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If She Were Blind
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: I glance past Dean’s shoulder as a man close to my dad’s age takes nervous steps closer and closer to Dean. Once he’s in his space, he taps his back. Dean whips around to face him. “Excuse me, are you Dean Martinez?” His eyes are full of suspicion as he studies the stranger. “Um, why?” “It’s Dwayne. We’ve been chatting on Match.com and are supposed to meet up here at seven.” Dean’s shoulders slouch and his expression turns sympathetic. “Sweetie, you’ve been catfished.” “Been what?” “I’m Dean, but I’m not on any dating site.” “Really? Because,” the older gentleman displays Dean’s dating profile on his phone for him, “you’re right here.” Dean grabs the phone and starts scrolling through the profile. “‘Male seeking male, any race or religion, age fifty-five and older.’ Seriously? ‘I love me a sweaty old gay with that curly salt-and-pepper chest hair. The longer and curlier the better. I want it poking above those top shirt buttons. Oh, yeah, let it blow in the wind while we drive down PCH in your Lincoln sedan with the windows cracked. In search of someone I can raise a family of hypoallergenic, small breed dogs with, someone who doesn’t have all their original joints. I’m so over all these sexy twinks who just want me for my hot bod. Looking for a real man to settle down with, preferably in a gay-friendly, fifty-five and older community.’” I can’t help but give Dean’s blind date a once over. The poor guy is buttoning the second to top button over his ungroomed, grey chest hair as Dean reads. His upper lip looks like the outside of a cold drink on a summer day. Dean gives him back the phone and drops his forehead into his hand. “Cal, did you let Estlyn go to the library?” “Um…” He glares at me then chastises, “Cal?” “Yes?” How was I supposed to know she’d use a computer to catfish unsuspecting old gays? He turns to the humiliated older gentleman with confident compassion. “Sorry, hon. My friend set you up. Best of luck to finding a man half your age to raise that family of dogs with.”
GIVEAWAY!
Title: Rewrite the Stars
Author: Charleigh Rose
Genre: NA Romance
Release Date: October 25, 2018 Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser @RBA Designs Cover Model: Lucas Facchini
Evangeline Thorne is privileged.
Beautiful and popular, if not a little jaded.
A chance encounter with a green-eyed stuntman sets off a chain of events that turns her perfect, little world upside down.
Short on options and desperate for adventure, she joins the traveling carnival for the summer.
Thrust into a world full of drama, deception, and secrecy, Evangeline tries to find herself and protect her heart in the process.
Sebastian McAllister is cursed.
He knows better than to think otherwise.
He’s content to live out the rest of his life traveling the country as one of the four Sons of Eastlake, seeking thrills the only way he knows how.
The one thing he doesn’t see coming is the spoiled blond with stars in her eyes.
The only problem is, the more time he spends with her, the more hope starts to stir in his dormant heart.
Too bad hope is a dangerous thing when you’re a McAllister.
Title: Gravel Road
Author: Stephie Walls
Genre: Coming-of-Age Romance
Release Date: September 25, 2018
I fell in love with Austin before I even knew what the word meant.
Miranda was the only girl who ever had a chance at owning my heart.
Defined by the land we grew up on—ranches, pastures, lakes—Mason Belle, Texas, wrote our story. And then it tore out the pages.
Six years later, Miranda had managed to slip away again. But this time, I refused to let her run.
Bestselling author, Stephie Walls has lived all over the country but has made Greenville, South Carolina her home for the last 25 years. She has a serious addiction to anything Coach and would live on Starbucks if she could get away with it. If you follow her on Facebook, you'll also find that she's slightly enamored with Charlie Hunnam, Instagram ads, and Google Doodles.
Stephie is an avid reader (literary whore to be more precise) averaging around 300 novels a year. She has a penchant for great love stories, sensual poetry, and is a romantic at heart. Her love affair with real-life romance spurred her own drive to create contemporary fiction and pursue her dream.
