Showing posts with label Contemporary Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contemporary Romance. Show all posts

Friday, August 22, 2014

GETTING DIRTY by Erin Nicholas


Sapphire Falls Book Three

Travis Bennett is exactly the kind of guy Lauren Davis has been avoiding for the past nine years. Religiously. Stubbornly. Successfully. She knows too well how easy it is to let lust ruin perfectly laid plans. And a small town farmer with no ambitions beyond the borders of his own cornfield is not going to change her mind. She’s got important stuff to do. Her company is literally working to stop world hunger. Her plans are much bigger than Sapphire Falls. No matter how hot those farmers might be. 

The problem is—Lauren is falling in love. With Sapphire Falls. To kick her sudden desire to buy a welcome mat and start baking pies, she asks Travis to help her get over her crush. She wants him to show her what life in the small town is really like behind all the sweetness and sunshine and remind her that there’s no place for French manicures and Gucci heels on the farm. 

Travis has everything he wants or needs—a quiet, simple life in his hometown, a successful farm and his friends and family all around. A hoity-toity city chick who looks down on everything from the local coffee to his favorite music is the last girl he wants sticking around. So he agrees to her crazy plan. He can definitely show her the less-than-glitzy, rough-around-the-edges side of Sapphire Falls. In fact, things just might get downright dirty.

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~Excerpt~

© copyright Erin Nicholas, 2014

“Whatever.” She was leaving. What the hell she was doing in the midst of chickens and cows, she didn’t know, but this was Sapphire Falls and it was the annual town festival—most of both of those things didn’t make sense to her.

She turned her back on the calf… and ran directly into a hard chest.

And something cold and wet.

“Ah!” She jumped back, shaking her hands free of the icy liquid that cascaded down the front of her soaking into her shirt and freezing her skin.

It was a warm June evening so she was quickly more concerned about the fact that the liquid was purple. On her white shirt. Because of course it was.

She looked up into the grinning face of the man whose grape slush had just soaked her.

Travis Bennett. Because of course it was. She sighed. Mud, cornstalks, manure… she’d had all of that on her at various times in Sapphire Falls and Travis Bennett was always the cause.

“Why am I always getting dirty when you’re around?” she demanded, grasping the front of her blouse and pulling the wet stickiness away from her stomach.

“Oh, darlin’ that ain’t dirty.”

No apology, no reaching for a napkin, no sheepish look. All she got was “darlin’” and the word “ain’t”. In a drawl that was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Oh, and a big, fat, cocky grin.

“I’m soaking wet!”

His grin pulled up more on one side. “Now that I have some theories about.”

Lauren narrowed her eyes and planted a hand on one hip. “Theories about what exactly?” She knew where he was going with this, but she wanted him to say it so she could shoot him down. Like every other time he’d made any kind of sexual innuendo.

“You being soaking wet when I’m around.”

She gestured to her clothes. “Clearly, you need carnival food to get me wet, Farmer Boy.”

“No kiddin’. I woulda pegged you for a fancy schmancy wine and caviar girl.”

Liquor actually. She loved a good martini.

“But hey, a girl who likes meat on a stick and funnel cakes is my kinda lady.”

Meat on a stick. Yeah, right. Though funnel cakes weren’t horrible. They involved powdered sugar after all.

She blew out an exasperated breath. Travis talked like a hick. Why did she want to put her hand down the front of the blue jeans that had been covered in who-knew-what in the course of the years he’d owned them?

Travis was a farmer. A small town farmer. A small town farmer who had never traveled outside of the county in which he’d been born—and his father had been born and his grandfather had been born. She knew the type. Too well. She’d been surrounded by the type, involved with the type, in love with the type, until she escaped to the city. Where she’d found real life. Real culture. Real coffee.

And it didn’t matter what city. She loved them all. Traffic, people, action… life. And not a cornfield or haystack for miles.

She was a city snob, a small-town-phobic. She knew it. She owned it.

And no good-looking, suntanned, slow talking, cheap beer guzzling small town farmer was going to change her opinion.

“Clearly the slushie needs to be applied externally for it to get me wet,” she told the cheap beer guzzling small town farmer she wanted to lick from head to toe. In a cornfield.

She hated him.

“You city chicks are into some weird stuff,” Travis said. “But darlin’, I’ll apply anything you want anywhere you want.”

Stupid tingles all over her body.

She put on an unaffected expression. “And I suppose it would be some sexy set-up like the bed of your truck with mosquitos buzzing around and maybe some straw poking me in the ass while we’re at it?”

He gave her a slow grin. “You, me, the bed of my truck... I’ll put twenty bucks on soaking wet in five minutes.”

The bed of his truck. Of course.

But it wouldn’t take five minutes and he knew it. Somehow.

Damn him.

Monday, August 11, 2014

THREE'S A CROWD by Melissa Keir

THREE'S A CROWD by Melissa Keir

Charming Chances Book 2

For Lissa, the second time at love was a charm but in marriage, three’s a crowd.

Single mother Lissa Vincent found her soul mate in her best friend’s ex-husband. Alex Hunter couldn’t believe his fortune when his ex-wife told him her best friend was available. After divorce, finding love again could be a challenge but it appeared Alex and Lissa had gotten lucky. Yet as they start their lives as newlyweds, Alex and Lissa don’t realize just how difficult it might be to blend a family.

When Alex’s ex new marriage begins to unravel, she sets her sights again on Alex. Does Alex still have feelings for the mother of his child? Will Lissa keep her best friend or lose her husband?

Fairytales promise a happily-ever-after. But what really happens after the after.

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Excerpt:

When my cell phone rings. I look down.
It’s Steve and I don’t want to answer. I’m on a date with my husband. The children are safe with Steve. I—we—deserve this time together. Pushing the off button, I ignore the call.

“Was that Steve?”

Alex understands my dilemma. My ex has anger issues and isn’t happy that I’ve remarried. The phone rings again.

“I’ll call him back later.”

I cut a small piece of beef burgundy from my plate and lift it gently to Alex’s lips.

Feeding each other is a very sensual experience. My legs tingle. I watched his tongue dart out to catch a drop of sauce lingering on his mouth. I reach across the table to run my thumb over his lips then pull his face close to mine in search of a passionate kiss.

When my phone rings for the third time, I know it must be important. “Hello?”

“Scotty and Mac were playing around when Scotty tripped and fell, hitting his head on the corner of the door frame to his room. We’re on our way to the urgent care. He probably needs stitches.”

“Which urgent care are you going to? I can meet you there.” My stomach clenches in anxiety.

I obtain all the details while Alex pays the bill and has our food wrapped to go. We rush out into the night, our romantic evening ruined, fright replacing passion.

Guilt begins to eat at me. Why didn’t I answer the phone sooner? How is Scotty handling things? What kind of parent am I to put myself over my child? Alex seems to understand what I am feeling and reaches over to hold my hand. Without saying a word, his touch makes me feel better.


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

HONEYBUN ON THE RUN by Sam Cheever

HONEYBUN ON THE RUN by Sam Cheever

Book 7 in the Honeybun Heat series

She’s fighting to protect everything she cares about. He can’t resist a damsel in distress. But he has no idea how high the cost will be if they fail.

Clovis Honeybun is working undercover to catch an assassin targeting his uncle, Senator Brick Honeybun. But his search is waylaid when he spots a pretty woman being mistreated by a guy who looks a lot like his target. Going rogue on a dangerous hunch, Clovis plunges down a trail that might be the right direction but the wrong bad guy.

Ultimately, Clovis discovers he could have to choose between saving the woman burrowing her way into his heart, or a man he’s loved and respected since he was old enough to crawl.

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Excerpt:

She was looking out over his wide, badly mown lawn, her hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans. She turned as the door swung open. Her pretty brown eyes filled with uncertainty. “Hello, Clovis.”

“Emma. You look good.”

