Excerpts
Sawyer Bennett
USA Bestselling Author
About IF I RETURN
If I Return is about a chance meeting between
two people that are destined to be with each other, but it just isn’t the right
time for them. After meeting and falling into a hot fling over a Christmas
resort holiday, shy college student, Hope Camden and gorgeous Army helicopter
pilot, Jack Freeman have more of a connection than just what they discover
between the sheets. These two just click… on all levels.
In ordinary circumstances, they would have
continued to see each other and developed a normal relationship. But Hope is
devastated to learn that this can’t happen because Jack is headed off to war.
He’s asked her not to wait for him… not wanting her to suffer if he’s killed in
action.
He’s made her a promise though. If he makes it
back safely from the war, he will meet her back at this same resort one year
from their last night together. Should she wait for him? And will Jack make it
safely back? You’ll have to read it to find out, but Christmas is a time for
miracles.
If
I Return by Sawyer Bennett
I’m about to step outside of the proverbial box.
Pushing away from the elevator wall I had been leaning
against, I walk up to Jack, bringing my body close into his. Looking into his
face, I see his nostrils flare and unbidden desire leap into his eyes. It's all
the encouragement I need before I smooth my hands up over his chest, winding
them behind his neck. My fingers graze over the stubble of his short haircut.
I'm pleased when his arms wrap around my waist to draw me in closer. I waste no
further time before pulling his head down to me, until our lips meet softly.
Despite the fact my inhibitions are lowered, despite the
fact I boldly put myself in Jack's arms, and despite the fact that his eyes
were heated as our lips moved toward one another, the kiss is surprisingly
sweet. It's nothing more than a gentle meeting of our lips. Our mouths are
slightly parted as we move against one another, tilting our heads first to one
side, and then another as we explore.
Even though the kiss is soft and sweet, I still feel a
warmth spreading through my body. It causes me to want more... to experience
Jack on the next level. Tentatively, my tongue pushes forward into his mouth
and at first he stills. I can feel his fingers flex into my lower back, and I
push my tongue in just a little farther, taking a swipe at his.
He answers me with a groan and then he's gripping my head,
holding me in place so his tongue can take charge.
And I let him.
Letting go, for once in my life, I let Jack have his way
with my mouth. He deepens the kiss and I can't help the sigh that escapes me.
He eats it up, pleading for more by the insistent way his lips move against
mine.
Even though we seem to both be drowning in the kiss, I find
myself wanting to submerge further into him. Desire floods my senses and my
body moves without thinking. I push myself closer to him, our bodies
connecting. My breasts mash into chest and I can feel his hardness against my
stomach. I push closer yet, wanting—no, needing—the contact.
This kiss... this amazing kiss. It's like nothing I've ever
experienced. It's full of passion and fire. I realize that my prior kisses have
been lukewarm at best. Energy courses through me at the thought of what else
I've been missing. The shy introvert is gone and I can feel my inner sex kitten
awakening.
And I’m ready... ready to let her prowl because the passion
that flows between us has firmly shut boring Hope Camden away.
Violet Duke
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About
DECKING DREW
DECKING DREW is the holiday story of Skylar Sullivan from my
NYT bestselling Can’t Resist series and Drew Lawson from my USA Today
bestselling Cactus Creek series.
They both have gone through so much in their lives, but while Skylar
believes wholeheartedly in the magic of Christmas, for Drew, it’s just another
day. Of course, if anyone could
make him start believing, it would have to be the addictively sweet,
mind-wreckingly beautiful girl-next-door of his dreams he'd classified as
completely off-limits two years ago. The
same one now standing on his doorstep on Christmas Eve.
Decking
Drew by Violet Duke
What on earth was she doing here in Vegas?
And not alone, for that matter.
While he had managed the herculean task of speaking all
civil-like to Skylar, Drew couldn’t stop the predatory growl vibrating out of
his chest now that he was within striking range of the guy who’d been making
Skylar smile for the past few minutes.
