine.” She didn’t step away, though he sensed her frustration with him. He’d have to choose his words more carefully if he didn’t want her to bolt.

“I can take care of myself. I’m not your responsibility,” she said tartly. “It’s not my fault you’re stressed out.”

“I know, Lucinda. I did not say my worry is rational.” He kissed her again, coaxing her lips open with his mouth. She tasted like coffee and mint. He groaned when she slowly slid her arms around his shoulders.

“This is crazy,” she whispered.

“Yes. It is,” he agreed, flushed with arousal. I can’t fight this anymore, he thought, and then she curled a leg around his, grinding her hip into his cock. Her emotions were bright and alluring. He couldn’t keep his empathy under control. The energy stretched out, enveloping her as he caressed her with his mind as well as his body.

“Solomon, what is this? One minute you’re pushing me away, the next you’re kissing me.” She sounded so confused he had to answer her.

“Affinity,” he murmured, taking her mouth again. He pushed her harder against the ship as heat flared between them. Her arousal beat through his empathy, rousing his energy even more. Suddenly, his healing ability triggered and he moaned as pleasure rushed through him. He sucked in a deep breath, fighting for control, but she writhed beneath him, grabbing his shirt in her fists.

“God, what are you doing to me?” she asked brokenly. Solomon nibbled down her jaw, inhaling her sweet scent. “What about the Spiders? Is this safe?” She gripped his shirt tighter.

Solomon rolled his hips as he answered her, pressing his cock into her softness. “They are gone. Greyson and I took care of them. That’s why I had to leave so abruptly earlier,” he said, running his hands down her back to cup her ass.

She went still as his hands lifted her into him and his empathy crackled. She was aroused and yearning and frightened all at the same time.

“Wait, what?” She jerked her head to the side. “What do you mean they’re gone? They were gone months ago!”

He eased away slightly, using his healing energy to soothe the worst of her fear. “There was an infestation. The new sensors I installed picked it up.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered, hand going to her throat.

Solomon frowned and cupped her cheeks. “You are safe. We eradicated the infection.” He didn’t like the way she’d gone pale. Her sudden terror prickled through him like static as his empathy ramped up even higher. His instincts told him to grab her and take her home. “Will you come home with me?”

She stared up at him. “What about my parents?”

“The infestation is gone. They should be fine. And the sensors are still active,” he assured her. He knew there was no reason to take her to his tower, but he was tired of fighting himself. He wanted her in his territory. In his bed. He gritted his teeth as his healing energy surged again, responding to her emotions.

She licked her lips. “I’m scared.”

His heart nearly cracked in two. “I know,” he said, gently brushing a curl away from her temple. “But I can keep you safe. I promise.”

“How?”

He kissed her. He had to. “Do you trust me?” His mind reached out to hers.

She nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“I will not let you die, Lucinda.” She trembled as he kissed her again, licking inside her mouth. He needed to be closer.

“I feel strange,” she whispered. “Like I’m on the verge of a migraine, but instead of pain, it feels good.”

Solomon shivered. He knew exactly what she meant because he was feeling it with her. “I know. I feel it too,” he said, swallowing hard.

She kissed him then, and he moaned as she delicately explored his mouth. “Let me in,” he murmured.

“You healed me,” she said, breathing hard. “I felt you inside my body. Your energy—”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Is that what this is?”

He didn’t know how to answer that. Instead, he kissed her again, passionately, barely able to think. Lucy cried out and suddenly, her inner barriers faded and his mind surged forward. She grabbed him as he groaned. “Fuck!”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” she muttered, shaking so hard he could barely keep her upright. He lifted her against his body again, inhaling near her neck. She smelled sweet. Her mind sizzled through his and he abruptly realized there was no going back. When she reached down and undid his pants, he knew for certain that it was already too late.

“Jesus,” she said, gripping his cock in her fist. “You’re huge.”

“Lucy, there is no going back from this,” he managed to say even as he undid her shirt. Her skin intoxicated him. Her mind buzzed against his like electricity. Her generous breasts spilled into his hands.

