Category Archives: New Releases

Cover reveal, New Releases, Novellas, Romance

COVER REVEAL ~ Defy (The Kings of Retribution MC) by Crystal Daniels and Sandy Alvarez

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Title: Defy
Series: The Kings of Retribution MC Novella
Author: Crystal Daniels and Sandy Alvarez
Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: May 1, 2018

 


 

THE SMALLEST OF MIRACLES CAN HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT
Defying everything life has thrown at them Logan and Bella’s love is unwavering and stronger than ever.
They have everything…almost.
Both long for more; Dream of creating a family of their own.
Sometimes their smiles and laughter are a mask-hiding struggle, heartbreak, and pain.
Logan and Bella’s story comes full circle when family and friends unite.
Giving them hope, and proving the true meaning of undaunted.

 

   

We are sisters who both share a passion for books. Our obsession for bad boys, alpha males, angst, romance, hot, sexy, and happily ever after has lead us on a journey, a dream to not only read all the incredible stories we love so much, but to write one of our own. 

Both born in Illinois, then moved to Wyoming, were we spent part of our childhood before moving to Mississippi.

Crystal lives in Pearl Mississippi with her husband of twenty-one years, two sons and their two dogs.

Sandy lives in Brandon Mississippi with her husband of eleven years, and four kids.

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RELEASE DAY! ~ Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan (excerpt INSIDE!!)

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Title: Long Shot
Author: Kennedy Ryan
Genre: Basketball Romance
Release Date: March 22, 2018
Read the ENTIRE first chapter here → http://bit.ly/LongShotChapterRev

“This story was brutal truth wrapped in hope, courage and unflinching love. It’s a must read. It’s a STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND READ THIS NOW kind of book. Don’t hold your breath, this story will steal it from you.” – J. Sterling, NYT Bestselling Author

A FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA…Think you know what it’s like being a baller’s girl?
You don’t.
My fairy tale is upside down.
A happily never after.
I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.
I was a fool, and his love – fool’s gold.
Now there’s a new player in the game, August West.
One of the NBA’s brightest stars.
Fine. Forbidden.
He wants me. I want him.
But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won’t let me go.
​
*Author’s Note: There are aspects of this story that may be sensitive for some readers.

“Iris?” August’s frown, the concern on his face, in his voice, remind me where I am. “Baby, you okay?”
            I blink down at him dumbly, swallowing my tears, eating my memories whole and digesting a nightmare from long ago. I nod, my lips a cold, wobbly curve.
            “Kiss me,” he whispers, his eyes so tender, so intent.
I remember a magical night under the stars, under a streetlight on the eve of greatness. A night filled with laughter and confidences, pregnant with promise. And I see him so clearly, my prince, asking for a kiss.
And I do.
I kiss him like the world might end tonight because I’ll never take this for granted. Not his kindness, when I’ve known cruelty all too well. Not his tenderness, when I’ve been handled roughly in the past. Not his love, when I’ve been possessed and owned and mistreated.
He thaws me with his kiss, my prince, and I melt into him. We’re chest to chest, with August’s number crushed between us. I take his cock in my hand, aligning our bodies, and two become one in a carnal slide of flesh. I anchor myself by my elbows hooked around his neck, and we kiss until I’m dizzy and our breaths tangle in a cloud of bliss. Under the jersey, his palm spans my back, digging into the naked flesh as our hips lock and roll and grind. My body clenches around him, and we pray, we curse, we moan, we mate like our bodies were made for this moment.
Ours is a love that reimagines—that peels back the sky at high noon searching for the stars, collecting them like shells in a bucket. We bathe in stardust, drink from the Milky Way, and dance on the moon. We pierce the firmament, peer into infinity, and tread on time and space. There is no before. There is no after. Now gives birth to forever. This moment may die, but this love never will. Time is not a line. It’s a circle, and we, August and Iris, we stand at the center.
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Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.

She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as a voice for families living with autism.

