Dark Warrior by Lily Harlem: #BlogTour #GuestPost #Giveaway @lily_harlem @Totally_Bound

Dark Warrior

by Lily Harlem

Length: 59,576 Words
Genres: Gay (M/M), Contemporary, Multicultural, Romance

While some passions live on the surface, others—wilder, darker passions—have to be kept buried deep.

Dr. Leo Rotherham is following his calling by working in rural Kenya for the charity Medics On Hand. While he expected a primitive way of life and limited medical supplies, what he doesn't bargain on is falling for handsome village warrior, Malik.

Malik is well respected, knowledgeable and loyal to his tribe. He's also beautiful, brave, modern and, much to Leo's dismay, married. Isn't he?

No, it turns out Malik is as free as the animals that roam the African plains at night.

Soon the tension is building between the two men and Leo isn't sure if he's coming or going. Whenever he's around Malik he can't help but notice the reflected look of lust in his eyes and feel the longing sizzling between them.

Malik stands too close, not close enough. Forbidden attraction simmers between them and the need grows to dizzying heights. But dare they admit to each other what it is they want? And are they brave enough to act on their desires and be honest about their lust? One thing is for sure, a passion this big, this powerful can't be contained and it's all going to explode in the most spectacular of ways.

Thank you for inviting me today and for hosting my new MM novel, Dark Warrior which is just out at Totally Bound and available from all good ebook retailers.

Dark Warrior is set in Kenya and stars Doctor Leo Rotherham and Malik who is a tribal warrior. Malik has just returned to his people after living and training to be a medic in Nairobi.

I adored writing Malik’s character. It’s the first time I’ve created an African hero. I’ve done UK (Welsh, English, Scottish and Irish), American and Australian, but African was a new one on me.

I imagined him tall and lean, super-fit and with honed, toned muscles. Skin that was tough against the sun, buttocks that were used to walking and running for miles and the most kissable, soft mouth imaginable.

Despite living in a poor village with his family, Malik is a modern man. Several years in the country’s capital has seen to that and he’s a well-educated professional. He has modern values and ideas but has to tame them down when he’s in the village so that he shows respect for his family and the elders. One thing he knows he’ll never be able to be honest about is his homosexuality. He keeps that well under wraps and it tight lipped about his love life, which of course makes for a lot of fun dynamics at the beginning of Dark Warrior as Leo tries to discover if the handsome, intriguing man who stands so close and stares so often—is he just fascinated by his pale skin, or is there is something stronger lurking beneath the surface.

I hope you’ll check out Dark Warrior, it was a lot of fun to write and is as hot and steamy as the African plains. Excerpt below to whet your appetite!

Thank you for reading.
Lily Harlem

Follow the Dark Warrior blog tour to read the next installment from this passage, each post will run onto each other throughout the tour so make sure you keep checking back to get more of this great story!

Leo opened his eyes, gasping for breath and his chest heaving. He was so close to spurting himself. His balls retracted and his abdomen tensed.

Malik gripped his own shaft and he hunched forward, masturbating wildly in front of Leo. “Yes, yes, yes…” he hissed.

Leo watched as Malik’s slit expanded. The sound of skin-on-skin, the sight of a big, dark cock about to explode was enough to have Leo leaking copious amounts of pre-cum. But still he fisted his hands together, his fingernails biting into his own flesh. He wanted to concentrate on Malik’s pleasure, not his own.

“I’m coming.” Malik gasped. “I’m going to come on you. Get ready for it.” He moaned long and loud and his hand increased in speed, jerking his shaft violently as the first rope of cum shot from his cock.

It landed with a slap on Leo’s cheek, wet and warm and splashing onto his nose. He shut his eyes and felt the next spurt land as Malik shouted. “Mine.”

“Yes, yours,” Leo cried, dizzy with desire. A blob of cum sliced over his lips and a delicious thick drip landed in his mouth.

“More,” Leo said, hungrily poking out his tongue.

“Ahh…” Malik grunted, aiming a final drool of his pleasure onto Leo’s outstretched tongue.

Leo supped it in, spread it around his mouth and licked his lips. He opened his eyes. Malik was no longer standing. He’d dropped to his knees and was face-to-face with Leo.

“Fuck, that was incredible,” Malik said, cupping Leo’s sticky cheek. “You took me, so much of me.”

Leo grinned and as he did so, the cum on his face dripped and slid. He was sure there was some balancing on the very end of his nose. “Yes, I wanted to please you.”

“You did that.” Malik grinned, flashing his white teeth. “I guess I can discount the rumor that white men can’t give blowjobs.”