A hotel worker, by the looks of his uniform, carefully
observing Skylar as if he’d just figured out the answer to a final crossword
puzzle question.
“Huh,” commented the Abercrombie & Fitch model shoe-in,
still half eating Skylar up with his eyes.
“So this is the guy?”
Damn right, I’m the guy.
Drew rumbled the silent declaration with a feral possessiveness he felt
down to his bone marrow. If he could
have it his way, there’d never be a question mark at the end of that sentence
in any context when it came to Skylar.
But not much had changed in the two years since he’d seen
her last.
And the few things that had changed just made it more
imperative for him to keep his distance like he’d sworn he’d do.
…Something he was going to fail pretty epically at tonight,
he wagered, as he skimmed his thumb across the petal-soft skin of her cheek to
smooth away a few wayward locks of hair the wind had curtained over her
eyes.
Though he didn’t have nearly enough platonic female friends
to know the official descriptive term for it, Skylar looked both blonder and
more brunette than he remembered. Her
hair was down to her waist now in golden honey waves instead of the sandy
apricot tresses he saw in his mind whenever he let himself think about her,
which was more often than he could control.
He sifted his fingers through her hair and watched her
reaction display in high-def via those incredible, animated eyes of
hers—candidly expressive windows to her soul he’d never been able to banish
from his mind for very long.
Always quietly thinking.
He forgot how much he loved the way he could see a thousand
thoughts flashing over her expression at a million miles an hour before she’d
eventually land on one, somehow always rooted in kindness, and usually linked
to some unique personal insight that would light up her smile.
Jesus, she was doing it now.
Smiling. At him.
Melody Grace
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About UNWRAPPED
Unwrapped is a fun stand-alone novella about spontaneous Lacey
and straight-laced Daniel, who get stranded together on the way home for the
holidays. Outside, it may be freezing, but inside, a racy game of truth or dare
will get them all heated up…
Excerpt
“What do you say? Ready to get to know each other a little
better?” I reach over and take a sip of his drink, slowly licking the moisture
off my lips.
Daniel blinks
once, then lowers himself slowly back on the barstool beside me. “Why not?” he
gives me a grin that turns my insides to molten honey. “This should be good.”
I have to catch
my breath. All night, I’ve been at war with myself: trying not to flirt with
him or make a fool of myself. But now, I’m suddenly reckless. Unleashed. Now
I’ve spied a crack in his cool, collected attitude, I’m not going to let this
chance slide by, not without a fight.
I just want him,
more than I can stand.
“You first,” I
announce, slowly crossing my legs.
Daniel looks down
at the fabric riding up over my thighs, then back up at me. “That’s easy,
truth.”
Of course. A guy
like him is an open book: nothing to hide. “Hmm,” I muse, wracking my brain. If
I’m going to push him, it needs to be something good. “Where’s the craziest
place you’ve ever had sex?”
Daniel raises an
eyebrow, but he doesn’t flinch. “I don’t know...” he frowns, “Nowhere. I’ve
always just done it the regular way, on a bed.”
I stare in
disbelief. “Seriously? Not even in the backseat of a car? The gym locker
rooms? The rooftop of the student lounge?” I prompt.
Daniel looks
bashful. “I guess I’m just boring like that. Why, where’s yours?”
I think for a
moment. “Backstage at a rock show, up against the amps. He lasted like, two
seconds flat and I nearly went deaf... and electrocuted,” I shake my head, giving
a wry smile at the memory.
“Sounds painful.”
Daniel laughs, and I lose myself in his eyes. The tequila is warm in my
bloodstream, mingling with desire and recklessness in one heady cocktail that’s
impossible to ignore as I sit here, inches away from Daniel, his tanned forearm
resting casually on the bar between us, close enough to touch...
I snap back to
reality. “What?”
Daniel gives me a
patient smile. “I said, why bother nearly killing yourself like that? It doesn’t
sound like it was even worth your while.”
I shrug. “It was
an experience.”
“Jumping off a cliff is an experience,”
Daniel points out. “You going to try that too?”
