Feature ~ MADLY AND THE JACKAL (Madly #3) by M. Leighton

Happy, Happy Friday! Today I have such an awesome post to share with you. I have the cover, blurb, and an EXCERPT from the upcoming MADLY AND THE JACKAL by author extraordinarie, and all-around awesome chick, M. Leighton. MADLY AND THE JACKAL is book three in the Madly series and was released May 29th.

So, let's get to it!

How deep does love run? Deeper than the ocean? Deeper than memory? Deeper than magic?

Following their plan to save Atlas, Madly and Jackson return the spirit of Wolfhardt to his prison beneath the sea. But even the best laid plans couldn’t account for the surprises they find. This time, Lore aren’t their only challenges.

Madly is special in ways no one could have guessed and dark forces seek to control her. They want her power, but first they must weaken her. They need her beaten. Vulnerable. Near death. And alone. But that task isn’t an easy one with Jackson at her side. The strongest of their kind, the only way to separate Jackson from Madly is to destroy his love for her, to erase it from his mind. And his heart.

Is it possible to steal Jackson’s love from Madly? Or is their love the only truly unbreakable thing?

 And, since Michelle is so awesome, she is sharing an excerpt from MADLY AND THE JACKAL.

Warning: This is a HOT one, ladies! Enjoy!

Opening my eyes so I didn’t have to “see” through my mind, I found that I was nearly blind. It was almost completely dark inside the cave.  If it weren’t for the dappled spots of pale light refracting off the waterfall, I wouldn’t have been able to see at all. 

“So, what now?” I asked, feeling pleased with myself over my accomplishment.  However, reality was soon to intrude upon my pleasure.

“Madly,” Jackson began, his tone causing my stomach to fill with dread.  “You know our plan to rescue Truly is out of the question now, right?”

“No, it’s not.  I know we’ve missed our meeting with Aaron, but I could try and contact him.  Or my father.  We could—”

 “It’s over Madly.  We’ll have to try again later.  Not only is Leviathan looking for us, and most likely not for polite conversation, you’re not safe down here.  Not even with your father in your own house.  No one should’ve known we were here.  No one but the four of us.”

“But who… I mean, how… we didn’t…”

“I know, I’m confused, too.  But what we do know is that, right now, the only people who can be trusted are in this room.”

I wanted desperately to argue, to defend my father vehemently, but I couldn’t.  Jackson was right.  Something was wrong.

“You know my father would never—”

“I’m not suggesting that he’d do otherwise, Madly.  I’m just saying there are things going on down here that we didn’t account for.  Now that we have more information, we can try something else when we bring the next Lore back.  But right now, I have to get you out of here.”

“Jackson, I can’t leave my—”

“You have to. You know that.  You don’t have a choice.”

When I started to challenge that point, Jackson quickly continued.  “Not really.  You’re the best chance Atlas has and you know it.”

Feeling the hopelessness of the situation crowding in on me, I fought the tears the prickled against my eyelids.  Although I didn’t say a word, didn’t make a sound, Jackson knew what I wasn’t saying.

“Come here,” he said, opening up arms that I could barely see.

Emotion tightening my chest, I walked into Jackson’s embrace and laid my head over his heart.  Within his strong hold, nothing felt hopeless, everything felt possible, and I needed a big dose of that optimism.

 As he stroked my hair and spoke softly, I felt the world slowly return to rights.

“We’ll stay here for a while tonight in case Leviathan is still looking for us.  Then, in a few hours, we’ll find a distraction we can use to get us past the shield.  Once we’re back in Slumber, we’ll find the next Lore and return them.  By then we’ll have a plan and we’ll save your family and the rest of Atlas.”

It sounded so logical, so simple. So…do-able.  “Promise?” I mumbled quietly, knowing he could make no such promise.

I raised my head to look up at him.  He traced his fingertip from my temple down my cheek to my lips, brushing them lightly.  Bending his head to mine, he whispered across my mouth, “Trust me.”

His kiss was like a warm breeze, barely there, and then he lifted his head to stare down into my eyes.  I couldn’t see him clearly, just the bits and pieces the shimmering light illuminated.  It made the water droplets on his skin and in his hair glisten like diamonds, even the ones that clung to his lashes.

“Don’t do that,” he groaned quietly.

“Do what?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Look at me like that.”

Desire rippled through me.  “Like what?” 

“Like you want to lick all the water off me.”

“Is that how I’m looking at you?” I knew I was being coy.

“You know it is.”

“So what if I do?  What if I want to touch my tongue to every drop of water on your skin?  Is that such a bad thing?”  As I spoke, I leaned back a bit further and let my eyes rove his face and chest.  A single droplet ran from the hollow of his throat down the center of his chest.  Reaching out, I caught it on the tip of my finger and stuck it in my mouth.  I heard Jackson gasp seconds before he crushed me to him. 

His lips on mine were flames that spread through me like wildfire.  His arms tightened around me.  One big hand splayed between my shoulder blades, the other on my butt.  Both pulled me toward him, pressing me against him in the most intimate way.  I could feel his hardness against the soft part of my belly and lava poured down my legs.

He ground his hips into mine and his moan tickled its way all the way up my tongue, sending a shiver down my back.  Reaching up, I threaded my fingers into his short hair and held him close, wishing he could devour me, and I him.  I ached for Jackson in ways I’d never ached for anyone, ached for him in places I didn’t know could ache in such a way.

I was panting, rubbing my body against Jackson’s when he tore his mouth away from mine and held me at arm’s length.  I could hear his heavy breathing.  I could feel his desire for me like a thickness in the air.  It filled the cave, warmed my skin.

Whew. Was that hot or what?!


You can find the MADLY series at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

You can find author M. Leighton at:
her website  |  GoodReads page  |  Facebook