by Angela Smith | Oct 17, 2016 | Books
I’ve got Kristina Knight here on my blog again today with What the Gambler Risks! The first two books in this series are priced at $0.99, but that price ends tomorrow!
Best-selling author Kristina Knight’s Billionaire Cowboys are back for one final ride with this seductive story of long-simmering feelings and hot Vegas nights.
Twenty-something ice queen Sabrina Smith enjoys the fame and fortune she’s found writing self-help books for a largely female audience. Her readers hang on every word of how the Vegas Virgin – an unflattering and inaccurate moniker given to her by a local shock jock – juggles dating, working, and friendships in Sin City.
And that’s why Jase Reeves spells trouble.
Jase knows Sabrina’s secret – that she’s not nearly as cold as she would like people to think – and he’s through keeping it. He didn’t intend to have a one-night stand with the Vegas Virgin, but now he can’t get her out of his head. And he can’t keep living this lie.
With Jase back at the tables in Vegas, Sabrina has one goal: stay away from the handsome gambler before he melts her career – and her heart.
Sensuality Level: Sensual
Author Endorsement:
“Kristina Knight does it again! If you like relatable characters that you fall in love with from page one, amazing sexual tension, a story line that keeps you turning the pages, and snappy dialogue then you’ll love What the Gambler Risks. Ms. Knight is one of my favorite authors and her stories never disappoint, making it hard for me to pick a favorite from all her titles. If you haven’t read one of her books, you definitely need to.” ~ Christine Warner – author of The Friends First series with Entangled Publishing
“Kristina Knight gets me hooked- What a great start to a sexy new series! I felt right at home with these characters. Gage and Callie (What the Bachelor Gets) kept me on my toes!” ~ USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Lynn Barrett
“In What the Heiress Wants, Kristina Knight writes a riveting story of corporate espionage and spying with delightful characters you find yourself rooting for and falling in love with.” ~ Sharon Cullen, USA Today Bestselling Author
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01LOIJPRA
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-the-gambler-risks-kristina-knight/1124576230?ean=9781440595806
iBook: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/what-the-gambler-risks/id1151585328?mt=11
KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/what-the-gambler-risks
EXCERPT:
“One more hand. Winner buys the loser a drink?”
She tilted her water bottle toward him. “I already have a drink.”
Jase snickered but was careful to keep the sound light and friendly. “That’s not a drink.” He lifted his glass of soda water with lime to his mouth. Most people wouldn’t consider the contents of his glass a real drink, either, but he rarely drank when he played. Alcohol and cards did not mix well in Jase’s opinion. “What do you have to lose?” he pressed.
“We’ll see,” she said, not meeting his gaze directly, and he was 75 percent positive she was on her way to a yes.
The dealer switched decks and then dealt the cards. Jase had random cards in his hands, but he didn’t care. The woman studied her hand, one manicured nail tapping against the cards. Considering.
“Twenty,” she said, throwing a chip on the table.
“Raise to forty,” Jase said, tossing two chips on the table. The best plan of attack when the cards in his hand were useless was to make her think he held something amazing. He didn’t bluff in real card games, but despite her two wins, he didn’t peg this woman as a true card player. If she were a regular player, she wouldn’t be so transparent about what she held in her hands.
The woman blinked, and her teeth began nibbling at her lower lip.
“Are you in?” he asked, a bit more forcefully than was necessary.
Her finger tapped faster against the cards in her hand. “I’ll take three,” she said and slid three cards to the dealer.
As soon as her new cards were in her hands, Jase said, “I’ll stand.” And he stacked his worthless cards with all the careless confidence he used in high-stakes games around the globe. The kind of confidence that made big-time, big-money gamblers think twice about going against him in the second betting round.
The woman circled her index finger around her remaining green chip, considering her options. Call, take the gamble, lose, and have a drink with him. Of course, it would take a truly pitiful hand to lose to what he held. She could fold and have a drink with him. She could also call his bluff and, depending on the cards in her own hand, win. He didn’t like the thought of her winning, but if her winning at the table landed the two of them at the bar, was it really a loss for him?
“Call,” she said, and Jase felt a wave of admiration for his opponent. Which was not good, because if she was calling she had to have something in her hand, and he had a big, fat zero. Which meant she would win. Jase didn’t like to lose, especially at poker, not even when it was a friendly game instead of a high-stakes match with thousands of dollars to lose.
She laid down her cards: three queens, a two, and a ten.
“Three of a kind. Nice.”
“I was hoping for a full house.”
“I was hoping you’d fold, so I could buy you that drink,” he said and laid his cards—all four suits, random order—on the table.
“Nice bluff, I almost folded.”
“If it had been a better bluff, you would have folded.” He watched her for a moment across the table. “Now you have to buy me the drink; all in all, not a bad night at the table.”
The woman pushed back from the table, pulling the pot in the middle to her side. Jase pocketed the chips he had left in his stack. “I never agreed to that bed,” she said, and her hands stilled over the chips. Her gaze flicked to his, and despite the dim light, he saw the flush that crept over her cheeks.
“And here I thought we were just talking about a drink. I have to tell you, I’m not the kind of guy to go off to a strange woman’s hotel room after a lousy hand of poker,” he said with mock outrage.
“Bet. I meant bet.”
Author Bio:
Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police–no, she wasn’t a troublemaker, she was a journalist. Her career took her all over the United States, writing about everything from a serial killer’s capture to the National Finals Rodeo. Along the way, she found her very own Knight in Shining Cowboy Boots and an abiding love for romance novels. And just like the characters from her favorite books, she’s living her own happily ever after.
Kristina writes sassy contemporary romance novels; her books have appeared on Kindle Best Seller Lists. She loves hearing from readers, so drop her a line!
Author Links:
Website: http://www.kristinaknightauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kristinaknightromanceauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorkristina
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/authorkristina/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5827833.Kristina_Knight
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+KristinaKnightAuthor/posts
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kristina-Knight/e/B0081LO6DM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
by Angela Smith | May 13, 2016 | Guests
Tangled Up In You by A.L. Vincent
Fleur de Lis Series; Book 1
258 Pages
Release Date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Blurb:
Emily Breaux’s abusive, alcoholic husband keeps drinking away her dreams…
When he cleans out their bank account once too often, Emily packs her meager belongings and returns to her hometown of Bon Chance, Louisiana. Surrounded by the love and support of a group of old friends—collectively known as The Boonies—she’s determined to change her life and open her own catering company.
Contractor Noah Devereaux wants to help Emily rebuild more than just her family home…
Noah is an Iraq war veteran and fighting his own battle with PTSD, and he feels he has little to offer anyone. His nightmares and panic attacks leave him exhausted and on edge, yet he can’t help but find solace in Emily’s quiet presence.
Everyone has dreams, but it takes more than a wish to make them come true…
Emily struggles night and day to scrape together the money to start her business, but this doesn’t stop her friendship with Noah from blooming into something much more. He’s always there to cheer her on, and she’s his bit of tranquility for untangling his troubled mind.
It turns out starting over isn’t easy. Was coming back to Bon Chance a horrible mistake, a sign of failing to make it in the larger world?
But all her friends have returned as well, so maybe—just maybe—having the courage to go back to the beginning will prove the ingredients for a life of love and happiness have been waiting here all along…
Purchase Links:
*Available in Kindle Unlimited
Meet A.L. Vincent ~
A.L. Vincent is a teacher/writer who lives in the heart of Cajun Country. Born in Oklahoma, A.L. became fascinated with South Louisiana after reading Interview With the Vampire. Finally, she became a Cajun transplant in 2001. When not getting lost in a storyline, A.L. can be found cooking or enjoying live local music. A.L. has one son, and a furball of a dog aptly named Furby.
Connect with A.L.~
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by Angela Smith | May 11, 2016 | Guests
Dangerous Secrets by Abbie Zanders
Callaghan Brothers Series, Book 1
356 Pages
Published: November 20, 2014
Published by: Abbie Zanders
Blurb:
Two secret pasts… one passionate love story.
Taryn Malone is stranded, broke, and desperate for help. But even if the sexy bartender she’s been eyeing offers her a job for the evening… even if he seduces her with his impossibly intense blue eyes… even if every fiber of her heart tells her to stay with him… she can’t.
Because Taryn Malone doesn’t exist.
Jake Callaghan has been running the family’s Irish pub for years now. When he sees Taryn standing out alone in the rain, he does what he’s been trained to do as a SEAL – he rescues her. It has nothing to do with her full, firm curves, or her loose, golden-blonde hair, or the way she brushes against him that sends lightning bolts through his body. It’s just the right thing to do.
Really.
But both Taryn and Jake are hiding secrets from each other. Dangerous secrets. And neither one of them knows just how dangerous it can be to fall in love…
Purchase Links:
Excerpt:
Taryn felt instantly at home in the Pub. She’d spent most of the last eight years working in one just like it. Unofficially, of course, but no one ever questioned it and that kind of thing had never really mattered to Charlie.
It gave her an idea.
It took some effort to get to the bar, but not all of it was unpleasant. With the level of noise and density of the ebullient crowd, Taryn quickly discovered the most effective method for making forward progress was a well-placed hand in a strategic location. By the time the men turned to see who had taken such liberties, Taryn had disappeared once again.
It was the younger guy who spotted her first. A brief raise of his eyebrows and a flickering glance toward the window was followed by a dazzling smile. “So she is courageous as well as beautiful,” he said, handing two filled mugs to the man on her right. “What’s your pleasure?”
Taryn returned his smile with one equally devastating. It was a skill she had mastered years earlier. She also let her eyes linger on his lips just a second longer than necessary as she ran her tongue lightly across her lip. Ian’s eyes flashed. Gotcha.
God bless the male sex, they were so easily baited. “You’re very busy tonight.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, leaning against the bar as if there weren’t two dozen people around her vying for his attention. “A little.”
“Looks like you could use another bartender.”
Ian’s grin widened. “You offering?”
“Oi, Ian,” called Jake. “What the – ” Jake stopped when he saw who had captured his brother’s undivided attention.
“She says she can help out behind the bar,” Ian informed him with a grin.
“Is that right?” Jake walked over, gathering a few orders along the way. “You tend?”
She nodded, her smile fading a little. This was the man who had pinned her with his gaze through the window. He was much bigger close-up. Definitely related to the younger guy, but infinitely more intense. Harder. She suppressed a shiver. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
* * *
The closer Jake got to her, the stranger he felt. He likened it to an electrical current flowing through his body, which, unfortunately, he had experienced. Comparatively speaking, this instance was much more pleasant.
Who had eyes like that? Layered, like a custom paint job. If he had to guess, he’d say her eyes were purplish with a couple of clear coats of smoky gray on top, the exact hue of the sky moments before a summer thunderstorm. It had to be a trick of the lights, though, because no one could actually have eyes like that. Thankfully, there was no trace of the haunted look he’d seen earlier, making him think he might have imagined it.
“What was that last order?” he asked, locking his blue gaze with hers.
“Excuse me?”
“The last order I took. What was it?” He fixed her with a level gaze.
“Oh, come on, Jake,” began Ian, but Jake ignored him.
The woman took a breath. He knew, because his eyes were drawn to the subtle rise and fall of the nicely-endowed chest peeking through that jacket.
“Two pints of Killian, one Irish coffee, a Baileys and cream no ice, and two fingers of Grey Goose with a splash of lime.”
The corners of Jake’s mouth twitched. “What’s the secret to pulling a good draft?”
She appeared to consider his question for a moment, then leaned forward. Jake mimicked the movement, putting his ear within inches of her lips. Even with all the noise, Jake had no trouble hearing her low, quiet-toned answer. “Giving it just the right amount of head.”
The twitch became a full-fledged grin.
It was a crazy idea. Jake didn’t tolerate just anybody behind his bar. But he was desperate. Plus, for some strange reason, he liked the idea of having her back with him instead of out in the rowdy crowd. Quite a few of the men were already looking at her as if she was a tasty snack. He rationalized the impulse by telling himself he wasn’t doing it for her or even him, for that matter; having someone like that behind the bar was simply good for business.
“Right,” he said. “You’re hired. Get your ass back here.”
The smile she gave him lit up the entire room, but it quickly faded when she tried to move. He understood the problem immediately: to get where he was, she would have to cross the length of the long bar and around the other end, which, given the current mob, would take about half an hour. She looked at him helplessly.
“Oi, Big John!” Jake barked. “A little help for my new barmaid, please.”
A huge, bearded man shifted next to her; plate-sized hands circled her waist and she was suddenly suspended over the bar. A host of cheers and catcalls went up in the immediate vicinity as Jake grabbed her out of the air and brought her down on the other side.
Jake was stricken by yet another strange sensation as his hands closed around her waist. It was like hitting the sweet spot on a baseball bat, or releasing the perfect three-point shot, knowing it was going to be a total swish without even having to look. And his thumbs didn’t skim the underside of her breasts. They didn’t. Because if they did, he’d have to think about how full and firm they were against his fingers, and that would be bad…
Meet Abbie Zanders~
Abbie Zanders was born and raised in Northeastern Pennsylvania, USA. With degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics, she has worked for more than twenty-five years as a software engineer, designing and writing financial applications, though she has also held second jobs as a deli clerk, pub waitress, restaurant baker, and secretary. She has been crafting stories since elementary school, though she has only recently decided to start sharing them with others. She is a very busy wife, mother of three teenagers (including a set of identical twins). Besides being an avid reader and writer, she also loves animals (especially big dogs), classic muscle cars, and 80’s hair bands.
Connect with Abbie~
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by Angela Smith | May 9, 2016 | Guests
Wed to a SEAL by Cat Johnson
Hot SEALs Series
180 Pages
Published: April 12, 2016
Published by: Cat Johnson
Blurb:
In his career as a Navy SEAL, Rocky Mangiano has been called a Jersey boy, and a Yankee, and a few other choice names he shouldn’t repeat in mixed company, but never in his life has anyone called him daddy.
If the bundle of joy he finds on the doorstep is any indication, things are about to change and he has no clue what to do about it.
When the baby’s single mother enters the picture things get even more crazy, but given the fringe benefits that come along with the complications of their marriage of convenience, Rocky’s not complaining. Not one little bit.
Purchase Links:
Excerpt:
The distant sound of the doorbell ringing filtered out to the deck. Rick leaned forward in his chair and peered through the sliding glass door. “Who the hell could that be? Chris and Brody couldn’t be back in town yet, and everybody else is already here.”
Jon shrugged. “Maybe Darci or Ali asked somebody from work.”
“Or maybe it’s Grant. You said you called him too, right?” Thom reminded Rick.
“Yeah, I did. But he was having trouble getting the wife onboard with the plan.” Rick hoisted his large frame from the chair and stood. “I guess we’ll soon find out.”
“Rick!” Darci’s shout came from inside the house. “Get in here. Now!”
“What the hell is wrong with her?” Rick drew his brows low as he moved to open the door.
Rocky watched Rick go into the house, curious but not enough to get him out of his chair. It seemed the other guys felt the same. Jon and Thom stayed put as well.
“What the hell?” That exclamation from Rick propelled the men into action.
They all stood at once. Jon was the first to get to the door. He stopped dead, blocking Thom and Rocky’s entry and their view.
“Holy shit. Whose is that?” At Jon’s question, Rocky couldn’t take it any longer.
He edged past the blockage and finally got a look past Jon at what all the cursing was about.
A car seat containing a baby sat in the center of the dining room table. And surrounding the table were three very unhappy looking women.
Darci crossed her arms. “That’s exactly what I’d like to know.”
“Zane’s maybe?” Rick lifted one shoulder. “He was a real dog before he got together with Missy.”
The usually lovely and perfectly composed Sierra Cox, who’d Rocky had never seen up close and personal before, didn’t look as if she was buying it.
“One problem with that theory. Zane doesn’t live here,” Sierra pointed out.
Darci nodded. “But you do, Rick.”
Uh oh. It looked like Rick was in big trouble as both his girlfriend and his sister presented a united front against him.
Rick stood his ground and leveled a gaze at his girlfriend. “The problem with that circumstantial evidence is that before you I lived like a monk. So no, it’s not mine.”
Darci glanced at Sierra. “That is true. He like never dated. Ever.”
Rick scowled. “Thanks, Sis. And might I remind you that you live here too? Maybe this is about you.”
Darci lifted a brow. “I think I’d know if I had a baby, Rick.”
“I didn’t mean you. I’m talking about Chris.”
Rocky watched wide-eyed as Rick threw Chris Cassidy, Darci’s boyfriend, under the bus.
He’d worked with Chris on this last op in Nigeria. He was a good man and all evidence indicated he’d been a good SEAL before he’d retired and joined Jon’s team on GAPS.
Darci visibly paled at her brother’s accusation. Meanwhile the baby, already squirming in the seat, began to wail. The noise only seemed to ramp up the tension in the room.
Rocky didn’t feel right standing by silently. If Chris’s friends and former teammates didn’t defend him, he would. “Hey, now. Let’s not make any assumptions. Chris isn’t here to defend himself.”
No one made a move toward the baby and the screaming went on. It probably went on for less than a minute but it felt like an eternity. A crying baby was one of those sounds that grated on the nerves pretty fast.
Finally Jon’s girlfriend Ali stepped forward. “For goodness sake. If no one is going to pick up the poor child, I will.”
Instinct and training kicked in for Rocky. The enemy wouldn’t think twice about wiring a baby seat to explode.
He took one step forward. “No!”
Almost simultaneously, Jon shouted, “Ali, don’t!”
Rick ran for Sierra and shoved both her and Darci into the kitchen as Thom threw both forearms up to shield his own face.
All of them had to be thinking the same thing.
They’d all been in too many hellholes in the world where US forces would go to investigate a body or help a person, only to be blown to bits when they got close.
Heart pounding, Rocky watched Ali release the buckle and slide her hands beneath the crying baby’s arms.
The whole scene seemed to move in slow motion. She lifted the baby from the car seat before Jon got to her.
Seconds ticked by in the surreal way they do when adrenaline is pounding through the bloodstream during a crisis. But the explosion never came.
Ali frowned at Jon. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Get into the other room.” Jon shoved Ali and the baby toward the kitchen doorway, where Rick had already pushed Sierra and Darci.
Once she was clear of the immediate area, Jon bent low to peer beneath the car seat on the table. Rocky stepped forward to join him.
Sad but true, the innocent-looking baby seat could be wired with explosives. The fact they were standing in Rick’s dining room in Virginia in the good old United States didn’t matter. ISIS was here in America. That was a proven fact.
“What do you think?” Rocky asked Jon.
“Hell if I know.” Jon glanced up to Thom. “Get over here. You have kids. You’re the only one who knows what this thing is supposed to look like.”
Thom stepped forward and bent low too, the three of them squinting at a contraption that looked innocuous enough—to a person who hadn’t spent the last decade of their life searching for threats around every turn and beneath every rock.
Darci peeked past Rick’s bulk as he blocked the women in the kitchen. “You guys are ridiculous.”
Rick scowled. “Darci, be quiet and let us figure out what’s going on.”
“How about you read that note that fell out of the blanket when Ali picked up the baby? Maybe it will give you men folk a clue while us helpless women hide in the kitchen.”
Darci’s statement about a note had Rocky tearing his gaze away from the seat. He searched the area beneath the table. Sure enough a paper was resting on the carpet by Jon’s feet.
Jon bent to pick it up. He lifted a brow and then glanced up. “Rocky?”
“Yeah?”
“It seems this delivery is for you.”
Rocky’s eyes flew wide. “What?”
Thom leaned closer to Jon to inspect the paper. “Yup. Says Rocky right there on it, plain as day. Dude, what have you been doing?”
Meet Cat Johnson~
It all started in first grade when Cat Johnson won the essay contest at Hawthorne Elementary School and got to ride in the Chief of Police’s car in the Memorial Day Parade…and the rest, as they say, is history.
As an adult, Cat generally tries to stay out of police cars and is thrilled to be writing for a living. She has been published under a different name in the Young Adult genre, but released her first romance in 2006.
Today, she is a NY Times & USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of contemporary romance and contracted with Kensington and Samhain Publishing. She’s also sponsored real live bull riding cowboys.
Connect with Cat~
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by Angela Smith | May 8, 2016 | Guests
Embrace the Night by Caridad Pineiro
Take A Chance Series; Book 6
56 Pages
Published: November 11, 2015
Published by: Caridad Pineiro
Blurb:
For the first time in nearly two years he felt normal again . . .
Army brat Zack Taylor had spent his early life going from one place to the next, losing his home and friends with every move until he decided it was just easier to be alone. Despite that, Zack has no hesitation in following in his father’s footsteps and going the ROTC route for college. He has no hesitation in going back for his wounded team members after they are attacked during a mission. His dedication to his men nearly cost him his life when a nearby explosion wounds him and shears off part of his leg. For the last two years, Zack has been rebuilding his life and finding out that being a loner is no fun. Especially not when he’s caught the eye of sexy Samantha Whittaker whose gaze is filled with passion, laughter, and the shadows of pain.
She is fighting hard to ignore the obvious invitation in his determined gaze . . .
Lieutenant Commander Samantha Whittaker is just not interested in getting involved. At least not until she can deal with the wounds left behind by her stint as a prisoner of war. Physically and mentally abused, it has taken her years to find some stability and independence in her life. Giving in to the much younger and enticing Army vet will
challenge that hard won freedom. But Zack’s persistence and caring are wearing her down until she considers that maybe it’s time to embrace all that he can offer, even if it’s only for one night of passion.
Buy Links:
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Zack Taylor sped across the waves, fighting for balance atop the surfboard. Awkward at first, but gaining stability as he adjusted his legs into a wider stance and bent his knees.
He rode the wave as far as he could and then kicked out, sending the board flying in one direction while he sank into the cool water. As he rose to the surface, the familiar pull of the leash registered on his leg and he swam toward the board so he could climb back on.
Grabbing the rails of the board, he slid across the surface, but thumped one edge with his prosthetic leg as he struggled to get on. The surfboard swayed side-to-side with the sudden imbalance before he steadied it.
A little shaky, but it felt awesome to finally be able to go surfing again.
It almost felt like flying, he thought as he paddled out to wait for another set of waves.
Surfing was one of the few things he’d missed when his family had moved from place to place during his dad’s Army service. He had picked up the sport when his dad had been stationed close to the Delaware beaches and he’d kept surfing any time that their latest deployment had been near the ocean.
Even during his tours of duty, he would find a way to surf if a beach was nearby. There was something about the ocean and its vastness with which he identified. Sitting there, in that great aloneness, waiting for just the right wave, suited him.
As an Army brat, he’d been alone for most of his life. Except for family, of course.
It had just been too difficult to make friends and then lose them every time his dad transferred to a different base.
Surfing had gifted him with something else: Patience.
He’d learned it was far better to bide his time to earn a perfect ride then hurry up and wipe out in a bad wave.
When he reached the spot where a few other surfers waited for the next set, he sat up and straddled the board, his legs dangling over the edge. Well, his one leg and three quarters of his left with the durable prosthetic. He floated there, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the wash of the water all around him.
Enjoying life and appreciating just how fragile it could be.
It had taken him a long time to get to this point. To get past the pain and anger at his loss and be thankful that it hadn’t been worse. To be grateful for the path on which he’d been set that had brought him here.
He gazed back toward the shore and to the growing crowd of people on the beach. He could make out his boss and friend Mark Smith and his wife Bridget as Mark hauled the volleyball equipment down to the sand. Following them like baby ducks chasing after their mother were another group of his friends. His work buddy and former Navy Seal Rafe Castillo and his wife Elena. Marine Lieutenant Trevor Mason and Maggie Sullivan, Bridget’s younger sister, visiting again from New York City.
His friends.
It was weird to say that after the many years that he hadn’t had any.
And he knew that chances were that Samantha would be joining them soon.
Lieutenant Commander Samantha Whittaker.
She’d snared his attention the very first time he’d joined Mark and his wife at one of these gatherings and later again at the other parties held by the many veterans who lived along this stretch of the Jersey Shore.
He’d be lying if he said that it had been anything other than a rockin’ hot bod and stunning face that had made him take notice the first time. But it hadn’t taken him long to see past her beauty to the strong and smart woman inside. One who laughed often, but whose gaze was shadowed by pain.
He wondered a lot about what had put the darkness there and what would drive it away.
He also wondered if he’d misread something else in that gaze: Desire.
He thought he’d seen it after the first couple of times that they’d talked. A hesitant half glance and that look that said she maybe wanted more, but was afraid to say so.
Which puzzled him considering the kind of woman she was.
Independent. Determined. Capable.
Ex-Navy, she was now in the Coast Guard and used to dealing with men on all levels.
He’d thought she’d be a little more direct about what she wanted.
But then again, maybe he could be a little more direct as well.
He wanted to get to know her better. Emotionally. Physically.
The latter thought made his gut twist painfully.
He glanced down at lefty and wondered what she would think when she realized. How she would handle the revelation. Would she not care or shy away?
Fuck that, he thought.
Today was going to be a day for firsts.
His first time surfing in two years.
His first time asking a woman out since he’d been wounded.
Maybe even another first if they hit it off.
A man could dream after all, he thought and as the ocean surged beneath him, he flattened onto the board and paddled into the wave.
As he caught it just right, he popped to his feet and flew toward shore, smiling all the way.
Meet Caridad Pineiro~
NY Times and USA Today Bestseller Caridad Pineiro is a Jersey Girl who writes romantic suspense, military romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and vampire suspense.
Caridad loves to travel, cook, and spend time with family & friends. Caridad is the author of nearly 50 novels/novellas. Caridad writes dark and sexy novels and novellas for those who live to love on the edge. Her sweet, but still naughty side, Charity Pineiro, writes contemporary romances packed with emotion and humor.
You can also find her here:
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