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RELEASE BLITZ! ~ Breech’s Fall by DD Galvani

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Title: Breech’s Fall
Series: Devils Wind MC
Author: D.D. Galvani
Genre: MC Romance
Release Date: March 21, 2018
From the moment Jiji steps foot inside the Devil’s Wind clubhouse, Breech can’t get her out of his head. She’s beautiful, smart and sassy-all things that drive Breech’s need to its breaking point. But she’s not for him. She’s his best friend Fighter’s little sister. He can’t hit it and quit it with Jiji, like he does the others. Either he’s all in or Fighter will have his balls.

Jiji knows exactly what kind of man Breech is and no matter what kind of fire he sets off in her lady parts, she has no intentions of getting mixed up with him and becoming another one, of the many women, he leaves in his wake. She has goals she’s working towards and the world of bikers doesn’t fit in with what she has planned.

But when trouble comes knocking and Jiji finds herself in a terrifying situation, it’s Breech and the Devil’s Wind that must step in to save her. She just hopes they make it in time.

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D.D. Galvani was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She moved to Florida in 2002 and lives there today with her husband of 37 years. She has two children and one beloved grand daughter whom she spoils as much as she can. She is an avid reader and crafter and decided to put those two loves together and Swag by NaNa was born. After working around author’s for a few years, she asked a couple to look at a story she had written and was blown away that they liked it. They pushed her to finish it and her first novel Fighter’s Claim, an MC romance came to be. She writes strong alpha males and sassy intelligent women. Welcome to her world!

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RELEASE DAY!!! ~ I Need by Ella Fox

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Title: I Need

Series: Enamorado Book 3 
Author: Ella Fox
Genre: Contemporary (standalone)
Release Date: March 18, 2018


She’s single and not ready to mingle.

After the end of a months-long relationship with Mr. All Wrong, Emery Bellerose isn’t looking for love. In fact, it’s the farthest thing from her mind.

With the paparazzi camped outside of her house she has no choice but to stay next door with the new neighbors. That’s when Emery meets the man who makes her feel things she never knew she could.

He’s alone and wants to keep it that way.

Four years ago Spanish heartthrob Rafael Cruz’s life crashed and burned in a way he’s never recovered from. With his ability to trust obliterated he vowed to stay single and unattached forever. 

But you know what they say about best-laid plans.

What’s supposed to be an uneventful family vacation in Malibu becomes a game changer thanks to Elvis, the meddling peacock no one realizes is playing matchmaker.




 

“You’ve already got one peacock, Emery—there is no need for another. What you need is a man.”

 

The intensity in his gaze heated my blood. I bit my lip as I cocked my head to the side. “Are you applying for the job?” I asked.
“I am,” he said. Sitting up straight, he leaned in closer and slid his hand behind my neck.
There was a rightness to the way he held me, something I’d never known could be felt between two people. His hand cupping the back of my neck gave me all of the feels— as did the sensation of his warm breath against my lips as he hovered above me. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he held still, and I realized he was waiting for me to give him the green light. I nodded once, my stomach fluttering at the relieved smile he gave before he kissed me.
Obviously I’d been kissed before, but when Rafael was the one doing it I realized I’d never been kissed well. I’d never felt more treasured than I did with one of his hands at the back of my neck while the other cupped my cheek. I raised my hands to his shoulders, sliding one around the back of his neck as he deepened the kiss. The first touch of his tongue against mine was electric, so much more than I’d ever known the act of kissing could feel like.
The heat and taste of him was so incredible that I couldn’t contain a moan as his tongue glided against mine. I shifted forward in an effort to be closer to him as my right hand trailed from his shoulder to his abdomen. The fingers on my left hand were busy running through his silky hair and still, I wanted more contact. I tried to get closer but without stopping the kiss, there was no way— and I damn sure wasn’t stopping. Either he sensed my frustration or he felt the same because the next thing I knew he’d dropped his hands to my waist. He lifted me up and into his lap like I weighed nothing, then groaned low in his throat as our upper bodies connected.

 




Ella Fox is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Consequences of Deception, The Hart Family series & many other sexy and exciting books. 

Ella is an avid reader, lover of music and all around goofball. She grew up loving to read. That’s not surprising considering the fact that her mom is USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Halliday!