She grimaced when she saw the discoloration around the bridge of his nose. “I’m really sorry about hitting you. Again.”

His smile was tentative. “You pack a mean punch.”

She shook her head, avoiding his gaze.

Looking at her for the first time since she’d told him she hated him, his pulse sped and his body tightened. She was every bit as gorgeous as he remembered.

He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. “How’s Cilla?”

“She’s good.” Emma’s gaze slipped past him. “Is this a bad time?”

Clovis wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Bad time for what?” If she was going to tell him she hated him again and to keep his damn family away from her and Cilla…well…yeah…it was a very bad time.

Emma frowned slightly, her shoulders squaring with temper. “Can I come in for a minute, Clovis? I promise I won’t be long. I just have something I need to tell you.”

His chest hurt and his stomach roiled with tension, but Clovis inclined his chin and stepped back, letting her pass before closing the door behind her.

Emma looked around the dark hallway and her gaze slid to the empty living and dining rooms. “A little light on furniture.” She turned and smiled at him.

Clovis’s chest loosened a little and he was able to breathe. “Yeah. I haven’t had much time to go shopping…” His voice trailed off as her smile slipped away. He hated to see it go.

“I know, I’m sorry about Brick. Actually, that’s why I’m here.”

He cocked his head as she hesitated. Then he realized how rude he was being. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’m functioning at barely above a savage level right now. Can I get you a beer or something?”

To his amazement she nodded. “I’d like that.”

He motioned toward the kitchen. “I’m afraid the only chairs on this level are in here.”

Clovis followed her into the kitchen, his gaze moving unerringly to her fine backside in the tight jeans. Oh how he’d missed those jeans.

He pulled two cold bottles of beer from the ancient, green refrigerator and handed her one.

She grinned at the fridge. “I think my parents had one just like that.”

Clovis patted the scratched and dented monstrosity. “I’ve grown kind of fond of it. Retro is cool, right?”

Emma laughed and the sound sent a wave of warmth skittering through Clovis. He found himself grinning too. “Sit.” He eyed the mess of papers on the table, realizing his mistake when Emma’s gaze fell on the photos Alf had brought. He lunged for them, scooping them up as her expression fell. “Let me just clean this mess up.”

Emma looked down at the table, her beer untouched on the table in front of her. “I’m so sorry, Clovis. I know saving Cilla cost you your uncle.”

He shook his head. “I’d do it all over again, Emma.” As he said the words he realized they were true and it surprised him. But deep down he knew he’d done what Brick expected and wanted him to do.

Emma’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. She sniffled and nodded, her hand wrapping around the bottle of beer. “I wanted to thank you for saving her. And to tell you I…” She took a deep breath, turning the bottle with her fingertips. “I realize you had to do what you did. I was…well…I was out of line. Out of my mind. I might have cost my baby her life.” She averted her gaze, looking everywhere but at him.

Clovis couldn’t stand to see her so upset. He walked over and crouched down beside her chair, lifting a hand to caress her cheek. Emma closed her eyes at his touch and shivered slightly. “You would never have let Cilla get hurt, Emma. I know that. But you were so upset. I didn’t know how to calm you down.” He pulled her closer. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do…”

She touched his lips with her finger, stopping him. “I know. You did the right thing, Clovis.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, something electric snapping between them. Clovis looked at her lush mouth, his body tightening with need. Emma started to pull her finger away and he reached up, stopping her. “I’ve missed you so much.” The words emerged husky and soft from between his lips.

Monday, July 21, 2014

GETTING WORKED UP by Erin Nicholas

GETTING WORKED UP by Erin Nicholas

Sapphire Falls, Book 2

Phoebe Sherwood is in love with the perfect man. Well, except for the fact that he’s in love with someone else. But Phoebe isn’t the type to let a little detail like that keep her from getting what she wants. And as she’s plotting how to get him back, she meets the perfect solution—Joe Spencer. The city boy is in town to retrieve his sort-of fiancĂ©—the woman who stole Phoebe’s man— and when he hears Phoebe’s plan to reclaim their respective soul mates, he’s in

Bright and sparkly. That’s Joe’s first impression of Phoebe. He’s always been attracted to sparkly things—like neon casino signs, sequined evening gowns and Porsches. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause, are exactly why he’s determined to change his habits and settle down.

But if he’s going to win his girl back, he’s going to need to learn a new way of life. Country line dancing, guzzling homemade moonshine and getting rid of his custom-made suits are what it takes to fit into Sapphire Falls… and he’s got some work to do.

But Phoebe is the perfect coach.

And everything will be just fine… as long as they can keep their hands off of each other and remember which hearts they are trying to win over.

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~Excerpt~

© copyright Erin Nicholas, 2014


Phoebe took a seat on the bench across from him and crossed her arms on the table top. “You gonna make it?”

“Yeah.”

“You sure?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I’ve been worse off than this. But it usually involves way more liquor, a couple cigars, staying up until the sun comes up and—” He caught Phoebe’s wide eyes and shifted on his seat. Maybe that was too much sharing too early on.

“And a couple of blonds and brunettes on the side?” Phoebe asked.

He cleared his throat. “Past life. That’s over. I’m turning over a new leaf.”

Phoebe gave him a knowing look. “That’s not a denial on the multiple girls.”

“Past life,” he repeated.

“Ah.” She nodded. And certainly didn’t seem shocked or disgusted. “Well, you’re gonna have to change your ways if you’re gonna live here,” Phoebe said. She was studying the back of the booth beside his shoulder with a frown.

“What do you mean? If that Booze is a regular thing around here, you’re all way wilder and tougher than me,” he said lightly.

Phoebe looked up. “Well, there is that.”

“Then I should be fine.”

“Sure, as long as vanilla is your favorite flavor, you’ll be great.”

He leaned in. “Are we talking about vodka, ice cream or sex?”

She leaned in too. “Do you like vanilla in any of those things?”

“Nope. Vodka isn’t my drink and I like some flavor and even a few add-ins with both ice cream and sex.”

“Add-ins?” Phoebe repeated.

“Like crushed up oreos and colored sprinkles.” Joe made note of Phoebe’s bright-blue sleeveless top. He also knew that her capris were yellow, as were her flip flops, though they had blue rhinestones that glittered from the straps.

He really did like colored sprinkles.

“You use oreos and colored sprinkles during sex?”

He grinned. “Sure. Or chocolate syrup. Or edible body lotion. Or other add-ins. You know…toys, handcuffs, naughty costumes. That kind of stuff.”

Phoebe licked her lips and Joe couldn’t look away from the shine on her bottom lip. “What kind of costumes?” She was practically whispering now.

Phoebe Sherwood never whispered. He’d known her less than twenty-four hours and he knew that.

He liked this. He lowered his voice too. “I’ve always been partial to naughty teachers.”

Phoebe blushed.

He liked that too. It was probably almost as rare as the being-quiet thing. But he didn’t know why she’d be blushing. “Do you have a naughty-teacher costume?” he asked, so hoping the answer was yes.

“I am a teacher.”

He thought about that, his grin growing. “And here I was gonna say that I thought my new favorite might be a naughty farm girl.”

She blushed brighter at that and he laughed.

“You shouldn’t be flirting with me,” she finally said.

He sighed, his smile fading. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“You can’t really help it though, huh?”

“It tends to get the better of me.”

“You’re gonna have to tone it down.”

“Hanging out with you isn’t going to help me there.”

They sat looking at each other. Joe honestly didn’t know how he should feel at that moment. Maybe apologetic, but that didn’t seem to be sinking in.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

GOING FOR FOUR by Erin Nicholas



Counting on Love, Book 4

It's either true love…or the biggest mistake they've ever made.

Hot firefighter Cody Madsen has stayed away from Olivia Dixon for almost two years-technically. Even though he talks to her every day and sees her every weekend. But there's no kissing, touching, or telling her how he really feels. Because they're just friends. Anything more than that would mean crossing the line that Olivia's older brother has firmly drawn between them.