“I’m tired of being frightened,” she replied, staring up at him. Her brown eyes gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight, almost as if sparks were coming out from her mind to the surface. “If this will help me not have nightmares anymore…” She trailed off and chewed on her bottom lip. “I trust you.”

So beautiful… he thought fuzzily.

He shuddered and pulled her blouse off, tossing it to the ground. His empathy and healing energy fluctuated from nearly nothing to full-throttle and then back down again as he palmed her perfect breasts. For the first time in his long life, he had no control, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. When Lucy shoved at his shirt, he backed up and tore it off. Her hands immediately went to his chest, smoothing up over the muscles. He threw his head back as she struggled to push his pants over his hips. When they dropped to the ground, he toed off his shoes, then went to his knees in front of her.

Product Reviews

Score: 4 out of 5 (based on 4 ratings)
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5/5
The Romance Studio TRS
Written by Amy Hopkins on 7th Jan 2015

Lucy Soren may have survived the alien attack months ago, but she still isn’t able to shake the nightmares and doesn’t feel safe in the new reality she finds herself in. Plus there’s her lingering attraction to Sentry Solomon Dusk who saved her. Especially when he calls her out of the blue to see how she’s doing. Solomon hasn’t been able to quit thinking about the human woman that he saved and healed months ago. When he finally caves and calls to check in on her, he realizes that he can’t stay away from her and is willing to do anything to help her feel and stay safe. But when Lucy runs from her growing feelings and their enemies return, they suddenly find themselves fighting to save the planet along with their future together. I really enjoyed this book. It’s the second book in the Stronghold series but I didn’t have any problem jumping in with this book, although it did make me want to go back and read the first book. Lucy and Solomon have great chemistry right from the start and it only gets better through out the book. I also really liked that we got just enough back story to feel to really feel like you know the characters. Not only is it fun to read as Lucy and Solomon connect, but the side characters are great too. When the brothers are together it’s funny. Not to mention the Sentries and their job protecting the planet with their technology and the aliens make a really intriguing world. I’m definitely going to have to go back and read the first book in the series, and after meeting the rest of the brothers this series will be on my list of authors to watch for the next book.

4/5
The Romance Reviews TRR
Written by Isabelle on 18th Dec 2014

A world where sexy aliens protect humanity from the evil metallic spiders! Lucy Soren can't sleep anymore. Every time she tries, she ends up dreaming about being attacked by spiders and saved by a sexy alien. She can't forget how they felt entering her arm and almost ending her life. When Solomon shows up again in her life, she gets confused. As much she is attracted to him, she is afraid he will always bring spiders with him. Will she be able to follow her destiny, even though it may be filled with evil enemies? Solomon Dusk takes his role as a sentry of Earth very seriously. When he previously healed a human woman, he threw caution to the wind and invest all his powers to the success of the mission. Now, he is back to normal, and that means avoiding humans and just doing his job. One minor problem, he can't forget Lucy and deep down he knows the truth. Is he brave enough to fulfill his destiny? Or will the echoes of pain from the past render him helpless? DUSK is great second installment for the Stronghold series. Lucy and Solomon have an easier path to love than Greyson and Eva, but they have an even bigger evil threat to deal with to save humanity. The spiders are getting more intelligent and better prepared to invade Earth and the sentries are starting to suspect they are dealing with a bigger evil than they have ever imagined. A newfound knowledge may be the key to make stronghold better and stronger. Will all the sentries follow their course? Ms. Leaf once again brings a fast-paced read with a strong plot concept and great character building. The passionate scenes are hot and Solomon with all his shyness and lovable features turn out to be a very kinky alien. My one problem with book two is how fast the couple became a pair, even though they didn't have much previous knowledge of each other like Greyson and Eva had. I felt Solomon has it too easy, while Greyson really worked for his mate. I'm imagining that book three is going to be Isaac's since Bruno is not ready yet for his falling! I'm really looking forward to it. I find all the brothers interesting in their own unique way. You MAY read this book because you like paranormal romances; you SHOULD read this book because you enjoy a sexy read; but you MUST read this book if you are looking for mouthwatering aliens hell bent on defending Earth from annihilation!