In 2016 Ella began publishing insta-love novellas under the pen name Evie Harrison.

Stay up to date with Ella by LIKING her on Facebook- she gives a ton of stuff away that you won’t want to miss! 



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RELEASE TOUR! ~ Dirty Blue by N.E. Henderson

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Title: Dirty Blue
Series: Dirty Justice Trilogy
Author: N.E. Henderson

 

Genre: Romance – Contemporary | New Adult | Suspense

 

Release Date: March 20, 2018
D R A G O A C E R B I

I’ve known his name a long time. You’d have to live under a rock not to know of the heartless and cruel reputation the Acerbi family has established. They are monsters cloaked in suits and ties, or so my colleagues in blue have said. Being on the job, you quickly learn to watch your back, trust no one, and as much as I hate to admit this, sometimes that includes a fellow badge.
But to want to kill your own child for being born? Now that’s monstrous. Unjust. And something I will not stand for. I’ll take him down before I allow an innocent to be harmed.
Even if that means not only taking on the most dangerous family in Southern California but bringing down the drug lord they’re in bed with too.


Excerpt from Chapter 9


“If you’re here to nag me, please leave. I’m not dealing with your cop shit today.”
“Why not? I would think the sooner you answer my questions, show me anything I want to see, be honest with me, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair. I’d have thought that would be something you would want. Don’t you want to prove your innocence?”
“You don’t have shit on me and we both know it. If you did, I’d be in handcuffs, but I’m not, am I?” It’s not a question he wants a response to and he doesn’t stop to let me give one even if I wanted to. “You think I’m dirty, your boss thinks I am, so what? I don’t give a shit, Bri. You’re not going to find anything because there is nothing to find.”
“I don’t think you’re dirty,” I defend myself, quicker than I realize what’s coming out of my mouth. Sure, it’s my job to find the evidence if it exists, but my gut has known from the day I met him he wasn’t dirty. And I don’t think he’s a drug smuggler. I do think he’s keeping something a secret, but I don’t think that’s it. Something isn’t right about this case. I’ve felt that since my interview with Gabriel’s mother.
“Then why are you here if it isn’t to dig up something you think I’m dirty of doing?”
I move, taking a step into the room, getting closer to him and not for a professional reason. His remark hit something inside me and not in a good way.
“D,” I sigh, taking another step. “This is my job. A case that involves you was assigned to me. My job is to determine if there is any validation to the accusation against you. I am going to be thorough in this investigation whether you like it or not.” I tap my index finger on his desk to drive my point home. “But at no point”—my own anger starts to seep out of my voice—“did I ever give you the impression I thought you were dirty.”
I’m getting mad and I’ve never shown emotions or lost my composure on the job before. The fact that I am now, with him, is only agitating me.
His dark eyes cut away from me, but I see the moment his temper takes a step back. After another second, he looks down.
“The first day we met, you told me you thought I had an illegal business relationship with Diaz.” His eyes glide up. “Are you saying that’s changed? You no longer think I’m in bed with the Mexican Devil?”
This is what I didn’t need. The lines between us are more blurred than I thought.
He’s right; I did say that. It was a tactic I often use. A tactic I wanted to work on him, but it didn’t.
My knee touches one of his, startling the both of us. I didn’t even realize I’d moved this close. I’m too close and I shouldn’t be in his personal space. I know better, yet I’m not taking a step away.
“I’ve heard a lot of things about your family, mostly of your father through others on the force, but I never believe anything as truth until it’s proven. Until I see it for myself.” I place my palm on his shoulder. “The first day we met, something told me you weren’t bad, or dirty, as you said. I don’t judge without knowledge, without the truth, Drago. And right now, for some unknown reason, I don’t believe you’re guilty of all the accusations that have been made.”
The next thing I know, I’m in his arms and he’s out of his chair, standing. In a quick move, I’m placed down on his desk, on top of sheets of paper while his lips come down onto mine in such a soft manner it contradicts the aggressive way he just handled me.
I smile against his mouth, not able to hold my form to his. I like this way too much. Who knew rough and gentle could go together so well?
Still . . . This can’t happen. Again.
I go to put my hands on his chest to push him away, but he anticipates my action, quickly pushing them down. Drago then leans in closer to me, pushing my chest backward, making me strain to stay upright. His hand comes down on my dress pants, parting my thighs where it eats up the remaining space between us.
“Dra . . .” I try to say his name between our lips, but it comes out more like a moan when his other hand goes inside my suit jacket, cupping my waist.
Shit. I do not have a handle on this at all.
“D,” I finally get out, pulling away from him and successfully getting my hands on his chest, but when I push, he barely moves. Instead, he has my wrist in his hand, quickly pinning it to my back and holding me from falling at the same time. Next, my other wrist is in the hand that leaves my waist and before I know it, it’s also behind my back. A second later, my eyes widen at the realization that he’s cuffed me—with my own fucking handcuffs that were stashed between my back, clipped over my pants.
How the hell did he do that?
“What the fuck?”
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N. E. Henderson is the author of sexy, contemporary romance. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading some form of romance or in her Maverick playing in the dirt.

