5 STARS: "Oh my! This series has taught me that although I have liked getting to know the Emperor's son and his Royal Guard, my heart actually belongs to the tattooed and pierced I.T. guy. Cato is one hot mamma and he is just about perfect - a bit of a slob but still perfect. Luna, my heart goes out to her. Abuse isn't just physical and unless you've been on the receiving end of mental abuse you will have no idea how crippling it can be. I thought Celeste made Luna's story absolutely heartrending. Cato has had me in tears - both with Cato's emotions and with Luna's story. It is an absolutely superb book that I really can't recommend highly enough. The thing that really ties it all up for me into one of the best erotic sci-fi series I have ever read is the attention to the timeline and all the details of the world and the men. The mannerisms and sayings that we take for granted that can be misconstrued... and frequently are by the 'newbies' that arrive. I love how the ending of one book leads into the start of the next. There are so many stories I have yet to hear, I hope that Celeste has more than a couple of tales left to tell in this series!" -- Merissa, Archeolibrarian
4.5 STARS: "Luna needs a hero, even if he is an alien. The death of her parents followed by the loss of her brother left Luna’s heart vulnerable to the manipulations of an old flame. Before she knew it, a man who supposedly loved her dictated everything about her life, even whether or not she could exercise. She wonders how things got to that point, how had she miscalculated Brian’s true nature. She’s miserable and unhappy, but doesn’t know how to change things. Brian is also a police officer so he’s able to keep constant tabs on her whereabouts, and has managed to thwart any previous attempts of escape. He even hand-cuffs her to a metal rail in the bathroom to stop her from leaving! To put it bluntly, the man is abusive and crazy. But he’s also something she didn’t expect…dangerous. With her life so controlled and monitored, Luna has to be careful. She has no one to talk to, no one to confide in. How does one escape a lunatic intent on keeping you prisoner both mentally and physically? Knowing she’s probably asking for trouble, Luna begins calling an abuse line from a phone booth and shares her story. Unbeknownst to her, someone else is listening in on her heart-wrenching tale, someone who can change her life. Cato is so tired of being single. All he wants is to find a mate and have someone to love. While he has no problem finding bed-partners, none of them satisfies the deep longing in his heart. After so much let down, he gave up on meaningless sex and opted to be alone. He spends most of his time listening in on conversations, scanning the internet, and devising means of finding potential mates for his brothers. He spends the rest of his time at the gym. Even though he no longer dances at the nightclub, he still maintains his perfect physique. The men of his world pride themselves upon being strong and muscular. Cato is no exception. Despite his better judgment, he takes an interest in the sad voice as he listens to the terrible things her boyfriend does. When he tunes into one of her calls and hears a struggle going on, Cato knows the time for eavesdropping is over. He doesn’t know her name, doesn’t know what she looks like, doesn’t even know if she’d be compatible as his mate, but one thing Cato does know is he’s got to save her, one way or another. Fueled by Lust: Cato, really touched a personal spot in me. Listening to the things Brian did to Luna, the things he said and the way he behaved brought back some bad memories of my own. I really connected with her because I knew her misery, I understood her fears, and I could comprehend her desperation to be free. Unless you’ve been in that sort of relationship, it’s very hard to describe how suffocating and crippling it is. At the same time, I cheered her bravery, held my breath when Brian discovered her, and applauded Cato’s persistence. Ah Cato, if only there were more of you to go around. Unless I can find this secret vortex to his world, I’m afraid those men are only a myth. Book three of the Fueled by Lust series, this one certainly lives up to the standards of its predecessors. Ms. Celeste Prater has penned another mouth-watering, love-inspiring masterpiece. Once again, I found myself flying through the pages, lost in the characters, and so caught up in the imagery that I failed to notice any editing mistakes, point of view violations, or blatant errors. If they were there, my mind refused to acknowledge them. Like book two, she keeps the main characters in previous stories involved in the plot, while skillfully introducing new ones to enhance the tale. I guess my only complaint is I need more stories to find out what happens next. There were a few loose ends so I’m hoping that’s Ms. Prater’s intent. If so, I will be first in line for the next installment. Um, Ms. Prater, I believe Maxim needs a mate. We certainly can’t forget about Kallon with his long blond hair. Caelius, Ulixes…in fact, I’d say you have several stories to write. I hope to see some more of Barney as well. I love them little Lemaroks, kind of remind me of my sugar gliders. All joking aside, Fueled by Lust: Cato, proved to be yet another of Ms. Prater’s gems. I loved every bit, from beginning to end. I feel like Luna is a sister abuse survivor and Cato is a true hero any woman would love to have. Thank you for penning such a touching story. It will likely stay with me for a long while to come." -- Verbena, Long and Short Reviews
4.5 STARS: "We’ve been exposed to Cato in the first two books in the series and he’s really been intriguing. Now we see more of the man and that his inside is a far cry from the image he presents. As a Seeker, Cato is the go-to guy for tech and information and he takes his job seriously. When he hears a woman in danger while doing his job he goes into protection mode and doesn’t look back. Which is very fortunate for Luna, the woman in danger. I loved how Cato took care and watched over Luna for literally the first half of the book without her even knowing he existed. That made things a little uncomfortable for Cato when it was time to introduce himself and explain who and what he is. And that scared the crap out of him and rightly so. Luna, while strong at her core, was like many abused women. She had a plan but her boyfriend, who was in a unique position to stop her, constantly thwarted it. The connection between Luna and Cato was more spiritual, for me, than the previous two stories. That’s not to say they don’t have sex, and it’s steamy and fan worthy -- just not the engine that drives this story. The author provides a lot of entertainment in her book in addition to the main romance; a budding gay romance, the Insedi/ Protonecis background story as well as Drusus and Avelina’s progressing romance, and more than one shocker thrown in as well. With all this potential I can see this series continuing for quite a while and never getting stale." -- Chris, Night Owl Reviews
More From Fueled by Lust
STORY EXCERPT
Cato glanced at the audio capture equipment. He knew it was too late in the night for his mysterious caller to be at the phone booth, but his mind was in turmoil and silently pleading for her voice to rise up and soothe him. After thirty minutes of dead air time, he huffed in resignation and walked away from the desk. He had to get home and pack. They were leaving in a few hours and he’d wasted enough time. As the doorknob twisted in his hand, the sound of a chirp brought his full attention back to the desk. “Impossible.”