Title: Perfectly Flawed
Author: Dani René Genre: New Adult Romance Standalone Release Date: September 24, 2018
BLURB:
This new adult, emotional rollercoaster that’s hitting Kindles on September 24th is one of the most anticipated romances of 2018! I was fourteen when I met him, danced with him, and fell for him. I was sixteen when Ryder left me with a forbidden promise. Now I’m twenty, and he’s back, but he has a secret. I walked out as the boy Piper had loved for far too long. Now I’m back as a man who’s broken, angry, and flawed. Yet, each time she looks at me, it’s as if I’m perfect. Can we have a second chance at love? Or will our next dance be our last? *This is a standalone new adult romance with mature themes.*
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/PerfectlFlawedTBR
Buy Links: Amazon: https://amzn.to/2wTEJPM iBooks: http://bit.ly/PFiBooks Kobo: http://bit.ly/2wnsHgu B&N: http://bit.ly/2wUf21t
Review:
I was immediately sucked into this book. The plot that a boy promised to come back to a girl but didn’t until years later broke my heart. Then the plot got redundant. Same dialogue and thoughts, different scenes. At around the fifty percent mark, though, it picked up. There were revealings that will leave you shocked. I guessed one, but the other two surprised me, and probably not the ones you think. Lol! The entire book can be read in one sitting. The chapters are short. There is a lot of conflict between multiple characters that keeps the book flowing. The writing was well-done. The characters became more developed as the story went along. The only thing that killed it for me was the redundancy in the first fifty percent. It could have been used better to develop characters and backgrounds that are more prominent in the end. 3 Stars
Author Bio:
Dani is an international bestselling author and proud member of the Romance Writer's Organization of South Africa (ROSA) and the Romance Writer's of America (RWA). A fan of dark romance that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. It's from this passion that her writing has evolved from sweet and romantic, to dark and delicious. It's in this world she's found her calling, growing from strength to strength and hitting her stride. On a daily basis, she has a few hundred characters, storylines, and ideas floating around in her head. From the feisty heroines she delivers to the dark, dominant alphas that grace the pages of her books, she promises light in a world filled with danger and darkness. She has a healthy addiction to reading, TV series, music, tattoos, chocolate, and ice cream.
Social Media Links:
FB Group: http://bit.ly/2spZmBq IG: http://bit.ly/1UnYDbH FB Page: http://bit.ly/2pN100b GR: http://bit.ly/2qsdXZG Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qdauCg Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2sAy5dU BookBub: http://bit.ly/2qtefC2 Twitter: http://bit.ly/1QHuMUQ Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2rM3Gvn Tumblr: http://bit.ly/2rcy2Gy
Join the Release Party:
September 27th, 7 pm - 10 pm (EST) Dani’s Darklings ⇒ https://www.facebook.com/groups/danisdarklings Through the Layers
-- EXCERPT: I knock again and pull out my phone. Maybe I should call him. The door swings open and Micah stands there, dripping wet, holding a towel around his waist. “Hey, you’re early.” “I … I …” I’m trying to form words, but my brain has gone to pudding. I can feel it, all squishy, sloshing around inside of my skull. He opens the door wider to let me in, but I just stand there, admiring—gawking—at the water dripping down his chest. The beads of water trail over his muscles, down his stomach, to somewhere underneath the towel. “You gonna stay out there all night?” My eyes shoot back up, and he’s smiling. “Would you like to come inside or did you want to get to business out there?” My mouth drops, and he laughs. Finally realizing he’s teasing me, I find some kind of strength to not stare at him, and go inside. “Just give me a second to dry off.” I stop and stand behind the sofa. Usually, I’d feel comfortable enough to go to the kitchen and grab something to drink, or just lounge around on their couch, or even head straight into his bedroom and turn on the TV and start to watch something. Now, I’m stuck. What should I do? Does he expect me to do something or say something? Should we have something to drink first? I know they usually have some alcohol in the apartment, maybe he wants to relax first. Should I change already? Why is it they make it look so much easier in the movies and on TV when it comes to this sort of stuff? “What are you doing?” Micah asks, coming back out of the bathroom. He’s got on a pair of shorts and a shirt that fits him snuggly, but I can’t erase—nor do I want to—the mental image of him opening the door in nothing but a towel. “Um …” I look around, unsure how to answer. He gives me a hug and kisses the top of my head, before walking to the kitchen. “Happy birthday. I ordered a pizza. I would’ve gone all out, but you said you just wanted a chill night. Is that okay?” “Mm-hm.” I nod. Turning around, he stares at me still standing there. “Are you okay?” Get it together, V. This was your idea!
GIVEAWAY!
Title: I BET You
Author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
Genre: New Adult Romance (Standalone)
Release Date: October 29, 2018 Photography: Wander Aguiar Model: Steven Cover Design: Shanoff Formats
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills returns with an all-new swoon-fest of a novel about what happens when you look beyond labels and take a chance on love.
Sexy Athlete: I bet you…
Penelope Graham: Burn in hell, quarterback.
The late night text is random but Penelope knows exactly who “Sexy Athlete” is. And why she shouldn't take his wager.
Ryker Voss.
Football star.
Walks on water and God's gift to women.
Just ask him.
His bet? He promises Penelope he’ll win her the heart of the nerdy guy she’s been crushing on. His plan—good old-fashioned jealousy. Once her crush sees her kissing Ryker, he'll realize what he's missing. Sounds legit, right? The only question is…why is Ryker being so nice to her?
Penelope Graham.
Virgin.
Lover of sparkly vampires and calculus.
His mortal enemy.
Penelope knows she shouldn’t trust a jock, but what’s a girl to do when she needs a date to Homecoming? And Ryker’s keeping a secret, another bet, one that could destroy Penelope’s heart forever.
Will the quarterback score the good girl or will his secret mean everyone loses at this game of love?
Find out in this all-new standalone novel…
Sign up for a text alert on your phone from Ilsa when I BET YOU goes live.
Only 4 texts a year, max. Text ROMANCE to 21000 to sign up
Wall Street Journal best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap. She's best known for her angsty and funny New Adult college romances.
A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice; Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.
She's also addicted to frothy coffee beverages, Vampire Dairies, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females.
Title: Pulling Strings
Series: Young Spades #1
Author: Riley Long
Genre: NA M/M Romance
Release Date: September 5, 2018
Aristotle “Ari” Dineen, Jr. thinks he doesn't deserve love. Ari has bipolar disorder and parents who don't understand his challenges. Falling in love isn't on the playlist for a guy like him, someone running from his past and so uncertain about his future.
Shane Beckett doesn't have time for things like love. He's busy - giving music lessons, finishing his senior year, and oh yeah, he's the lead singer of up and coming indie rock band, Young Spades.
A cup of beer, a music history class, and a pack of cigarettes changes everything.
As Ari and Shane are about to find out, despite having a lack of time or the confidence to believe they can make it work, love has a way of pulling them in and rocking their worlds.
CHAPTER ONE
Ari played with the brown pillow in his lap, sliding his thumb over the tag before giving the zipper a tug. He sighed. “What do you think?” his therapist, Hannah, a short woman with a mane of black curls, asked. Ari snapped to attention. “I, uh, I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Truth be told, he hadn’t really been paying attention. “I think it would be good for you,” she said, pointedly, It took him a minute to mentally track back to what Hannah was talking about, but eventually he called it up. Ari nodded. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I don’t want to.” “We know that isolating yourself make the thoughts worse. Go out. Make friends. You just might have a good time.” Mentally, Ari was rolling his eyes. “I hear what you’re saying. I’ll go, I’m just saying I don’t have to like it.” “You’re right, you don’t.” “I’m not even out to my parents yet. What’s the point of trying to date?” “You don’t have to be out to your parents until you’re ready. And as we’ve discussed, new experiences can be healthy. Let me know how it goes.” She stood and went to her appointment book. “When would you like to come back?” Ari pulled out his phone and made an appointment with her for the following week. “Have a great time, Ari,” she said as she walked him out. “See you soon.” Ari plodded back to his dorm, the gray Colorado sky matching his mood. He hated living in the dorms, and felt like practically the only junior doing so, but at least he had Liam. His roommate was great, much to Ari’s relief. He’d had a string of shitty ones, too, especially before being diagnosed. And now that he was getting himself stable—mostly—it was nice to have someone he could trust. When he made it to their shared room, Ari found Liam sprawled on his bed, reading. His shoulder-length blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he was wearing flannel, as usual. Liam had slipped out of the room that morning before Ari was conscious, so they hadn’t seen one another all day. “What up, Lee?” Ari asked as he entered. Liam rolled onto his back. “Aristotle! How’s it going?” Liam was the only person other than Ari’s parents who could get away with calling him Aristotle without getting their ass kicked. And with a name like his, Ari had plenty of experience in ass kickings, both receiving and giving. “Good. Just got back from therapy. Apparently I’m going with you tonight.” Liam sat up suddenly, closing his book. “Hell yeah, you are!” “So, what do I need to know about this thing?” Liam grinned, rubbing a hand along the stubble on his square jaw. “Nothing, my man. It’s a party. Wear clothes. Drink beer. Make friends. If you’re lucky, hook up with someone.” “Yeah, I’m sure it’ll just be crawling with guys to hook up with.” Liam shrugged. “The Kappas are a pretty open minded frat. They have a few gay brothers. You never know. Plus, there’s always Shane.” The blush flooded his face almost instantly. Shane. Tall, thin, with tousled dark hair, soft brown eyes, and perpetually tanned skin, Shane definitely was what Ari was looking for. He may have been the subject of a few fantasies, even. When he’d found out Shane was gay, the fantasies intensified, not that Ari would ever actually do anything about it. Shane and Liam had been in a band together for a couple of years, and Ari had the pleasure of meeting him when he came to collect Liam for practice. Shane had also done homework with Liam a couple of times in the cramped dorm room, and Ari had a habit of excusing himself when they did. He was afraid he’d say something stupid and miserable and embarrass the shit out of himself. So yeah, Shane. Ari cleared his throat and licked his dry lips. “Shane’s going to be there?” “Damn right. The whole band is. Shane, Ellie, even Trick.” Trick was Liam’s nickname for Patrick, the fourth and newest member of their band. He played … something. Ari wasn’t sure what, exactly, because he’d never bothered going to a show, despite Liam’s repeated invites. “Trick, too, huh? I didn’t think this would really be his scene.” Liam laughed. “No, not really, but we managed to pry him away from the art studio for the night.” “Sounds good.” “What do you say we play a little before we head out?” Liam held up a video game controller. Ari glanced at his phone. They had hours before they needed to leave, and it wasn’t like there was much else to do. He’d already unpacked his meager belongings the day before, there was no homework, and his volunteer shifts at the crisis center didn’t start until next week. Spring semester was barely underway. “Sure.” They’d be able to pass the time blowing up virtual adversaries and hoarding gold. He let himself get lost in the game, not thinking about his stupid therapist or the stupid party or Shane being there. He didn’t want to think about anything, just for a while. # Shane strummed his guitar absentmindedly. “Shane, get your ass ready,” Ellie called from the bathroom. He sat the instrument on the dark blue blanket covering his bed and ambled into his tiny apartment bathroom. Ellie’s round face was close to the mirror as she carefully attempted to get what she called ‘the perfect cat-eye.’ He wasn’t entirely sure what the perfect cat-eye looked like, but whatever. He couldn’t believe she hadn’t poked her eye out with that thing yet. “I am ready. It’s you who’s taking forever.” Ellie snorted and eyed him in the mirror. “You’re wearing that?” Shane shrugged. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” “Dude, you look like a TA or something. You don’t need a button down to go to a frat party. Go put on a t-shirt. That black one looks good on you.” “Which black one?” “The plain black one. V-neck. You wore it the other day.” “Fine, fine.” Shane headed back into the bedroom, yanking his shirt off over his head. For two years, he’d known Ellie, and for two years, she’d been giving him shit. He rifled through a pile of clothes until he found the aforementioned black v-neck and sniffed it. It smelled clean, so he tugged it on. Ellie emerged from the bathroom, head held high in triumph. “How’s this look?” “Um, you’ve got swoopy things?” He gestured towards the corners of his own eyes. “It looks good, El. You know I don’t know shit about makeup.” “Yeah, yeah,” she said, holding up a stick of something in her right hand. “Now come here, let me make you look pretty.” “Wait, what?” “Guyliner,” she said, closing in on him. “What? No.” He swatted her away, but she was relentless. “Yes. You’ll look hot. Sit.” He sat, sighing. “Fine.” He had a habit of giving in to Ellie. It was a good thing, really. They’d only known each other since the end of freshman year, but became fast friends bonding over shared interests in music theory class. They had created Young Spades together, and it would be nothing without Ellie’s driving force behind the drums. The band was the sanity-saving force he’d needed and without it, he didn’t know how he would have made it through the past few years, despite Ellie’s militant, unforgiving style when it came to running the band. “Okay, look up,” she murmured as she approached his eye with the pencil. “Thanks for coming to this thing with me,” she said, placing her free hand on his cheek. “No problem.” “I think it’ll be good for you, y’know? To get out of the house. No, don’t look away.” “I get out of the house.” He went to class, gave music lessons to middle schoolers, and was in the band. “No, you know what I mean. You need to get out more. Be social. Have a life.” Shane pulled his head away from her hands, eyes narrowed. “I have a life.” “That’s not what I meant. A social life. Aside from the band. You need to date.” “And I’m going to find a lot of gay guys at