Smokin' Hot Reads: Blog Tour: Easy Virtue by Mia Asher

Love is selfish...

My name is Blaire.

I'm the bad girl.

The other woman.

The one who never gets the guy in the end.

I'm the gold digger.

The bitch.

The one no one roots for.

The one you love to hate.

I hate myself too...

Everyone has a story. Are you ready for mine?

With champagne and caviar inundating my every sense, I slither through the light wooden floors of the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing in The Met. As I walk, I pretend to admire the expensive jewelry being showcased tonight by a famous designer whose name I can’t remember. A multicolored diamond butterfly sparkles to my left and a cobra made out of black stones glistens to my right. Rows upon rows of precious gems twinkle under the soft lights of the room, flooding the space between the walls with the glow of a thousand stars. Furtive glances. Secrets gossiped. Beauty criticized. Lofty music fills the atmosphere as the über rich mingle and pretend to like each other, yet you can almost taste their conceit and derision for one another in the air.

This is Walker’s world, and I love it.

Standing across the room, where the crowd is thinner and the music fainter, I spot Walker’s blond head in the corner of the room, talking to a group of his colleagues and their wives. He looks polished and worth every penny of his trust fund in his sleek black tuxedo, perfectly starched white shirt and black bowtie. His long golden hair parted to the side shines like the sun. He is truly flawless.

I smile because it’s hard to picture that this is the same guy who likes to snort coke off my tits as he fucks me while hardcore porn plays in the background. He looks untouchable and so cool, but his searching eyes, scanning the crowd for me give him up. He’s wondering where I am. He did tell me not to go too far, after all. Soon after we arrived at the party, I gave him some space to talk to his friends and do his thing while I did mine. I hate clingy people, so I avoid being one.

I grab a third flute of champagne from a passing waiter, and try to decide which of the different displays to check out first when my eyes land on a spectacular piece of jewelry. On a bed of black silk, similar to my hair color, lies an extravagant necklace made of diamonds and rubies—a small heaven within one’s reach as long as you can afford the price.

I bridge the space between the glass protecting the necklace and me until it’s within my reach, fighting the urge to touch the cool surface. As if under a spell, I observe how the rows of diamonds embedded in platinum form leaves and thorns. At its center is a rose made out of red diamonds almost as big as my palm.

I feel someone walk up and stand next to me, but I don’t give him or her a second thought as I continue to admire the way the light hits the gems, making them shine.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

His voice is smooth and commanding, dripping absolute power. I keep my eyes locked on the display. Call it sixth sense, but somehow I know that under no circumstance should I make eye contact with the stranger who speaks like the ruler of the world.

“Yes,” I say simply.

“I wonder how much it is?” the man asks.

“I don’t think it matters … I highly doubt anyone can afford it.”

He chuckles, and the sound is more delicious than his voice. Lusher. “Oh, but I can.”

I smile at his self-assurance. I love cocky assholes. “I still doubt it.”

“You shouldn’t. I only speak the truth,” he retorts coolly. His voice is nonchalant yet his words leave no room for disbelief—a demand and a statement all in one.

Suddenly, the noises of the room become distant. People talking and laughing amongst friends and the orchestra playing all fade away until all I hear is him speaking.

And at this moment, that is all that matters.

“The truth is very subjective, sir.”

“The truth may be subjective but money isn’t. Money can buy anything.”

His answer is like an electroshock, jumpstarting my brain from a champagne-induced haze. My pulse begins to accelerate, excitement making it hard to take a deep breath. Don’t look at him … don’t.

“Oh really,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He’s right, though.

“Of course. I believe everything,” he pauses, “and everyone has a price.”

Curiosity winning the battle against curiosity, I turn to face him, and what a fucking big mistake that is. When our eyes meet, I feel incapacitated of all sense and movement. The sight of him takes my breath away. This man gives the term “lust at first sight” a whole new meaning.