Olivia wants what her three sisters have-true love. She could almost believe she's found it with Cody, if it weren't for the fact that he's her older brother's best friend and her brother won't have it. And he's never steered her wrong before. Her head is telling her to trust her brother, but her heart won't let go of Cody.

Her solution? A dating site where she and Cody can each find their "Perfect Pick" once and for all.

But when the site yields some unexpected results, their real feelings come front and center. And they have to decide if it's worth the risk to cross the line from friendship to love after all.

Warning: Contains a starry-eyed romantic, a wannabe knight in shining armor, and chocolate chip cookies. A lot of chocolate chip cookies.

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Excerpt:

Copyright © 2014 Erin Nicholas
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Cody Madsen had never seen Olivia Dixon naked. Until today.

And there was a very good reason for that.

Two, in fact.

She was his best friend. And her brother would kill him.

But damn, the sight was breathtaking.

Breathtaking enough that his entire system short-circuited and all he could think was Every day for the rest of my life.

“Cody! Oh my god! What are you doing here?”

She’d obviously just stepped from the bathroom. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, the scent of her favorite shower gel and lotion were strong in the air and, most significantly, she was as naked as the day she was born.

Which had to be why his brain and mouth would not connect.

Olivia crossed an arm over her breasts—her glorious, perky, perfect breasts—and put a hand over her even-more-private part—the mouthwatering, holy crap, light blond hair that was trimmed into a perfect V pointing the way home—and said louder, “What are you doing?”

But it wasn’t until another voice hit his ears that Cody was able to pull himself out of the Olivia-is-even-hotter-than-I-thought daze.

“Cody! I’m heading to the fuse box!”

Olivia’s eyebrows arched. “Is that Conner?”

It was. And Cody’s first spoken word on the matter was, “Crap.”

He grabbed her upper arms, backed her into the bathroom and kicked the door shut.

That proved to be the biggest mistake of all. Her skin was silky and warm and he should never have touched her.

“What’s Conner doing here?”

Cody was an idiot. When he’d first seen that she was naked, he should have turned around and gotten the hell out of here. Instead, what had he done? He’d touched her. Then he’d put himself in a closed room with her.

A tiny closed room.

“There’s a good reason we instituted the conservative-clothing-at-all-times rule,” he said gruffly.

She still had her arm and hand covering the most important parts, but that didn’t matter one iota. He was never going to be able to forget what he’d seen.

“That rule is for when we’re together,” she said.

“We’re together now.” Wow, were they. Her scent was imprinted on his brain. Now, standing submerged in a cloud of it between her and the bottles on the shelf behind her, he found himself taking deeper and deeper breaths—and growing harder and harder.

The naked-breasts-and-other-parts thing wasn’t helping.

“I didn’t know we were going to be together now,” she returned. “What are you—and Conner—doing here?”

“Fixing the outlet in the kitchen that’s not working.” He breathed deeply and concentrated on keeping his eyes on hers. “I texted you.”

“My battery died.”

“Why are you naked?”

“I took a shower.”

“You’re not in the shower now. Do I need to buy you a robe?”

“I don’t need a robe when I’m in my house, presumably alone.”

“You always walk around the house naked when you’re alone?”

“Yes.”

He had nothing after that. He pressed his lips together and resolutely continued to focus on things above her shoulders. Like the two empty towel racks. “Where are your other towels?”

“In the dryer.”

He pulled the towel from her head, handing it to her. “God. Cover up.”

She wrapped the towel around her body, her wet hair falling past her shoulders, big blue eyes staring at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You look…weird.”

“This is, apparently, how I look when I’m trying with every fiber of my being not to kiss you.”

She made a soft choking noise and her hand grasped the towel tighter against her breasts.

“I’ve never seen that look before.”

“Yeah, I saw a few things for the first time today too.”

And she grinned.

That was one of the things he loved most about his “friend” Olivia. She had a fantastic sense of humor.

“What I mean is,” she said, “I thought there have been times in the past when you’ve had to try not to kiss me. And I’ve never seen that face before.”

There sure as hell had been times he’d had to resist grabbing her and pushing her up against the nearest wall. Or the nearest desk. Or the nearest copy machine, car door, refrigerator…

He cleared his throat. “Those times I was trying to resist kissing your lips.”

“But wh—”

She broke off as understanding dawned. And her cheeks got pink.

“God,” she finally breathed. “The not-talking-about-sex rule we have is a good one too.”

So were the other three rules they’d established nineteen months, two weeks and three days ago.

First and foremost was no kissing.

Second was conservative clothing only when they were together. He didn’t go shirtless, even when he was cleaning out her rain gutters in ninety-eight-degree weather. She didn’t wear fitted tank tops or short skirts. He didn’t wear fitted tank tops either—she’d added that to the list after the last time they’d gone to a baseball game together. If swimsuits were required, he wore baggy trunks that reached almost to his knees, and she had a two-piece with bottoms that looked like shorts and a top that covered her stomach and chest completely.

Third was no talking about sex—with anyone specifically or the overall topic in general. No innuendos either.

Fourth was no getting drunk together—they’d made that mistake once and would have made all kinds of horrible choices if Olivia’s sisters hadn’t come home early.

Fifth was no avoiding each other. That wasn’t acceptable. They were friends. They enjoyed being together. They had an entire group of friends in common.

It didn’t matter that they were more attracted to each other than they ever had been to anyone else. They weren’t going to let it keep them from being friends, and they weren’t going to let it make things awkward between them.

In fact, their friendship was one of the barriers they’d put up in hopes of fighting their attraction. They’d become even better friends, entirely on purpose, after the one and only time they’d kissed.

Nineteen months, two weeks and three days ago.

The thing was, the friends-only deal worked. It had started off as “let’s go to a movie” or “want to grab a burger” here and there, but once they’d started talking and laughing together, it had grown. When they’d discovered a mutual love for baking and had started baking together—even when he sometimes wished baking together was a euphemism for other things—their friendship had evolved into something real. There was something very innocent and fun and, of course, sweet about baking together. And in the process of mixing up cookies, muffins, brownies and new inventions here and there, they’d talked and shared and bonded.

Now they both protected the friendship staunchly. He’d never survive if he lost having Olivia in his life, and if that meant never kissing her again, so be it.

Or so he typically thought.

When she wasn’t naked in front of him.

“You’re still making that face,” Olivia said, her voice soft and a little breathless.

He was sure that he was. “You’re still standing here in a towel.”

“I can’t fix that until you move out of the way of the door,” she said with a smile.

He nodded. “It would make sense for me to move then.”

She swallowed. “If you want me to get dressed, anyway.”

“Right.”

He didn’t move out of the way.

Friday, September 13, 2013

BENT BOOT ROAD by Lynn Rae

BENT BOOT ROAD by Lynn Rae

Lydia Back has problems; a dead end job cataloging artifacts no one wants to see, an office in a dusty basement storage room, and she’s just discovered that her friend is missing. Adding to her frustration is the arrival of a too charming private investigator who needs her help.

Carter Harris has no problems; he has his own successful business and is enjoying a few days in a scenic southern Ohio town to gather information on a missing professor. But his local contact turns out to be an uncooperative woman who prefers traipsing around in the forest to having a civilized conversation with him.

Together, they begin to uncover some of the secrets that lurk under the surface of other people’s lives and to appreciate each other’s abilities. When danger threatens, both Carter and Lydia realize it will be impossible to survive alone.


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 ~Excerpt~

“I know that my hat looks stupid, but it does keep the ticks from dropping out of the trees right into your hair, like this one must have done.”