“No, it’s like...” I try to gather my
thoughts, “This is it, my wild adventurous youth. One day, I’m going to be
settled down with a kid and a mini-van, and, and, a Costco clubcard. I want to
be able to look back and say, I lived. I had adventures. You know?”
“Nope,” Daniel makes a face. “I’ve been
on the same path since school, I never did anything crazy.”
My heart catches. I force myself to
meet his eyes. “It’s never too late to try.”
Marquita Valentine
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About
HIS CHRISTMAS WISH
His Christmas Wish, at heart, is a story about coming home and second chances
at love. Joaquin Morales is a veteran and all he wants to do is rekindle his
marriage with his estranged wife, Sage Caswell.
But it won’t be easy for him at all. For one, in a strange (or is that
serendipitous) twist of fate he and Sage became pen pals while he served in
Afghanistan—only he lied to her about who he was and she recently found out.
Second, no one actually knows they ran off and got married while they were in
college because their families hate each other… and Sage would rather keep
things that way so she can opt for a quiet divorce. Luckily, a snowstorm
arrives in the nick of time, forcing Sage and Joaquin to spend time together.
Excerpt
He strode to her, cupping her slender shoulders and turning
her to face him. Her lashes fluttered
down, skimming her cheekbones. “Sweetheart, I’m not blowing you off.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, still not looking at him.
“Yes, it does.” Hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted
it up. A pink tongue darted out to lick at her top lip and he couldn’t stop
himself from doing the same. She gasped, her full lips parting at his touch.
Never one to let opportunity slide by, he nipped at her full bottom lip. “Ask
me.”
Her hands came between them, lightly resting on his chest.
The heat of her palms searing him. “You’re not playing fair.”
“This isn’t a game.” He let his hands travel the length of
her arms, then back up again to cup her elbows and pull her closer. Full
breasts pressed against him, her hands drifting lower to grab the waistband on
his jeans. He hadn’t been with a woman in years, his determination to make
something of himself and winning her back his only goal. Meaningless one-night
stands weren’t part of the plan, which totally explained the hard-on pressing
against the zipper of his jeans. “Ask me.”
What seemed like an eternity passed before she replied,
“Kiss me.”
Sage expected him to go in for the kill, mostly because
that’s what she felt like doing, but she restrained herself, locking joints and
tightening muscles. However, Joaquin had other things in mind.
He started at the
base of her neck, his tongue and teeth working in tandem to make everything
inside of her warm and gooey.
“I won’t hurt you, not this time,” he whispered against her
jaw, pressing butterfly light kisses along it.
He teased the corner of lip. “Open.”
And as if that was somehow a magical command, she did. In
her next heartbeat, his mouth was sealed over hers and he was drinking her in.
She couldn’t stop kissing him, touching him, or moaning in his mouth. Four
years of longing passed between them. In that moment time fell away, old
regrets and new frustrations erasing from her heart with each toe-curling kiss.
Their tongues touched, then tangled as her body cried more. He
was hard against her stomach and she touched him there, sliding her hand under
the waistband of his loose jeans and caressing him until she was so damn
weak in the knees that she all but thanked God when Joaquin swept her off of
her feet.
Their mouths tasted and explored one another, remembering
and showing exactly what the other liked as he carried her to bed. Don’t think,
don’t think, she chanted in her head.
Her back hit the mattress, then the delicious weight of
Joaquin pressed against her. Moaning into his mouth, she pushed at his shirt
and sat up. “I want this off.”
He sat back on his calves, then gently removed her glasses
and set them on the nightstand.
“That’s an order, soldier.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said
on a laugh and pulled his shirt over his head, in the sexy way that men do.
Tight abs greeted her and she kissed the center of his chest, rubbing her cheek
in the crisp black hair. “Damn, woman.”