“Austin Abuse Hotline. How can I help you?”
“Uhhh…hold on. Let me catch my breath.”
Cato ran back into the room and snatched the handheld from the shelf. Why is she breathing heavy? She should be at home. What’s happening? His mind thrashed with a million questions as he waited for her to say something. The sound of her soft pants ratcheted his anxiety to nuclear proportions.
“Okay. Better. Sorry about that. Look, I know that Julie probably went home already, but I thought I would try one last time. I called to say good-bye.”
“No! Wait! Please don’t do anything drastic. We can help you.”
A soft gasp issued across the line. “Oh! No! Sorry! I’m fine. Really. I’m not going to do anything to myself. Crap! I’m making a mess of this.”
A sigh of relief followed her words. “Thank goodness! Hold on. Let me transfer you to Julie. She’s working a double tonight.”
“Really? Yes. That’d be wonderful! She’s been my rock for the last several days. Thank you!”
Cato listened to the sounds of traffic in the distance and worried for her. Why was she calling so late? Was she leaving as soon as she hung up the phone? At the last thought, Cato jumped from his chair, grabbed his keys, and ran for the truck. Maybe he could get to her before she disappeared from his life forever. Julie’s competent voice came over the line as soon as he turned the key in the ignition.
“Hello? This is Julie.”
“Hi, Julie. I’m sorry to bother you. I just wanted to say thank you for hanging in there with me the last few days. I’m going to miss talking to you.”
“Hi! What are you doing out so late? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I left him. I don’t know where I’m going. I didn’t have a chance to get my bus ticket yet. Half my stuff is still over there, but I don’t care. I’m never going back.”
Julie’s voice lowered in concern. “What happened? What made you leave before you planned?”
“Yeah. I’m still trying to sort that one through my head. He came home during his shift. He accused me of messing around with another guy since one of his buddies spotted me on Sixth Street. When he saw that most of my things were missing, he figured I was trying to leave again. The idiot handcuffed me to a rail in the bathroom and went back to work. I found a screwdriver in one of the drawers and dug around the handle until I could rip it out of the wall. Thankfully, he had a set of cuff keys in one of his coats or I’d be dragging the rail down the street with me. That’d be cute.”
Cato felt the back of his neck light up with fury. He surprised himself with the roar that unleashed from his throat. He’d kill him. The son of a bitch deserved to die.
Julie gasped in shock. “He handcuffed you? That’s kidnapping. You have to call the police and report him.”
A snort came over the line. “Julie. Think about it for a minute.”
Julie’s voice was apologetic. “Oh. I forgot. He’s a cop. So, what are your plans now? You need a place to stay. Let me help you.”
“I want to be long gone before he gets off his shift tonight. That’s the first thing he’ll think about when he sees that I got away. What shelter is going to keep the cops from searching for me? He could make up any type of story. No. The further away, the better off I’ll be.”
Julie sighed heavily. “You’re probably right. One favor, okay? Will you call me when you get settled? I won’t be able to rest until I know you’re okay. Will you do that for me?”
“Of course. You have no idea how much you helped me, Julie. Take care.”
“You, too. Be safe.”
Cato felt a heaviness press against his chest as the call ended. He wasn’t going to make it there in time. He’d forever wonder what might have been. Even if she was a midget with a club foot, he would always be grateful for the small amount of comfort her voice had provided. Despite his mind telling him to slow the truck and head toward his house, he continued without hesitation. He had to check or lose his sanity. He jumped when the handheld chirped.
“Lone Star Cab.”