4/5
Sizzling Hot Books
Written by Robin on 13th Dec 2014

I have recently learned to admire and enjoy paranormal romance and it’s because of books such as Erin M. Leaf’s Dusk that I have become a fan. The story was original and imaginative and kept my attention throughout. The story begins with Lucy Soren learning to overcome the trauma of being attacked by aliens called the Spiders. She was rescued by Sentry Solomon Dusk who made a last impression on her. Solomon could not get the beautiful Lucy off of his mind. The two are brought back together when the aliens return. As they work together to fight off the attack, the two can’t resist falling in love. Dusk is the second book in the Stronghold series. It continues the story that first started in Dark which I had not read. Because the story was a continuation, I found myself a bit lost at first. However, Ms. Leaf provided me with the necessary information that I was quickly able to understand what had happened in the previous book and fully enjoy this story. Ms. Leaf has a vivid imagination that was evident on every page. She then took these grand ideas and described them with so much detail and authenticity that I was completely immersed in the universe she created. Whether she was describing the aliens or the sentries or the various technologies they used, it was all so very real. I believed in it all. I believed in the relationship between Lucy and Solomon. Ms. Leaf did a wonderful job showing the different layers of these characters so that I understood their motivations, their fears and their strengths. As a result, their connection was strong and made complete sense to me. All of the humans and sentries were likeable people that I could care about and root for. The battle against the aliens was a nail biter and filled with drama and suspense. Ms. Leaf built up the tension at the perfect pace so as to excite but not overwhelm the reader. Once I began reading, I became engrossed and could not put the book down until it was finished. Quick warning though – while the romance does have a happy ending, the alien storyline is not resolved. With two more Sentry brothers still single and the alien Spiders not yet eradicated, it’s obvious there is more to be told in this story. Dusk really intrigued me and kindled my interest in how the Sentries will prevail against the Spiders. Hopefully we will not have to wait long for the next installment in this ingenious series.

4/5
Imaginative romance
Written by Robin (Sizzling Hot Books) on 1st Dec 2014

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I have recently learned to admire and enjoy paranormal romance and it’s because of books such as Erin M. Leaf’s Dusk that I have become a fan. The story was original and imaginative and kept my attention throughout. The story begins with Lucy Soren learning to overcome the trauma of being attacked by aliens called the Spiders. She was rescued by Sentry Solomon Dusk who made a last impression on her. Solomon could not get the beautiful Lucy off of his mind. The two are brought back together when the aliens return. As they work together to fight off the attack, the two can’t resist falling in love. Dusk is the second book in the Stronghold series. It continues the story that first started in Dark which I had not read. Because the story was a continuation, I found myself a bit lost at first. However, Ms. Leaf provided me with the necessary information that I was quickly able to understand what had happened in the previous book and fully enjoy this story. Ms. Leaf has a vivid imagination that was evident on every page. She then took these grand ideas and described them with so much detail and authenticity that I was completely immersed in the universe she created. Whether she was describing the aliens or the sentries or the various technologies they used, it was all so very real. I believed in it all. I believed in the relationship between Lucy and Solomon. Ms. Leaf did a wonderful job showing the different layers of these characters so that I understood their motivations, their fears and their strengths. As a result, their connection was strong and made complete sense to me. All of the humans and sentries were likeable people that I could care about and root for. The battle against the aliens was a nail biter and filled with drama and suspense. Ms. Leaf built up the tension at the perfect pace so as to excite but not overwhelm the reader. Once I began reading, I became engrossed and could not put the book down until it was finished. Quick warning though – while the romance does have a happy ending, the alien storyline is not resolved. With two more Sentry brothers still single and the alien Spiders not yet eradicated, it’s obvious there is more to be told in this story. Dusk really intrigued me and kindled my interest in how the Sentries will prevail against the Spiders. Hopefully we will not have to wait long for the next installment in this ingenious series

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