Many thanks to my assistant, Amy Denim, for keeping my social media alive while I was in the writing cave. I couldn’t do it without you!
Thank you to the members of my street team, Hardt and Soul. HS members got the first look at Surrender, and I appreciate all your support, reviews, and general good vibes. You all mean more to me than you can possibly know.
Thanks to my always supportive family and friends and to all of the fans who eagerly waited for Surrender. I hope you love it.
Thanks to my local writing groups, Colorado Romance Writers and Heart of Denver Romance Writers, for their love and support.
I hope you’re all as excited as I am to begin Ryan’s journey!
About Helen Hardt
#1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Helen Hardt's passion for the written word began with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn’t stopped since. In addition to being an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance and erotica, she’s a mother, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an appreciator of fine red wine, and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. She writes from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her family. Helen loves to hear from readers.
http://www.helenhardt.com
http://www.facebook.com/helenhardt
A Special Thank you
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading Surrender, and for sticking with the Steels through six books. Their story isn't over yet. While you're waiting for Shattered, I sincerely hope you enjoy Tempting Dusty. This one is a book of my heart, my favorite of all I've written. Happy reading!
Helen Hardt
Start the Temptation Saga
with
Prologue
“Come on, Sam. Papa says it’s time to go.” Dusty O’Donovan tugged at her brother’s sleeve. The Colorado heat made her sweat, and she pushed her red-gold hair out of her face.
“Geez, Dusty, can you give me a minute?”
“Yeah, twerp.” Chad McCray nodded. “We’re sealing our pact. We’re blood brothers now.” He held up his hand and a trickle of crimson oozed down his palm.
Dusty looked away, disgusted. She focused on the mountains. She loved the giant peaks, how they looked dark blue from here but turned miraculously green as Papa drove closer. She loved the pine trees that grew tall and skinny, trying to reach the sunlight through the thick evergreen brush. She loved the reddish-brown rock that made faces at her if she stared hard enough. Would there be mountains where they were going?
She turned back to pull on Sam’s sleeve again. Redness dribbled on her brother’s hand. Her mouth filled with saliva, and queasiness erupted in her throat.
She hated the sight of blood. Not because she was a baby. Heck, she carried snakes and lizards in her pockets. No, she hated it because blood was killing her mama. Bad blood. Something about the cells that were white, though Dusty didn’t understand that. She had seen he
r mama’s blood, and it was red, just like everyone else’s.
This white blood murderer had a name. Loo-kee-mee-uh.
“You all still hangin’ around?” Chad’s older brother Zach loped up. At thirteen, the black-haired boy was tall and lanky, all arms and legs. He looked funny. He sounded funny too. Especially when his voice did that crackly thing.
Then he glared at her with those eyes.
“Don’t, Zach.”
“I’m just teasin’, Gold Dust,” Zach said. “You don’t believe I can hurt you anymore, do you? Big girl like you ain’t gonna fall for that nonsense.”
“Course not.” Dusty looked away anyway. Zach’s eyes were creepy. One was dark brown and the other light blue. He had been teasing Dusty since she was a toddler, telling her his blue eye packed a laser that melted little girls’ brains.
She turned and grasped her brother’s arm. “Now, Sam.”