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Archive for 'contemporary romance'



Adriana Kraft: How old should an erotic romance hero be?
Monday, August 14th, 2017

For those who don’t know, Adriana Kraft is the pen name under which my husband and I write erotic romance, among other things. Baby boomers ourselves, we often feature characters in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s and beyond. If that’s not what trips your trigger, this book isn’t for you – but, with any luck, all of us will reach these ages eventually, and we hope our readers do so with vim, vigor, and yes, a vibrant and active sex life. We like to think some of our characters can light the way.

Zachary Cullen is just such a character. Here are some snippets about him from our heroine’s point of view:

Not for the first time, Josie wondered why the highly successful fifty-something entrepreneur invested so much time and money trying to find the next Broadway star…

Lost in her own thoughts, Josie startled at the gravelly sound of Zach’s deep voice. It was that slow, strong drawl that had appealed to her since the first time they’d met. That, and his burning eyes that seemed capable of peering into her soul…

She had to admit his broad shoulders and tapered hips triggered her own lusty imagination. Damn. She hated the fact that she had difficulty ignoring his manliness, and he never even looked at her as a woman. Apparently, he only saw her as a conduit for helping his protégés advance their careers.

A Woman for Zachary

Meghan’s Playhouse, Book Two
Four Flames: Explicit sex, MF, FF; Ménage, FFM, FMF
Erotic Romance: 26,000 words
Extasy Books: August 4, 2017

BUY LINKS: https://www.extasybooks.com/a-woman-for-zachary/

It’s New York! Broadway beckons, but Meg has more fun keeping an erotic triangle going with her current flame, Zach Cullen, and her drama coach, Josie Patrice.

Zachary Cullen has ignored Josette Patrice’s overtures for years, but she agrees to take on his latest protégé-slash-arm-candy Meghan Keenan in her off-Broadway workshop theater. Though the girl has incredible talent, Josie would stake her reputation on that little thing being a switch-hitter, like herself, and she doesn’t want Zach to be duped. Josie sets out to seduce Meg and expose her for what she is, but all bets are off when Meg turns the tables on Josie to hook her up with Zach.

EXCERPT

Josie was shaking her head back and forth before Zach finished speaking. “That’s not enough.”

Zach closed the distance between the two of them.

She pressed her back against the wall, and he placed his palms against it, framing her head. She licked her lips.

What was he doing? She’d imagined him being this close countless times, but not in this way. Not in anger. Not struggling with his sense of fairness over sharing another woman. She kept her arms locked at her sides.

“That’s exactly what Meg said. What is enough? Do we draw lots for her?”

Josie shook her head.

“Maybe I can have her even days of the month and you odd days.”

“That might work.” Josie could hardly breathe. Zach’s male scent was overpowering. She’d agree to almost anything, if he just stayed where he was. She should be afraid of him, but she wasn’t. This was a man she’d known for a decade. He might be very angry, even deeply pained, but he wouldn’t hurt her—at least not physically.

“It works for parking cars in the winter. It’s a beginning, I guess.” His eyes darkened with a passion she couldn’t decipher. She watched his eyes shut and re-open.

And then his mouth was crushing against hers. She tried to breathe through her nostrils. His muffled groans filled her mouth. Tentatively, she lifted her hands to his shoulders. It was as if he was in a trance. She sighed and pulled him closer. Maybe she was, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Winner of the 2014 Bisexual Book Award for erotic fiction, author Adriana Kraft is a married couple writing Sizzling Romantic Suspense and Erotic Romance for Two, Three, or More.

One man, one woman, danger and intrigue – always a happy ending, but oh, what a ride! Readers can count on our Romantic Suspense line for “warmth, blazing hot sex, and well-developed characters” (Romance Junkies Reviews) as our hero and heroine battle outer threats and inner demons to stay alive and fall in love.

