I walked away from the one girl I’ve ever really loved. The most painful thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never been good enough for her, and keeping my distance is hard. But it has to be done. For her. For me. For us.
She’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Miley and her sunshine sparkle. When I close my eyes, I can still see her spinning beneath the stars, laughing and eating cotton candy. It’s the only thing that keeps me going.
When I come back a better man, healing from my own personal hell…the only question is…is she mine? Or is she his?
Sparkle (Enigma Models INC, Book 2)
Miley and Kellan are back and this time…well this time is even better than the first go round! The first book, Glitter, was a wild ride of emotions, highs and lows, happiness and sadness, breakups and makeups and a wicked love triangle. Glitter was like your first rush of love and lust, hot and fast and out of control.
He finally finds a woman he can love but she plans to be the President of the United States…
Annalise Masters Manwaring, one of the twin president’s daughters, knows what she wants and how to get it. But when she meets cranky, arrogant Luke Branson, she’s derailed in a big way. She has to choose between him and her political career. Luke, wounded by his brutal past, knows he’ll never fit into her life. Both have impossible decisions to make.
Never My Love is a classic enemies to lovers romance story. Luke and Annalise start out as coworkers but he doesn’t like the former President’s daughter and makes no bones about it. Her response to Luke is exactly what endeared her to me as a character, because Annalise is a real class act. She doesn’t let his bad attitude or snide remarks get to her, she keeps her head held high, putting him in check with a smile on her face.
Annalise wants to be President someday which means she can’t be involved with her boss, no matter how much she wants to be.
I enjoyed this story even though it moved slower than I would have liked at times. I love politics. I studied it in college and I am a political junkie, but the whole scandal avoidance thing really rubs me the wrong way. Despite that, I was on board for whatever Annalise and Luke came up with and following them was a fun journey.
Chapter 1
President James Manwaring sat across from Annalise in her swank Foggy Bottom condo, looking youthful at sixty-seven. His face sported only laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. “I like your place, but I wish you’d listened and chosen a big building so you could be on an upper floor.”
She kissed his cheek. “I know, Dad. I wanted a deck. A backyard.” She handed him coffee. “Let’s sit.”
“So, sweetheart, how are you doing?”
She took one of the other white leather couches across from him. “I’m good. You? How’s the foundation?”
Her parents had set up a foundation to eradicate human slavery. They worked parttime on an awareness campaign and fundraising.
He watched her with those searing green eyes that she’d inherited. “We’re well. Our work is satisfying. Tell me about your new job.”
“I love it so far. I’ve always been interested in The Justice Project.” A national political action organization that supported candidates for their party’s elections. “And I’ve donated to it for years.”
“But?”
He could always tell when something was wrong.
“One of the founding members, Luke Branson, voted against me. The women on the project told me to be careful around him. He’s not a founder, but started there seven years ago, and is technically my superior.”
“Why would he do that? Your qualifications are impeccable.”
She shifted in her seat. “People tend to think I’m unqualified to do anything but cut ribbons and be pretty.”
“That’s not fair. After you got your law degree from Georgetown, you clerked for two years with Tom Anderson.”
“Who is a judge you appointed.”
“I’m sorry then, honey. I regret my part in his veto.”
“Don’t be. I’ll never apologize for being the president’s daughter.”
The former president chuckled. “I like your pride in our family.”
Sighing, she sat back. “As for the job, I signed on for four days so I can still take pro bono cases on Fridays at my old firm.”
“That’s a boon.”
She stood. “I think the banana bread you love is cooled by now.”
As she passed him, he grabbed her hand. “You don’t have to pretend everything’s going well with your life, honey.”
“I’m not pretending. I want to follow in your footsteps and this is the path. I’ll be right back.”
Annalise went to the kitchen and cut the bread. The sweet scent of sugar and bananas was heavenly. When she returned, her father was staring out at the D.C skyline. He sat again when she did. “Now, give me a slice.”
She bit into one, too. Contrary to Hannah, her younger sister, who ate organic foods, Annalise wasn’t that rigid, though she did use all-natural ingredients for baking. She envied her sister, who’d chosen a different path than she.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Hannah.”
A smile spread across his tanned face. “I heard from her yesterday.”
“Yeah, she’s called me twice and both times, I couldn’t get back to her. How is she?”
“She was fixing her furnace.”
Annalise grinned at that. Hannah had said no to college, a scandal for the president’s child. Instead, she went to trade schools—got an electrician certification, one in plumbing, another in carpentry and one in construction, for which she was required to work on a building site. Annalise remembered seeing a picture of the Secret Service standing by in their suits and hard hats. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
“Always was. She’s busy but sees Sasha frequently.”
Both of those sisters had moved to upstate New York. Hannah used her trust funds from her mother’s parents to buy the farm and Sasha used the money to buy a dance studio in downtown Rockford. Annalise had purchased an estate in Maryland where she planned to move sometime in the future. Andraya had saved hers.
“Well, that’s why Sasha opened her dance studio in Rockford. I wish my twin hadn’t gone halfway across the world to work.”
“Andraya loves Casarina and teaching. She got close to the Gentileschis when she spent her senior year at the Marcello schools.”
“I know. I’m going over to Italy to see her when I get some time off.”
“I adore the fact that you’re all so different.” Her father was the only person she knew who used the word adore naturally.
She checked her watch. “I’m afraid I have a meeting in a half-hour.”
“On Saturday?”
“Said the man who sat in the Situation Room on a number of weekends.”
An expression which had charmed America when he first ran for state office, then the House of Representatives, then the Senate and finally the presidency spread across his face. “I know. So, I won’t harp. But your mom and I will be more available to you now.”
“Give her my love.” Annalise and Karen Masters were very close.
She stood with her father and walked him to the door. Hugged him fiercely. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Ah, Daddy,” he said as he drew back. “I love you too, Annie.”
She opened the front door to find his two Secret Service agents standing at attention. Eddie Cramer and Milt Smith had been and still were her father’s guards, as her dad was entitled to protection for life. And now that he wasn’t president, all three of them had loosened up somewhat, were friendlier and wore casual clothes.
“Hi, guys.”
“Ms. Manwaring.”
She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t call me that when one of the boys I dated took me out on his motorcycle, Eddie.”
He smirked. “Okay, Shining Star.” The code name she’d been given by her protectors.
“Goodbye, everyone.” She went back inside and her cell rang. She clicked on. “Hello.”
“Annalise. Where are you?” Luke Branson’s tone was annoyed.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re late for the meeting.”
“It isn’t for another half-hour.”
“The meeting started at nine!”
Hell. “I’ll be right there.” She didn’t live far from the Lincoln building. “I’m sorry, Luke.”
“Just get here.”
“I said I would.” She disconnected abruptly. That guy got under her skin. He did it intentionally, but to be fair, she was late, and she might have been as impatient as he. Grabbing her briefcase, she headed out.
Fifteen minutes later, Annalise walked into a large conference room of the building where The Justice Project was housed. Housed on two floors, it spread out in offices to hold fifty employees and several large and small conferences rooms.
“Annalise, hi.” Harold Franklin, a founding member and elected as chair, said the words kindly.
“I’m sorry, Harold. No excuses.” Except that she was with the former president.
“Not to worry. It happens. We’re divvying up some projects. You and Luke are taking candidate assessment for the 204th district in Pennsylvania.”
Damn, she was going to have to work with the man after all.
#
Luke Branson watched Annalise Manwaring walk into his office with all the confidence in the world. She’d handled her lateness with aplomb. Once inside, she glanced around at the two desks adjacent to each other and a small table and chairs by the window on the streets of D.C. Recessed lighting made the area ideal for working. “Where’s everybody else?”
“It’s you and me. Harold assigned us.”
“Why didn’t you object?”
“Because I’m a team player.” He held his temper. “You heard I was reluctant to hiring you.”
“I did.”
“It’s important that The Justice Project remain impartial. I didn’t want your appointment to seem like nepotism. But I was outvoted, so here we are.”
“I assure you,” she said, coldly. “I’m fully qualified.”
“That’s true.” He motioned to the small conference table. “Would you like coffee?”
“No thanks.”
She sat, pulled down the skirt of the sage-green suit she wore and took her slim laptop out of her briefcase.
She was a beauty, all right and, unfortunately, he’d been mesmerized by it for years. He’d envied her when they were both at Georgetown. She’d sailed into law school, while he had to delay a law degree to save up for tuition. In the end, he got a masters in marketing and finance which he excelled in. He was embarrassed by still, at thirty-six, having remnants of negative feelings about her.
“Do I have banana bread on my face?”
“Excuse me? Banana bread?”
“I baked some this morning.”
Ah, he got it. Rumor had it President James Manwaring loved his daughter’s banana bread, a story leaked to the press to underscore his happy family life. That didn’t sit with Luke at all, since his family was never much a part of his life.
“You were late because you were baking bread for your father?”
“No, I was late because I got the time wrong.” She held his gaze. “Can we get to work?”
“If you’re finally ready.” He grabbed his tablet. “I’ll send you the candidates we have to choose from.”
Quickly, her tablet pinged. Four candidates were in the running for congress in the November primary in Pittsburg. She read the notes on all of them.
“Hmm, they certainly have different agendas. From a quick scan, I think it’s going to be between Meredith Long and Mark Dawson.”
Meredith was running on LGBT rights, social security and Medicare. She also favored environmental issues and education. Those were the issues Annalise would have chosen, too. Mark Dawson was for steelworkers, ran on his experience in science and technology, highways and transit and the economy. She looked up. “At first glance, I gravitate toward Long’s agenda.”
“Let’s take our time, consider the others and if we chose Long and Dawson, we’ll vet both of them. Then we’ll present them to the rest of the members.”
“Whatever you say.”
Man, she was a sassy one. Too bad he liked spunk.
A NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kathryn Shay has been a lifelong writer and teacher. She has written dozens of self-published original romance titles, print books with the Berkley Publishing Group and Harlequin Enterprises and mainstream women’s fiction. One of her firefighter books hit #20 on the NEW YORK TIMES list. Her novels have been serialized in COSMOPOLITAN magazine and featured in USA TODAY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and PEOPLE magazine. There are over ten million copies of her books in print and downloaded online. Readers call her work heartwarming.
If you enjoy ➜ Hot southern romance ➜ Summer love ➜ Friends to lovers ➜ Boy Next Door ➜ Artists in love ➜ Sassy southern girls
You’ll love the Rebel Girlz summer love novella series! Hot Louisiana nights for three creative cousins ready to change their lives during one magical summer.
Dixie Covington is a redheaded spitfire with a sultry southern drawl. She loves her family, her small piece of the world and her art. But what Dixie desires more than anything is the freedom to fall in love with a man of her own choosing. So when her parents announce her engagement to a man she’s not even dating, Dixie and her closest friends pack their bags and head to The Big Easy for summer of fun and who knows what else.
She was ready to become her own woman… Passion. It’s the one thing Marilyn’s life has been missing all the years. After two years of mediocre sex, she gets up in the middle of the act and ends her relationship with the golden boy everyone thought she would marry. Now one year later she’s ready to pursue her own dreams. And her own passions. When her cousin Dixie proposes a summer in New Orleans to work on their goals away from parental expectations, Marilyn eagerly agrees.
Check out one or all three books in the Rebel Girlz series, just #99cents each, or FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
If you love small town romance, second chance love, or just a good love story, find my other titles on Amazon (and Kobo!) or follow me on social media!
I’ve known heartache. I’ve known pain. The day I met Krista, I felt them all slam into me like a ton of bricks. She was intriguing and mysterious. Then I learned why she kept so many secrets. Her hidden past was going to tear us apart piece by piece before we ever get a chance to get started. And I’m going to let it.
Excerpt:
“I’m gonna clean you up and eat you next time.” My whole body shudders as he pulls out of me. Holding his hand out, I take it as he pulls me up from the bed. My body is still trembling when he wraps his arms around me.
“I need to do that some more.”
“You think I’d let you have a second round?” I tease looking up at him. He laughs.
“I know you would. I’m the Wolf baby. I can eat what I want.”
“Even that fry stuck between my ass cheeks?” I laugh. Wolf’s lips curl into a smile before he spins me around, his hands clamped around my waist. I can feel him drop to his knees, but I jerk when I feel his mouth on me. Licking and sucking, he moves his hands to spread my ass cheeks apart. His tongue runs straight up as I gasp.
Erin is an author of all things Alpha. Her specialty is MC romance but loves to dip into dark romance too. She will weave you a story that will have you gasping for air as you try to figure out what’s going to happen next. All of Erin’s books will have some form of romance as well as suspense. With that being said you need to keep in mind that Erin’s tagline is always true. Fairy Tales Don’t Always Have A Happy Ending. Do you think you’re ready to take the plunge into Erin’s world?