Carter had a feeling she was gloating, but the idea of something sucking his blood was so revolting he wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying. They were back at the Inn, and he was sitting on the toilet as Lydia dispassionately looked at him. He recalled that just the previous evening, he had been taking care of her hands in her bathroom, so it seemed like this was completing the circle. Although he would have rather had cuts and bruises than some bug burrowing into him.

“We seem to be doing this a lot, sitting in bathrooms and administering first aid.” He began to speak, mostly to take his mind off of what she was doing.

“It’s a rough and tumble life.” Lydia started to move the hair on his head to give her access to the tick. He’d felt the bug as they left the Mullins’ house and had almost driven off the side of the road with shock. He felt a slight tug and she grunted. “They must like the taste of you. Do you want to see it?”

“No.”

She tapped the tweezers in a disposable cup and then began to check his scalp for more of the disgusting things. Despite thinking about what might be crawling around on him, he found that as she ran her fingers through his hair he grew more and more relaxed. She was quiet and worked slowly, and his relaxation began to shift in another direction, something more focused and compelling. Which meant he needed to stop it now. So he reached up and caught one of her wrists. “I’ll check, you don’t need to do that.”

Taking a step back, she watched him rub his scalp gingerly. “Anything else?”

“No.”

“Check your skin too, and your back in the mirror.” She backed away and left the bathroom “When are you picking me up for dinner with Reggie?”

“At six.” Carter hadn’t felt any more suspicious bumps, and he was dreading checking the rest of his body in the shower he’d soon be taking. “Hey Back, what about you?”

“What about me?” Her voice floated in from the living room. It sounded like she was almost out in the hallway already.

“Do you want me to check you?”

“Nope, I can take care of myself.” And with that the door closed with a thump and she was gone.

“I can take care of myself too.” Carter grumbled as he began to strip, carefully shaking each article of clothing to see if anything nasty had hitched a ride. He’d actually had a pretty good day so far, the police had opened a missing person file on Dr. Cooper, they had discovered that he had been somewhere on Friday, and he had hopes that the upcoming dinner with Reggie might result in even more useful information. Of course, he had just had a parasite pulled out of his skin by a confusing woman who knew what to do with a machete.

He wasn’t sure what to make of Back. She seemed to alternate between liking him and then rushing to get away from him. As he stepped into the shower and ran the water, he thought about her in a shower and his body began to wake up. Just what he needed to confuse the situation, an attraction to a sarcastic woman who lived in the middle of nowhere. In order to divert himself from speculating on what she looked like beneath that absurd, if practical, overall, he began to run his hands over his skin to check for more ticks. That was not erotic at all. But Back would be doing the same thing as soon as she got to her apartment. He should have offered her a turn in his shower, or they could have shared a shower and he could have helped her check her back. And backside. And now he was getting warmed up again. He had been alone too long if just thinking about a woman he barely knew was enough to get him hard. There was no room in his life for a long-distance relationship, as if he would even want such a thing with an aggravating person like Lydia Back. There were plenty of sweet, kind women in Columbus that he could take a shower with. And in his experience, he hadn’t needed to check them for ticks first.

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

THE SWEETEST LOVE by K.T. Bishop

THE SWEETEST LOVE by K.T. Bishop

International Love: Book 3

What's an older woman to do when a sexy younger man has lust in his eyes for her?

Keli Ann Martin had no direction in her life after being dismissed as Entertainment reporter at the Mobile Press-Register. The decline of the newspaper business eliminated a job she cherished. One night at a club, she runs into a Biloxi, Mississippi singer named LaSalle Cox.

Sparks fly between them until LaSalle gets a recording contract in Memphis. The forty-year-old was unemployed and hoped he asked her to come along. LaSalle wasn't sure if he wanted to take their "Cougar" relationship to the next level.

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~Excerpt~

A handsome African-American man strolled onto the stage and introduced himself.

“For those who don't know who I am, my name's LaSalle Cox.” He cracked a joke. “I did get hosed on American Idol, but that's cool. I'll make it without them.”

LaSalle caught the attention of Keli Ann, whose knees buckled together at the sound of his baritone voice. “I'd love to have that hunk between my legs.” Her pussy turned wet and her sexy meter sounded off.

He allowed the musician to warm up their instruments for a few minutes, and then asked the audience to be sympathetic. “I'm not at the level of Ruben Studdard yet, but please don't boo me.”

“This guy begs like Keith Sweat,” Keli Ann said to herself. She sucked on the chipped ice of her coke and was curious to hear the man's voice.

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INSERT NAME HERE by Eve Summers


When her fiancĂ© dumped her before the wedding, Cass took the first airplane out of her hometown. Now she’s in Africa, going through her bucket-list of things to do before she turns thirty.


One of the items on the list is to have a one-night stand. Trouble is, she knows just the guy to have that one-night stand with, and she also knows she’ll have her heart broken all over again….

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~Excerpt~

This is my To-Do-Before-I-Turn-30 list:

• Eat an ostrich egg. Check.

• Play with a cheetah cub. Check.

• Swim with a dolphin. Check.

• Scuba dive in a foreign country. Double check for doing it at night.

• Skydive. Check, bonus points because I wasn’t scared.

• Dare to love again. Nah, cross it out. So not going to happen. I’ve learned my lesson.

• Make love on a yacht.

• ... With a stranger for extra points.



Don’t get me wrong, I’m not into one-night stands. The idea of getting close and intimate with someone I’m not emotionally involved with gives me the creeps. I only included it in my to-do list because I was hurt and devastated and not thinking straight.

Getting dumped wasn’t on my to-do list. Neither was an impromptu trip to Africa. When my now-ex-boyfriend broke up with me, I simply sold my engagement ring and booked the first holiday package I found. My Before-I-Turn-30 list was born on the long flight towards the Black Continent.

And now I’m in Africa. The sun is hot. The air is hot. My energy levels are up there with over-boiling. In just two short weeks, I managed to put a big fat checkmark next to five items on my bucket list. Beats choosing the wedding cake, that’s for damned sure.

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Monday, July 22, 2013

PACKAGE DEAL by Stephanie Morris

PACKAGE DEAL by Stephanie Morris

The Hennings Sisters Series: Book 3

Chante Hennings is looking for a man that can satisfy her every need and she has found him only he doesn’t want the job. Maxwell “Max” Donahue has suffered through a messy marriage and has the scars to prove it. But the interactions that she has with Max tells her that there is good man underneath all of the scarring. She knows that if she gets involved with Maxwell that he comes as a part of a package deal.

Now she just has to get Max to understand that she’s okay with that. She isn’t looking for a perfect man, she’s looking for a good one and Maxwell is that man.

Maxwell Donahue isn’t ready to become involved with another woman. For the last three years his life has been in shambles. His move to Baxley isn’t only to help his father recover from a recent heart attack, but to get his life back together as well.

Unfortunately, his libido won’t let him deny his attraction to Chante so he tries to avoid her at all cost. He doesn’t realize how difficult that will be until Chante becomes his teenage daughter teacher.

To make matters worse his daughters have decided that they want a new mother and they have chosen Chante putting a completely different spin on his carefully laid out plan.

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~Excerpt~

“Good morning, ladies. If you don’t mind me asking, what brings you to my home?”

Meghan was the first to speak, and she was straight to the point. “We are here to ask you to go out on a date with our dad.”

If the looks on their faces hadn’t been so serious, she would have laughed at the nine-year-olds statement. Instead, she shook her head. She couldn’t entertain this horrible matchmaking scheme. “No.”

Melissa spoke next. “Ms. Hennings, our father is a good man.”

Chante held her hands up in a non-threatening manner. “I don’t doubt that at all, but we have to be reasonable here. My dating your father would put all of us in an uncomfortable situation.”

“No more than we already are.” Melanie replied.

She was speechless for just a moment. How in the world did Maxwell survive these three?

“Does your father know that you are here?”

Melissa nodded in the direction of her front door. “He’s outside waiting for us.”

