Tessa was impressed by
Dario’s and Fabrizio’s generosity. She now understood why Emelia had sung
Dario’s praises since she’d started at the magazine two years ago.
Over
delicious and filling appetizers, they helped Emelia calm down and organize
what needed to be done in the next couple of hours before she and Fabrizio flew
to Boston.
“I
hate leaving you in the lurch for so many weeks though, Dario,” Emelia
lamented. Then she glanced at Tessa with excitement in her eyes. “I know! Tessa
should fill in for me while I’m gone. The idiots she worked for laid her off
two days ago. That job was beneath her anyway. It would be perfect.”
Tessa’s
head was spinning. In a matter of minutes, she had all of Emelia’s magazine
system login credentials, had hugged her goodbye, and was now alone with Dario.
Who
had removed his costume cape and was now gloriously shirtless.
She
bolted out of her chair, needing to put some distance between them, and leaned
against his desk. “Surely you can find someone else to fill in for Emelia.
Someone already at the magazine? I appreciate her confidence in me, but I can’t
work for you.”
Dario
raised a brow from his seat at the conference table. Hunger flared in his
hypnotic blue eyes. “Because of your shifter bias, as Emelia put it?”
A
flush crept across Tessa’s cheeks as he called her out on her shifter issues.
“I… I’ll admit shifters make me uncomfortable. I mean no offense to you and
yours personally.”
Dario
regarded her compassionately before he stood and walked toward her. He stopped
in front of her, leaving some much-needed space between them. Still, she felt
his body heat and her pulse ratcheted up.
“I
appreciate that. Think of the practicalities, though. You’d be helping your
friend when she needs you and finally getting work experience worthy of your
Columbia MBA.”
Dario
was right of course, but he did strange things to her emotions. Tessa felt out
of control around him and that scared the shit out of her. “I could get that
work experience anywhere. I don’t need to get it from your magazine. Why are
you so insistent?” He stealthily got closer, making her tremble against her
will, his unique scent driving her insane with desire.
He
twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers, and Tessa’s body lit up with
awareness. How did he do that?
“Because
you, per sempre mio, are my mate.”
Tessa
couldn’t bring herself to resist when Dario captured her lips in a hungry kiss.
Their tongues tangled greedily, and her head swam. Their connection was
electric. He tasted like heaven and sin, and she was hopelessly hooked.
They
were both panting when they broke apart. “No. I can’t be your mate.” She
whispered, but in her heart, she believed Dario was probably right.
“I
know it doesn’t fit with your shifter bias narrative, but I and my lion
knew the moment we saw you; the moment we smelled your delectable scent that
you were our destiny. Our primal destiny.” Dario didn’t stop her when she moved
away from him and rubbed her arms, nearly in a panic.
“You
might be mistaken.”
“I’m
absolutely certain and I think you are too. You feel the mating bond just as I
do, don’t you?
If
that’s what she felt toward him was called, she did. “No, I don’t. I’ll help
Emelia out because she needs me, but we can’t ever kiss again. I mean it.”
The
deep timbre of Dario’s laugh sent chills down Tessa’s spine.
“Oh,
my sweet mate, but we will. Many more times. Because you’ll want to. You can
count on it,” Dario declared as a wicked grin spread across his face.
Int’l bestseller and award-winning author Dania Voss writes compelling, sexy
romance with personality, heat, and heart. Born in Rome, Italy and raised in
Chicagoland, she creates stories with authentic, engaging characters. She loves
anything pink and is a huge fan of 80s hair bands.
A favorite with romance
readers, her debut novel “On the Ropes,” the first in her Windy City Nights
series, became an international bestseller. Dania’s books have won multiple
awards, and her work has been highlighted on NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX. She has been
featured in the Chicago Tribune, Southern Writers Magazine, and Chicago
Entrepreneurs Magazine (selected as the #8 Top Chicago Author in 2021).
When she’s not writing, you
can find Dania at a sporting event, a rock concert, or the movies (preferably a
comedy).
Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
GUEST POST
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I was born in Rome, Italy and have lived in the Chicagoland area since I was a little girl. I’d have to say I inherited my love for reading romance from my mother who read the Italian versions of Harlequin / Silhouette romances back in the day.
I began my reading career when Fabio was on all the historical romance covers but I always thought I’d like to write one day.
Back in 2012 I attended an author / reader conference put on by Siren/Bookstrand and that motivated to give this writing thing a try. It took a little while, but in 2018 I published my first steamy romance novel with Evernight Publishing called On the Ropes, part of my Windy City Nights series that is still with them.
I’ve since published many titles independently, which I love. Maybe it’s the control freak in me. 😊
Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born in Rome, Italy. When I was 2 years old, much of my family moved to Chicago and we’ve all stayed in the Chicago Metro area since then.
What are you passionate about these days?
Setting boundaries. Self-care. Choosing positivity over negativity. Treating myself more.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
Listen to music, read, watch movies (usually a comedy). I used to go to the spa regularly and I need to get back to doing that. I miss spa time badly!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After On the Ropes was published, my husband threw me a book launch party that included a cake with the book cover! We rented the small party room at a local pizza place and everyone came to support me. We even got the attention of other customers because my husband brought all kinds of baseball paraphrenia to decorate the room with since On the Ropes’ hero is a baseball pitcher.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I am a Tap Head – This is Spinal Tap is my all time favorite. There are many others I love to be sure, but Spinal Tap has a special place in my heart. It’s also the first movie I got in DVD format when DVDs first came out. It was a gift from my husband.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
Honestly, I can see potential for all of my books to make it to the screen, big or small. Some could make an exciting series, or limited series, while others might be better as a single movie. It’s all about how you’d write the script. It’s a dream of mine to make that happen one day.
What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I went to a local Harley-Davidson shop to research a motorcycle for the next book in my Windy City Nights series. That was quite an experience. The store manager and employees were so welcoming. I got a ton of great pictures of their showroom. As additional research for that story, I also visited with the owner of a local coffee shop to learn the ins and outs of owning and running a shop.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Since two current novellas include chapters with characters playing Dungeon and Dragons, I think a baby dragon or a phoenix which is key in those stories too.
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