A writer. A blogger. United by our love of stories and all things romance. There was definitely some insta-love. Hello? Books involved. A little courting. A lot of writing. The result…Grahame Claire. Soulmates. Unashamed of our multiple book boyfriends. Especially the ones that rooted in our heads and wouldn’t leave us alone. Don’t worry. We’ll share. Pleased to meet you.
Today we have the cover for Tracey Jerald’s Free to Dream! We are so excited about this fantastic release—be sure to pre-order today!
Title: FREE TO DREAM
Author: Tracey Jerald
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Day: August 9th
About Free To Dream:
Cassidy Freeman doesn’t believe dreams come true because every night her dreams trap her in a nightmare she barely escaped as a child. She maintains rigid control over all aspects of her life, giving the illusion she’s strong and confident. Allowing very few close enough to see the brave heart buried beneath, she’s convinced she’ll carry her burdens alone.
From the minute they met, Caleb Lockwood disrupted everything by destroying her sense of order. His patience, compassion and sensuality obliterated her defenses. It’s as if he knew her from the inside out.
Helping his younger brother hire a wedding planner shouldn’t have led to this. In just a few short days, Caleb’s learned untold secrets about his family – and about the Freemans. When he demands to meet them, he doesn’t expect the pull he feels towards the petite dynamo in front of him whom life has dealt an unspeakable hand.
With Caleb, Cassidy’s lost her semblance of control. Now, she’s not sure she wants it back. Not if giving it up means having a chance at something she never imagined.
“So, about that first appointment,” Phil starts. I slowly uncross my legs and sit forward.
“Yes?”
“There’s something you should know.”
I’m going to throttle my brother. After all our years of working together, if he left out telling me any minute detail about this appointment, I’m going to lose it.
Knowing Phil, this could be anything from the appointment was supposed to be at the Lockwood company headquarters in Manhattan or their family compound in Greenwich. If Phil suddenly springs on me that he forgot to tell me the client’s expecting to have a champagne catered breakfast ready, I’m going to give up on keeping my legendary control, take my scissors and straddle him while I cut off all his hair in massive chunks. He won’t be able to stop me because he’ll be too busy choking on the extra-skinny, watered down latte he just made me pick up.
In my calmest voice, I ask, “What about it?”
Ali whispers “Uh-oh” under her breath.
Phil looks at his hands, then at the clock. Another minute ticks by. Sixteen minutes until this appointment. He looks at Ali, who just stares back at him with a mean look. He looks back down at his hands. Silence. Fifteen minutes.
From the doorway, Holly pipes in with “Did you fuck the groom or something?”
Ali starts to laugh as I gasp. Standing in the door, Corinna, Em and Holly are standing in varying states of arms crossed, waiting for Phil’s answer. Em just mean mugs Phil. I check the clock again. Fourteen minutes.
Phil sighs and looks at me with guilt on his face. That was my only warning.
“No, but Jason was engaged to him about ten years ago and broke it off to be with me. Or so the story goes.”
Chaos erupts in my office. In my disbelief, I make a few mental notes. First, Phil is prohibited from doing any further client event profile forms. I also give myself a mental reminder to review all his other forms for new clients for the rest of the week. How could he not think this information was important for me to know, especially now, having more than mere minutes before the Lockwoods come through my door?
As I sit back, listening to my siblings yell among each other, I try to regroup. I have no time to call Jason to discreetly find out what occurred.
I now have five minutes to get this under control.
Forget who fucked who or who fucked whom over. This is not how we built this business.
Phil. Might. Die.
Slowly.
Blunt force trauma caused by my planner. That’s a delicious thought.
But later.
I’ll enjoy planning it in detail, after I deal with damage control.
“All of you, get out of my office. RIGHT NOW!” I yell at my siblings. “I have exactly four minutes to figure this out. I think you all might be depraved lunatics, and how I know this and continue to work with you all on a daily basis is eluding me. This is not the impression this company will give under any circumstances, short of the building catching fire. Find your offices and have your meltdowns in there.”
Then I hear it. That fucking bitch Fate. Three goddamn minutes early. Of course.
“I happen to agree with Ms. Freeman. She and I have an appointment on behalf of my family.”
I find myself staring briefly into a set of the most gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes I have ever seen.
Check out the trailer:
About Tracey:
Tracey Jerald knew she was meant to be a writer when she would re-write the ending of books in her head on her bike when she was a young girl growing up in southern Connecticut. It wasn’t long before she was typing alternate endings and extended epilogues “just for fun”.
