The Hive: Cover Reveal for A Flawed Heart by April Emerson

a new adult erotic romance

Release Date: July 21, 2014 on SCP with all buy links available July 29!

Claire Brighton has just finished college and is abandoning her warm, southern home in favor of gritty New York City. She searches for the perfect roommate and finds Lydia Taylor. Lydia lives a life of privilege in her father's penthouse, but like Claire, she's ready to go out into the world on her own. Claire and Lydia rent a little apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, not far from Lydia's older brother, Jason. Claire is intrigued by Lydia's stories of Jason, who is the black sheep of the family—and a musician. The minute Claire hears him sing, she falls for him. Claire thrives in her new urban surroundings, treasuring her time with Jason and exploring her new found sexuality, but both Claire and Jason carry shadows with them. They're each fighting to move on from wounds of their past, but they learn that they will need each other to do it.

Jason takes a sharp breath in, flicks his cigarette away and takes a step toward me. The intensity of his eye contact makes me apprehensive. I never talk about my daddy with anyone. I look down at my feet and Jason gently grabs and holds my wrist. The top of my head only reaches the base of his neck. I stare at his fresh tattoo. It’s black, white, and gray. It’s a Lilly with script around it. I can barely read it in the dim light but looking closer I see it says, ‘Never let go’. “The tattoo. It’s for your mother?” I whisper. Jason nods and leans down toward me. He presses his forehead against mine. The only sound is our breathing. I feel our pain in my chest. My heart is ripping open, and I want to comfort him and hold him and kiss him. I tilt my head back and look into Jason’s eyes. The current running between us is palpable. I part my lips and press them to his. The kiss is shy and tentative. His lips are so soft…they taste like beer and peppermint, and they’re warm and strong against mine. I realize how brazen I’m being and pull away. As I move back, Jason’s grip on me tightens and he places his hand on the small of my back so I can’t step away. I smile and kiss him again. This time he presses my body to his and work his lips over mine, at first gentle and then rough. He lets go of my wrist and I’m free to touch his body. I place one hand over his heart and the other reaches up to touch his hair. He moans, grips my neck, and tilts my chin up with his thumb. The kiss becomes more desperate, more filled with desire—and warmth spreads through my body. He backs up against the wall and begins to kiss my neck. He tangles his hands in my hair. I take this opportunity to breathe, but he kisses me again as he slides his hand down to my ass. I wrap one leg around his, craving more contact, wanting to ease the ache I’m feeling. He gets hard as my body rubs against his. He moans as I grind up against him and kisses me harder. I move my mouth to his shoulder and nibble at his flesh. I’ve never felt more aroused or been this forward. I feel as though I could kiss him every day and never tire of the way our mouths and bodies fit together. His grip tightens, and I know he must be feeling it, too. “You’re so beautiful. You feel so good.” He knots his fingers in my hair and kisses me again. Just then, I hear the worst possible sound. The emergency door opens and Ben is standing there.

April Emerson moved to New York City after graduating from college with a degree in literature. As a nature lover, living in the city was a culture shock, but she soon began to enjoy being surrounded by so much energy. Submerged in perpetual crowds, April developed a fondness for people watching, which inspired her to start writing. Drawn to both the light and dark of humanity, she strives to tell sexy and romantic stories with exquisitely complex characters. When she isn’t writing, she loves listening to music or reading a good book while enjoyinga glass of wine.

You can find her at aprilemerson.com