She was born and raised in Mississippi where she currently lives with her husband, son, and their Bull Terrier, Xena. She loves to hear from her readers so if you connect on social media or if you meet her at a signing you can call her Nancy.
When Nancy was way too young to watch shows like Knot’s Landing—which she was—she watched a mini-series called Lucky Chances and fell hard for a heroine from Jackie Collins Santangelo series. Years later . . . but not too many years later (in 8th grade), Nancy came across a book called Chances in a small vintage bookstore in her hometown. The rest is history. A love for reading was born.

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COVER REVEAL ~ Duke by Jax Hart

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Title: Duke
Author: Jax Hart
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 27, 2018
She’s his obsession.
He’s her downfall.
Raised in a remote town by men who would die for her, Shanna can’t wait to escape years of being babysat by the archaic mentality of the men her father’s MC. They live by a code. A code she’s done being part of.
But even in isolated places… there are people dying to take you down.
Duke and Shanna must decide if they are going to fight for their love or watch it crash and burn when both of them are forced to make choices they can’t come back from.
How far would you go for love?
Duke…
I stopped in on a whim to see the old dive bar where my old man used to spend his days–getting drunk with his boys from the MC. But when I walked in and saw her… I knew I would be back and not just for anot
her round, but to make Shanna mine. 
She’s asking for trouble teasing me the way that she does. 
She’s made a mistake.
A bad one.
I’m not like the pathetic boys at her college. I’m an ex-marine, and I’m gonna make my BAD GIRL pay. 
But I wasn’t expecting her to put up a fight. Taming her just might be the biggest battle I’ve faced yet, but I’m determined to make it the sweetest victory for us both.
She’s my angel, but I’m her devil. 
Together we’re gonna burn.


Jax Hart: Singer, a songwriter, living creatively through art. Dirty Romance author from the great state of Washington. Duke is his first full-length novel. He generally hates most people, plays the bass guitar, and enjoys camping trips with his son. 

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BOOK TOUR! ~ Hit Girl by Tia Louise

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Title: Hit Girl
Author: Tia Louise
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Thriller
Release Date: March 19, 2018
From USA Today bestselling author Tia Louise comes a thrilling tale of revenge.

My finest trick? 
Convincing you I’ve forgotten…

Names on a list.
Faces in a crowd.
One little girl.

They told me to get over it. 
I can’t do that. 
I want them to pay.

Every. 
Last. 
One.
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“A flawless work of art that speaks to every part of the human psyche.” -Amber, Goodreads


“Great writing. A great plot. Intriguing and well-developed characters. It was the whole package.” -Between the Bookends


“If you’re a lover of an awesome, suspenseful romance novel, HIT GIRL is absolutely for you!” -Becca’s reviews


“An action-packed, sexually fueled story of revenge, love and redemption.” -Beyond the Covers Blog

Tia Louise is the USA Today best-selling, award-winning author of When We Touch, the “Bright Lights,” “One to Hold,” and “Dirty Players” series, and co-author of the #4 Amazon bestseller The Last Guy.
After being a teacher, a book editor, a journalist, and finally a magazine editor, she started writing love stories and never stopped.
A lover of the beach, sexy romance, dark chocolate, and sparkling wine, Louise lives in the Midwest with her trophy husband, two teenage geniuses, and one grumpy cat.