Chante went to the window and pulled the curtains aside. Her eyes met Max’s head on. The man had the nerve to wink at her, and the simple gesture sent her heart rate soaring.

Letting the curtain fall back in place, she shook her head again. She’d been so shocked by the three of them being on her porch that she hadn’t noticed the SUV sitting in the driveway next to hers.

“Excuse me, ladies.”

She crossed to the front door and walked out to the vehicle that Maxwell was sitting comfortably in. His eyes followed her all the way to the SUV. The window was rolled down, and she leaned into the car with more confidence than she really felt.

“Now you didn’t really think that I was going to let you sit out here and relax while your daughters have me in the hot seat did you?”

He grinned, and time stood still. His smile was lethal. “Well, they seemed so determined I didn’t think that it would take long, so I wasn’t sure that I needed to come in.”

She tried to keep a straight face at his lousy excuse as she stepped back and opened the driver’s side door. “Well, let me make it clear.”

He chuckled as he slid out of the vehicle. She tilted her head back to look at him. Lord, he was tall. Unfortunately, the man was gorgeous as well, and that was going to make this situation tough.

“Ladies first.”

She led the way back up to the house. When they returned to the living room, Melissa, Melanie, and Meghan hadn’t moved. Maxwell walked over to the recliner and took a seat while Chante continued standing, facing the girls. “Now you were saying?”

“That you should go out with our dad,” Melissa responded quickly, picking up right where she’d left off.

Chante sighed. If she didn’t know any better she would say that the three sisters had taken lessons from Chantel, Cheree, and herself.

“We trust you.”

Chante looked over at Melanie. These three had put their heads together. Either they loved their dad a lot and wanted to see him happy or they needed someone to distract him so that they could pull more antics like this. Although, it looked like they had too much time on their hands already if they had come up with a plan as insane as the one that they were trying to sell. Based on what she knew about Melissa, she was going to go with the first idea. As flattering as it was that she was the chosen one, it was also an impossible situation.

“So what do you think that people will say about me dating my student’s father?”

Melanie grinned. “From the way that Melissa talks about you, I have a feeling that you don’t care what other people say about you.”

Chante looked over at Maxwell who was sitting with a smug look on his face. If she didn’t know any better, she would say that he was enjoying this, especially since he was not on the receiving end of it for a change.

“Are you going to say anything?” Chante asked, arching a dark brow in his direction.

Max smiled and shook his head. “I already lost this battle earlier. I don’t plan on losing another. Besides, I agree with them and would love to take you out.”

His statement confirmed her earlier thought and floored her at the same time. Chante’s mouth dropped open and almost dragged on the ground. She could see that it was four against one at this point.

“See, there you go. Dad is a good man, and you are a good woman. This is a perfect combination.”

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

HARD TO HANDLE by Desiree Holt


HARD TO HANDLE by Desiree Holt

Rawhide Series

The chemistry between horse wranglers Bailey French and Hondo Labar was hot enough to singe the air even before their unexpected meeting at Rawhide, a private bondage club.

Their extreme edge play at the club feeds their sexual needs, but Hondo wants a relationship outside the club and Bailey refuses to acknowledge him as more than a fellow wrangler. When a riding accident puts her in his care, can she finally trust her heart as well as her body to a man who would Master her forever?

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~Excerpt~

Bailey shredded the hunk of bread in her fingers. “You heard me turn down Hondo and Dan today, right?”

Liz nodded. “That’s why I thought it would be a good idea for us to have dinner and discuss the situation.”

Bailey frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“This isn’t an easy life you’ve chosen. You work hard. You need time to play. If not here, then someplace where you feel comfortable. It took me a long time to figure that out.”

Bailey fiddled with her wine glass, trying to decide exactly how much she could tell this woman. Liz was easy to talk to but she was, after all, the boss. And she didn’t feel comfortable just blurting out that she was a hard-core sub looking for a Dom who didn’t abuse the privilege. Or run away from it.

“I hear you,” she finally said. “But finding the right people isn’t always that easy.”

The other woman studied her. “I know you came here from Phoenix, but I guess I thought you had friends in the area. Something that drew you here. I probably should have asked at the time.”

“Why would you?” Bailey took a fortifying sip of her wine. “My personal circumstances aren’t your worry.”

Something dark flared in Liz’s eyes for a moment. But it was gone so fast Bailey wondered if she’d imagined it. Did Liz come here to get away from a problem, too?

“Maybe I sense a kindred spirit.” Liz said the words quietly, almost tentatively.

Bailey lifted an eyebrow. “In what way? Were you—I mean—“

“Running from something? In a way.”

The waiter appeared with their salads, momentarily interrupting their conversation. Bailey forked up a piece of lettuce and chewed it slowly, waiting for Liz to continue. They chewed in silence for a few seconds before Liz spoke again.

“There were—are—things in my life that I had a hard time handling. Even understanding. Needs that I had.” She paused, took a moment to chew another bite of salad. “It made my life…complicated.” The direct look she gave Bailey was honest and assessing. “I sense you might be dealing with the same thing, Bailey. If I’m wrong, I apologize, and we can pretend this conversation never happened.”

“You mean in isolating myself?”

“I mean,” Liz said, “in the things that enrich your life. Not just friendships but sex. People talk about men’s needs all the time, but they never think that could apply to women.”

Bailey stared at her, stunned that Liz brought the subject up.

Sex? She’s talking to me about sex? What do I say to that? How do I answer her?

All she could do was repeat the word. “Sex. You think I need sex.”

Liz Wright burst out laughing, a friendly sound, not a belittling one.  “Bailey, almost everyone needs sex of one kind or another. It’s part of the human psyche.” She leaned forward again. “Unless you have a problem of some kind, it’s really not healthy to go without it for a long time. And I don’t see you as the kind of woman who doesn’t enjoy it.”

 Bailey’s eyes widened. “Do I have some kind of sign on my back? You think I’ll do something to embarrass the ranch? And you?”

Liz shook her head. “No. That’s not it at all. I’m doing this very badly.” She sighed. “I went without for a long time after I was hired at the Lucky L. Not because the opportunities didn’t present themselves. As with you, every one of the hands eyed me with a lot of speculation. And I think the single men in town were making bets who would be the first one to break the ice.”

“Holy crap!” She shook her head, as much at the bluntness of the conversation as at the realization that the so-in-control Liz Wright had suffered the same things she did. “I guess I never…” She stopped, not wanting to be discourteous.

“Thought I was in that situation?” Liz smiled. “Or that I had sex?”

Bailey’s face heated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’

“It’s okay. Let yourself off the hook, Bailey. I understand what you’re saying.” She took a swallow of her wine. “Sometimes,” she said slowly, “it isn’t just the sex but the kind of sex that keeps you isolated.”

Bailey froze. Was it possible… “Kind of sex?”

Liz nodded. “I’m not sharing this with you lightly, Bailey. I’m doing it only because I sense a similar spirit here. I hope I won’t regret this.” She paused. “Some people might say my sexual needs are dark. Off the beaten path. Even unacceptable. For me and many others with the same desires, the elements of the BDSM lifestyle are as normal as breathing. But in a conservative community like this, one can’t exactly go out and ask where the nearest dungeon is or who’s into bondage.”

Bailey almost swallowed her tongue. Liz Wright was into BDSM?


 

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

WRECKED by Shiloh Walker

WRECKED by Shiloh Walker

“Friends make the best lovers and soul mates in WRECKED. A beautiful look into true and enduring love…” Carly Phillips, NYT Bestselling Author

In the nineties, Abigale Applegate and Zach Barnes were the most beloved sitcom child stars in the world. Then they grew up and left Hollywood behind…

Whatever happened to Abigale Applegate?

She’s been wondering the same thing.