Mari Carr
New York Times & USA Bestselling
Author
About WILD IRISH
CHRISTMAS
Wild Irish Christmas embraces some of
the same traditions I enjoy in my own family. Everyone coming together to eat,
drink, open gifts and tell stories. My Wild Irish family is all grown up and
married with kids of their own when the story begins. When they decide to
recreate Christmas’ past for their father, Pat, the seven siblings spend the
evening in the apartment where they grew up. They gather around the Christmas
tree with a bottle of Jameson as Pat tells them the story of how he met their
mother, Sunday.
Excerpt
As the bottle moved from hand to hand,
they each offered up words of thanks or wishes for the New Year. When it
reached Patrick, he lifted the bottle and proposed a toast he hadn’t used since
the last Christmas he’d celebrated with his wife, Sunday.
“To Conall Brannagh.”
Ewan took the bottle from his father.
“Who?”
“Conall Brannagh,” Patrick repeated.
“If your mother had chosen him over me, none of us would be here tonight.”
Sean leaned forward, a definite gleam
of interest in his eyes. “So you had some competition for Mom, eh? I never knew
that.”
Keira grabbed a bag of pretzels. “I
didn’t either. Was Mom in love with him?”
Teagan looked at Patrick. “I always
thought you were her first love.”
Patrick smiled at his daughter. “I was
her last love, Teagan. That’s a much better spot to claim. Besides, I
don’t know if it’s fair to say she loved Conall, though he certainly turned the
women’s heads. What’s the word you girls use for handsome men? Dreamy?”
Riley laughed. “Um…yeah, not in this
decade. I definitely don’t use the word dreamy to describe Aaron.”
“Then what would you say?” Pat
asked.
“He’s hot. Totally doable.”
Killian turned to look at his younger
sister and shook his head. “Jesus. How are we related?”
“Dreamy works for me, Pop,” Teagan said
quickly.
Patrick looked at his kids and silently
marveled at how different they were. Somehow, miraculously, their unique
qualities meshed perfectly, creating an amazing family.
Ewan, always the steady one, hadn’t
been distracted by the asides. “So Mom thought this Conall was dreamy?”
“All the girls in Killarney thought
Conall was handsome, but he only had eyes for Sunday. Not that I could blame
him. Your mother was a beauty, with that long dark hair and those crystal-blue
eyes. She caught every man’s attention.”
“But you didn’t fall in love
with her because of her looks, right?” Keira asked.
“Och, Lord no. While Sunday’s
face was pleasing, it was her heart, so kind and compassionate, that I found
attractive. That’s what captured me by my hand and—pardon the expression—balls
and kept me holding on to her for dear life.”
“So what was the story with this Conall
guy?” Tris asked.
“Well now, that is a tale.” Patrick
leaned back and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift to a different place, a
different time.
“I was working on my family’s sheep
farm during the day while tending bar at Scully’s Pub every night. I was a
young buck of twenty when Sunday, who was just nineteen, moved to Killarney to
live with her aunt. Scully hired her to sing in the pub and from the first
moment I laid eyes on her, I was lost…”
Karen Erickson (aka Monica Murphy)
USA Bestselling Author
About FAIRIES & WISHES
My story features a holiday fairy (Lily) who's
been sent down to earth to teach a lonely doctor how to love. My silly,
innocent Lily didn't think things through though and ends up falling madly in
love with Tim. And he falls madly in love with her. It has a bit of a fantasy
aspect to it since she's a fairy and it's a light, fun, sexy read.
Excerpt
“I’ve never been kissed like that before,” she said, her
voice tinged with wonder, quaking fingers still pressed to her mouth.
Tim frowned. What did she mean by that? Surely she’d been
kissed before. At least he hoped.
Her other hand still clutching at the front of his jacket,
she shifted, bringing her body closer to his. Amazing, he thought, considering
the cramped quarters of his sports car. “I want you to kiss me again.”
He started to protest, but she shushed him with a single
finger pressed against his lips. “Please?” She drifted the tip of her index
finger across his lower lip in the subtlest of caresses.
Tim felt that touch as if she’d stroked the tip of his cock.
