Cover Reveal: Assumption by Aurora Rose Reynolds

 

 

Assumption (Underground Kings #1)

Cover Artist: Melissa Gil

Photographer:  Scott Hoover

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21063217-assumption?from_search=true

RELEASE DATE: September 5th, 2014

Blurb

as·sump·tion:

a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof

 

They say when you assume that you make an ass out of you and me. Kenton Mayson learned this lesson firsthand when he made assumptions about Autumn Freeman and the kind of woman she is based on what little information he had. What he finds out is she’s not only beautiful, but also smart, funny, a fighter, and exactly the kind of woman he wants to share his life with. Autumn made assumptions of her own about Kenton, and now he needs to prove her wrong in order to protect her and their future.

 

 

Excerpt: Chapter 1

I look out the plane window, my finger going to the glass, feeling the cold on my fingertips as I look out at the land moving quickly below me. It’s funny how from up here, everything looks so small. I never traveled in a plane before today; just the idea of being trapped inside a tin can while flying at six hundred miles an hour never appealed to me. I take a breath and look at the TV monitor that’s in the seat in front of me. The small, animated plane on the screen shows we’re over halfway to Tennessee.

“Are you traveling for business or pleasure?”

I turn my head and look at the guy sitting next to me. He’s slightly overweight and balding, but he also has wrinkles around his eyes, giving him the appearance of someone who smiles often. I debate with myself on whether or not to answer before replying, “Business.”

His eyes drop to my mouth, then to my chest as I fight the urge to punch him in the throat. I hate when men go from nice to creepy. I shake my head, turning away from him. I don’t know why I even try. I feel a hand on my bare leg and my head swings around quickly. “Touch me again and I will rip off your balls and feed them to you,” I tell him in a soft tone, trying not to bring attention to us. He quickly removes his hand before swallowing hard.

“I…I’m sorry.”

I shake my head before turning my body away from his. I feel tears sting my nose, but I fight them back. No way am I going to cry now—not when just six hours ago, my whole world exploded and I didn’t shed one single tear. I lay my forehead to the glass, closing my eyes. I still can’t believe how fast my life changed…

Yesterday

I got up that morning and went to the hospital like I always do. I work at one of the busiest ERs in Vegas. I’ve been working there since I finished school, and was required to get my clinical hours for my RN certification. As soon as I walked into the building, I was loaded down with work. Weekends are always crazy in Sin City, but yesterday seemed worse than normal—two drug overdoses, three stomach pumps, and one gun shot victim. Later, I was leaving the hospital exhausted, only to head to my real job—well, the one that pays me the money I need to live.

“Hey, Angel.”

“Hey, Sid.” I gave him a half-smile as I walked into The Lions Den, the gentlemen’s club I worked at. Do I like to strip? No. Does it pay my bills? Yes. The second I get on stage, I’m no longer me; my brain shuts off and my body takes over, the same way it used to when I was growing up and my mom forced me into pageants. I’m accustomed to being on display and used for my appearance. I wish life was different, but it is what it is. Some people complain about being overweight or having acne; for me, I hate being beautiful. I know it sounds stupid; I mean, why would anyone complain about being attractive, right? Here’s why: men see me as an object, and women see me as competition. No one is ever willing to give me a chance; they all judge me by what’s on the outside, never taking a second to find out even the smallest detail about who I am. I know I’m a walking cliché; I hate being beautiful, yet I work in a business where I put myself front and center to be viewed and judged.

The difference? For the first time in my life, when I get on stage, it’s my choice; no one is forcing me to do it. I get up there to earn the money so I can change my life in a way that will make it where I never have to be objectified again.

“Tired?” Sid questioned, following me. I had worked for Sid for the last three years. He was a friend of sorts; he’s also my boss.

“Yeah, I can’t wait until my clinical hours are over and I can start working at the hospital full-time, instead of having two jobs.”

“I don’t like that I won’t see your face all the time, but I know you need to move on,” he conceded.

“Some other girl will come in and you will forget all about me.”

“Never, Angel.” His eyes move over my face and he shakes his head. “You’re working VIP tonight.” He followed me down the hall towards the dressing rooms.

“Sure,” I agreed, already exhausted. I needed a shower and a bed, but knew I was going to be there for at least eight hours, so I might as well suck it up.

“The guys coming in are important, so you need to make sure they’re happy the whole time they’re here.”

“I have done this before,” I reminded him, stopping outside the dressing room door to frown at him.

“Normally, I wouldn’t say anything—you know that—but I gotta go get on a plane, so I won’t be here to check on them.”

“I’ll make sure they’re taken care of,” I assured him.

“Thanks, Angel.” He kissed my forehead like he often did before walking away. I watched him go for a second before pulling myself together.

