Sunday Spotlight: Ruthless by Lexi Blake

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we’re running in 2016. Each week, we will spotlight a release we’re excited about. We’ll be posting exclusive excerpts and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

I’ve been seeing this book all over the place and was mighty curious about it. I’ve seen some really great early reviews of the book and after reading the blurb, I was all in. I knew that I was going this book was going to be a Sunday Spotlight.

Ruthless by Lexi Blake
Series: Lawless Series #1
Releases on August 9, 2016 by Berkley

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The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence…

Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without…

Riley Lawless is the charming Lawless sibling and he promises to charm the socks right off of me and I’m pretty sure after this excerpt, that is 100% accurate.

Excerpt

Ellie didn’t realize how many men were sliding glances her way. She was completely oblivious to her own beauty. She was pretty, though perhaps not in a conventional fashion. She wasn’t going to be on the cover of a magazine like her far-too-skinny sister. Shari might have gotten the high cheekbones that photographed gorgeously, but Ellie had an air of innocent sensuality that should draw men to her like flies to honey.

Not virginity. He had zero interest in the state of a woman’s hymen. The state of her sexuality was something altogether different. He got the feeling if he could get this woman into bed, she wouldn’t be shy. She wouldn’t play games—not the mental kind meant to manipulate a man.

She sighed and took another sip of the wine. “This is really good wine. I’m usually a white drinker, but this is lovely.”

Yes, she would indulge in sex the same way she did in food. No inhibitions, just purely for the pleasure.
He was hard in the middle of a restaurant. That was a first. He was controlled. Always. He’d learned that in his first years in a group home. Don’t lose your temper. Don’t relax. Always be in control of yourself and your surroundings.

It had only taken one brutal beating to teach him those lessons. “I’m glad you like it and this isn’t a meeting. It’s a date.”


Her eyes flared and there was that pretty flush again. This was why she wouldn’t make it in the business world. The woman couldn’t lie to save her life. He would always be able to tell he was getting to her from the pink stain that illuminated her skin.

“A date?” That cynical brow rose over her right eye. He was starting to get her “tells.” “Why on earth would you ask me on a date?”

He got the feeling she would see through any reason with the exception of honesty. “Because I would really like to sleep with you. It’s traditional to date first. You see, men take women out usually more than once, though you should feel free to completely ignore societal norms when it comes to that. We go out on a few dates, see if we like each other. Maybe have a really nice make-out session that ends with me taking a cold shower. Then you decide if I’m the man who can bring you multiple, screaming orgasms.”

Her eyes had widened, but there was a smile on her face. “Wow, Mr. Lawyer. That is quite a sales pitch.”

“I was serious about you picking the timeline. You’re a very modern lady. You should go with whatever schedule suits you.” It had been a long time since he’d been this flirty with a woman. “Might I also point out that the answer to that last question, the one about the screaming orgasms, is yes. I’m the man.”

“Hey, at least you’re confident.” She eyed him, relaxing into the moment. “Are you always this forward?”

“Yes. I do what you say you’re trying not to. I see something I want and go after it. I saw you today and realized you aren’t the woman from the press pictures. What was up with the frumpy business suits? And the bun? You’re gorgeous this way.” He let his eyes slide to the V of her shirt. He didn’t want there to be any misconceptions about the fact that he was attracted to her.

It was easy to be attracted to her.

“My father was very strict about what he believed a businesswoman should be. He also thought my weight was a sign of weakness and therefore I should cover up as much of my body as possible.” She sat back. “My father was kind of a dick.”

He chuckled but his stomach twisted. Her father had been a murdering bastard. “So Daddy died and you came out of your shell?”

“I needed a change. I needed to not be the me who married Colin. I needed to not be the woman who let her father run her life for so long. So I threw out the stuff that I hid behind and bought clothes that made me feel pretty.” She frowned, but it was a cute expression, her nose wrinkling sweetly. “I still wish I had those suits sometimes. They were like armor. On good days, I’m confident. Most of the time, I don’t really care what other people think about what I’m wearing. But I’ll admit there are times I want to hide again. Like now.”

“Why now?” He’d done his absolute best to be charming.

“I don’t think it’s a particularly good idea to mix business and personal lives.”

“Do you have a personal life outside your business?”

“No, not really. I tried some online dating. It didn’t work out. Maybe I’m supposed to work on the business for now. A woman doesn’t always need a man in her life. She does, however, need a lawyer.” She sat back, assessing him. “You’re not what I expected.”

Because she was used to her father’s lawyers. Old men who would likely dismiss her out of hand because they’d seen her in school uniforms and because dismissing smart women was what they’d been taught to do.

“That’s good because you’re not what I expected, either.”

Yeah, it’s exactly as I thought it would be. This book comes out on Tuesday so be sure to get it so you can join me in this dance:

🙂

Giveaway: We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

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Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About the Author

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NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

Her first novel, Their Virgin Captive: Masters of Ménage, Book 1, was a collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black. There are five more books available in the series: Their Virgin’s Secret, Their Virgin Concubine, Their Virgin Princess, Their Virgin Hostage, and Their Virgin Secretary. The next book in the series, Their Virgin Mistress, is releasing this April.

In addition to the Masters of Ménage series, she is the author of the Masters and Mercenaries series. There are eight full-length novels and four novellas available now, with more coming in 2015.

In 2013, Lexi also began releasing her urban fantasy series, Thieves. The first five are available now, with Ripper, a spin-off to the series, coming in 2015.

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