His lips met hers and this time he took it slower. Brushing
her mouth again and again with his own, until he heard a tiny sound of
frustration come from her. Her lips opened beneath his, and he slipped his
tongue tentatively between them, her luscious taste filling his head, heating
his skin.
“Mmm,” she murmured, her mouth opening even wider, her shy
tongue brushing against his. Her fingers fumbled with the zipper on his leather
jacket, and then she lowered it, hands diving inside to press against his
chest.
Tim slid his hands into her hair, cupping her head, drinking
from her lips. She tasted sinfully sweet, her tongue twining with his, hands
greedily sliding up and down his chest. She seemed to want to get closer to
him, her lower body shifting restlessly as she squirmed in her seat. He grabbed
the lever at his side and slid his seat back, then cupped her shoulders and
hauled her onto his lap, his mouth never leaving hers.
A coo of delight escaped from her, and she pressed her chest
to his, her breasts soft and tempting nestled against him. Her hands moved up
to wrap around his neck, clutching at him as if she couldn’t get enough and he
could relate. Little moans sounded low her throat as she thrust her pelvis
against his, driving him out of his mind with lust.
“Goodness, you’re a wonderful kisser,” she murmured against
his mouth.
He chuckled, skimmed
fingers across her soft cheeks. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
“I don’t want you to stop.” She pressed another lingering
kiss to his lips and sighed. “I want you to keep doing it.”
“Lily, we’re in my car in the driveway in front of my house.
I can think of somewhere a lot more comfortable to continue this. Like inside
the house, on the couch.” His couch would be a hell of a lot more comfortable
than the front seat of his too small car.
She smiled, her little pink tongue darting out to lick at
the corners of his lips. “I don’t care where we are as long as you keep on
kissing me.”
Well hell, he couldn’t resist that. He pressed his open
mouth to hers, their tongues sliding lazily against each other’s, hands
roaming. If he allowed himself, he soon wouldn’t care where they were either,
as long as they were still lip locked.
Jessie Evans
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS
The Twelve Dates of Christmas: The Ballad of
Lula Jo is a Grinch story with a twist and a lot more holiday gnomes. We meet
our holiday hater when she's a sweet young thing falling hard for a dashing
young treasure hunter and catch up with her years later when the man who left
her behind comes back determined to win a second chance with the only woman
he's ever loved. And there are gnomes and maybe a gnome miracle--did I mention
the gnomes?
Excerpt
Lula lay on the counter, blinking up at the
ceiling, too shocked to care that half the influential women in Lonesome Point
had just witnessed Carter’s plea and the kiss that followed.
The kiss…
It had only been a fleeting moment, the barest
press of his warm skin against her cheek. But their entire love affair had
flashed before her eyes, filling her with so many conflicting emotions that she
still couldn’t form words, long minutes later. It wasn’t until Mia’s wild red
curls popped into sight above Lula’s head that she finally felt life returning
to her shell-shocked lips.
“Tallulah Josephine Watson,” Mia said, her
eyes wide in her flushed face. “Who the hell was that?”
“Don’t curse, Mia.” Lula pushed into a seated
position on the counter, and took the glass of orange juice Dr. Kemp pressed
into her hand. “Carter is just…an old friend.”
“Why don’t my old friends look like that?” Dr.
Kemp asked, summoning murmurs of agreement and giggles from the rest of the
women.
“Seriously,” Mia agreed, still looking like she
couldn’t be more shocked if Lula had given birth to an alien in the middle of
the cookie exchange. “That man was gorgeous, Lula. It was so romantic, I almost
passed out.” Mia let out a dreamy sigh. “What’s the story with you two? I never
knew you had a serious boyfriend, let alone a hunky--”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Lula said,
voice trembling.
“Oh, come on,” Mia pressed. “You have to tell
us something. Are you going to let him have a second chance? I hope so, because
the poor man looked—”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it, Amelia
Louise,” Lula snapped, downing the rest of her juice before forcing a smile for
the rest of the group. “I’m so sorry for putting a damper on the festivities,
but I’m feeling much better now. I think we should get on with our party.