“Oh! Look who’s here,” Tessa said as soon as I entered the dressing room. I ignored her and tossed my bag into my locker before pulling my scrubs off. Tessa is a bitch; she is just like the girls I used to compete against in pageants. To her, life is a competition, and she is determine to come out the winner, even if she has to throw everyone else under the bus on her way to the top. “Mick said I could work VIP tonight,” she said to one of the other girls in the room. I ignored her, knowing better than to tell her it wasn’t happening. I was sure Mick did tell her that…after she took him in the backroom and gave him something to convince him. “Pixie said the guys coming in are some big-time land developers, so you know the tips are going to be outrageous. Thank God, because I need to have my tits redone, and that shit is not cheap.” I rolled my eyes and headed for the shower room. I had met a couple nice girls during my time here, but most were just like Tessa—a whole lot of hair, tits, ass, and not much else.

I stood in front of the mirror and put on a coat of red lipstick before standing back, looking myself over. The VIP dress code is different than the rest of the club. The required outfit consists of a sheer, black overlay bra, black silk panties, a black garter belt with sheer hose, and black heels. My long, naturally red hair was pulled back on one side by a large flower; the rest was loose and wavy, flowing down my back and one shoulder. My creamy white skin, red lips, and smoky eyes made me look almost like a sexy vamp.

“You ready, Angel?” Sid asked, pounding on the door.

“Showtime,” I whispered before opening the door.

“You look beautiful; I’m going to take you in there and introduce you before heading out.”

“Sure.” I followed him down the hall to the club. The Lion’s Den is well-known in the area for its exclusivity. The walls are painted a dark brown, and the booths are designed into the walls, making the space feel intimate. The stage is in the center of the room, with a single spotlight shining down on it. Every booth has a girl assigned to it, and VIP has two girls. We aren’t allowed to interact with the customers without being asked directly to do so.

The club is less of a strip club, and more of a place for men to hangout and drink while having beautiful women tend to them. If they choose to, they can watch the girl in the center of the room put on a show. I had been on stage several times in the three years I’ve worked here. I never told Sid I didn’t like it up there, but he normally put me in VIP, or assigned me to a booth for the night.

“Why are you so worried about these guys?”

“They’re thinking about opening up a Lion’s Den in one of the new casinos they’re building.”

“That’s huge! Congrats, honey.” I squeezed his bicep and gave him a smile.

“One day, Angel, I’m gonna take you away from this place and show you happiness. I wanna see that smile everyday.” My heart did a little thud. Sid is a very attractive man, but he’s not for me. I don’t want or need a man; they get you all discombobulated, filling your head with a bunch of lies then expect you to follow them around. I did that once. I thought a man was going to save me from the hell I was living in. I gave him my virginity and my heart, and he gave me a child I wasn’t allowed to keep and a heart so broken nothing or no one would ever put it back together again.

I looked through the two-way mirror at the men around the table in the VIP room.

“All right,” Sid says from beside me, “the man in the center at the table is John Barbato; he is the owner of three of the largest clubs in the city. The guy there on his left is Steven Creo; he’s some big wig on Wall Street and has backed more than half the new clubs and casinos opening on The Strip. The guy to the right of John has a location they’re interested in purchasing.”

“Got it. Who’s working with me?” I asked him.

“Tessa, Mick said she would be the best out of the girls we’ve got on the schedule tonight.”

“I’m sure he did,” I mumbled, looking back into the room. “What other bouncers are on tonight?” I hated when Mick and Craig worked together; they were both more concerned about hooking up with the girls than what was going on out on the floor.

“Link’s here now.”

“Good.” Link was a good guy and a close friend. He also took his job seriously.

“All right, let me introduce you quickly before I head out.”

“Sure.” I followed him into the room; the men’s heads turned in our direction smiling.

“Guys, I want you to meet Angel. She’s gonna be your girl for the night. You need anything, you ask her, and she will make sure you’re taken care of,” Sid tells them, gesturing to me.

“Nice to meet you,” one of the men said, smiling while the others nodded.

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled back.

“Angel will be right back; give me a minute guys.”

“Sure,” the one that spoke before said. As Sid and I stepped away, I heard from behind me, “Do you think the curtains match the drapes?” and they all laughed. I hated that saying, and I swore once I was free of this lifestyle, I would kick the next man in the nuts who said it.

“Okay, I gotta head out. I won’t be back for two weeks,” Sid said once we were standing in the hall.

“Have a safe trip.”

His eyes searched my face. His mouth opened and closed like he was going to say something, but instead, he shook his head, kissed my cheek, and walked off down the hall muttering something under his breath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Books by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Until Series

 

Until November (Book 1)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1i3ebMV

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1k2XK31

Smashword: http://bit.ly/1hvNQZj

 

Until Trevor (Book 2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1l8YYfN

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1iWBUQK

Smashword: http://bit.ly/PBepBh

 

Until Lily (Book 3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mMEJro

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1pzOdYk

Smashword: http://bit.ly/1ik18ci

 

Until Nico (Book 4)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1m0JaZO

Amazon UK: http://amzn.uk.to/1m0JaZO

B & N: http://bit.ly/1kZqgpl

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18781543-until-nico

 

 

About the Author:

 

Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.

 

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