In my short twenty-three years, I’ve been with extremely handsome men, perfect even, but to classify the man standing next to me in any kind of category would be a disservice to him, and not really fair to the others. Longish, light brown hair wildly framing his face, vacant eyes the color of dollar bills, a slightly crooked nose, and a mouth that begs to be buried deep within your thighs. His beauty is as harsh as it is stunningly perfect. Dressed in a simple black tuxedo and unbuttoned white shirt, the man exudes innate virility and grace, reminding me of a black panther stalking his prey. And just like a panther, it’s the pure raw and powerful energy emanating from within him that I find most attractive. Because just by standing next to him, I get the sense that his word is always the last spoken and his wishes the first ones to be fulfilled. He doesn’t ask, he demands. He doesn’t hope, he expects.

He’s quiet for a moment; his uncanny eyes hold me captive as though they are baring my soul to him and I hate it. I tighten my hold on the crystal flute. I want to look away, but I can’t. The way he’s staring at me makes me want to squirm.

“I wonder … do you have one?” he asks softly before turning to examine the piece of jewelry once more.

“A what?” I ask, momentarily stunned.

He smiles. “A price.”

“For the right amount … I just might,” I say quietly, my heart beating so fast it feels as though it wants out of my chest. As soon as the words leave my mouth, there’s no shock coursing down my body, no rolling waves of shame pulling me down for having said that to a complete stranger—nothing.

And why should there be? I am who I am.

I’m staring at his profile, waiting for him to acknowledge my answer, when a breeze of cool air floats past us, making me shiver. About to chase the goose bumps on my arm with my hand, I watch as he slowly turns to look at me, catching me staring at him. Time stands still as I watch him raise his large tanned hand and touch my bare shoulder, his fingertips lightly grazing the temporary small bumps covering it. Then he smiles as if he knows that my skin is tingling from his scalding touch, and looks away.

“I thought so.”

We remain standing next to each other for another minute or so, the distance between us almost nonexistent. It would be so easy to reach out and hold his hand. The sound of an incoming call breaks the silence, bringing us back to reality.

He takes his cell phone out of the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket and ignores the call after noting the name of the caller. He lifts his gaze to meet my own.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I should go … I’m here with someone,” I reply, not really wanting to leave him just yet.

“Yes, that’s probably a good idea.”

I frown. He didn’t have to be quite so blunt. The stranger extends a hand toward me, holding something in his fingers.

“Here … ”

I open my hand as I feel the edges of what I assume is his business card poke the skin of my palm. “What’s this?” I ask stupidly.

“My business card, of course.”

“Obviously … but why?”

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s just say that I’m an interested buyer.”

And then he’s gone.

He turns and walks away from me, disappearing into a sea of colorful gowns and black suits. As the sounds of the party infiltrate my ears once more, I lower my gaze to stare at the simple cream-colored card in my hand. Its simplistic and elegant design draws attention to the name printed in bold black letters on the paper.

Lawrence Rothschild.

I smile and let my fingertips trail his name. It depends on what you’re willing to pay, Mr. Rothschild.

Published by Mia Asher

Easy Virtue by Mia Asher is a story of a woman who has no feelings, she was an unloved child. Her parents were to busy to show her love so they showered her with gifts versus tender loving care. They thought that by giving her expensive things that that was showing their love. Unbeknownst to them, they were setting her future up for a life with no love. This is how she will live the rest of her life. She doesn't want love she wants to be showered with lavish gifts, the more expensive the better.

Many say that love will set you free, but I disagree ... love is a cage, a very painful one; it's gilded bars made with yearning, heartache, and fulfilled dreams. I stopped caring; I didn't want to care anymore. I made a decision that no one was ever going to hurt me like they did. And whatever was left of my heart, I surrounded it with so many thorns and spikes that if you ever came anywhere near it, I would willing and happily hurt you." -Blaire

Blaire has grown up using her body to get her all the things in life she wants: cars, homes, clothes, jewelry, etc. When she was a child her classmates also veered away from her, so she has only one true friend but she doesn't meet her until she was older. Bullied by her peers and uncared for by her parents what was she to do but sell herself?

She works in an extremely hip eatery in Midtown NYC where she has the means to very powerful men. The prestigious of them all.