After college in Florida, where she obtained a degree in Criminal Justice swearing she saw things she’ll never quite believe and never quite forget, Tracey traded the world of law and order for IT. Her work for a world-wide internet startup transferred her to Northern Virginia where she met her husband in what many call their own happily ever after. They have one son.
When she’s not busy with her family or writing, Tracey can be found in her home in north Florida drinking coffee, reading, training for a runDisney event, or feeding her addiction to HGTV. Friend her on Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tracey.jerald.71) or on Instagram (TraceyJerald) to see what antics she’s up to on a regular basis.
Consume by Jessica Prince Publication Date: July 9th, 2018 Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:Killian Everett is condescending, egotistical, and a complete jerk. When I started as the new assistant for the famous rock band Civil Corruption, I thought I’d hit the career jackpot… but I was wrong.
With his attitude, bad behavior, and stupid good looks, Killian has made my life a living hell since my very first day. We may fight constantly, but that doesn’t make me want him any less. And now I know he wants me too.
He wants to seduce me. He wants to own me. He wants to consume me.
Consume may be one of my favorite enemies-to-lovers stories, and I think Killian might be my favorite Civil Corruption band member yet! He is surly and burly, and runs so hot and cold when it comes to Gina. He’s a beast one minute, and then the next can’t get enough of her and wants to protect her from her troubles. Their banter and sparring was so funny and I really hated and loved Kill at the same time!
A tamed manwhore story can often sink, but I thought JP did a fabulous job of showing how Killian wants to become a better man for Gina. The moment when he realizes just how deep his feelings for her run, and then his confession to her, brought tears to my eyes.
I love how JP overlaps the stories in her book series, so we see the same scenes again from the perspectives of different characters, like the video shoot and Mace’s alcohol poisoning. I can’t wait to see what is in store for Mace and Lyla!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Excerpt:
“You’re just too much fun to tease, Thumbelina. Every time I talk to you, your face and neck get all… hot and red.” His thumb scraped slowly along my cheekbone, his eyes shooting down to my lips. “I noticed you don’t get this outta sorts with the other guys. Only me. Why do you think that is?” “I-I, um, don’t know what you’re talking about.” The corner of his mouth trembled like he was fighting back a smile or laugh. “That so? Then why does your soft skin feel like it’s on fire, sweetness?” God, he was so damn close. And he smelled so damn good, like whiskey and spicy, citrusy cologne. “I’m just…” Just what? my brain screamed. For the love of all that’s holy, think of words, Gina! “… hot-blooded.” Sweet, merciful mother of pearl! Had I really just said that? “That you are,” he mumbled in a low, husky voice. “That you certainly fuckin’ are.” My mouth went dry as a desert. Trying to swallow was like trying to force a wad of cotton down my throat. “Wha—uh, what’s happening here?” He took another step, coming so close everything about him overwhelmed my senses. “If you don’t know, I’m really off my game. And I’m never off my game.” After doing a crazy impression of a goldfish, I somehow managed to pick my jaw up off the floor long enough to ask, “Are you hitting on me?” With his next step, his shoes bumped into the toes of my heels, forcing me to move backward until the balcony railing dug into my behind. Killian placed his hands on either side of my hips and leaned in closer. “You can play coy all you want, but you can’t fool me. You know that’s exactly what I’m doing. And I know you want me just as bad as I want you. It’s written in red all over your cheeks. There’s a damn good reason why I’m the only one of the guys you can’t manage a full sentence around.” My heart threatened to beat through my chest, and I was pretty sure my panties were about to spontaneously combust. “What do you say we have a little fun tonight, huh? Something tells me you need it,” he whispered before the tip of his tongue peeked out and teased the skin behind my ear. “I’ve been dying to see what you wear under that little barista getup for months.” “Y-you have?” I asked, my eyes nearly bugging out of my skull. “Fuck yeah.” It came out in an almost aggressive growl as he closed the last few inches of distance between us, pushing his body flush against mine. A surprised gasp passed my lips at the feel of his thick, steely erection pressing against my belly before quickly turning into a moan when he bent his knees so his cock could brush at the apex of my thighs. What do you say we have a little fun tonight? His question kept replaying in my head. I couldn’t remember the last time I had fun. My life was all about responsibility and stress and constant worry. It had been so long since I had a bit of fun without feeling guilty for it that I barely remembered what it felt like. His proposition suddenly held more appeal than it should. Killian Everett was all kinds of wrong for me. He was a player, the very definition of a man whore. But I desperately wanted a little fun. I wanted to forget my shitty luck, and how life had a tendency to kick me even though I was already down. And I couldn’t help but think that maybe Killian was just the man to give me that.