With her Hollywood dreams long gone, Abigale now has a nice, neat, uncomplicated life—until the day her perfect fiancĂ© needs to talk. Dumped, a little more than shattered, and totally confused, Abigale turns to Zach, her best friend since forever, to help her pick up the pieces. He does it with a gift—a copy of Wreck This Journal. She can vent her frustrations, and sketch out a new plan. Zach just hopes he’s part of it. Because he’s been in love with Abigale his entire life.

When the journal falls into Zach’s hands, he discovers Abigale wants a new man. And fast. Nothing more than a hot distraction. Zach has a strategy, too. He’s going to be that man. It’s his last chance. Abigale might be out to shake up her life, but Zach’s out to reinvent it. Now, all he has to do is convince Abigale that life can go as planned.

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~Excerpt~

"I don't get it," she said softly, some of the confusion and pain breaking free. "I mean... I thought he loved me. How could he love me and walk away like that? Over the life I used to have? That's what it's all about. I used to be an actress. I'm not anymore--I haven't been for years and I'm happy with that. How can he not see that? If he loved me, wouldn't he be able to see that I don't want to act anymore?"

Zach didn't answer.

Turning her head, she peered over her shoulder at him.

He had his head bowed, the gold-streaked strands falling down and hiding his features from her.

"Zach?"

He sighed. "Do you really want to hear what I have to say about this right now, sugar?"

"I always want to hear what you have to say."

"Okay." He used the cloth again on her back and then bent down, staring at her skin like there was nothing else in the world but her back and the design he was inking onto her flesh. "He never loved you."

It was a strike, square to her heart.

She closed her eyes.

"If he loved you, he wouldn't treat you the way he did. When you walked into a room, it would have showed on his face...if he really loved you. Either he'd been so busy staring at you because he just had to see you, or he would have been looking away so nobody could see it. Except he was going to marry you-you were his and he had every right to let the world see how he felt." Zach dabbed at her back again, still focused on the work.

She was almost glad of the pain now, because it was easier to think about how much it hurt than to think about what he had to say.

"But when you walked into a room, that f'ing prick was too busy either messing with his damned gadgets or looking at everybody else to see what they thought about you. He was in love with the idea of having Kate the cutie on his arm. But he never loved you."

He paused what he doing and for a brief second, the world fell away as he looked up and met her eyes. "He never loved you, and the son of a bitch sure as hell didn't deserve you, sugar."

Her heart slammed against her ribs as his blue gaze held hers.

And then, as it felt like all the oxygen in the room had dwindled away, he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

It felt like he was flaying the flesh from her bones. And she decided that was just fine, because now she needed that distraction.

Was he right, she wondered? Had Roger ever loved her at all?

And more importantly...had she loved him?





"Okay, here are the important things," Zach said as he studied the design. It was cute, sexy as hell and if he found out another guy was the one who got to press his lips to that dragonfly as where it curved low over the flare of her left hip, he thought he just might go insane. "I'll send you home with some instructions on how to care for it, but you need to make sure you keep it clean. No scrubbing at it or anything-you need to be gentle when you wash it, but keep it clean. I've got some ointment I'll send home with you and I'll go into detail about using that, too."

She was still staring at it over her shoulder in the mirror. Worrying her lower lip with her teeth and eying the dragonfly like she expected it to take flight or something.

"I need to get the bandage on," he said softly.

"What? Oh."

She continued to stand there and he reached up, pressed his hand between her shoulder blades. "Lean forward a little."

Hunger screamed, jerking on the leash inside him as he eased the waistband of her skirt just a little lower so he could get the bandage in place. Bent over the table like that, he could so easily imagine pulling the hem of the skirt up. Slipping his hand between her thighs. Would she sigh? Moan?

No. This was Abby and she'd freak the hell out and then she'd run away and he'd lose her-

A soft, shaky sigh caught his attention as he smoothed the bandage down. Keeping his head bowed, he checked the mirror from under his lashes and his knees almost buckled.

Abby was staring at their reflection and her face was flushed.

What. The. Hell.

Abruptly, he stepped back and moved away. If he didn't move away immediately, he was going to grab her and do things he never should do to his best friend. The woman he loved. That was the problem. He'd loved her for too long and he was misreading the signals and-

"Do you really think all that's true? About Roger?"

Hearing that shithead's name on her lips snapped his temper. He turned around and glared at her. "If I didn't think that was the case, Abs, I wouldn't have said it. He's an egotistical, arrogant piece of work and he never loved you. You deserved a hell of a lot better and I knew it all along. But he was what you wanted so who in the hell was I to say any different?"

"You're my best friend," she said quietly.

"Shit." He went to pass a hand over his face and stopped. He still had his gloves on. Stripping them off, he tossed them into the red trash can near the door and headed over start cleaning up. "Yes. I am. You asked me what I thought and I told you. But I can't tell you what is in that prick's head. You can always ask him when you call him to tell him off, although I doubt he'll tell you the truth. He doesn't even see the truth anyway."

"Have you ever been in love?"

In the middle of gathering up his supplies, he paused. Zach closed his eyes and started to mouth every single foul, nasty curse he could think of. He had four brothers. He could think of a lot of cuss words. Half way through one that involved anatomical improbabilities and a goat, a hand touched his shoulder.

"Zach?"

Damn it, he couldn't do this. Moving away, he started grabbing shit at random. Dumping trash, slamming the tools here, there. Being careless with them, but he couldn't look at her yet. If he did, she might see-

He went to dump the trash and turned around.

Abby was right there, dark brown eyes locked on his face, her shirt still knotted just under her breasts, leaving her belly bare.

"What is this?" she teased. "You make me play twenty questions all the time."

Edging around her, he focused on cleaning up. "I'm thirty-two years old, Abby. Yeah. I've been in love," he said, keeping his voice flat and his eyes on the task at hand. "It didn't work out."

"Why not?"

"She never seemed to notice that I was staring at her when she walked into the room."

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Monday, February 4, 2013

I BRAKE FOR BAD BOYS by Lori Foster

I BRAKE FOR BAD BOYS by Lori Foster

Some men are mad, bad, and dangerous to know. But who would want them any other way?

Drive Me Wild
New York Times Bestselling Author Lori Foster

Erica Lee is used to having the upper hand in work and in love. But most men are intimidated by her. When friends dare her to find a sex slave to fulfill her every whim, Erica sets her sights on handsome, mischievous Ian Conrad, who’s about to turn the tables on her…

Touch Me
New York Times Bestselling Author Shannon McKenna

Massage therapist Tess Langley prefers to down play her beauty and focus on her work. Until gorgeous Jonah Markham offers her an outrageous sum of money to tend to guests at his mountain hideaway. Though he’s promised to be a good boy, she has no idea just how good he can be…

Something Wilde
USA Today Bestselling Author Janelle Denison

Jill Richardson vowed never to mix business with pleasure. But that was before devastatingly handsome Eric Wilde and his promise that at work they’ll be professional–but after hours, anything goes…

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Book Excerpt

Drive Me Wild

She'd gotten herself into a pickle this time.

Too distracted to work, Erica Lee slouched back in her office chair and blew her bangs out of her face. Who would have thought that uptight Asia and ultra-shy Becky would have followed through on the dares? Erica sure hadn't. But with only a little prodding both of them had traipsed right over there and done the unexpected.

It boggled the mind, it surely did.

Now her turn had rolled around and hey, it wasn't that she had anything against porn shops or fantasies or the like. But where the hell did they expect her to find a man who wouldn't be a pain in the patoot?

Of course, for them it had turned out great. That is, if one considered marriage great. Erica was still undecided on that particular point. Then again, footloose and fancy-free wasn't really working for her either.

She winced over that sad truth.

In the next second her office door slammed open with startling force. She jumped a foot and almost fell out of her rolling chair. She was alone in the office, and in fact, the entire floor was deserted while employees attended some meeting that she'd managed to opt out of. She'd been so lost in thought she hadn't even heard anyone approaching.

