Spotlight: Crimson Jewel by A. Gordon
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Genre: Romantasy (Fantasy and Romance)
A Deadly Game of Dating.
Choose One.
FEE. FIE. FOE. FUM.
Ruby spends her days fighting to stay alive in post-apocalyptic Alaska. She doesn’t have time to believe in giants, true love, or fairy tales. That is, until she uses a strange staircase concealed in the forest to escape the latest predator trying to kill her. While hiding, she’s caught by Raiden, a giant with stormy eyes and disturbingly sexy fangs. For trespassing, he forces her up the stairs to his realm.
Upon arrival in the Fiefdom, she discovers that she’s the key to unlocking an ancient prophecy. Desperate for her to stay, the giants offer a deal—if she agrees to marry a First-Born son of nobility and become queen, they promise sanctuary to her family. Determined to give her loved ones a better life, Ruby signs a blood oath that gives her four weeks to choose a husband from the Fiefdom’s most eligible bachelors.
But some giants want her dead. To survive, she’ll need to navigate a web of lies, discern friend from foe, and thwart multiple assassination attempts, all while balancing a complicated social life. Will she make it to the altar before she loses her life—or her heart?
Excerpt
Sitting down on the bed, I stared at the heels. They were the final straw of imposter syndrome. You could clean me up, dress me in fancy clothes, and decorate me in jewels, and I still wouldn’t fit in. But it was better than starvation or being eaten by a pack of wolves, so I pulled on the ridiculous shoes. Unsteady as a newborn filly, I wobbled over to the full-length mirror. I yanked on the crop top, trying to make the fabric longer.
I glanced at Sid, who was watching me intently. “No, judgment,” I chided, not used to so much exposed skin.
Together, we peered out the door, confirming the hallway was empty. With a hand pressed against the wall for balance, my stilettos and I teetered along. I was about to give up and go back to the room to find a different mode of transportation when somebody chuckled. Recognizing the deep timbre, my irritation flared and heat crawled up my cheeks.
I spun around as fast as possible without falling on my derriere. “What? You don’t have anything better to do than laugh at me? Don’t worry, I’m headed back to the room to change out of these stupid shoes.”
“No, I’m sorry. I apologize.” Raiden held up a hand. “You’re just so fierce most of the time, I didn’t think a stupid pair of shoes would be your demise.”
I had to give him an A for effort. He was trying to control his laughter.
“Everyone has their kryptonite,” I said.
His gaze slid down the length of my body. “That they do.” He sounded resigned.
I was surprised he understood the reference, but I didn’t have time to ask before my ankle buckled.
Raiden caught me under both arms, gripping almost my entire ribcage with his hands. The weight of my breasts rested on his thumbs. An uncomfortable warmth pooled in my stomach, and shivers skated over my skin. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Are you okay?” His gray eyes were level with mine. The pulse in his neck, right above the open collar of his shirt, thumped in rhythm with the rapid beat of my heart.
I took a deep breath and released it slow. “Yes. Thank you.”
He helped me stand, then let go, leaving behind tingling imprints of his hands around my chest. “Do you think if I escort you, you can walk in those things?”
“Yeah, but can’t I just go change?” I whined. I didn’t like relying on anyone. Besides, being close to him made me feel weird. The force was strong in this one. It wasn’t the same as being around Loch—he made me feel self-conscious, like a peasant around a prince.
He glanced down and checked his silver watch. “You can, but being late is heavily frowned upon around here.”
“Okay,” I said, not wanting to be rude.
He held out an elbow, and when I looped it with my own, his skin was searing hot against mine.
“Do you feel okay?” I touched his arm with my free hand.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re so hot.”
A charming but cocky smirk curled his lips. “Thank you.”
I smacked his arm lightly. “No. That’s not what I meant and you know it. It’s like you have a fever.”
“We naturally run hotter than humans.”
Funny, my temperature ran around 100 degrees, which I’d always thought odd, but my mom had assured me it was normal. She’d convinced me a lot of strange things were normal. Like taking vials of mine and Kevin’s blood to work with her. She said she did it because of her job.
“Earlier, you referred to me as a young lady, and now I’ve been demoted to human again?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that. I owe you an apology. I was mad. You interrupted my investigation and I let my irritation get the better of me.”
“Is human a derogatory term?”
“It can be. Some giants don’t like humans. Others, well . . . they like them a little too much.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Redness crept up his neck, staining his face pink. “Oh, for Fie’s sake. I’m just making this worse.”
I didn’t argue.
“I don’t dislike humans,” he clarified.
“Dude, should I get you a shovel so you can dig this hole deeper?”
He snorted, then choked out a laugh, his deep-set eyes all but disappearing behind his wide smile. “Yes, please, so I can finish burying myself.”
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About the Author
A. Gordon/Alex Gordon writes Fantasy Romance and YA/NA Paranormal Romance. She’s a bit of a wanderer, having lived in Washington, Montana, Germany, Alaska, and Tennessee where she currently resides with her husband and two rescued German shepherds. When not writing, you can probably find her hiking, or if she’s lucky—fishing, though she’s not opposed to camping on the couch with dessert and bingeing murder mysteries.
Connect:
Website: https://www.alexgordonauthor.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexgordonauthor/