In my case, the absence didn't make the heart grow fonder. With time, and after many tears shed and unheard prayers to a deaf God, absence made my heart grow bitter and hard. It froze me from the inside out. - Blaire

In Easy Virture we meet three men. First, it is Mr. Callahan, he was used to get back at one of the girls in her school. Then we have Walker Woodsmith, Jr. who has plenty of money to keep her happy. Then we meet a regular kind of guy named Ronan, who has the most adorable nephew named Ollie. He might be able to find her heart of stone that she carries inside of her chest. Lastly, we meet Lawrence Rothschild, a man with no ends to his bank account. Just what Blaire wants and needs to fulfill her life.

This is my body. I will have the last word. Not him. Not anyone. This is my life. This is my decision. -Blaire

"It's better to live a life full of regrets than not live at all. Let me show you how it's done." - Ronan

"I've done very shameful things to get by, to get me where I am. Today that's kneeling in front of you, one of the richest men in the world, with you hard c*ck in my hand. Tomorrow might by someone richer than you, more powerful even, but that's who I am. I'm a survivor with my own set of rules. And not even your kindness with make be break them. And that, Lawrence, is the real Blaire." -Blaire

"If the devil were a woman and had a name, I believe it would be Blaire." -Lawrence

Easy Virtue was an excellent read and I would highly recommend it to all! I say it deserves 4 1/2 stars!!

I thought nothing could surpass Mia Asher's debut novel Arsen but Easy Virtue exceeded every one of my expectations! Mia Asher crafts a story so intriguing following the life that her main character Blaire, that I was captivated by the very first chapter and I could not stop reading until the very last page where I was left with a cliff hanger that had me yearning for more! This book was a 5 star read for me and I highly recommend it to everyone, I promise that you will not be disappointed!

"You can call me heartless if you want, but the best way not to get hurt and not get your heart broken, is by pretending that you lack one."

Blaire has created a life for herself filled with the very best of everything, high-end clothing, jewels and apartments while denying herself the one thing that every person needs to survive; love. Growing up in a home where she never experienced the love that a child needs to grow and flourish, she decides early on that caring for others is not a vulnerability that she wants to experience. She thrives on short term relationships with powerfully wealthy men where she uses her body to obtain the things that she believes make her happy, material goods. Believing that she is not worthy of love, she walks away before she gets in too deep and she avoids intimate connections at all costs; that is until she has a chance meeting in the park with the handsome Ronan.

"I'm giddy. I'm confused. I'm scared. But I'm so damn happy. For a day, I lived to the fullest."

Although it is against everything that Blaire allows for herself, she accepts an invitation from Ronan's adorable nephew to come to his birthday party, a party where she seems to let down her walls for a brief moment and allow herself to bask in a happiness that she doesn't think she truly deserves. Watching Ronan interact with his family has her remembering her past and how she was denied the feelings of love and belonging that Ronan clearly has. Wanting to hang onto a sliver of happiness, even if for a little while until she finds the next wealthy man to step up and keep her in the lifestyle she has become accustomed to, she starts dating Ronan, despite the apparent differences between him and the men that she usually goes for. The reader begins to get a glimpse of the real Blaire, the one hidden so deep behind the designer clothes and carefully made up face and you begin cheering for her to get her happily ever after. Ronan brings out the best in Blaire, making her want things that she gave up hope of ever having long ago, relying only on her looks to survive. Ronan really listens to her, her cares about making her happy but how long can that really last? Can Blaire give up everything she knows for the content happy feeling that she has when she is in Ronan's arms?

"The heart is stupid. The heart is easily fooled, leaving you exposed and weak. And I'm angry with myself for allowing it to happen in the first place."

Blaire knows that she needs to walk away from Ronan and return to the superficial life that she has created for herself, and she begins pulling away by making a phone call to the wealthiest man she has encountered yet. Accepting his proposal and the payment that comes along with that; the reader almost becomes angry with Blaire, why is she giving up her happiness for money? But just when Blaire seems to be content that she has returned to the world where she belongs, a world of money, power and sex, the carefully crafted world is rocked to its core with a discovery that will not bode well for her. The cliff hanger ending of this first book will have you gasping in shock as you never saw this coming while reading and as I said earlier will have you yearning for more as soon as you read the last sentence.

Amazing job Mia Asher! This book was beyond words incredible and I cannot wait to read more about Blaire! Everyone needs to run immediately and one-click this awesome story!