Holding a hand to her heart and ready to blast the noisy offender, Erica looked up - and up some more until she fell headlong into the mesmerizing midnight gaze of none other than Ian Conrad.

Oh boy. Her heartbeat didn't calm with recognition. Nope. If anything, it tripped even faster. Ian was just so... so male.

Hot around the collar and sweaty, clad in blue jeans, a dirty cambric work shirt and scuffed lace-up black boots, Ian epitomized all that was man. He wasn't particularly handsome, at least not in the classical sense, but that didn't lessen his impact one bit.

His features were bold with a strong straight high-bridged nose, a powerful chin, and high, harshly carved cheekbones. His eyes were the darkest blue and piercing in intensity - the type of eyes that froze a woman to the spot whenever he directed his attention on her. His dark brown hair was more straight than not, a little shaggy and unkempt.

Bracing his long thick legs apart, he filled the doorway - and then some.

Well well. Quiet, masterful, impossible-to-ignore Ian. Erica raised a brow, wondering what had put him in such a temper when in the past she'd never seen him so much as frown - even when she'd deliberately provoked him.

Unlike most of the men she knew, Ian was always calm and always firmly in control - of himself and everyone around him.

Not that she'd ever let him control her. "I've witnessed more polite entries."

She'd meant to be a smart-ass, of course, but her attitude got snagged in her throat when Ian took two long heavy strides to her desk, braced strong, lean hands flat on the surface, and bent down - way down - until his nose nearly touched hers.

Good Lord, she could see every eyelash surrounding those mesmerizing eyes, feel his warm breath against her lips and smell his raw, potent scent.

"I know exactly what you're up to, Erica."

Her eyes widened over that gravel-deep voice that seemed to sink right into her bones. Combined with the heat of his gaze, his rough tone was impossible to misunderstand. It was that man to woman tone, and sexual awareness rolled over her. Feeling helpless, she asked, "You do?"

"Damn right." His mouth appeared tight with annoyance, but still sexy. "Your buddy George was more than willing to spell it out."

Her gaze snapped back to his. "George spoke to you?" With Becky as a best friend, and George as Becky's fiancé, she supposed he could be considered a buddy. That is, unless he'd done something to irk her - and given Ian's unusual mood, it sounded like he might have.

In that case, Erica would have George's hide.

"No, he didn't speak to me. And that's most of the problem right there."

Ian's disgruntled scowl was dark enough to make grown men tremble. No wonder he kept it under wraps in polite company. Not that Erica intended to tremble in front of him. Later, when she was away from him and remembering how close he'd gotten and how delicious he smelled, she might shake a little. But no way would she let him know he affected her that much.

"Well, if George didn't speak to you, then..?" She let the sentence hang, waiting for him to explain.

"He didn't. But he did tell a couple of other guys what you have planned at that damn porn shop."

Erica's mouth fell open. It took a lot to shock her, and this definitely qualified. She sputtered a moment before finding her voice. "Why, that miserable rat!"

Ian straightened, studied her a second more and then waved away her indignation. "Forget that. Hell, the whole factory knows what you and Asia and Becky have been up to so it's hardly a secret."

She'd just gotten her mouth shut when it dropped open again. "They don't!"

"You're not naĂŻve, Erica. You know something like that can't be kept quiet. Hell, I'd be surprised if all of Cuther doesn't know about it."

Erica shot out of her chair to pace. She, Asia and Becky had made a deal when the new porn shop, Wild Honey, had opened up in their miserably quiet hometown of Cuther , Indiana . They were each to visit the somewhat titillating establishment with a specific fantasy in mind. As soon as they spotted a man shopping for wares that indicated a similar interest, they had to ask him out.

Asia had gotten off easy when Cameron overheard the initial discussion as well as the fantasy she'd claimed. Without letting on, he'd visited the shop on the right day at the right time and he'd specifically purchased items that would draw Asia to him, as per the dare. Since Cameron had already been half in love with Asia , one thing had led to another and they'd quickly advanced from making love to making wedding plans.

Then Cameron had played big brother and helped set Becky up so she got exactly what she was looking for too - in both her fantasy and her male choice. George had been something of a surprise, but Erica liked him. Or at least she had before he let the cat out of bag. Now she wasn't so sure.

Becky and George were currently shopping for engagement rings while Asia and Cameron had just tied the knot. As the only unattached female still in their circle, that left Erica out in the cold. Not that she wanted to be married, because she didn't. No sir. Huh uh.

It didn't matter that George and Cameron made it look so damn appealing with the way they catered to Becky and Asia and kept them both smiling like lovesick saps. Hell, these days it was downright nauseating to be around any of them, they all walked around in such a vacuous fog of romantic bliss.

Fuming, Erica whirled around to face Ian. "Who did George tell it to?"

"I don't know and I don't care."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" She didn't exactly mean to screech, but there were only around two hundred workers at the factory and everyone pretty much recognized everyone else. "What department do they work in?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I didn't see them, Erica. I was in the ceiling wiring the lights when they walked in. They didn't even know I was there and I didn't care to announce myself."

"Never mind then." She started to go around him. "I'll find out." And when she did, she'd...

Blocking the door, Ian crossed his massive arms over his wide chest and glared at her. "It doesn't matter who they are because you're not meeting up with either one of them."

Erica drew to an indignant halt. She hadn't planned to go anywhere with either of the men, but oh boy, Ian's tone was guaranteed to get her back up. She knew him well enough since they worked in the same company and their paths often crossed. They chatted regularly, too, especially when he'd rewired her office, but then, she chatted with all the men.

Unfortunately, she was more aware of Ian than the others. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about him just really got to her - and she didn't like that. She didn't want to be drawn to him, but how could she not? When Ian was around, his personality was so quietly dominant that every other guy faded into the woodwork.

Regardless of all that, there was no way in hell she'd let Ian or any other man dictate to her.

Holding his steady gaze, she stalked closer toward him, her stride as long as her leather mini skirt would allow. "I'll see them, and a dozen other men, if that's what I want to do."

"No." He stared down at her from his lofty height. "You'll see me."

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

SINS FROM HER PAST by Jules Bennett

SINS FROM HER PAST by Jules Bennett

Scandalous Series, Book 1

Don't miss Jules new contemporary romance series that will reveal secrets and change lives forever! Facing their past may just destroy their future.

After her parents' deaths, Evelyn Banks endured a living hell for nearly two years at the hands of her godfather's son. She couldn't tell anyone...not her brother, and certainly not the godfather who took them in.

Now she is twenty-five—and still trapped in silence. After all the time, no one would believe her. And any revelation of her shame could halt her godfather's political aspirations. But what she can do is take her design firm to the next level with a project for her brother's best friend. Handsome, sexy hotelier Vincent Hawk.

Vin has always had a thing for Evie, but kept his hands off out of respect for her brother. Now that they're traveling together, though, keeping his distance is tearing him apart. Except every move he makes to get close is met with not just mere resistance, but with a fear-whitened face and trembling body.

Evie can't deny she's falling for Vin, but accepting their future means facing her past...a past that could destroy everyone she loves.
 
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Copyright © 2012 Jules Bennett
 All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Evelyn wanted to jump at the chance to work with Vincent on a one-on-one level, but first she had to tell herself to wake up and face reality. He’d called her over to discuss business. They hadn’t seen each other in months and he was strictly a businessman. He’d come to Miami often enough to do business with Marshall’s Design Group, where she’d worked, and they’d gone to dinner a few times as friends, but their friendship hadn’t changed since she’d met him at sixteen. She’d always wondered what, if anything, could’ve happened between them, but fate had intervened in an ugly, evil way.

Apparently she was a tad naĂŻve, because she’d convinced herself he’d finally realized she was more than Dylan’s sister. But he’d never shown any interest in her before, so why should today be any different.

And besides all that, even if he did make a move, would she be able to follow through? How could she be intimate with someone after all she’d been through?