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BLOG TOUR!! ~ Finding Solace by Sandy Alvarez and Crystal Daniels

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Title: Finding Solace
Series: The Kings of Retribution MC
Author: Crystal Daniels and Sandy Alvarez
Genre: MC Romance

Release Date: March 9, 2018

“Freaking Fantastic!” – S. Green
“So very swoon worthy!!!” – Heather Whitaker
“Entices the reader…” – Shortie424
“Found my new book boyfriend ❤” – Brianna Evans

A moment is all it takes to change your life forever.

 

Reid Carter—Road Captain for The Kings of Retribution MC.
He was born into the life.
A world where you live and play by your own rules.
Tragedy strikes, taking the life of his younger brother Noah leaving him to pick up the broken pieces.
Four years later he still wanders through his existence bitter and jaded by the hand he was dealt.
Until Mila and her daughter walk into his life making him feel whole again.

Single mother Mila Vaughn knows what it’s like to struggle every day. 
When her skills place her into the arms of outlaw biker Reid Carter;
Sheltering her heart from him proves more complicated than Mila prepared herself for.
Chaos finds its way to their hometown;
Reid will stop at nothing to protect the woman he wants and his future.


We are sisters who both share a passion for books. Our obsession for bad boys, alpha males, angst, romance, hot, sexy, and happily ever after has lead us on a journey, a dream to not only read all the incredible stories we love so much, but to write one of our own. 

Both born in Illinois, then moved to Wyoming, were we spent part of our childhood before moving to Mississippi.

Crystal lives in Pearl Mississippi with her husband of twenty-one years, two sons and their two dogs.

Sandy lives in Brandon Mississippi with her husband of eleven years, and four kids.

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BLOG TOUR! ~ Mr. So Wrong by R.C. Stephens

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Title: Mr. So Wrong
Author: R.C. Stephens
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 19, 2018

 


 

Albert Walsh the Third has spent over a decade running away from his past. With no job and nothing to lose, he goes on a spontaneous drive to visit his sister in the mountains of Colorado. The simple trip proves to be more than he bargained for.

 


 

Samantha Belmont is floating through life. She’s cast her dreams aside and now works on her papa’s ranch. One night, Sam is driving home in a snow storm after a hookup when she spots a car in a ditch and saves a man’s life. She doesn’t expect to develop feelings for the hot as hell stranger. Everything about him is wrong from his pointy shoes and fancy car to his age. Pushing him away would be the smart move.

Only Al can’t be pushed around anymore. Maybe it’s because she saved his life or maybe it’s because this cowgirl is completely different from every other woman he’s been with. 

Problem is Sam has secrets of her own. Secrets she doesn’t want Al to find out because if he did he’d run in the other direction. She pushes him away even though he melts her panties right off—literally. There is more than just her heart that needs protection. Al won’t give up fighting for the feisty cowgirl’s attention. Tempers will flare and hearts will be broken. And Sam’s plans to never settle down will be torched like the inferno of passion raging between them.


R.C. Stephens was born in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from York University with a master’s Degree in Political Science.

R.C. is an avid reader, so when she isn’t cooking for her clan or on her laptop writing, she’s snuggled tight with her Kindle devouring any romance novel she can. Okay, with the exception of Thursday nights. She makes time for Scandal and Vampire Diaries. She’s a fan of drama and suspense but she’s also a sucker for a happy ending.

Her husband was her first teenage love. They live together with their three children in Toronto. Loving Canadian winters she could never think of living anywhere else.

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HAPPY RELEASE DAY! ~ The Backup Plan by Jen Mclaughlin (EXCERPT inside!)

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I’m beyond help…

I threw a football before I could walk. Everything in my life revolved around football–and I loved every second. I was a star. Until, suddenly…I wasn’t. Now everyone thinks I’m the monster who killed his best friend. I’m an outcast on campus, silent and alone. Then Taylor Selmer walks back into my life. When will she learn–I’m beyond saving.

I need to save him…

Chase and I used to be friends. But after the accident, nothing was the same. We used to have something special–until we didn’t. But he doesn’t smile anymore. Doesn’t talk. Doesn’t play. It hurts me to see him this way, and I will do everything I can to get him back in the game. Whether he likes it or not.

Purchase Link: https://entangledpublishing.com/the-backup-plan.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38492056-the-backup-plan

  

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About Jen McLaughlin:

Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of sexy books with Penguin Random House. Under her pen name, Diane Alberts, she is also a USA TODAY bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, hit the New York Times, USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Jen’s Media Links:

Author Website: www.dianealberts.com

Author Blog: www.dianealberts.com

Author Twitter: http://twitter.com/DianeAlberts

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6/

Author Street Team/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/501457736573962/

Author Instagram: @jenmclaughlin66

 

 

Excerpt from THE BACKUP PLAN:

The door opened…making me fall backward into Chase’s pitch-black room. When I landed against something hard and naked, arms closed around me without hesitation.

A palm brushed my right breast, sending a wave of awareness shooting through me. I tried not to think about that, though.

Guys were nothing but trouble.

I had bigger plans than falling for a smooth talker with bright eyes and a fake smile who would do nothing but distract me. Once I managed to regain my balance, I spun on my heel and looked at him.

The room behind him was dark, but the hallway illuminated his hotness. And once it did? I wished I hadn’t looked at all.

He stood in the doorway, looking completely unfazed by the fact that he’d basically just felt me up, and glowered at the guy in the hallway. He was shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats. His chest was hard and chiseled, and his abs…yeah. I wasn’t gonna touch upon those for the sake of my own sanity.

Waxing poetic over his abs wasn’t part of my job description.

“Uh, hey…” the guy in the hallway said, trailing off after a feeble attempt at pretending he hadn’t been talking crap about him moments before.

Chase’s green eyes met mine before focusing on the guy in the hall again. His sharp cheekbones were the same as I remembered, and so was his short brown hair. He used to have dimples in his cheeks when he smiled, which had softened the harsh lines of his face and given him a softer appeal, but I had no idea if they still existed since he hadn’t smiled at me yet. Or…at anyone all day. Had he forgotten how?

He said nothing. Just stared the other guy down.

Even I had to admit his stony silence was impressive.

Of course, he kind of reminded me of his dad right now, something he probably wouldn’t like. Or would he? I had no clue.

“I didn’t mean to…” The guy backed up, his face pale, and looked back at me. “She a friend of yours?”

Chase didn’t answer him. He just motioned me inside, his jaw ticking ever so slightly. When I didn’t move fast enough, he shot me a look with those gorgeous eyes of his, and I jumped slightly. “Um. Yes, I am.” I swallowed hard and inched past him, making sure I didn’t brush against his bare chest in the process.

Chase slammed the door behind me. I blinked across the inky blackness of the room, my heart hammering away in my ears. He’d been sitting here in the dark this early in the night? Had he been napping before hitting the books?

I’d learned college kids napped more than one year olds—and much more enthusiastically.

“Do you have something against lights?” I asked, forcing a little laugh at the end.

Dead silence met my joke. In all fairness, it was a pretty lame attempt. For a second I wondered if he was even in the room with me, but I heard him breathe. I turned my head, trying to figure out where he was. To my left, maybe.

“Okay. No lights, then. That’s fine. It’s cool. I’m not scared of the dark.” I paused. “Were you taking a power nap? I could use one. I got an hour of sleep last night.”

Still nothing.

I sensed him there, right next to me. He wasn’t touching me, but I swore he was thinking about it or something.

That makes no sense, Taylor.

I shivered, anxious and excited, all at the same time. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m—”

Without warning, Chase moved close enough for me to feel his heat. I backed against the wall until I couldn’t back up anymore. It wasn’t that he scared me. He didn’t. I just…

I just backed up, okay?

“You’re Taylor Selmer. Of course, I remember you. Why are you in my room?”