“Yeah. I need a cab at the corner of Johns Avenue and I-35. Small convenience store on the right. It’s closed, so I’ll stay by the pay phone. I’m wearing a dark blue T-shirt and jeans.”
“Okay. Where’s your drop off?”
“Greyhound bus station. Hey. Are there hotels close to it?”
“I believe there’s two. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Thank fuck!” Cato shouted. He might make it in time if the cab held true to the time they quoted. If not, he’d head for the bus station. Fear inundated his senses as a bloodcurdling scream filled the interior of his truck.
“Stop! Stop! Let me go! Help me! Oh God, someone help me!”
Her pleading words horrified him and he pressed heavily against the accelerator. He barely missed slamming into cross traffic as he ran through a red light. He vaguely registered the cab dispatcher yelling on the line.
“Give me a description! Hurry. I’ll call the police!”
The only response the cab company got was the sound of breaking glass and screams of pain. Cato shouted in agony as he listened helplessly to the vicious struggle and her weak pleadings. Her attacker showed no mercy.
ADULT EXCERPT
Cato knew this was a figment of his imagination, yet he still grasped the small, warm hands caressing his skin and pulled them to his shoulders. He knew that he sat slumped in the chair beside her bed, yet he still placed his hand to the back of her head. He was well aware that the beautiful woman smiling up at him really didn’t know the truth of things, yet he still wrapped her silky braid around his wrist and tilted her head back. He stared into her luminous eyes and dipped his head closer to hers. His words came out low and heated as he placed a palm to her lower back and pulled her tight against his body.
“I know you’re not real, but I don’t care. I want you, Angeli. Probo mea gusto ista. Let me taste you.”
As soon as her plump, moist lips parted, he was on her. He felt her fingers dig into his skin when their mouths met in a clash of need and urgency. Her groan of acceptance ramped his desire even higher. He slid his tongue along hers and tasted ambrosia. She was warm and soft and he couldn’t get enough. He wanted to mist and push himself inside her body and stay forever. He wasn’t surprised that he didn’t feel the Occasio surge overwhelm his senses or the heated sting of the mating necklace dangling against his chest. It was just another reminder that he swirled in a dream of his own making.
His cock pressed hard and insistent against his jeans when she pulled back and caught his lip with her teeth. Gently, she bit down then licked the sting. He opened his eyes when she tilted her head back. Her look of trust mixed with innocence broke his insistence of disbelieving this reality. Releasing her, he stepped back and yanked his shirt over his head and threw it to the side. His boots and socks landed seconds later. He couldn’t help the low rumble that carried his words.
“I want you against my flesh. Let me have you.” At her quick nod, he reached down and lifted the blue gown up her body. Every second revealed more of her lush curves and creamy flesh. Her mound was clean shaven and he could see the delicate slit between her legs beginning to glisten for him. Growling in discontent from being unable to see and touch everything at once, he ripped the cloth over her head and looked down in wonder. She was breathing rapidly and fighting to keep from lifting her arms to cover her flesh. He reached forward and caressed her flushed cheek.
“No. Never hide yourself from me. You’re beautiful. Look at yourself as I do, Angeli. Your breasts are magnificent. Such sweet little nipples waiting for my tongue. They’ve tightened just from my gaze.” He palmed each globe and smiled at her sudden intake of breath. “So very soft and they fit perfectly within my palm.”
He teased one nipple with his thumb then traced a finger slowly down her shivering flesh. He caressed her gently rounded belly and whispered, “This is my favorite part. It’s here that you would carry my child. You’ve no idea how appropriate that this beautiful tattoo of the phoenix rising from the ashes sits here upon your flesh.” Something inside him shifted when her eyes shone with unshed tears. A sense of urgency wafted across his senses.
Cato stepped back a pace and popped open the top button of his jeans. Quickly, he slid the zipper open and shoved the material down to where it hung on his hips and trapped his cock at the base. Eyes narrowed, he watched as her gaze traveled appreciatively across his body and locked to where his hands lay still and waiting. “Do you see how he fights to be free? He knows you’re near and he wants you. I want you.”
When her pink tongue darted out and licked across her lower lip, he hummed his approval, pushed the jeans to the ground, and kicked them away. Grasping the beast rising strong before her, he gently squeezed the bulbous head and watched a pearl of pre-cum slide down and hit the top of his thumb. He swirled the creamy liquid against the sensitive flesh and groaned. “Look how he weeps for you.” His skin shivered as her husky words caressed his ears.
“Damn, storyteller. What are you doing to me? I can’t breathe.”
“Come to me, sweetness. Put your flesh against mine. I need to feel you.” His heart thundered within his chest when there was no hesitation in her forward steps. He wrapped his arms around her waist, as hers linked around his neck, and easily lifted her from the ground. The warmth of her body sank deep into his soul and he whispered across the skin of her neck, “Are you mine, Angeli?
“Yes, storyteller. And you’re mine, too. Take me. I want to feel you inside. Make me forget all the bad things I’ve seen.”
People Also Bought:
