I don’t play favorites among the characters in my books, really I don’t. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that Damien Stark, the hero from the Stark Trilogy, may just be an exception to that rule.
He’s just so … well … yummy, and it’s especially fun to see him through the eyes of Nikki, his girlfriend and the heroine of the series. Here’s a snippet from Claim Me, the first moment that she sees Damien in this book:
He is right where I’d imagined him, standing on the top step, leaning casually against the wrought-iron banister and looking even yummier in real life than he did in my mind. I may have spent the entire afternoon with him, but it doesn’t matter. Every glimpse of him is like ambrosia, and I will never get my fill.
I soak him in, my eyes lingering on every perfect feature. His defined jaw highlighted by the shadow of stubble. The wind-tossed black hair, thick and smooth and so familiar to my fingers. And his eyes. Those amazing dual-colored eyes that are focused so intently right now that I can feel the weight of his gaze upon my skin.
He is dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt. But even in such informal attire, there is nothing casual about Damien Stark. He is power personified, energy harnessed. And my only fear is the knowledge that one can neither capture nor hold on to a lightning bolt, and I do not want to lose this man.
His eyes meet mine, and I shiver from the shock of the connection. The athlete, the celebrity, the entrepreneur, the billionaire persona all fall away, leaving only the man and an expression that makes my blood heat and my insides curl with longing. An expression that is so raw and primal that were I not already naked, I’m certain that every stitch of clothing would have turned to ash, burned away by the heat in his eyes.
I hope there are readers out there today who are meeting Damien Stark again or for the first time! I know that I’m celebrating with a little cyber dance, LOL! (And, soon, with a mini vacation and a chocolate martini!)
What’s your favorite way to celebrate?
One lucky commenter will win a copy of Claim Me! (print for US winners, digital for international winners!)
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Kenner has written over 40 books under multiple names including Julie Kenner and J.K. Beck. Her newest release, CLAIM ME (April 23, 2013), is the second book in the bestselling Stark Trilogy, which began with RELEASE ME, continues with CLAIM ME, and which will conclude in July with COMPLETE ME.
You can learn more about her at her website (http://www.juliekenner.com) or connect with her on Twitter (@juliekenner) or on Facebook (http://juliekenner.com/facebook/)