About the Author:
Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.
Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.
In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.
Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.
Kissing Jenna by Kristen Proby Series:Big Sky #2 Release Date: July 10, 2018
Synopsis: From New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes the newest installment in her beloved Big Sky Series…
Jenna Hull owns and manages vacation rentals in her hometown of Cunningham Falls, Montana. She’s just completed the construction of her most exhausting project, the one she’s put her heart and soul into. The inviting, opulent Snow Wolf Cottages are the first ski in/ski out tree houses in the world.
Her biggest dream is about to come true, and she can’t let anything distract her.
Christian Wolfe is Hollywood’s it actor. If the magazines are to be believed, he’s the sexiest man on earth. He’s preparing for the biggest movie role of his life, and his agent has booked him in a hot new ski lodge in Montana, tucked away from crazy fans. He can’t wait for the break.
But what Christian isn’t prepared for is Jenna. With a face that could easily co-star with him in a movie and her ambition to put her stamp on Cunningham Falls, he can’t stay away. But even more intriguing than her beauty is the fact that she’s not at all impressed with his celebrity status, only turned on by the man behind the fame.
The love they’ve found is perfect—but time is running out before real life intrudes. Can they survive with both their dreams—and hearts—intact?
Perfection! Kissing Jenna is the first book I’ve read by Kristen Proby, and it left me wondering why I haven’t read anything by her before! Christian and Jenna are wonderful characters, the story was so romantic yet infused with some very real moments, and the supporting players (several of which are from KP’s other books) are people I’d want to be friends with!
Christian is the hottest movie star around at the moment, but he needs some time to decompress — and learn how to ski — before his next film starts. He checks into the quaint Tree House resort in Montana, and is immediately taken by his landlord, Jenna. She’s fiercely independent, funny, sassy, sweet and beautiful — and doesn’t treat him like anything other than plain old Christian. Falling in love isn’t on either one of their agendas, but they embark on a love affair knowing that the relationship will have an end date. Or will it?
The bubble that Christian and Jenna are living in under the big Montana sky is burst before either of them thought it would, and they are forced to face the vast differences in their lives. Are they willing to compromise in order to be together?
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Excerpt:
“Come on in. This is your home away from home for the next four weeks.” I pause in the kitchen while he wanders through the space, looking outside, then taking in the blue kitchen cabinets, the large gas fireplace, and the comfortable furniture. “In the email correspondence, you asked for extra groceries to be stocked in the kitchen, and I’ve done that for you.”
“Thanks,” he says. “Where’s the closest Starbucks?”
I lean my hip on the counter and take a sip of my now lukewarm coffee. “In town.”
“Not on the mountain?”
“There’s a coffee shop up here, yes, but it doesn’t open until tomorrow when the season officially starts. I believe that’s the case for the restaurants up here, too.”
“So, no food up here?”
I shake my head. “No, but I’ll take pity on you and make you dinner tonight, if you like.”
His eyes narrow, suspicion written all over his face. “Why would you do that?”
I lean in as if I’m about to tell him a secret and whisper loudly, “Because I’m a nice person.”
He doesn’t smile.
“You can figure it out for yourself if you want to.” I shrug and lead him to the barn door that closes the small bedroom off the living space. “This is the bedroom on this level. There’s a bathroom here, too. I’ll show you the upstairs.”
I climb the stairs, certain that his eyes are on my ass, and hear him gasp when we reach the top.
“Cool, huh?”
“Beautiful,” he murmurs again, looking up.
Meet Kristen:
Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.
During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops, and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike, but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.
Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.
Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.
Six best friends. Three love stories. One big city. Countless laughs.
The Bad Habits Boxed Set, a must read collection from Staci Hart is LIVE!
WITH A TWIST
West Williams has been friends with Lily since the day she moved into their building and he saved her armoire from a swift, sudden death by staircase. Their friendship has always been easy, the boundaries clearly defined. With neither of them willing to risk their relationship, they’ve drifted happily through the years as companions, never considering more. Until they do. And that realization changes everything.