A man, a woman (or two), or another man, threesomes, foursomes, what’s your fantasy? We write our Erotic Romance stories to entertain, of course, but most of all we write them because we believe in happy endings for all who fall in love, whatever their gender, sexual orientation or numerical combination. Here you’ll find multiple partners, three-way, four-way and more, swing lifestyle, lesbian, bisexual, ménage and polyamory, in both contemporary and paranormal settings: “scorching hot…refreshing…something to read when you want straight up hotness” (Long and Short Reviews)

Together we have published more than forty romance novels and novellas to outstanding reviews. We love hearing from readers at adrianakraft99@yahoo.com, and here is our website:

When It’s Time to Heat Things Up https://adrianakraft.com

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Blog: https://www.adrianakraft.com/blog
FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adriana-Kraft/182846025133440
Twitter https://twitter.com/AdrianaKraft
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1578571.Adriana_Kraft
Newsletter https://eepurl.com/uRvCr
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/author/adrianakraft
Google+ https://plus.google.com/102791537641895264573/posts

Cailin Briste: Price Drop! It Takes a Cat Burglar 99¢ – a thief in love suspense romance!
Sunday, August 13th, 2017

It Takes a Cat Burglar is now $0.99 permanently. That’s right, the price drop is here to stay. It’s available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, and Kobo.

It Takes a Cat Burglar: A Thief in Love Suspense Romance
By Cailin Briste

Buy Now: https://books2read.com/cat-burglar
Add it on Goodreads.

When Darcelle Lebeau throws off the invisible chains that keep her bound to her family, she discovers a new vocation. Tempted to enter the illegal playground of a man she nicknames Matou, she becomes a cat burglar in training. Deeply ensnared with each task he entices her to fulfill, she fails to discover his identity and true intentions.

Sebastian St. Croix, a wealthy businessman, has a dark side. He’s a thief, a cat burglar who steals art and historical objects. For one year, he trains Darcelle to become his assistant, remaining incognito, observing her from afar. His admiration grows along with his desire for her with every phase-one challenge she completes. Phase two will test the limits of his control. Hands-on personal training? Yes. Sex? No. With his sister’s happiness at stake, nothing, not even the tempting Darcelle Lebeau, can interfere with accomplishing the biggest break-in of his career.

Excerpt:

DARCELLE STEELED HERSELF before entering the study. She’d been shocked to discover her own clothes laid out for her. This stranger had insinuated himself deep into her life, and she was determined to find out why.

He was seated at a large desk, hands behind his head, long legs stretched before him, and feet propped on the desktop. Arrogant man. Before her strides brought her to stand across from him, he pointed at a chair positioned at an angle to the desk. It was straight in line with his gaze, so he could study her at his ease.

“Sit there.” He returned his hands to the back of his head.

Darcelle ignored the command, stopping at the edge of the desk. “Who are you?”

A glimmer of heat flashed. “If you want your questions answered, you will sit. Do not defy me. There will be consequences.”

Unmoved by the threat, she pressed her lips in a tight line and narrowed her eyes. If it was a battle of wills he wanted, she’d be happy to oblige.

He stared pointedly at her. “Do you want answers?”

She balled her hands into fists. He had her. Without looking at him, she sat.

“Good girl.”

She shot her gaze up to him. Gods. I’d like to wipe that smirk from your face. Or kiss it away. What the hell was wrong with her? She should look out for herself not sink deeper under his thrall.

He abruptly dropped his feet to the floor and sat forward, his gaze aimed so sharply at her that she jerked back.

“There’s a price for my services. It’s time for you to pay.”

Buy Now: https://books2read.com/cat-burglar

About Cailin

Cailin has been writing fiction for six years and non-fiction for two decades. Her non-fiction work has been published in magazines and in a non-fiction anthology. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter, and the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter.

Cailin likes to flip convention on its head, creating a universe in which each planet is a study in different what ifs. What would happen to alpha men on a matriarchal planet? How would society handle it if girls born on their new planet developed empathic senses?

She is currently writing the third book in her Sons of Tallav sci-fi erotic romance series. Shane: Marshal of Tallav and Maon: Marshal of Tallav were released in 2016 by Loose Id. Educated by the Master, a Sons of Tallav novella, will be released in October in the Cosmic Love Cabaret anthology.

For information about Cailin’s new releases, sale prices, and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter.

Social Media Links:

Website https://cailinbriste.com/
Blog https://cailinbriste.com/category/all-posts/ 
Street Team https://cailinbriste.com/cailins-street-team/
Twitter https://twitter.com/CailinBriste
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cailinbriste/
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/102592935378667862505
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cailinbriste/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7413817.Cailin_Briste
Bookbub Author Page https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cailin-briste
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Cailin-Briste/e/B00GSX9QVW

CC Bridges: Sleepy Summer Days
Friday, August 4th, 2017

At the beginning of August, it seems like there’s a lot of summer left. An entire month of hot, sleepy days of summer. (At least in my corner of the globe!) Yet the stores try to remind us that it’s not too long until Autumn with back to school sales and Halloween displays.