ABOUT: Violet Abrams may have been a bridesmaid no less than seven times, but her wedding day was near—she could feel it. Until her longtime boyfriend left her for someone else. That’s just fine—she has her photography and a new project redesigning her sister’s bakery to keep her happy and fulfilled. Fast-forward to the day of his wedding, though, when Violet might have accidentally, totally not on purpose, started a fire. And… Officially the worst day ever.
Firefighter Ford Maguire thought he’d seen it all. Until he’s called out because someone tried to set the local bakery on fire…with a wedding magazine? The little arsonist might be the cutest woman he’s ever seen, but he’s too career-focused to consider something serious. Still, Violet seems like a great person to help him navigate his upcoming “man of honor” duties in his best friend’s wedding.
Pretty soon, not only is Violet giving him lessons on all things weddings, she’s helping him train his latest rescue-dog recruit puppies and weaving her way seamlessly into his lone-wolf lifestyle. But forever is the last thing on Ford’s mind, and if there’s one thing a perpetual bridesmaid knows, it’s the importance of a happily ever after.
Working two jobs while juggling family and club obligations keeps Antonio “Spade” Fernandez’s schedule full and his bed empty. When a hostage situation flings the perfect woman into his arms—and then into his bed—he’ll have one night to fulfill her every fantasy.
After a lifetime of caution, Jessica Munroe is ready to take a risk. Looking down the barrel of a gun wasn’t what she had in mind, but it does motivate her to hook up with her sexy rescuer.
One wild night of passion is all either can spare, but will it be enough?
Release Date: August 12, 2019 Cover Design: Lee Ching at Under Cover Designs
Nash Dingmen aka ‘The Dinger’ didn’t earn his nickname by dominating the hockey rink. No, he’s notorious as the biggest seducer in hockey. It doesn’t help that he carries the sexy, mesmerizing exterior that causes sane women to drop their panties at the curve of his smirk.
No Mr. Nice Guy. No girlfriends. No second date.
Or any dates – it’s all between the sheets.
After my first encounter with Nash Dingmen – I’d hoped I would never see his face again. It was the interview of a lifetime, a chance that it ended up with my dream shattered and becoming the next internet sensation – for all the wrong reasons.
With my career all but gone, I am barricaded to the house to shy away from the jokes and jibes. Drowning in ice cream and Cheetos but it’s time to get back on my feet – and get my head in the game. One thing’s for damn sure, being his next conquest is not my game plan. My sister Charlie persists there’s got to be more than ‘The Dinger’ reputation precedes – and being a reporter, I’d have to say I’m not entirely against investigating what all the fuss is about…
When hurdle after hurdle comes my way, why does Nash always seem to be there?
Every nerve is screaming at me to run as fast as I can away from him … however, do I really want to? The temptation to play the game to see what the real scoop is beneath ‘The Dinger’ may be too strong to resist.
Ajei “My Heart” Yazzie is a seventeen-year-old girl with the spirit of a dove and the heart of a lion. She’s not had an easy life, growing up without a father and losing her mother when she was barely in her teens. Her aunt and uncle took her in however, and she’s lived with their family and her grandmother on the Navajo Nation in Phoenix ever since.
Aunt Lena is kind and loving, Uncle Malcolm…slightly intimidating, but Ajei does her best to stay out of his way and things are fine…for a while.
A beautiful, sunny day, a horse, and a swimming pond will be the background of the horror that will change Ajei and her life forever.
But as it often does, goodness grows out of the ashes of darkness and Ajei’s light comes from a young man named Tse “Rock” Tsosie.
Rock risks his young life to save hers and that’s where their love story begins. It will span decades, highways, mountains and valleys and endure pain while celebrating joy.
Their biggest struggle will come in the form of what they’ve created together, and with the best intentions, just might destroy.
Follow Ajei and Tse on their trek across America and their journey into adulthood. Ride with Rock on his proudly restored Indian motorcycle or Ajei on the Harley Davidson the love of her life bought for her and taught her how to ride.
They’ll be wearing the colors of the Tarantulas MC out of Tempe Arizona while they navigate that fine line that weaves in and out between darkness and light.
* * *
Book 25 in the Skulls MC Series & 3 in The Early Years Series.
This is a Standalone Romance Novel but characters from this story, will appear in future books in the series.
HEA and No cliffhanger.
Intended for Mature Readers.
* * *
The Skulls MC Series is about members of the MC club, their friends and associates.
Each story, while focused around one main character, is not necessarily about a Skulls club member, but the story is related to Skulls members and the club.
Natasha's Book Nook 