Sponsorship: STAKED by Sandra Edwards

Are you looking for a smart and sexy time travel book, then look no further than STAKED. I've read this story and absolutely loved it especially Dexter Stone--oh, la la!

Book blurb:

Ava Valentine is a time-traveling bounty hunter from the distant future. She's chased her fugitive back to present-day New York City, where she anticipates an uneventful capture even though she's a little on edge because she's meeting a new contact.

Dexter Stone is a mysterious soldier of fortune who's agreed to take Ava to her bounty--for a fee. What Ava's not expecting is to get mixed up with a man she suspects is a vampire!  

After a run-in with an unsavory character from Ava's past, she and Stone are forced into an uneasy alliance. But very soon she'll discover she could be Stone's saving grace--or his downfall.

Reviewer’s comments:

5 stars – “I just loved the chemistry between Ava & Stone. Even with the risk she takes if ever giving herself to him, this story leaves you wanting more and hoping”

5 stars – “It is a wonderful book, I could not put it down read it in about a day and a half. I recommend this book to everyone who loves a great romance with a little twist of vamps in it.”

5 stars – “This book kept me reading from first page to last. I couldn't put it down. I love the new spin on the vampire angle, and the time travel element leaves the mystery lover in me begging for more.”

Buy links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Staked-Time-Brokers-Book-ebook/product-reviews/B0052MSYRW
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/staked-sandra-edwards/1102380111
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Staked/book-ZVuFbnwGXEWCgZ8FH3W0_w/page1.html

Excerpt:

“When do you think we'll arrive at our destination?” She threw an easy and unassuming question at him in hopes that he’d drop his guard a little.

He shrugged and thought about it. “Couple hours or so. Three tops.” He turned to her. “But since you’re from south Jersey, you should know that. Right?”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve been there lately.” She shrugged. “So I can’t really judge travel time because I don’t know what the traffic’s like.”

“Makes sense.” He gave a concurring nod and then went silent. They passed a sign signifying a rest stop one mile ahead.

“Hey,” Ava said. “Can we make a pit stop up ahead?”

“Seriously?” He rolled his eyes. “You want to stop now? Do you realize how much time we’ll waste by stopping?”

“Five minutes,” she said. “Five minutes isn’t going to make or break us.” She wasn’t sure if he’d stop or not. Stone didn’t exactly strike her as the accommodating type.

He didn’t say whether or not he’d stop, he simply turned his attention back to the road ahead and handled the steering wheel with one hand.

Ava tried willing him to stop. Aside from needing to pee, she wanted to splash a little water on her face. Maybe it’d shock this detrimental fascination with Stone out of her system. It’d slammed her back at Louie’s, even before he’d crossed the threshold. She hadn’t wanted it then and she was no closer to accepting it now. The sooner she acquired Cole and reimbursed Stone, the quicker she could escape the spell Stone held over her. That was one thing she could look forward to if Stone bypassed the rest stop exit—getting away from him that much faster.

Stone barely slowed down prior to veering off the freeway at the precise moment he was about to bypass the exit. Knowing now that they’d be making the stop left her with mixed feelings. She needed to use the bathroom, but there was something to be said for getting away from Stone as quickly as possible.

The parking lot was nearly deserted and cloaked in the nighttime’s darkness. Most of the street lights were out, right along with the outside lights on the building. It was hard to see whatever might be lurking in the shadows.

Ava scanned the area as she opened the car door but couldn’t decide if the eeriness swallowing her up was from real trouble or just her nerves. Well, she had to pee; plus she was sure that she and Stone could handle any mortal trouble hiding in the darkness.

She closed the car door with an easy push and surveyed the area. The night’s warm air held the faintest hint of a breeze. She just wasn’t sure if it was enough to fuel the goose bumps that’d begun to pebble her skin. To be on the safe side, she and Stone had better stick together.

Ava glanced over her shoulder at Stone strolling up the sidewalk about two paces behind her. “You think you could come inside with me?” she asked. He threw her suggestive look. She didn’t have the patience for his antics right now. “Look...I can’t say that sexing it up in a neglected john at some rest stop along the highway really turns me on.” She tried to project her impatience onto him with a glare. It must have worked because he rolled his eyes, drew a heavy breath and moved toward her. “Can you just go in there with me? These kinds of places give me the creeps.” It was best to let him think she needed a hero. But the truth was, if they were going to get backed into a corner, better to do it together. 

Stone moved in front of her, shaking his head. “No matter how long I live,” he said. “I’ll never understand women.”

“Right back at you,” she said with a bite to her tone.

Stone stopped at the door, cracked it open about a foot and scanned the interior before entering. After a second or two he pushed the door open and beckoned her to follow.

“You’re safe, my lady.” He fanned a grand gesture about the outer area of the ladies’ room. Clearly making fun of her.

Ava didn’t know why, but that wounded her ego. She headed straight for the sink and turned on the cold water. Luckily, it was instantly cold. She cupped her hands, filled them with the chilled water and splashed her face. Then she did it again for good measure. As she suspected, it didn’t do that much good.

She pivoted on her heel and moved toward the nearest stall. Slamming her hand, palm out, against the door, it thrust open. Once inside, she flipped the latch. It helped knowing the bathroom stall served as a kind of barrier between Ava and what tempted her. If she kept telling herself that, maybe she’d believe it by the time she was done.

She dropped her pants to her knees, well-aware of Stone’s presence and what she’d allow him to do without much persuasion on his part. She went about her business, hoping it’d distract her from the sexual attraction coursing through her body where it all seemed to be gathering beneath her belly.

This was so not good. Ava couldn’t afford to give herself to some vampire. Especially not this vampire. The one who could convince her to give up all her secrets with a mere touch.

Finishing up, she stood and pulled her pants back up around her waist.

“Ava...?” There was a certain sense of wariness in Stone’s voice. “You about done?”

“Yeah,” she said, pushing the stall’s door open. “Keep your shorts on.” She went to the sink to wash her hands.

“Listen,” he said softly, moving closer to her. “I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s trouble outside.”

“Trouble?” She turned off the water and shook her hands a couple of times before wiping them on her pants. “What kind of trouble?”

Their eyes met and for a second it looked like he might actually say the word vampire. But he didn’t. He kind of left that part out when he said, “Five or six of them. I don’t know if I can fight them all off, but I’ll stand a better chance in here...where we can’t be surrounded.” He wasn’t paying much attention to her. Instead he was canvassing the room, taking in every inch of it. Finally, when his gaze landed back on her, he gave a half smile. “I’ll do my best to keep you safe and get you out of this alive.”