Should we begin with holiday trivia for prizes, or with the balloon antler
contest, since we’re already on our feet?”
After an awkward moment, in which Mia tried to
apologize, Lula shushed her repeatedly, and everyone else stared uncomfortably
at their shoes, their coffee, or their neighbor, the women divided into teams.
Ten minutes later, five of the partygoers had enormous balloon-filled pantyhose
antlers on their heads, and everyone was laughing so hard you would think
nothing had disrupted the fun.
But Lula’s laughter was forced, and she
couldn’t think of anything but Carter Bryce. He was the one who got away, the
only man she’d ever loved. And now he was back, declaring his intentions to
fight for a second chance.
Ten years ago, Lula would have been thrilled.
Even eight years ago she had still clung to the hope that Carter might show up
on her doorstep one day. But it had been eleven years, during
which Lula had erected scaffolding around her heart, and declared the area
permanently condemned. She had no idea if she was capable of loving someone
again, no matter how intensely something inside her had reacted to Carter’s
kiss.
She had gone without love, lust, or even the
comfort of someone’s arms for so long. No, she was a confirmed spinster, and it
would be best if she told Carter as much, and they went their separate ways.
But even as the thought plodded through her
head, something light and hopeful danced behind it, blowing kisses at the
stars, the way she had one December night, long ago.
Janelle Denison (aka Erika Wilde)
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About SEDUCING SANTA
All Faith Roberts wants for Christmas is one sexy night with
Matthew Carlton, the hot, gorgeous pediatric surgeon posing as Santa for a
visit to the children's ward where she volunteers. Matthew has been interested
in Faith for months and is more than willing to fulfill her naughty wishes, and
more. As Faith seduces her Santa, It's Matthew who steals her heart. She might
have only asked for one night, but Matthew is determined to show her that he's
the kind of gift that keeps on giving.
Excerpt
For the next half hour, Faith watched the festivities along
with April, waiting patiently for the little girl to come out of her shell and
join the fun.
Finally, all the children had their turn with Santa and were
busy playing with the toys he’d given them, but there was still one present
left.
Holding a gaily wrapped gift in his hand, Santa looked over
the rim of his gold framed glasses, searching the room for the
recipient. “Is April here today?” he asked.
The little girl stiffened in surprise, and not sure whether
or not April would speak up for herself, Faith gently coaxed her to approach
Santa for her gift. “Come on, sweetie, I’ll go with you.”
With April clasping Faith’s hand tightly, they made their
way to Santa. The young girl didn’t want to sit on his lap, but
standing so close to him, she stared up at him in awe as he handed her the last
present. She opened the gift tentatively, and her entire face
transformed with gleeful excitement once the box was unwrapped.
“I got the doll I wanted,” she squealed in
excitement. “Thank you, Santa!” She rushed off to share
her gift with the friends she’d made during her stay in the hospital.
Feeling warm and fuzzy inside, Faith smiled from April, to
Matthew. “Very well done, Santa.”
“Thank you,” he murmured in that low, velvet-lined voice of
his that sent shivers down her spine. Before she realized his
intent, his gloved fingers wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her onto his
lap.
Suddenly self-conscious with the nurses and kids looking on
in avid interest, and very aware of his hard, muscular thighs beneath her
bottom and legs, she tried to make light of the situation. “Don’t
you think I’m a bit too big to be sitting on your lap?”
“Not at all. You fit just right.” His
eyes sparkled playfully, and the tilt of his mustache hinted at the sexy-as-sin
smile hidden beneath. “So, what about you, Faith? Have
you been naughty or nice this year?”
He’d placed his gloved hand on her knee, and the heat of his
touch seeped through her slacks and spread upward, wreaking havoc with her
sexually deprived body. She inhaled a deep, steady breath, and the
warm, male scent of him invaded her senses, increasing the wanting unfurling in
the pit of her belly.