a frat party?” He relinquished control of his head back to her, and she went to work on his other eye. “Well you’re not going to find any gay guys giving music lessons to children.” “Good point.” Ellie straightened, appraising her work. “Perfect. You look totally hot. If I didn’t know better, I’d hit on you myself.” Shane pushed himself off the bed and headed to the bathroom to take a peek. He glanced in the mirror, surprised by how much bigger and more open his eyes looked. And, sure, if asked, he would probably agree that he did look pretty hot. From the other room, Ellie’s phone chirped. “Okay,” she called out. “It’s eleven. Let’s get going. ” Ugh. It was so late. Luckily, the semester didn’t start for a few days, so he’d have time to recover, but seriously, who in their right minds went to a party at almost midnight? “Now don’t rub your eyes or you’ll look like a raccoon, okay?” Shane nodded and made his way to the bed. He picked up his guitar again and returned it to the case. He tried to mentally brace himself for this party. He wasn’t much of a partier, but he couldn’t convince Ellie otherwise. She was determined to get him out more. She claimed, with this being their senior year, he needed to think about more than just the band and graduating, and had spent the entire fall semester attempting to get him to come to more parties. Finally, he’d caved, so here he was, wearing eyeliner and a black v-neck and wondering whether he’d be better off sleeping so he could get up early and work on the song he’d been writing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, he figured, so he’d decided to just go with it. Besides, maybe he’d meet someone hot, blow off a little steam, and be more focused when he did get back to writing. After all, it had been a very long time since he’d slept with anyone. “Ready,” he said. “Great! Liam’s already there.” Ellie grabbed her phone and tucked it into the pocket of her skintight jeans. She led the way out of Shane’s bedroom, through the living room, and onto the third-floor landing, which he could easily see from his bed with both doors open. He picked up his own phone and followed close behind.
Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and very silly Pit Bull puppy. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves lots of butter and a time lapsed video.
Title: Ruffles & Beaus
Author: Carina Adams
Genre: NA Romance/Love Triangle
Release Date: August 23, 2018
Every girl who dances on a pole has a story to tell, one that led her to the stage. My last year of college was set to be the best yet. Only a few months stood between me and the life of my dreams. Until my manager was arrested for embezzlement, our department was wiped out, and everything fell apart. I needed a job. I was willing to do anything to pay for school, hoping to simply survive. Desperate, I joined Soirée, the private party company that offered something no other did.
I wasn’t prepared for Roman, the boss who thought I was helpless and hated me as much as I detested him. Or, his best friend Reid, who assumed I was tougher than I was and pursued me in a way no one else ever had.
I never used a pole, yet I took my clothes off as men cheered. My past didn’t lead me there, though.
My story began with the secrets I told as I fell in love with two very different men.
And continued with the lies I weaved to keep us all from breaking.
I stood there, a helpless bystander, as he gave her the same grin he’d always used on the adults to get himself out of trouble when we were kids. The one that said he was sweet and innocent and could be trusted. Lying asshole. Cady responded with a slow, lazy smile of her own, one filled with promises I couldn’t even comprehend.
Not happening. My fingers locked around her upper arm and I hauled her to her feet before I knew what I was doing. “I’ve got it,” I snarled in his direction before I half dragged her up the stairs and down the hall to my room.
With every step we took she sputtered like an angry wet cat and tried to shake me off. My grip only tightened. As soon as we were in my room, with the lights on and the heavy door locked safely behind us, I let her push me away.
“What in the hell are you doing?”
“You said you were exhausted.” I lifted my chin toward the bed in the middle of the room as I dropped my suit jacket on the floor and pulled off my tie. “Get some rest.”
“There’s no couch. Where are you going to sleep?”
I had my shirt unbuttoned and on the pile before I answered. “You’re a smart girl. You figure it out.”
As I reached for the button on my pants, she nodded once. “Okay. So, I’ll be in Andy’s room.”
I lunged for her as she was twisting the handle, squishing her body between the door and me, my hands on top of hers, halting her. I hadn’t been prepared for how she’d feel. She wasn’t built like my other dancers, shorter and curvier, but I hadn’t stopped to think about how soft that would make her body. It was oddly comforting, and I wanted to sink into it and let her surround me.