God, she’d thought losing her parents had been bad—that had just been the start of her nightmares.

“You really think we can work together?” she asked. “You’ve never worked with just me before.”

“I’m confident we can both be professionals and our friendship will only be an advantage. You already know my tastes.”

His gaze traveled over her, sending chills she never thought she’d experience in a positive way.

She would try her hardest to work with him if he was willing, because with a client like Vincent Hawk in her pocket, she would have quite the portfolio of images to show future clients.

Maybe working with Vin would help her overcome her fears and get past the years of torture she’d been exposed to. But what if he did make a move on her in a nonfriend way? Would she freak out? Would Vin want answers to questions she couldn’t answer?

Work. She had to concentrate on work. Her personal life was a jumbled mess and one she’d never drag another human being into. Not even her brother.

“Evie?”

Vincent’s questioning tone brought her back to reality and away from the nightmare her mind was spiraling toward.

“Is there a certain reason you asked me?” She eased forward on the chaise, crossing her legs. “Not that I’m not grateful, but I’m just curious—why me, why now? You always seemed happy with Marshall’s.”

He smiled, showcasing a set of twin dimples. “Like I said, I’m ready to take my future projects in a new direction. This is my first resort and I want it to be different from my usual luxury hotels. Besides, I value your professional opinion.”

Hope soared through her. “Wait a minute. Let me just savor this moment.”

He smacked her leg. “Quit being a smart ass,” he laughed. “Are you up for the job or not?”

“What if you don’t like what I come up with?”

Those dark eyes held her. “If I thought I’d be disappointed, you wouldn’t be here.”

Evelyn looked into those deep gray eyes, the ones with the slight wrinkles around the corners, the ones that had kept her dreaming each night for years—until she realized he wasn’t interested and even if he was, she had issues that he wouldn’t be able to deal with.

Even if putting the issues aside was possible, she didn’t do flings. Ever. Vin was well known for being a lover of the ladies and he made no apologies about it. Added to that, she had enough skeletons in her closet to make Vin turn and run the other way…straight into the arms of another woman whose closet was probably full of size zero slinky dresses, unlike hers, where the size twelves were her “small” clothes.

But right now he was handing her a prime opportunity and she wasn’t about to let her insecurities ruin this.

Vincent Hawk was known throughout the world for building lavish hotels, but he’d been planning this resort since he’d graduated college. Even more impressive was the fact he was only in his late twenties and his empire rivaled that of Donald Trump—of course, Vin had a few tats, a nearly shaved head and mesmerizing gray eyes so the financial aspect was the only thing Vin had in common with the Donald.

And now this beautiful, sometimes frustrating man—a man she’d known for several years on a somewhat personal level—was technically going to be her employer.

Evelyn ran a hand down her crisp white capris. “Okay, you’ve obviously thought this proposal through. I have to admit I’d be a fool to turn this project down.”

His wide, signature smile spread across his face, deepening the subtle lines around his eyes. “You’re no fool.”

“When do you need me to start?”

“Immediately,” he told her. “We’ll be spending an exorbitant amount of time together so I can keep my project under deadline and under budget.”

“You always worry about the budget,” she told him. “You are aware of your own financial standings…right?”

He laughed. “Always, but when you come from nothing, you tend to always watch your wallet.”

Evelyn’s mind whirled at the possibilities. This would so launch her into where she wanted her small company to be. Then she could focus on taking charge of her life and not letting her past nightmare control her. And if she and Vin were traveling, it lowered the chances of coming face to face with her past. That was reason enough to want the job.

Even though she’d convinced herself to move back, start her own business and not let that frightened, teenage girl run her life, she still couldn’t get past the fears and memories that this beautiful beachy town evoked.

“If you’re spending all your time with me, won’t your hoards of women get jealous?” she asked, focusing on here and now.

Way to go, Evelyn. Just be blatant in asking if he’s seeing someone.

He quirked a brow. “When they get jealous, that’s when I know it’s time to move on. Any woman I get involved with knows where she stands up front. Always. I’m not a forever—or even a long-term—type of guy.”

Evelyn swallowed at the idea of how many women had probably come and gone in Vin’s life over the years. Did most people look at sex so casually? Perhaps she would to if…

“I hope you can clear your schedule because I will need your undivided attention.”

She smiled. “I can clear mine. The question is can you clear yours? You forget I know how often you like to entertain.”

He held his palms up and shrugged. “I can’t help it if I’m popular,” he said with a smile that had no doubt charmed many ladies into dropping their panties. “But you have nothing to worry about.”

“I’d feel better knowing none of your women are going to come at me with jealous vengeance.”

Vincent’s smile warmed her…a sensation that had nothing to do with friendship. “Have no doubt. All the women I know are shallow, self-absorbed. But none of them are vengeful.”

Evelyn lifted a brow and smiled. “Vin, do I need to remind you of the time you came back to the apartment you shared with Dylan and Alan your senior year of college and found all of your clothes bleached?”

Rich laughter sounded through the room as he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “That was years ago, Evelyn. I’ve learned to have a little more finesse since then.”

“Finesse? You mean you honed all of your smooth talking? Why have I never witnessed it?”

For a brief moment, she thought she’d seen heat, desire glaze over his soft eyes—which was most certainly the only soft thing on him—but just as soon as she had the thought, the look was gone.

“Anytime you want to hear my smooth talking you just let me know,” he told her with a wink and a flash of those mocking twin dimples.

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Thursday, December 6, 2012

HOUSE SITTING by Destiny Wallace

HOUSE SITTING by Destiny Wallace

Leah Brown has a post-graduation plan, she has to lose weight, lose her virginity, and get a real job. In desperation, she moves back in with her mother, determined that it will only be temporary. Lucky for Leah, it comes to her mother’s attention that a friend’s daughter needs someone to take care of her house over the summer. Shortly after moving in to Audra’s impressive house, she meets Jaysen Dewitt. Though very impressed with his swimmer’s body, she doesn’t actually see him as a possibility…besides; messing around with the architect next door is not part of the plan.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Audra Sampson is working closely with Nico Angeli to acquire his family’s hotel…maybe too closely.

Audra, who has always put work first, can’t seem to keep things strictly professional once on his home turf, and decides to have a summer fling. Audra finds it impossible not to fall in love with Nico, even with his overbearing family and her own reservations.
Both women will have an unforgettable summer, but what happens when summer is over?
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~Excerpt~

Leah rang Jaysen’s doorbell prepared to eat crow. She would never have thought he had been overweight. Even if he hadn’t been, she didn’t have the right to snap at him the way she did. He’d been nothing but nice to her.

Jaysen opened the door and smiled. “Hi, Leah. This is a change.”

She nodded and walked past him into the foyer. “I came over to apologize. I shouldn’t have snapped at you the way I did yesterday. I guess I’m on edge because I’m dieting and hungry all the time. It’s no excuse, but I really am sorry.”

“Don’t give it another thought,” he said shrugging.

“Thanks,” Leah said with a sigh of relief. “I’d better get going; you look like you were getting ready for work.”

Jaysen glanced down at his khaki pants, un-tucked white shirt and the blue and white striped tie draped over his shoulder.

Leah headed for the door.

“Wait!” he exclaimed grabbing her hand.

Leah gasped when he touched her. Goosebumps immediately rose on her arms and her stomach clenched.

She slowly turned to find Jaysen too far in her personal space. He’d stepped into her, so she had to look up to see his face. She couldn’t speak as she watched his golden eyes darken. He leaned down and kissed her.

Jaysen pulled Leah against him, just as he had the day before when they were in the pool. He coaxed her lips apart with his tongue. They delved into each other’s mouths between sighs and moans.

“Maybe I should make my way over to your side of the fence more often,” Leah joked as she tried to catch her breath.

“Maybe you should,” he said with a grin.

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