“Oh, I’ve been very nice.” Too nice and good, but
all that was about to change. And he’d just presented her with the
perfect opportunity to act on her intentions, to be the kind of bold, assertive
kind of woman she’d always admired from afar, but had never been
before.
“So, what would you like for Christmas?” he asked quite
innocently, but there was no mistaking the sexy dare in his gaze.
Caught up in the sensual awareness thrumming between them,
Faith seized the moment and made it hers. Cupping her hand over his
ear so that no one could hear her very private wish, she whispered, “I want to
be naughty, Santa. Very naughty. With you.” She
gently nipped his lobe to prove how brazen she was willing to be, and heard him
suck in a startled breath. “I want one night of unforgettable,
anything-goes sex with you, any way I please, and any way you want.”
She pulled back, not certain what to expect, but the
arousing heat and desire in Matthew’s eyes reassured her that she’d definitely
piqued his interest, and his libido, with her shameless request. And
his next words confirmed her hunch.
“Well now, since you’ve been so good this year, I think your
request can be arranged,” he drawled, and followed that up with a hearty,
jovial, “Ho, ho, ho!” that had everyone wondering what, exactly, she’d asked
for.
Cathryn Fox
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About HOLIDAY SPIRIT
My story in the bundle is fun, sexy story to help put you in
the ‘mood’ for Christmas. The holidays are a hectic time so I wanted to
write something that was short enough for a harried reader to devour in
one sitting and walk way with a smile on their face. A voyeuristic
holiday spirit? That ought to do it!
Excerpt
Lucas tried the door again, cursing under his breath.
He slid his hand through his hair and shook his head. “Rule number one is
to never get separated from your equipment,” he mumbled, his voice thick with
arousal thanks to the crazy situation they’d found themselves in. “Stupid,
stupid, stupid…”
Elly dropped onto the bed beside her phone. “Now
what?” Lucas moved past her to try the window again, his tight,
squeezable ass – which was now at eye level thank you very much – dragging her
focus with him. His spicy scent curled around her, bombarding her body
with primal hunger. She took a deep breath and pulled his aroma into her
lungs.
“We could break it,” she said.
In one swift move that took her by surprise, Lucas ripped
off his shirt, his gorgeous, athletic body glistening with perspiration.
Hot damn!
Elly licked her dry lips, her temperature soaring. The
air around them crackled with sexual tension, demanding all their
attention. Her pussy muscles clenched as moisture pooled in her
panties.
He reached for his belt. “Or we could go with rule
number one. Never damage another person’s property and just find a way to
cool our bodies down.”
And here she’d rather heat them up…
Excited by the prospect, her mind raced with wild and wicked
ideas while visions of nakedness danced in her head.
With her body beckoning his touch, and never one to let an
opportunity pass, Elly stood and crossed the room to stand directly in front of
Lucas. She bumped his groin and could feel his thickening cock. His
body trembled and a low growl crawled out of his throat.
“What are you doing, Elly?”
She cocked her head. “Well, for our own safety, we
could always go with rule number two,” she said, her voice breathy, intimate.
He frowned. “We don’t have a rule number two.”
His muscles bunched, his glance drifted downward, halting near her
cleavage.
Her dry throat cracked, sexual tension frustrating her,
making her feel oh so needy. “I know that! I’m winging it here, okay?”
As the sexual pull intensified, Elly unbuttoned her blouse
farther, slowly exposing the soft black satin on her bra, when all the while
what she really wanted to do was rip her clothes clear off her body. “I
think we have to give the spirit what it wants. It seemed to work for
Gloria and Phil and we certainly wouldn’t want to anger it without our
equipment, right?”
Hey, this was as good an excuse as any to get him naked and
have her wicked way with him.
Suddenly, the scent of her arousal saturated the small
room. She watched Lucas’s throat work as he swallowed, and took note of
the way his nostrils flared as he drew in her scent.
“What do you think it wants?” he asked, as though wanting to
hear her say it. The deep sexiness of his voice made her want to rip his
clothes off as well. His hand brushed hers and her skin came alive.