Instead of worrying about the future, let’s take a moment to stop. Just breathe. Smell that sea air as the wind whips it around your face. Listen to the ocean waves as they crest against the shore. Feel the sand beneath your feet, a gentle massage that might be a bit too hot against your soles.

I’m very lucky that I live here in New Jersey – yes, I said New Jersey. I know my state gets a bad reputation, but there are many things I love about my home, and being so close to the beach is one of them.

There’s nothing more restorative to the soul than taking a moment to stare at the horizon, knowing that the world goes beyond what you can see. I like to step on the boardwalk and just watch the ocean and just be. I get some of my best ideas while watching the water.

So I wrote not one, but two stories about the beach. One, a short story, you can read for free on my webpage! https://ccbridges.net/shore.html

In The Shorehouse:

Vince invites his two best friends to his family’s house down the shore for Memorial Day weekend, with plans to set the two of them up.

However, thanks to some magic cookies and honesty, he finds out that three is sometimes better than two.

Note: This story is mmf

One of the nicest things about living here is being able to go to the beach in the fall and winter, after the heavy tourist season dies down. It’s during this season that I set my novella “Love in the Time of Hurricanes” which is my love letter to the Jersey shore.

The night Nick Henderson storms into Martelli’s Pizzeria, he’s just looking for something to eat. Along with dinner, he finds Lou Martelli—pizza cook extraordinaire and Jersey Shore native. Nick is renting a Shore house for the winter while taking classes at the local community college as he devises a way to escape the accounting major his father chose for him.

When Lou offers to show Nick around, heat flares between them as they realize they have more in common than domineering families. But it’s not all fun and games on the boardwalk. Hurricane Sandy blows ashore, changing the place Nick was starting to think of as home. His peace is shattered, and it will take everything he has to keep his relationship with Lou from being torn apart by the storm brewing around them.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

 

Buy Links:
Dreamspinner:
https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/love-in-the-time-of-hurricanes-by-cc-bridges-8262-b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Time-Hurricanes-States-Book-ebook/dp/B06WP7DXXX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487819184&sr=8-1&keywords=love+in+the+time+of+hurricanes
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-in-the-time-of-hurricanes-cc-bridges/1125793547?ean=2940157413507
Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Love-Time-Hurricanes/CC-Bridges/Q767430428?id=6878192726616

About the Author

CC Bridges is a mild-mannered librarian by day, but by night she writes about worlds of adventure and romance. When she’s not busy solving puzzles in an escape room, she can be found diving into comics or binge-watching superhero movies. She writes surrounded by books, spare computing equipment, a fluffy dog, and a long-suffering husband in the state of New Jersey.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccbridgeswriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccbridgeswriter
Blog: https://blog.ccbridges.net/
Website: https://www.ccbridges.net

Susan Saxx: Real Deep (Giveaway)
Thursday, July 20th, 2017

UPDATE: The winner is…Toni Whitmire!

* * * * *

Do you love reunion stories? I do. Especially when the couple faces great odds to get back together. It could be family issues, different backgrounds, or the infamous “We were on a break!” line that Ross kept spouting on Friends, much to Rachel’s chagrin (until the very end). But whatever it is, when two people that have allowed their soul to trust another human being on the deepest level find the courage and the strength to make their way back to that original realization despite genuinely tough times – I’m a mess. A happy, story-fulfilled, blubbering mess.

And with that, I introduce you to Dare and Abby from Real Deep, the second book of my REAL MEN series. These two have been through a lot! Abby’s from Money (with a capital M), Dare isn’t. Yet he’s the only one who’s ever ‘seen’ her. And for his part, no one’s ever been there for Dare before, either. So in the backstory, when they break up, it’s a tragedy.

But there’s something about being stuck on a practically deserted tropical island that strips away the rest and brings out only the gold…

If you like reunion stories, I’m betting you’ll want to take the journey with Dare and Abby, two of my very favourite characters.

And as an added benefit, Real Deep is another exciting installment of the Real Men series. This series introduces readers to the brotherhood of a group of men who have bonded through serving as army reservists in various location. They’re connect to the fictional town of Jack’s Bay in northern Ontario as well as the fictional town of Golden, British Columbia.

