We welcome another first time clubhouser today! Ashe Barker's first appearance to promote the release of Gideon.
Gideon goes on general release today and marks the start of The Order of the Black Knights series from Dreamspinner Press. Readers can expect to see a new full length story every month, each featuring a different Knight as he grapples his demons, past and present.
I was inspired to model my Knight, Gideon Maybury, on an English duke. Although the British aristocracy carries much less popular mystique than in previous centuries they are still a breed apart. Wealthy, privileged, Gideon enjoys all the trappings of having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, though he never expected to inherit the dukedom. The sudden and untimely death of his older brother thrusts him into the spotlight, and attracts the attention of an implacable enemy who is determined to prove that the elder Maybury’s death was no accident.
Gideon is ruthless, a paid assassin who has no qualms about killing anyone who presents an inconvenience to his paymasters. But would he murder his own brother? At least one man believes he would do exactly that and sets out to destroy him for it.
Matters become just a little more complicated though as the two men are immediately attracted to each other and things suddenly get very hot indeed.
And a bit more about The Order of the Black Knights series:
Every century has seen its knights, but they are not always seen. Some of them do what must be done—getting their hands dirty when no one else is willing. Assassins and antiheroes who work from the shadows, they are called the Black Knights. From the time of the society’s creation in the 1100s, these men are cursed to repeat their lives of bloodshed. But for each knight, there is one who can bring out the man that waits inside and break the cycle. The question is whether or not the knight will kill his true love before he figures it out.
Gideon Maybury enjoys a life of wealth and privilege, not to mention the advantages his position offers him in his career as a merchant banker and in his less public life as a high-class, skilled, and very well-paid assassin for Her Majesty's government. When his brother dies unexpectedly, he becomes the Duke of Westmoreland.
Michael Mathison has hated Gideon since they were at university together. He’s convinced Gideon had a hand in the death of Michael’s college lover, Christopher, and that he had something to do with the death of his own brother. So he gets a job as Gideon’s driver, enabling him to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the elder Maybury sibling. At first his suspicions seem to be confirmed, but clues come to light that suggest all is not as it appears at Maybury Hall.
As the mystery deepens, so does the attraction between the two implacable enemies. Each has reasons not to trust the other, but neither is averse to a bit of kinky play. Gideon and Michael end up owing each other their lives, and it results in consequences neither could have imagined.
BUY LINKS
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All Romance
Excerpt
Lydia, I love you.
He’d asked her to find him someone decorative, and she had done exactly that.
Gideon was careful not to allow his face to betray his delight when he caught sight of the man waiting for him. He held a neatly printed placard that proclaimed who he was waiting for. Even without seeing his name plastered all over the sign, Gideon would have noticed the man.
Blond hair, cut just short enough to be respectable but not fussy. Gideon hated the gels and sprays that everyone seemed to use on their hair, and he could see the man’s locks lifting and quivering in the slight breeze of the terminal forecourt—a sure sign that he hadn’t indulged in any of that nonsense. Even from a distance, he was able to pick out the man’s bright emerald eyes, unblinking as they regarded his approach. His new driver was tall, broad-shouldered but still slim, and well turned out. That suit had not come cheap or off the rack, and it occurred to Gideon that he should probably find out how much his new driver had earned in his previous post and make sure he matched it.
Lydia had e-mailed him two days earlier to inform him that she had hired a man called Winters to drive him around, and that the new employee came well recommended. The implicit instruction had been, do not upset him. At that thought Gideon couldn’t help but grin. He wondered what it might take to upset the solemn-looking Mr. Winters.
Gideon was not a great handshaker. He preferred to avoid the social niceties, and he disliked physical contact unless it was overtly sexual and initiated by him. So he was perturbed when his new driver offered his hand in greeting, but he didn’t hesitate. He clasped the outstretched hand, shook, and then released the other man quickly as a slight tremor writhed across his skin. It was vaguely like an electrical current, but much more muted. Static electricity? Some people were prone to it, he knew.
Mr. Winters seemed not to have noticed. Or if he had, he betrayed nothing.
“Your Grace,” said the other man, bowing his head in polite acknowledgement of his new employer. “I hope you had a good trip.”
“Not bad. You’ll be Winters, I take it?”
“Yes sir. Michael Winters, Your Grace. May I take your case?”
Gideon was good at reading people and thought he might detect just the slightest note of resentment at the use of the title. He hoped not. That would be a pity, as it would mean his pretty new driver would have to go. Gideon insisted on respect. Always. Still, time would tell. Meanwhile, and despite his social standing and insistence on the proper niceties, Gideon was not especially comfortable at having people carry his stuff for him.
“No. That’s fine. Where’s the car?”
"This way, sir.” The blond turned to lead the way back to the car park.
Gideon followed him and used the opportunity to investigate the rear aspect. He found Winters’ bum to be every bit as attractive as the front view and was disconcerted to note that his cock had hardened at the sight. That was unusual for Gideon on first encountering an attractive man, though not unheard of. Still, it wouldn’t do for a respected merchant banker and peer of the realm to be seen marching around Heathrow sporting a boner. With his luck there’d be some Daily Mail reporter lurking around, and he’d find himself plastered all over the next day’s front pages. He held his briefcase at an awkward angle to conceal the evidence.
A bit more about Ashe Barker:
Ashe whiles away her time in the wilds of West Yorkshire, in the north of England, writing smutty books and drinking Earl Grey tea. At the last count she had over thirty titles on general release, many featuring BDSM, always hot, with complex characters and compelling plots. Ashe writes MM and Mf, contemporary and historical, with the occasional threesome thrown in.
When not writing Ashe enjoys messing around with digital photography, reading erotic stories, pole dancing (though not especially well), walking her dogs, and listening to Bon Jovi. Loud.
I love to hear from readers. Here’s where to find me:
my blog
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
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