She drew a deep breath and tilted her head back, meeting
eyes that were so dark and so full of urgent need that it made her knees
weak. She gripped his shoulders, her blood igniting to a boil.
“I think it wants to watch us get naked and have sex.”
Alannah Lynne
New York Times & USA Bestselling Author
About A CHRISTMAS HEAT WAVE
All Samantha Mazze wants for Christmas is to create the
perfect Christmas Eve celebration for her friends and family. The house is
decorated, the meal has been prepared, the guests are arriving… and then all
hell breaks loose. There’s no salvaging
the burned garlic knots. Her husband’s ex-girlfriend makes an appearance. And
the unexpected delivery of a new arrival all ensure that while this isn’t a
picture-perfect holiday, it will go down in history as the Heat Wave gangs most
memorable and best holiday ever.
Excerpt
Sam
Mazze jerked her head back, dodging the burst of steam shooting up from the pan
of boiling potatoes. The cubes bubbled and rolled in the frothy water, evading
capture as she attempted to stab a piece to test its tenderness. Eventually,
she managed to nick the corner of one with the tine of the fork enough to
confirm her constant checking wasn’t getting the job done. She replaced the lid
and vowed to leave them alone for at least ten minutes, then moved on to the
top oven—what she’d come to think of as the guest of honor’s tanning bed.
Watching her husband, Kevin, truss up the turkey had gotten
her a little hot and bothered, not to mention envious. The bird, however,
either wasn’t kinky or he’d tried to escape, because when she removed the foil
blanket to check his tan, she found the string popped loose and him lying
there, spread eagle, flashing her.
She shook her head and sighed. “You’re a freak, Sam. You’ve
been completely corrupted.” She wasn’t complaining. She loved the sexual
adventure and excitement Kevin brought into her life. But it was a little
embarrassing to always be thinking kinky, especially when looking at the
Christmas turkey.
Setting aside her naughty thoughts, she switched her
attention to the second oven. Her seven-year-old daughter Michy’s favorite,
homemade macaroni and cheese, bubbled around the edges of the ceramic bake
ware, while Sam’s personal favorite, fresh baked garlic knots, filled the air
with downhome comfort. She’d fallen in love with Kevin for hundreds of reasons,
but gaining possession of his mother’s garlic knot recipe had been the final
gotcha.
She sniffed the air like a bloodhound on a scent and
followed her nose across the kitchen to the creamy garlic-butter dipping sauce.
The minced garlic had settled to the bottom of the bowl, while the colorful
parsley and shredded Romano floated on top of the melted butter. Her saliva
glands joined the party and made temptation impossible to resist.
She cut her eyes to the kitchen door and cocked her head to
the side, listening for the sound of running shower water. Kevin hadn’t asked
her to sample the sauce, but as the hostess, she had a responsibility to her
guests to make sure everything was perfect. How would she know if she didn’t do
a taste test?
Using the spoon Kevin conveniently left in the bowl, she
vigorously stirred the contents, then ran her finger around the inside of the
rim to gather the remnants. Her eyes rolled back in her head as the flavors
burst to life on her tongue. “God, that’s good.”
The sample left her greedy and needy for seconds, so before
she dove in with both hands, she fled from that side of the kitchen and found
herself in front of the bar. Again. Kevin had the bar so well stocked, even
Sunny, a professional bartender, would be impressed. One of the bottles of beer
shifted and wiggled as a piece of ice melted beneath it. Any other day, she
would take that as a sign from the universe she should grab the bottle up, pop
the top, and say, “Ahhhh.”
But this wasn’t any other day. It was Christmas Eve. Her and
Kevin’s first Christmas together as a married couple. Her first attempt at entertaining
as Mrs. Mazze.
She took a deep breath, trying to get a grip on her tangled
nerves. It was ridiculous to be so anxious when all of their guests were their
closest friends, but all she wanted for Christmas was for this Christmas Eve
dinner to be perfect.
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