Thanks go out to the fantabulous Delilah Devlin for allowing me to do a guest post for her blog today.

I’m celebrating the release of Passionate Ink’s charity anthology, Hot & Sticky. 2023 marks the fifth year the members of PI have donated their time and talent to this project, and as always, all proceeds will go to benefit ProLiteracy. Last year’s anthology, Holiday Shorts, raised over $2,400, which went to support their mission of worldwide adult literacy. With seventeen amazing authors, this one will be bigger and better than ever.

My story, “Wicked Heat”, is set in the Wicked Magic world, created by my alter ego, Minette Moreau. As the stories in Hot & Sticky are short, there’s always a question of, “What happens next?”

Will Dexa and Soren have babies? If they do, will their children be snow leopards or dragons? What does their house look like? Do they have pets? You get the idea. 😊

It is my hope the following answers some of those questions—and puts Dexa and Soren on the hot seat!

If steamy contemporary romance is more your jam, I have another book coming out TODAY, Friday, August 4. Charon’s Chaos is the fifth book in my Club Apocalypse series. You can learn more about it on my website at https://raisagreywood.com.

Excerpt from “Wicked Heat”

“Welcome back to The Mating Game! It’s time to find out which of our mated couples will win a year’s supply of fresh beef from our friends at the Vanessa Springs Ranch in Wyoming. Will it be Dr. Dexa Khadka and her mate Soren, or Lyric and Todd Warner?”

The host, Chase Miller, smiled at the camera as the canned applause faded, and Dexa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn’t believe she’d let King Davryn talk her into this, but she supposed he wanted humans to see that supernaturals were just like everyone else.

“Todd, we asked Lyric what you’d do if you had the day off and an empty house. What’s your answer?”

“I’d be sleeping. Definitely sleeping.”

Laughing, Chase held a card up for the camera and a bell rang. “One point for Lyric and Todd!”

“We’re cheetahs. It’s what we do,” Lyric replied, smiling at the canned laughter.

“Soren, we asked Dexa what your guilty pleasure is.”

“Stealing things to please my mate, but I fail to see why I should feel guilt.” Soren frowned at the canned laughter. “Should I have said I did feel guilty?”

A buzz sounded as Chase held up a card, “Dexa said you like to scare the climbers on Mt. Everest when you visit her family.”

“Ah. That is my second favorite thing, but I don’t feel guilty about that either.” Soren lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Dragons gonna dragon.

Dexa ignored her snow leopard’s comment and focused on Chase.

“Todd, we asked Lyric what she’d buy if you asked her to get you a treat from the store on her way home.”

“Turtle cheesecake,” Todd replied, smiling at his mate.

The bell rang a second time as Chase held up a card. “Lyric said cheesecake, and that’s another point for Lyric and Todd!”

When the canned laughter faded, Chase turned to Soren. “We asked Dexa who is the bigger pack rat between the two of you.”

“Dexa is.”

“What?” She shook her head; sure she hadn’t heard him properly over the buzzer. “Did you forget your hoard?”

“The score is now two for Lyric and Todd, and zero for Dexa and Soren. Lyric, we asked Todd what always makes you laugh.”

“That old sitcom Dinosaurs.” Todd leaned over to kiss her as the bell rang.

“Another point for Lyric and Todd,” Chase said. “Dexa, we asked Soren which of you is better with children.”

“He is.” The buzzer sounded and she gave Soren a wry smile. “Whoops.”

“Soren said you were,” Chase said. “Lyric, we asked Todd which of you takes forever in the shower?”

“Me. It’s always me.”

The bell rang as Chase held up the answer card for the camera and waited for the canned applause to fade. “Dexa, this is our final question. Which of you is more likely to sleep in and be late for work?”

“Soren.” Her lips parted and she stared at him when the buzzer sounded. “What? You’re always sleeping in.”

Chase cleared his throat and held up the card. “Err. I don’t think we’ve ever had a couple earn no points before. Are you sure you know each other?”

“Yes,” Soren replied without looking at him. “My pleasure is tied to yours, kitten, and nothing you want will ever be denied you. My hoard is yours and none of it has purpose unless it pleases you. You’re the favorite with all the cubs and dragonlets and I can’t wait to have a few of our own. And yes, you do oversleep because I turn off your alarm when you need the rest.”

“Fates,” Lyric murmured. “I don’t know if that’s scary or the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

“He’s a dragon,” Todd replied. “They’re…um… You know, dragons.”

Chase stared at Dexa and Soren for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Congratulations to our winners, Lyric and Todd Warner.”

Soren stood and held out his hand to help Dexa to her feet. “I believe I’ve already won the perfect prize.”