Fighting whatever craziness my mind had started to manifest, I put my mouth to her ear, needing her to hear me. “If you leave this room, I will spank your ass. I’m too fucking wasted to take on every man here, but don’t think I’m too far gone to haul you back to this room, tie you to the bed, and punish you.”
Glimpses of that scenario ran through my mind, making me instantly hard. I had no idea where the thought had come from. I’d never tied any woman to my bed, or any where else, and I sure as shit had never spanked anyone in more than a playful manner. It should have disgusted me.
We must have gotten a bad bottle of booze. It hadn’t been stored right or something. Maybe one of Alistair’s loser friends laced it.
Instead of throwing her head back into my face and breaking my nose, or reacting the way any sensible woman would, Cady’s breath caught and she shivered underneath me. Not from fear or cold, but because my words had gotten to her.
She moved her head back slightly, fitting it into the spot between my neck and shoulder. Neither of us said a word. Her scent, one I didn’t recognize, invaded my nostrils. I fought the urge to turn her around and kiss her, to beg her to let me fuck her against the door for the entire house to hear.
Her breathing grew more ragged by the second and I knew that she was feeling it, this undeniable attraction. She spun, her back to the door, perfect fat tits shoving into my chest, and I couldn’t think anymore. My fist wound itself into her hair, holding her in place, as I leaned down in slow motion, almost daring her to push me away, and captured her lips with mine.
She tasted like strawberries and whiskey, her mouth warm and captivating as she gave me exactly what I wanted. It wasn’t enough. I bit her bottom lip lightly, tugging it open, so my tongue could find hers.
Fingernails traced down my bare chest, exploring. When they ran over my abs, Cady groaned as if it was the most delightful thing she’d ever touched. The sound made my dick jump. I worked hard for the body I had, pushed myself to stay in shape, so I could accomplish all the things I wanted. It was a bonus to know she appreciated the effort.
Jealousy, that she got to touch me while I was acting like a saint and keeping my hands in PG zones, hit me. I broke the kiss and stepped back, ready to strip her out of the ugly baggy clothes she’d put on and worship her body. She wasn’t fooling me. I’d seen enough during practices and the performance to know exactly what she was hiding.
In spectacular fuckface timing, Andrew chose that moment to pound on the door. “Yo, asshole. You forgot your phone. Reid’s blowing it up.”
Cady ducked and spun away from the wood, backing toward the bed, eyes wide as they darted around the room. Before I could offer an explanation, or beg her to give me five minutes to get rid of the pest problem outside our door and get back to business, the brat smirked at me. Then she began to laugh.
“Well,” she dragged her teeth over her lip making me groan inwardly, “that was a surprise. No more alcohol for us.”
Andy knocked again.
“You get that. I’m going to go to bed. To sleep.” She clarified. “And then you’re going to come to bed. For sleep. So we can get up in a few hours and pretend this never happened.”
“That’s how we’re playing this?”
“Partners don’t have sex, remember? It’s against the rules.”
Fuck the goddamned stupid rules. I hated them. I was going to rewrite the employee manual first thing on Monday.
Cady chuckled, as if she could hear my thoughts. “No, you’re not. They’re good rules. You don’t want to sleep with me. You’re just drunk.”
“I said that out loud?”
She giggled again and I couldn’t stop my own answering smile. “You did.” She moved forward, pushing me out of the way slightly, and opened the door. “Give it to me,” she held out her hand.
“Come next door and I will,” Andy’s husky voice replied as he handed her my iPhone. “I’ll give it to you so dirty you’ll be begging me for more.”
Without a reply, she backed up quickly and slammed the door in his face. He obviously didn’t like his head attached to his body because I was going to remove it if he didn’t cut the shit.
“Here,” she didn’t wait for me to take it, but shoved the phone into my chest instead. “Call Reid. Tell him you’re too drunk to drive, that I’m not any better, and that we’re staying here. It’s been an,” her gaze settled on my stomach and her teeth scraped across her lips, “interesting first day at my new job and I’m exhausted.”
With a quick tug, her sweatshirt was over her head and on the floor, taunting me, before she face-planted herself onto the bed. “Good night.” It was no more than a mumble. The brat was out cold in seconds.
I didn’t dial Reid’s number. Or anyone else. He hadn’t been the only one who had called repeatedly. I especially didn’t want to deal with the force that was Livie tonight. Not when I was drunk and I had a hot as fuck woman in my bed.
