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Hey everyone! Thanks for having me here at Night Owl Romance! Today I’ll be sharing with all of you excerpts and blurbs from my cyberpunk romance (basically near future high-tech sci-fi romance) series, Hacked Investigations. I’d love to know what you think!
Sarah Mäkelä
www.sarahmakela.com
TECHNO CRAZED
Hacked Investigations, Book 1
Private investigator Hannah Franklin's life is turned upside down after being contacted by a former employee of MAX Home Security, the leader in security services. But they're not just protecting people anymore. Hannah's informant claims to have proof that MAX has ordered the assassination of politicians who stood against the corporation.
When her informant is killed and an attempt is made on her life, Hannah has no choice but to contact a freelance hacker. Her only hope now lies in the hands of a man she never expected to welcome back into her life.
Ian Bradley has lost his girlfriend and his job, as well as having acquired a very annoying gnome. Now his ex, Hannah, is in danger, and she needs his help. Ian vows to protect Hannah with every resource available to him -- and as a technomage in a high-tech world, his resources are almost endless...
EXCERPT
A loud, metallic click sounded from the other side of the room. Then footsteps raced around the couch.
"Hannah? Are you okay?" Ian's voice drew her gaze to his concerned face.
"What did you do? What are you?" She gulped, unsure if she wanted an answer to that.
He frowned, and a muscle clenched in his jaw. "I'm a technomage. I use and simulate magic through technology."
"What?" She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. Pain formed at her temples. "Whoa. How long have you... ?"
"Since puberty. My mother was also a technomage." He shrugged a shoulder. "It's always been part of who I am. I'm just pretty good at hiding it."
She blinked. Wow, his mother had seemed so normal when she'd met his parents. Had she really known him? He seemed like a stranger. No, she wouldn't throw away their memories together because he'd hidden part of himself. She wouldn't do that to him. Or she'd try not to, at least. "Were you ever going to tell me? Like if things had progressed between us?"
He helped her up and grabbed the blanket, keeping her covered. "I would have, eventually. Wouldn't be nice of me to do otherwise, you know?"
She nodded and stared into his brown eyes. "I've missed you."
He released a breath and rested his forehead against hers. "I've missed you too. God, I really screwed things up, didn't I?"
Placing her hand against his chest, she angled her face to brush her lips against his. "We both did."
Ian ran his hand through her hair, cupping the back of her head before deepening the kiss. His mouth possessed hers like a thirsty man at a well. He always kissed hard and desperately, and she loved it.
Ian scooped her into his arms, making her feel desirable. He carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut. Crossing the room, he set her down and ran his hands over her neck, shoulders, and down to her hips.
"You're so beautiful, Hannah. I missed out on a lot when --"
"Hush. Don't think about that. We're together now." She drew his face down to hers, kissing him.
He held himself over her, obviously being careful of her wounded state. She appreciated that, but part of her didn't care about the injury, she just needed him.
He stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, looking at the door. She followed his gaze to see the gnome peeking inside.
"Sorry to disturb the party. As much as I'd like to listen to you two HAVE SEX, there's stuff to be done!" Bernard looked as happy as ever, and she so wanted to wipe that cheerfulness off his face.
Yet he was right. Damn it. She still needed to check out the donut shop. There was a possibility they might find evidence of a struggle that they could bring to the police. But hadn't she heard a couple weeks back about someone spreading rumors of police involvement with MAX Home Security? Ian rolled next to her and placed his hands over his face. He let out a ragged sigh. "Fine. We'll be out in a moment."
"No more SEX!" The gnome slammed the door behind him.
"Why do you put up with him?" she asked.
"I don't know. He tends to be okay. Most of the time, that is." He propped up on his elbow and ran a fingertip along her arm. "He's dangerous, though. Don't antagonize him. He causes suicide. That's what happened to his previous owner. I happened to be nearby, and Bernard started following me no matter what I did."
"How do you keep him from killing you?" Hannah frowned.
"I keep him happy enough. Besides, my power doesn't let him impact me much." He glanced back at the door. "Unfortunately, we need to get going before he bursts in here again."
She nodded and stared down at the quilt. "Would be easier if I had something to wear. I saw your living room floor; you cut my blouse off."
He sighed. "Right. Well, I can give you some sweatpants and a T-shirt. Guess we'll need to do some clothes shopping." Cocking an eyebrow at her, he smiled. "Not that I mind."
"Okay, what did you do to the Ian I know? You used to hate when I took you shopping." She grinned.
Ian shrugged. "I'm just glad to do stuff with you now. I'm not like I used to be." He glared at the door before glancing back at her. "Trust me."