CHASER
Everyone knows you should never say never. Cooper never saw Maggie coming–she was just his best friend’s little sister, the curly-haired, freckle-faced girl from Mississippi who was absolutely off limits. Maggie never expected to find her fiancé banging her maid of honor an hour before she was set to walk down the aisle, but life’s funny that way. The only option to save her sanity is to get the hell out of Jackson and move to New York where her brother lives. The only downside: Cooper is there too. And she just doesn’t know if she can stay away from him — the filthy rich, dead sexy playboy who’s allergic to commitment.
LAST CALL
Patrick Evans is no stranger to consequences. When your mother walks out, your dad drifts away. When you leave home, you’re on your own. And when you run away from the girl you love, you lose her. He finally has an opportunity to rebuild the bridge he burned with Rose, and it’s not one he’ll take for granted. But he’ll have to fight for her, even if it hurts. Even if it means he’ll walk away brokenhearted. Because deep down, he knows that she’s it for him. The trick will be to get her to admit she feels it too.
HAPPILY EVER HABITS
Who has babies? Who’s getting married? Who has a horrible pun battle, and who tosses their cookies? Find out in this exclusive 30,000 word novella that follows the Habits crew through their very own happy endings.
*This box set includes three full length, bestselling novels, plus an exclusive epilogue novella.*
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey.
From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
Hold You Close, an all-new second chance standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is coming August 20th!
Hold You Close by Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow
From NYT Bestseller Corinne Michaels & USA Today Bestseller Melanie Harlow, comes a second chance standalone romance.
Ian Chase broke my heart at seventeen, and I’ve spent the last eighteen years hating him for it.
He makes it easy, with his smart mouth and playboy lifestyle—which I unfortunately have to observe since he lives behind me. Every time I see him climbing out of his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils.
I’ve always loved to loathe him.
I never planned to need him.
***
London Parish is my little sister’s best friend, not that it stopped me from falling for her.
Our history is complicated. The only thing we have in common is being godparents to my sister’s three adorable kids—until our lives are changed in one tragic moment.
Now we’re trying to raise the children we love, mourn an unthinkable loss, and fight an undeniable attraction.
My life is already upside-down, and the last thing I need is for old feelings to resurface.
Because I’ll never be able to keep her, no matter how hard I try to hold her close.
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels is the author of nine romance novels. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.
After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like VEEP, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Homeland. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
You act so high and mighty, you and your perfect pregnant wife Alayna. With your perfect child and your perfect home.
You weren’t always perfect. Your past is filled with misdeeds.
Does your wife know all your secrets?
Would she stand behind you if she did?
You think because she’s on bedrest you can protect her? How sweet.
Sleep tight, you two.
-An Old Friend.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
All these years later, Hudson and Alayna are still as hot as ever! Fixed Forever was a perfect follow up to the series that made us all fall in love with the couple!
When Hudson finds himself on the other end of a game, he is desperate to protect Laynie and their family. But he’s soon reminded that they are stronger together than apart, but will it already be too late?
I loved seeing H and Laynie as parents, and how he really was forced to examine his past behavior in the face of their current situation.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Check out some of Laurelin’s book boyfriends!
If Hudson is your ultimate book boyfriend, I bet you’ll also love…
Anyone who knows me knows I devour anything by Christine Reiss. She writes books that tickle my ID, men that embody my perfect book boyfriend. I wrote Hudson because he possessed qualities that I wanted to fantasize and fixate (pun intended) about. Adam from Marriage Games seems to be Hudson on an alternate timeline. A Hudson I couldn’t have imagined myself, but completely want to obsess over. Pick up this duet if you haven’t! It’s edgier than the Fixed series, but well worth it.
OMG BENNETT RYAN. Christina Lauren know how to balance a hot businessman with a strong woman like no other. Witty banter, comic situations, dirty, dirty sex – UNF. I’ve reread this so many times I’ve lost count.
I often call LJ Shen the Kindle Unlimited version of Laurelin Paige. That’s because I want to believe my guys are as manipulative and loveable as her hot-headed alphaholes. All of her heroes are men I wish I wrote. Definitely an author to check out if you haven’t.
Gideon from Crossfire by Sylvia Day
Gideon is one of the original popular dominant alphas. One of the men who inspired Hudson and a staple for contemporary romance readers who love the billionaire genre. I’m sure it’s already on your bookshelf. I still felt I needed to mention him.
While Donovan’s story is somewhat edgier than Hudson’s, at the core, the two men are very similar – silent puppet masters who will do anything and everything for the women that they love. If you are a fan of the Fixed series and haven’t crossed over to the Dirty Universe yet, let me plug Dirty Filthy Rich Boys now. It’s free on all vendors!
With over 1 million books sold, Laurelin Paige is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.
The Duke of Seduction, an all-new historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke is coming August 21nd!
The Duke of Seduction by Darcy Burke Publishing Date: August 21nd Genre: Historical Romance Cover Designer: Seductive Musings Photographer: Passion Pages Photography
Lady Lavinia Gillingham prefers rocks and dirt to marriage. Her passion is science, and she’s determined to marry if—and only if—she finds a man who supports her interests and intellect. So far, she’s managed to avoid attention on the Marriage Mart, but when the Duke of Seduction pens anonymous letters singing her praises, she suddenly become the toast of the ton and matrimony seems imminent.
William Beckett, Marquess of Northam possesses the reputation of a rake but is secretly a romantic. Spurned at sixteen, he doesn’t expect to feel the sting of Cupid’s bow a second time, and yet he’s able to woo the coldest of hearts with the anonymous words he publishes. As the Duke of Seduction, he uses his skill to help Lavinia, never anticipating she has no desire for assistance. While Lavinia is pursued by several suitors, Beck is the one who is seduced when he learns that love can strike twice…
Darcy Burke is the USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, emotional historical and contemporary romance. Darcy wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. Join her reader club at http://www.darcyburke.com/readerclub. A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her guitar-strumming husband, their two hilarious kids who seem to have inherited the writing gene, two Bengal cats and a third cat named after a fruit.
Happy Hour, an all-new hilarious enemies to lovers romance from USA Today bestselling duo Piper Rayne is LIVE!
The perfect man for her is the one she hates most. #gofigure
Dating is hard.
Dating in your thirties is even harder.
Dating in Chicago is harder still.
I haven’t given up on finding my happily-ever-after, but in the age of swiping right and Netflix and chill, I’m wondering if everything is as temporary as my marriage turned out to be.
Truth is, there is one guy I can’t get my mind off of.
Roarke Baldwin has salt and pepper hair I’ve dreamed of running my hands through and I’m pretty sure that if I checked he really does have a six pack of abs underneath his suit. And I’ve always wondered what that stubble on his face would feel like between my thighs.
The problem? He’s the one man I hate more than my ex-husband…
Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have “Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle” (okay…you caught us, that’s our tagline). A little about us… We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We’re both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We’re both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.
The scandal I’m caught in just made the national news, ESPN, & Sports Illustrated.
Forced to hide out in a small beach town until I can clear my name, the last thing I expected was to run into her.
Literally.
First, she stole my breath, then my heart. But she wants nothing to do with me.
Even my killer smile, panty-melting grin, and cut abs aren’t reeling her in.
She ran.
Twice.
I have six weeks to find my mystery girl, get my reputation back, and prove to her I’m not a dirty player: I’m her prince. The football field is the domain I where I rule, but her heart is the next thing I’m going to capture.
Something tells me Catching Callie is going to be the biggest win of all.
GAME ON.This is a standalone new adult romance. No cliffhanger, No cheating, HEA.
This is a standalone, full-length novel.
*** THE FORECAST IS SCORCHING! So if heat isn’t your cuppa… use caution! ***
I almost trip on a pile of clothes. Pausing, I look in all
directions. There’s no one else here. But then out in the water, under a beam
of blinding moonlight, a dark head bobs.
“Crazy idiot. Sharks feed at night.” I shake my head.
Looking back down, I grin recognizing the gray hoodie.
It can’t be.
Gingerly, I bend down, taking it in my hands.
It smells like him.
My breasts tingle, thighs ache.
With no one to see me, I press it to my nose and close my
eyes. The fragrance industry sure knows what they’re about. My hormones are
driving the bus, and I’m tempted to strip my clothes off and ride that pony
swimming in the moonlight.
But I don’t.
I have a better idea instead.
Snagging the rest of his clothing, I jog away from the surf
and towards the dunes covered in shadows.
“HEY!” He calls out swimming furiously towards shore.
But summer boy doesn’t know these beach paths as I do. He
doesn’t stand a chance.
Especially naked.
But how could I know he’s as fast as an Olympian?
He tackles me from behind—I fall, face planted in the sand.
His clothes acting as a barricade saves my face from sand scrapes.
“What the hell?” He mutters, turning me over.
“Fanny pack?”
“Um… hi?”
“Well, this is interesting.” He smiles down on me, elbows
planted in the sand on either side of my body.