No. Cady wasn’t hot. Cady was Ruffles, my employee. The bitter, snarky, clueless one. I wasn’t attracted to her.
She definitely wasn’t Brooke. I wanted my fiancé back. And only my fiancé.
Which is why it was perfectly safe for me to climb up onto the bed next to Cady. Friends could sleep in the same bed. The small width of the full size mattress wasn’t something I was used to, which was the only reason I threw an arm around her and hauled her back into my chest. She was soft and warm, which was why I dropped kisses onto her neck, inhaling her body spray, telling myself I loved the scent and needed to find out what it was.
It was all fine. Completely innocent. Nothing more.
An avid reader who loves epic and unconventional romance, Carina has an unhealthy obsession with Jason Statham, loves the sounds of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, is the crazy friend your mom warned you about, and believes one day she will go through the stones to meet Jamie Fraser.
Carina has been writing and creating characters for as long as she can remember, allowing her to fall in love with the next man of her dreams with every new story. None of which are anything like boring Prince Charming. Thankfully, fate stepped in and granted her the ultimate wish - a life full of men. Carina lives in a picturesque New England town with her husband, the man who ruined the thought of all others, and two amazing sons who always keep her on her toes.
Title: Because of Liam
Series: Riggins U Series, Book 2 (stand alone)
Author: Erica Alexander
Genre: Coming of Age Romance
Release Date: August 2, 2018
She’s sarcastic, confident and doesn’t hold back.
After a single night changes everything, River retreats into herself and is
constantly watching over her shoulder.
Even then no one ever dares stand in her way.
Until him.
That irritating man knows how to get under her skin.
Too bad she’s sworn off men, even if he’s sexy as sin.
Liam Cole used to be carefree until life stepped in the way and forced
him to shun everyone he knows.
After five years in the Marines, he’s having a hard time adjusting to
civilian life.
All he wants to do is to forget the past and be left alone.
Until her.
That hellion of a woman challenges him every step of the way.
Too bad she hates him, even if she’s the best part of his days.
In a battle of wills, each tries to top the other, but when they are forced
to face their own fears, the resulting consequence is something neither could have ever imagined.
“Highly Recommended” - Books Laid Bare “Erica Alexander is quickly becoming a favorite for me” - Britt from The Red Hatter Book Blog “Stellar read!” - Cassie’s Book Addicts
Erica Alexander has been a storyteller her entire life. If she’s not writing stories, she’s daydreaming them. Which has gotten her in trouble once or twice. She has an inclination to use sarcasm and she can make anything that comes out of her mouth, sound dirty. It’s a gift.
When Erica is not writing, reading or daydreaming new stories, she enjoys baking, looking up pictures of hot guys on Pinterest (for research of course) and commiserating with friends over their mutual hatred of laundry.
Erica’s life goals are: to make sure her family is happy and healthy, bring to life all the stories in her head, visit Australia and jump off a plane. Preferably with a parachute.
Erica has degrees in Communications and Computer Science and she loves history, all things Native American, and anything that’s off the beaten path and weird.