Today, I’m giving away one copy of Real Deep to a randomly chosen commenter below! All you need to do is:
Follow me on Amazon and…take your pick of: signing up for my newsletter or following me on the social media of your choice.  Let me know in the comments what you chose. Giveaway ends on Sunday at midnight, so let all your friends know!

See you August 7th, folks! And I should have more information about a new, special, summer of 2017 release!

Real Deep

Real Men #2

Deserted tropical island, hunky male models. Sole female photographer. Everything is on track for Abby Haines to please her sleazy boss and win the make-or-break photography contest of the year so she can prove herself to the wealthy parents who’ve disowned her, keep the career she loves, and oh yeah. Eat.

That is, until the past love of her life shows up. The scumbag.

Part-time solider and handyman extraordinaire Dare Logan gets things done. But life just ratcheted up a few degrees for the guy from the wrong side of the track. If he doesn’t kowtow to the creepy shoot director, he can’t save his fledgling renovation business and take care of his mom and sister. And now he’s got to deal with Abby—the woman who broke his heart, proving that what he could provide for her wasn’t enough. Super.

But when they’re sent on a dangerous trek across the island and fate plays with their deeply-entrenched principles and worse, their hearts, choices will have to be made, and the stakes are no longer simple.

Amazon
Kobo, B&N, Nook, iBooks, Inkterra & Other Retailers

Real Men

A new, small town military romance series. Featuring full-length stories and meet-cutes.
Read the entire series to fall in love with the men of Jack’s Bay!

About Susan

Susan Saxx writes sexy, unexpected, heartwarming romances. Her REAL MEN series focuses on a band of Canadian military reservists and the strong women they fall in love with. Meet the cowboy, the ex-hockey player and more at her website, and join her mailing list for exclusive teaser stories and release updates!

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Saxxy Reads FB Readers Group

Helena Fairfax: Romance and the beautiful Lake District, England
Sunday, July 9th, 2017

The Lake District in the north of England has inspired some of the most romantic poetry and literature in the world. It’s no wonder William Wordsworth – one of the most famous poets of the Romantic era – made the Lake District his home, calling it “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.”

Courtesy of Pixabay

The shining lakes, the green mountains, and the dramatic changes in weather in the Lake District make the perfect backdrop for a romance novel. The heroine of my novel Felicity at the Cross Hotel has travelled to the Lake District from her home in Norfolk – a part of England that’s renowned for being completely flat. Here is Fliss’s first sight of the spectacular view looking down on my fictional lake, Emmswater:

“The jagged mountains of the Lake District rose and fell in great dark peaks on the skyline, their sides flecked with splashes of bright, mossy green. Soft fields crept down into the valley, dotted with the fluffy white forms of sheep, and lying at the centre of it all was the gleaming lake.

Fliss took in a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill her lungs.  ‘What a magical place,’ she said to the man standing next to her. ‘ And look, the sun’s come out.’ She held up a hand to the pale sky. ‘Where I come from is so flat. I’m starting to get vertigo here, but in a really good way. Like being on the roller-coaster at Great Yarmouth fun fair.’”

Some people find living in mountains claustrophobic, but my heroine is trying to escape the stresses of working in her father’s business, and instead of feeling hemmed in she finds the mountains exhilarating. I wanted to capture this feeling of wild escape when she looks down on the wonderful landscape.

The setting of the Lake District is also a novelists’ dream because of the dramatic actions the landscape can inspire. The beauty of the scenery can become threatening, as swiftly as the clouds that roll in from over the mountains. Patrick Cross, the hero of my novel, is grieving the death of his friend, who died because of an act of recklessness while diving the still, green waters of the lake. There have been many deaths in the mountains and lakes of Cumbria, and I’ve used the symbolism of the landscape to reflect the contrast between the beauty and the danger.

It’s a shame that nowadays some parts of the Lake District are inundated with tourists, and the roads in summer are very often clogged. But it’s only in recent times that the Lakes have become a tourist destination, and there are many quieter areas that have remained unchanged for centuries. Alone in this magnificent landscape, away from the traffic, you can’t help but feel a part of a long, long history of the soil that stretches back thousands of years.

Lots of people have fallen in love in this wonderful setting, but there are some exceptions. Bill Clinton was famously moved to propose to Hillary for the first time by the shores of Ennerdale Water, but she turned him down. Obviously there are some people who remain unmoved by the romance of the Lakes!

