Diamonds in the Sand (LoveXtreme)
The Aquans 2

Professional Reviews

4.5 CHERRIES: "Diamonds in the Sand is Cassandra Pierce’s second book featuring her Aquans. I love the lighthearted outlook of these books, filled with passion and humor and hot hunks. When Dr. Maura Ryan received a message from her former mentor about a fantastic new discovery he had made, she flies to the tropical island where he now lives at his invitation. Upon her arrival, the oceanographer is disappointed to find that Septimus Miller seems to have disappeared from his home without leaving any word for her. In his place are five gorgeous men, each one devastatingly handsome, willing to help her in any way possible. She falls under the spell of the island, and into the arms of Daq, one of the men living in her mentor’s home. When she finally uncovers the discovery Septimus spoke of, she realizes that these five men are not exactly human, and they all want to keep her there with them. Can she accept what these five men offer her? Will she discover where her mentor has gone to? Can the scientist in her keep the discovery of a lifetime secret from the world? There is a bit of mystery in this story, with the disappearance of Septimus Miller, but there is lots of heat and action to keep the pace of the book moving along quite nicely. I like the history Ms. Pierce has created for her ancient race of Aquans, and the male/female dynamic reversal is unique here. I love that the women of the Aquan culture are the love them and leave them wanderers, and the men are the family nurturers. Maura Ryan is a smart young woman, and excited to be invited to see her mentor’s new discovery. She is drawn to the five men who she believes work for Septimus, and I enjoyed watching as she slowly loses her civilized inhibitions and experiences island living and passion to its fullest. I also understood her suspicions as she wonders whether these five men may have done something to cause the absence of her mentor. Daq, Janko, Ivar, Ejan and Tagin are five extremely hot and sexy male specimens, and they are each unique in their own way. They are also a pod, or group of men, seeking that one woman who can accept them and anchor their family unit. As Aquans, the men need a female to ground them, and they want Maura to be that woman. I loved watching as each found their own place in her heart, and slowly worked on her inhibitions to allow her to be more free. There are a couple of surprises, too. Meeting the families of the men of the pod is delightful, and the mischief that Daq’s sister incites is great for a laugh or two. And this sister discovers something about her own needs from a mysterious stranger visiting the island as well. When the truth about Septimus’ absence becomes known, Maura must make her decision: go home and forget what she knows about the Aquans, or stay and live the rest of her life surrounded by five hot men who will worship her and love her with all they have to give. On the way to this decision, there is lots of sexy action by five skilled men to try and convince her to stay. This is one to read to warm these cooler autumn nights, with a cold drink close at hand." -- Foxglove, Whipped Cream Reviews

4 STARS: "Maura Ryan goes on a trip to meet with her mentor to see about a new discovery he made. When she gets there he is missing, but in his place are five mysteriously sexy men who give Maura a vacation she'll never want to come back from. This novel was definitely steamy and I liked the idea of the Aquans and how they came about as well. Even though the five are supposed to work together as one, I felt that Daq had the greatest presence. I loved his character and my only wish is that the book was longer so that I could see more of Daq and the rest of this amazing group. Maura herself was an independent heroine who takes to these guys likes a duck to water, surprising herself in the process. If you love steamy romances with a few extra partners then this might be the book for you." -- Katie Cody, The Romance Reviews

Excerpt

ADULT EXCERPT

“Shh. Don’t answer now. Just let us make our case…without words.”

Dropping his hand, he ducked back underwater. The other hands withdrew as well. Though she couldn’t see a single one of the men, Maura felt herself being spirited along toward the shore, propelled from beneath.

The next thing she knew, her knees were planted on the wet sand, and all of them crouched around her. They kissed her back, her shoulders, and both her arms. Between the dimming light as the sun went down, and the flurry of Aquan activity, she lost track of who was doing what. Somehow, though, that made the situation more exciting.

“Daq is right,” Janko whispered in her ear. Obviously he was the one licking the nape of her neck. “We want you to stay.”

“All of us,” Ivar’s voice confirmed—she wasn’t sure from where, exactly. Was he the one kissing the sensitive space between her shoulders, or nibbling the tender inside of her elbow? Then again, what did it matter? They functioned as a team. She understood that now.

“Please stay,” she heard Ejan say next. He was most definitely the one who had been brushing his mouth over her abdomen, tantalizing the underside of her left breast. Tagin, positioned opposite his male partner, murmured his agreement and went further, wrapping his tongue around her right nipple.

Where was Daq? The answer to her unspoken question came a moment later, when she felt gentle hands easing her into a kneeling position. She gasped with surprise to find Daq lying on his back underneath her. He reached up, gliding his palms along her stomach, her rib cage, over her breasts. His erection poked up, hot and urgent, to prod between her legs. The domed tip spread the lips of her pussy and rubbed the sensitive bud of flesh nestled there.

Moaning, she sank down on him with all her weight, taking him inside. The sensations coursing through her as his cock drove upward were intensified by two of the guys suckling her nipples.

She felt another Aquan leaning over her shoulder.

  “Remember this?” Tagin whispered. He stroked his cock along her butt crack. “It was good, wasn’t it? You liked it.”

“Yes,” she said. The word came out as a near gasp. “I did.”

“Let us show you how great we can be together.”

He used his fingers to stretch her out and guide himself inside. Then he began to fuck her slowly, timing his thrusts so that she could pump herself on Daq at the same time. With both openings stuffed, the sensation of fullness was incredible. One thing was missing.

Between gasps, she managed to form a few words. “One of you…over here.” She motioned to the empty space in front of her.

Someone came forward. The beach was nearly dark now, and she couldn’t tell who it was until he got close. Ivar, she thought. Well, that was appropriate. She still owed him for that wonderful underwater tongue job he had given her.

She wrapped her lips around his cock, drawing his pleasure out in long, slow sucking movements. He moaned as she drew her mouth along his shaft, letting everything slip out but the head. Then she would pitch forward again, gulping him down.

Maura could hardly believe she was really doing this. One guy was plugged into each available aperture, and one more labored at each breast. She felt like a primitive priestess being worshipped by some unknown tribe who lived utterly outside of any modern concepts of time, science, or geography. She even heard a wild drumbeat in her head, only to realize it was her own thrumming pulse.

She was pure body, pure passion. She was one with the sea. And with them.