Gena Showalter - Playing with Fire

—Mr. Rome Masters, aka “Cat Man”

“Need a gal who can fry the bad guys but still give your hair the perfect blowout? Wonder Girl’s the one for you!”

—Miss Sherridan Smith, best friend

“You’ll never find a sweeter, harder-working gal than my baby Belle.”

—David Jamison, father

“Once you get to know her, she’s not a stranger.”

—Sunny Masters, friend and one day, perhaps, stepdaughter

“I predict she’ll do great things. Just don’t leave home without a raincoat, a fire extinguisher and moist towelettes.”

—Lexis Masters, aka “Know It All”

“I’ve never met a nicer, more wonderful woman—with such great cleavage!”

—Tanner Bradshaw, aka “Mr. Sensitivity”

In 2011, Belle Jamison returns in a brand-new adventure. Don’t miss twice the romance, twice the danger and twice the fun in TWICE AS HOT, coming soon from Gena Showalter! Turn the page for your sneak peek …

OKAY. HERE’S THE LOWDOWN. My name is Belle Jamison, I’m twenty-five and smart, depending on who—whom?—you’re asking. (Sadly, my teddy bear of a dad is the only one who would pipe up with an affirmative “She’s brilliant!”) I’m a former coffee wench (plus former bus driver, used car salesman, factory worker, maid and a thousand other menial jobs), now employed by the mysterious and shadowy PSI: Paranormal Studies and Investigations.

Oh, and I happen to control the four elements with my emotions. (If you ask my ultra-hot fiancé, Rome, he’ll tell you that control is relative.) Anyway.

Used to be, I was an everyday, average, normal girl. Normal and wishing for bigger and better. I should have known better. Sometimes you actually get what you wish for, and the results are not what you expected. I’d wanted excitement. And yeah, I’d gotten it. But that excitement came with a death warrant.

See, a few months ago, a crazy scientist secretly dropped a chemical into my grande mocha latte and that chemical … changed me. Belle Jamison, average no longer. Suddenly I could shoot fireballs from my eyes, freeze an entire room with a brush of my fingertips against a wall, cause a tempestuous rainstorm with my tears and start a level five tornado with only a thought.

At first, I was upset. I mean, really. Being able to destroy the entire world and everyone in it is a huge burden to carry. But that burden also brought the sexy and insatiable Rome Masters into my life, so I don’t begrudge it too much. Anymore. Plus, once I had a little influence over my abilities, people who pissed me off “accidentally” got their eyebrows singed, and that was pretty damn fun.

Sure, Rome once tried to kill me. Or, as he’d say, to “neutralize” the oncoming disaster and threat I’d become, as I’d had no control over my new abilities. Sure, I later accidentally-on-purpose Tasered the hell out of him. But now we can’t live without each other.

Some people hold hands to show their love; we draw blood. Or we would, if Rome was anywhere to be found.

“I swear, he has five seconds to call me or I’m going to torch his entire gun collection and use the melted metal to make a few necklaces. Maybe some earrings.”

My best friend Sherridan looked up from the romance novel propped against her upraised legs. She lounged on the couch, a vision of curly blond hair, big blue eyes more often than not filled with sadness nowadays and curves that went on for miles. I wasn’t jealous. Really. “He’s called you like four times in the past week. And seriously, you should be embarrassed. I’ve never met anyone who has as much phone sex as you two have.”

My eyes narrowed on her. “How do you know about the phone sex?”

“Duh. I pick up the phone and listen.”

I gasped, felt a spark of something hot inside my chest.

Sherridan laughed. “Kidding, I was only kidding. You’re, like, freakishly loud. Seriously, ear plugs don’t help. Cranking up my iPod to full blast doesn’t work. Despite myself, I’ve been really impressed with your skills.”

Color flooded my cheeks. This was the problem with roommates. “Rome was supposed to call me again last night. He didn’t. He hasn’t. That’s not like him. Do you think something’s wrong?”

“Stop worrying, “ she said with a wave of dismissal. “That he-man can morph into a jaguar, for God’s sake. He’s fine. He’s probably planning a surprise homecoming or something.”

My hand fluttered over the pulse hammering in my throat. “Really? You think?” Was that neediness mine?

“Of course.”

She sounded confident. But then, she hadn’t battled people more monster than human. People who could walk through walls, shift into creatures of the night and leap at you with fangs and claws bared—or simply speak with a voice that forced you to obey.

I had. Rome had. And I had no idea what he was up against this time …

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author GENA SHOWALTERhas been praised for her “sizzling pageturners” and “utterly spellbinding stories”. She is the author of more than seventeen novels and anthologies, including breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting-edge young adult novels and stunning urban fantasy. Readers can’t get enough of her trademark wit and singular imagination.

To learn more about Gena and her books, please visit www.genashowalter.com and www.genashowalterblogspot.com.

Other sexy, steamy reads from Gena Showalterand MIRA Books

AtlantisHEART OF THE DRAGON JEWEL OF ATLANTIS THE NYMPH KING THE VAMPIRE’S BRIDE

Lords of the UnderworldTHE DARKEST NIGHT THE DARKEST KISS THE DARKEST PLEASURE THE DARKEST PASSION THE DARKEST LIE

Tales of an Extraordinary GirlPLAYING WITH FIRE TWICE AS HOT

More stunning tales from Gena Showalter

are out now …

INTERTWINED

UNRAVELLED

PLAYING with FIRE

Tales of an extra ordinary girl

www.mirabooks.co.uk

To Margo Lipschultz—who helped make this book

better than I ever could have dreamed.

To Diana Peterfreund (aka Brainstorm) and the

League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen (Dedicata,

Secret Narration Girl, Themia, Chaptera, Agentextra-

dinara (Deidre Knight), Blog Girl—who wields the

Sword of Buzzsteria—and Comedia). This mighty

team braves the wilds of Procrast Nation, constantly

fighting against the evil Blank Page, Fickle Muse

and Lord Lexicon, who taunts us with wrong word

choices. To all of you: Novelique salutes you.

And to my own super heroines: Jill Monroe, Kresley

Cole, P. C. Cast, Shonna Hurt and Michelle Quine.

ISN’T IT AMAZING HOW ONE seemingly innocent decision can change your entire life? For me, that decision came in the form of a grande mocha latte.

Allow me to explain.

The day began normally enough. Translation: I rolled out of bed thirty minutes late, rushed through a shower and hurriedly dressed in the standard black slacks and white button-up top every Utopia Café employee is required to wear. Unlike the other employees, I left the top three buttons of my shirt undone, revealing hints of the white lace (push-up) bra I wore underneath. Don’t judge. Some people are mammarily challenged and need a little boost. Anyway, if I showed a little cleavage my pervert boss wouldn’t care that I was late. Again.

He might even thank me for coming in at all.

Was it wrong of me to rely on the girls to get me out of trouble? Probably. Did I give a shit? Hell, no. In fact, I unabashedly adjusted them for ample display. I was single, twenty-four and determined to keep this job. Anyone who objected could blow me.