Oddly, I’m not afraid of being pinned down in the moonlight
by this handsome stranger—until—it dawns on me he’s naked as the day he was
born. Something hard rocks into the cradle between my hips causing me to gasp
as he shifts his weight.
“Sorry,” he rolls to the side for a second giving me room to
get up. “Fuck it. I’m not sorry.” He rolls back on top of me, tracing a finger
over my stunned, parted lips. “I made a wish on a star tonight. Haven’t done
that since I was ten. And here you are, showing up here like a thief in the
moonlight. Technically, you are a thief. Maybe I should call the cops on you,
baby?”
I can’t answer. It’s happening to me again, and I’m helpless
to stop it.
I’m drowning on dry land, star gazing into his eyes as his
head lowers a breath from mine. “Thank you for turning the shittiest day I ever
had, into the best one,” he murmurs capturing my lips.
Instinctually, my thighs open, womb wanting to cradle his
hips and invite him inside.
“So sweet,” he murmurs against my lips a second before his
tongue boldly comes out to play with mine. “But you won’t be needing this.”
With a smirk, he unclasps the buckle to my fanny pack tossing it next to my
sneakers that dropped when he caught me. His lips never leave mine. He does
this so smoothly and skillfully as if seduction is his profession.
Elliott never kissed me like this. Hell, I doubt even Jamie
Dornan can kiss like this.
My hands clutch his head, nails raking through his hair as I
hungrily kiss him back.
His hands come up under my shirt, never breaking our kiss. I
hiss at the spot on my ribs where the pavement scraped me.
He lowers his head to inspect the marks his hands feel.
“Did I do this baby?”
My reply is a gasp as he trails a fire of kisses along my
ribcage up to my breasts. He unclasps the front snap bra I put on, and my
breasts spring free from confinement.
“Christ, you’re beautiful,” he moans, worshiping my breasts
with his wet tongue, licking and sucking them.
He rolls back on his heels one arm around my back to lift me
closer to his hungry mouth. The large palm on his other hand presses my breasts
together so that he can suck both nipples at the same time.
“Oh. My. God.” My voice sounds crazy even to my ears.
I’m on fire. My clit’s swollen, my body’s primed and ready
to go.
I feel his smile against my skin as he drops one hand,
cupping my sex hard.
I nearly break my nose on his chin as my body jolts like
it’s been struck by a live wire.
“What is it.”
“Huh?” I’m lost at sea. Hungry, weak and completely
disoriented by his mad voodoo make out skills.
“You’re name, cupcake.”
My eyes lower to his dick. He’s unashamed, almost proud of
it as he catches me dropping my eyes.
It’s beautiful.
I’ve never thought dicks were beautiful. Maybe I cracked my
head on the concrete.
The man must be thirteen or fourteen hard inches, and he’s
thick as fuck.
“It fits.”
“What?”
“My size. It’s proportionate to my body.”
My face flames. Am I really taking to the stranger who
almost killed me about his dick size?
Shaking my head, I curse myself.
“Nope.
“What?”
“This is not happening,” I gesture between the two of us.
“Why not?” He whispers looking, hurt?
“Because,” I answer standing up and brushing the sand from
my legs, “last time I was out here with a naked guy behind the dunes it didn’t
end well.”
“Did he hurt you?” His fists clench as he stands.
“Not that way… although, I can attest that having sex on
sand is not as hot as you’d think.”
He cocks an eyebrow, “Oh, fanny. We’d burn so hot—the ocean
would catch fire.”
He grabs his shorts and turns around. I bite my lip. His ass
is just as fine as the rest of him. Every muscle is cut, lines delineating each
part.
Before I can think, I swipe his shirt and take off.
“Fanny? Are you running again?” He laughs behind me. “I
don’t need to chase you when we have a habit of running into one another.”
And honestly, I’m not running from him. I’m running from
myself.
Author Bio
Claire Woods lives in upstate New York with her dog Ginger
and a room full of books. She’s horribly shy, never misses a UFC Fight, and has
a horrible addiction to sushi and banana peppers (maybe even eating them
together). Books have been her means of escape. It’s been a
long-standing dream of Claire’s to travel to Australia where she hopes to
find a hot rugby player to sweep her off her feet and romance her on Bondi
Beach while petting koala’s and drinking champagne at midnight. (this
might be her next book)
Until then, she’ll have to write her perfect man on paper
while waiting for him to magically appear.
Today we have the cover for Tracey Jerald’s Free to Dream! We are so excited about this fantastic release—be sure to pre-order today! 
Sunny Shelly Reads 