When it comes to romance, a favorite trope of mine is enemies to lovers. When the hero burns the heroine good, and her icy resolve starts melting, I start melting right along with her.

Pandora and Jason have a complicated history but she starts off the book hating his guts. What happens when Jason starts to melt her resolve makes for good sexy fun in “Dark Magic and Dirty Secrets”!

Excerpt

Another voice spoke in the shadows of the alley, and she froze. “You should’ve picked another lace to hit tonight.” The tone of the voice was light but held an undercurrent of pure steel.

The robber whirled her around until he was behind her, the gun now pressed against her temple. There were few lights in the alley, most of them burned out, but just as she knew the voice, she knew his face. Jason Cross. Liar, betrayer, murderer. And, unfortunately for the criminal threatening her life, vampire.

As if on cue, Jason flashed his fangs and snatched the gun. As he twisted it out of shape with his bare hands, the robber cursed loudly and fled down the stretch of the alley, without a backward glance. Jason tossed the mangled gun into one of the bins and turned to face her.

Pandora placed her hands on her hips and assessed him. 6’2″ of pure muscle, short, straight black hair, blue eyes— every woman’s dream sex partner. And she would know. She also knew he was the cause of everything wrong in her life.

Her big brown eyes narrowed. “Why in the living hell are you here, Jason?”

His smile flashed in the near dark, revealing perfect white teeth. His tone mimicked hers perfectly. “Thanks for saving my life tonight, Jason. Also, it’s good to see you after a whole decade.” He chuckled at her scowl. “Ah, come the fuck on, Pandora. Why are things between us exactly the same as when I left Los Angeles ten years ago?”

Pandora snorted and headed for the back door of the bar. Her heart thumped double time and her palms were damp, despite her cool demeanor. She hadn’t planned on ever seeing Jason Cross again in this life—not after the trouble he’d brought to her world. She stepped up on the porch and faced him.

“First, I don’t need your kind of help. Ever. I’m a witch, Jason. I could’ve easily handled things by myself tonight with that thieving bastard in the alley. Witches have a slight advantage over vamps, anyway.”

Jason heaved a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes. and she held up her palm. “Don’t huff at me like I’m the one here acting over the top. You’re the one showing up here after all these years, in the dead of night, to visit someone who hates your guts.” She put her back to him and stepped inside the doorway.

He moved as she moved, stretching one muscled arm out to block the closing door. His voice softened. “This is not a social visit, Pandora. This is as serious as a heart attack. There’s a very real evil brewing here in L.A. and I need your help. I wouldn’t have bothered you if I didn’t. I…need Spellbound Underground in on this situation.”