"I do." She nodded. "With my life."
His lips thinned into a pink line. "I'm going to do everything I can to make you safe again. I swear." He caressed his thumb along her jaw line and brushed his lips against hers once more before getting out of bed.
SAVAGE BYTES
Hacked Investigations, Book 2
Private investigator Hannah Franklin has a new partner, her sizzling hot lover and technomage, Ian Bradley. But they may be in over their heads when brought in by their friend from the hospital to quietly solve a case that baffles even the police. The victims are being drained of blood and having their organs removed in a ritualistic fashion.
When Ian's attention narrows to solely encompass their work, he'll need to keep their relationship strong, or he could find himself repeating a painful past.
EXCERPT
Hannah Franklin froze in the doorway of Ian Bradley's weight room. Ian lay shirtless on the bench as he pressed the bar into the air over his muscular chest. With each rep he did, the muscles in his chest rippled deliciously. She licked her suddenly dry lips and cleared her throat.
His gaze caught hers, and he smiled. He rested the weight on the stand. "Hey, is everything okay?" He sat up and wiped his palms on his khaki cargo shorts.
"Yeah, we just received a call about a new case." She still found it hard to believe how many people had wanted to hire them after going against MAX Home Security. Sometimes, they actually had to turn people away. What a feeling.
Ian raised an eyebrow at her. "Tell me more. What is it about?"
"It's Leon. He wants to meet with us at St. Gregory's hospital in a little over an hour. He seemed pretty stressed." She leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, and a frown tugged at the corners of her lips.
Ian stood and then crossed the room to her. His hands cradled her neck, and he pulled her in for a warm kiss. His lips brushed hers, and she opened her mouth to him, allowing his tongue to stroke hers and fan the burning flames within her body.
Hannah gently pushed away after a moment. "I said we would be on our way." She raked her gaze over his firm, sweat-slick torso. "Besides, I think you need a break from working out."
Ian grinned and reached for his white towel. "I'll go hop in the shower real quick." He wiped off his face and hung the towel around his shoulders as he sauntered away.
Hannah's life had been a roller coaster after reuniting with Ian, her once ex-boyfriend. Now he was her partner in their private investigation company, Hacked Investigations, which specialized in technology-related crimes. The clientele so far had kept them busy, with common requests that involved backtracking various network intrusions to their point of origin and leaving the rest to the customers. Others required mundane tasks such as verifying the authenticity of gray-market implants and other upgrades not sold in broad daylight.
Up until recently, they'd been financially stable. The last two weeks had been slower, and their bills this month were a lot higher than expected. It didn't help that the silly gnome was as ravenous as ever.
She sighed and returned to Ian's small home office to retrieve her jacket. The weather outside was fine, but it could change so quickly, especially this time of year.
"Hey, if you're going out anyway, bring me back a bag of those chocolates I like! We can't all live on coffee, pasta, and CONDOMS, you know?" An obnoxious voice came from the kitchen before she had an opportunity to see the loud-mouthed gnome it belonged to.
"Nice to see you too, Bernard. Finished with the garden so soon?" Hannah forced a smile. "We're heading out to interview a client. Leon called, and we're going to see if we can help him," she said.
Bernard wore classic lederhosen and had a maniacal grin on his face. "Well, the garden can take care of itself for a while. So, why are you heading out to see that flamboyant rainbow-licking nurse? Unless, of course, he wants to trade make-up tips," Bernard said. A devious glint lit his eyes.
Hannah sighed. She could only take so much from the gnome today. Ignoring the other foul comments, she shrugged into her jacket and walked by him. Water sounded from the shower behind the bathroom door. She'd love to join Ian, but they'd be going nowhere fast if she did.
Instead, she sat in Ian's favorite recliner. A quick glance proved the gnome had vanished, giving her a moment's peace.
During their struggle against MAX Home Security, Leon had played a crucial role in getting past security guards and helping them talk with Senator Kendall, who cleared their names after the police had suspected them of attacking the senator. Leon lost his boyfriend, Rich Granger, due to MAX's overeager employee termination program, and he'd been more than willing to help them take MAX Home Security down.
The lack of background noise alerted her to the fact Ian was done in the shower and would be ready to go soon. She glanced in the mirror to reassure herself that she looked professional enough, and then she crossed the room to her safety box for her gun and a clip of ammo. The streets were more dangerous than ever now that MAX Home Security had restrictions placed on them by the legal system. Despite their corruption, MAX held low-level criminals under better control than what the police were capable of.
Ian entered the doorway, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt that revealed enough of his build to make her gaze linger over his toned body.
"Shall we?"
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