Summary: What ever happened to Pete and Daisy? When we left them, their daughter had just been born, and some momentous decisions had been made. It’s now four years later. Their family has grown, as has their love for each other. Clio is a rocky smart, precocious four year old, and she’s been joined by baby sister Francie. Pete’s career as a musician is finally taking off, and things should be rosy; however, fame and fortune bring their own pitfalls, and a voice from the past arrives in their lives, threatening to upset everything they’ve worked for. Can they survive Pete’s success, and the long shadow cast by Daisy’s past? How will Pete deal with groupies, temptation, and prolonged separation from his family? And how far is Daisy willing to go to protect those she loves? Join the Santangelos on this rollicking roller coaster second installment of their journey. Excerpt: The girls, exhausted from the excitement, fell asleep on the subway, and Daisy carried Francie while Pete grabbed Clio for the two blocks to their apartment. Pete buried his nose in Clio’s hair, inhaling the scent of her as she rested her head trustingly on his shoulder. She was his daughter, she just was. She had grown in Daisy’s womb as his and Daisy’s love for each other had grown, she’d been nurtured by Daisy as Daisy had been nurtured by him. She was Francie’s sister. She was his child. She belonged to him. They laid the girls down in their beds and went to change into comfortable clothes. Pete found Daisy in the living room sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea, the only tea he’d ever seen her drink. “Are you sure?” he asked, sitting next to her. She nodded sadly, turning huge eyes to his face. She took a deep breath. “But maybe he won’t remember me,” she said hopefully, setting her tea aside. “I mean, it’s been over five years, you know? Plus I’m a mother now. He’s a studio musician, he must screw hundreds of women a year, he must’ve had a million one-nighters since then…” She stopped as she heard her own words, biting her lips together. The unspoken words hung between them. She, Daisy, was one of the “hundreds of women,” the “million one-nighters” that she was talking about. Pete was shaking his head. “Daisy, you’re many, many things, but forgettable isn’t one of them. With your hair, your lovely body, those eyes—“ He broke off to kiss her. “Men notice you wherever you go. It wouldn’t matter how many children you had, cara, you’re spectacular and memorable. It’s only a matter of time before he remembers where he’s seen the beautiful redhead with the blue eyes…” Daisy sighed, a terrible sound. “Pete, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, tearfully, turning away, rubbing at her eyes with her knuckles. “I wish so much that you’d been the one to put Clio inside me…” Pete gathered her in, tucking her hot face into his neck. “Shh, shh, you mustn’t say that, ever,” he scolded gently. “We love Clio exactly as she is, and she wouldn’t be that person if her circumstances weren’t what they are. You did nothing wrong, cara, nothing.” He stroked her body, rocking her gently. “Don’t blame yourself, please.” “But, but,” she sobbed softly. “It feelslike I could’ve waited, I should’ve waited. Foryou, Pete. It feels like if I’d waited, Clio could’ve been ours.” She lifted her head to look into his eyes, and seeing his wife tearful like this ripped Pete’s heart up. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he’d seen Daisy cry. It was unbearable for him. “Listen,” he said firmly, pulling her close again. “If you had never met that man, if you’d never spent the night with him,” and he felt Daisy tense up just from hearing the words, “Clio would never have been conceived, and we wouldn’t have her to love, she wouldn’t have us to love her, don’t you see? And Francie wouldn’t have her wonderful sister.” He gave Daisy a little shake. “You have nothing to regret, she is nothing to regret, cara,and I don’t blame you at all, about anything. She is my heart, Clio is my heart, and I love everything about her, just as it is.” The truth was that Pete wasn’t sure how he felt, about any of this. He was still reeling from the knowledge that he’d met his precious, beloved daughter’s biological father not three hours ago, and he’d be working with him very closely, probably on a daily basis, for the next three months. He put his own feelings away for now so he could take care of his wife. Daisy needed him now, she needed to hear him say these things to her. He’d deal with his own feelings later, when he had the luxury of time to examine them. “Daisy, you’re carrying our baby right now, hm?” He kissed her damp forehead. “You can’t upset yourself over this.” Daisy nodded from the safety of Pete’s arms. “Okay,” she whispered. “Okay,” she said again, with a little more energy. She pushed herself away from Pete so she could look at him. “Just because he remembers that he slept with me doesn’t mean he’ll figure out anything about Clio, though, right?” She looked appealingly at Pete. “I mean, why would he? It’s not like he’s going to remember that we didn’t use protection or whatever, and he doesn’t know when her birthday is or anything.” Guys didn’t think about stuff like that, did they? “All we have to do is just keep away from the studio while you’re recording, which won’t be a problem. I mean, why would your wife and child be down there while you’re recording, right?” Daisy was starting to babble, and Pete pulled her close again, both as a comfort and as a calming measure. Her arms went around his neck as she pulled herself in even tighter. “Pete, I’m scared,” she admitted. “No need,” he soothed, stroking her hair. He looked around at their apartment, at their lovely life, the life they’d built together. Daisy’s thousands of books lined the walls, his guitars and notebooks sat in the corner, and Clio and Francie’s books and toys took up every available nook and cranny of the lower spaces. He loved what he and Daisy had created. Never had it felt more fragile. About the Author: My name is Tani Hanes, and I am a 51 year old substitute teacher. I'm from central California and am a recent transplant to New York City. The most important things to know about me are that I'm punctual, I love grammar and sushi, and I'm very intolerant of intolerance. The least important things to know about me are that I like to knit and I couldn't spell "acoustic" for 40 years. I've wanted to write since I was ten, and I finally did it. If you want to write, don't wait as long as I did, it's pointless, and very frustrating! |
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