Leo widened his eyes. “That’s a rumor?”

“Yes.”

“Bloody hell. I never knew.” He paused. “Though I suppose the rumor that all black men have big cocks isn’t true either.”

“Ahh,” Malik said with a breathless laugh. “That rumor is true, Leo. And mine is especially big and especially hungry for you. Come. Let’s clean you up.” Malik stood and held out his hand.

Leo stared up at him but didn’t move.

Malik tipped his head and a slight frown creased his brow.

Leo shrugged.

“Ahh. You can remove your hands from behind your back now.” Malik smiled and nodded.

“Thank you.” Leo unknotted his stiff fingers and placed his left hand in Malik’s.

Malik pulled him up. Leo’s knees were a little rigid from kneeling and his cock was still painfully engorged.

Malik looked down at it, lust in his eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that gets seen to soon, but I have something that will help while we wait for the right time.”

“Good,” Leo said, allowing Malik to tug him toward the water. “It’s getting uncomfortable.”

The water was cold, as Malik had warned, but Leo was glad of the refreshing sensation that lapped around him as he waded into it. He studied the way the sun reflected off Malik’s dark shoulders, making his flesh seem almost mirror-like. He’d have to remember to put more protection on his delicate skin soon, especially if he was going to spend the afternoon naked.

Malik turned, released Leo’s hand and dipped his shoulders into the water. He then pushed off and floated on his back, staring up at the sky.

Leo dunked himself completely under, scrubbing at his face with his palm while he was beneath the surface. The sound of the water echoed in his ears and his heart was still pounding. Thankfully, the chill had taken the edge off his erection and the need to come had abated.

“You like?” Malik asked when Leo surfaced.

“It’s heavenly.” Leo turned onto his back and let the water support him. “And the sky is so perfect.”

He studied the crystal-clear azure. The sun was just out of his line of vision but he could see the white heat spreading like an artist’s wash over the sky.

His cock breached the surface of the water and he turned, took several fast strokes and reached the opposite side of the bank.

Malik had swum toward the reeds, his body mostly submerged, as though he preferred to swim like a crocodile.

A shudder of desire filled Leo. He wanted Malik—and soon. He hoped he was quick at recovering.

Malik dived downward and his whole body disappeared.

Leo stared, waiting for him to resurface.

Several bubbles popped and spread small ripples.

A knot of worry wound itself through Leo.

He’d been down a long time.

More bubbles then nothing.

Leo stood, trying to see clearer, but the section of water Malik had disappeared into was the darkest patch of the river. Possibly twenty feet deep. He couldn’t make out a thing.

Leo was unable to wait any longer. He lunged forward and headed for the reeds, thrusting out his arms in long, powerful strokes. He’d have to go down and find him. Horrendous images went through his mind. Perhaps he had his foot trapped in a rock or a savage creature was attacking him.

Suddenly, right in front of Leo, Malik burst from the water. He took in a huge breath and grinned.

“Fuck,” Leo said, coming to an abrupt stop. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“What? Why?”

“Going under for all that time.”

“I wasn’t under long. I was just checking my nets.”

“Nets?”

“Yes. I have captured us some dinner, for tonight.” He held up a black stringy bag that contained two writhing silver fish.

Leo grinned. “Looks good.” He pushed backward, moving to the bank where he could stand.

“They will be. I will cook them for you,” Malik said, following.

Once at the bank, Malik tied the fish bag to a twisted root so that the creatures were still in the water. “They will stay fresh like this. Until we have built up our appetite again.”

“Mmm, I think we should start working on that soon.” Leo could stand now and the water sat at his waist. The sun on his wet skin tingled and he relished feeling cool for the first time all day.

“I agree,” Malik said, coming to stand next to him. “In fact, I think we should start right now.” He leaned forward and kissed Leo—a long, deep kiss that included lots of tongue and a close cuddle.

Lily Harlem is an award-winning, best-selling author and lives in the UK with a workaholic hunk and a crazy cat. With a desk overlooking rolling hills her over active imagination has been allowed to run wild and free and she revels in using the written word as an outlet for her creativity. She has over seventy titles published (thirty novels) and more on the way. In 2014 she hit the #1 spot on Amazon Best Sellers lists a total of six times and Breathe You In was named as a USA Today Reviewer’s Recommended Read.

Lily's stories are made up of colourful characters exploring their sexuality and sensuality in a safe, consensual way. With the bedroom door left wide open the reader can hang on for the ride and Lily hopes by reading sensual romance people will be brave enough to try something new themselves? After all, life's too short to be anything other than fully satisfied.

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