Ennerdale Water, scene of Bill Clinton’s proposal. Attribution: Trevor Harris, via Wikimedia Commons

Will love blossom for Patrick Cross and Felicity Everdene, the hero and heroine of my novel? Here is the blurb to Felicity at the Cross Hotel:

A quaint hotel in the Lake District. The Cross Hotel is the perfect getaway. Or is it?

Felicity Everdene needs a break from the family business. Driving through the Lake District to the Cross Hotel, past the shining lake and the mountains, everything seems perfect. But Felicity soon discovers all is not well at the Cross Hotel …

Patrick Cross left the village of Emmside years ago never intending to return, but his father has left him the family’s hotel in his will, and now he’s forced to come back. With a missing barmaid, a grumpy chef, and the hotel losing money, the arrival of Felicity Everdene from the notorious Everdene family only adds to Patrick’s troubles.

With so much to overcome, can Felicity and Patrick bring happiness to the Cross Hotel … and find happiness for themselves?

Amazon universal buy link for Felicity at the Cross Hotel: https://mybook.to/FelicityCH

About the Author

Helena Fairfax is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now which is just as well, since these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept Yorkshire moors. Helena walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings. Subscribers to Helena’s newsletter receive news of free stuff, competitions with prizes, gossip, and links to cool websites she’s been looking at when she should have been writing.

Social Media Links

Newsletter: https://eepurl.com/cR_m71
Website: www.helenafairfax.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HelenaFairfax/
Twitter https://twitter.com/HelenaFairfax
Pinterest https://uk.pinterest.com/helenafairfax/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/helenafairfax/

Jennifer Kacey: Fantasies A-Z (Huge Giveaway!)
Friday, June 16th, 2017

So… About a year and a half ago I decided to write a serial release about a married couple finding and exploring kink together. Finding themselves. Finding each other again for the first time which can be soooooo scary.

The journey of Zeke and Aslan was born with Aslan’s Stranger. Now 9 stories later I’ve written the last story which is Aslan’s Fear. I have loved this couple and everything they have learned and how they’ve grown and how incredibly brave they both have been to find exactly who they’re meant to be. And sharing it with their spouse has been soooo much harder to write than I expected it to be.

They aren’t starting with a clean slate and no expectations.

Instead they’ve had a decade to “BE” with each other and all which that entails.

And writing their happily ever after has been one of the most rewarding writing experiences I’ve ever had. I balled writing the last book. Balled every time I re-read it for editing. It’ll be up in just a little bit but before then here are all the books in my rainbow glory!!! Had that planned from the beginning too just because it makes me soooo happy to look at it!

Here’s links to all of them in case you need a bit of a dose of dirty today….or tomorrow….or the next day. 😛

These are stories in a serial release all featuring Aslan and Zeke. A married couple looking for more and finding it in the arms of each other. There will be nine stories total, with one being released every couple months. Short kinky stories meant to tantalize and excite you. May you fall in love with love and everything that word means to your fantasies…

Aslan’s Stranger
Zeke’s Pitstop
Aslan’s Desire
Zeke’s Surprise
Aslan’s Fetish
Zeke’s Meeting
Aslan’s Evening
Zeke’s Demons
Aslan’s Fear – Coming soon!!!

Giveaway

Let’s have a giveaway with an AWESOME bag of goodies for one lucky poster! Two print books and lots and lots of other swag and kinky goodies! Plus a cup and a coozie and a pretty purple BED bag to hold it all!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY** – Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!! So tell me why YOU read romance! Why do you like it? What draws you in? What gives you the shivers and brings you back for more??

I’ll pick a winner on Monday the 19th!! Good Luck!! PS –It’s always great to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Hate not being able to give winners their goodies!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

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Opal Carew: Heat — and some free books!
Wednesday, June 7th, 2017

Summer’s here and things get busy and sometimes with vacation and spending time with family… things can get away from us. So I’m on vacation in beautiful Mt. Tremblant with my husband, sons, and a couple of friends, and I realize that the blog post I was to do for Delilah’s blog is this week, NOT next week. Oops!

Well, you’re probably as busy as I am, so I figure you’ll be happy with short, right? So here’s an excerpt from Heat, which came out yesterday. Enjoy!

HEAT

With passion so blazing hot, you don’t want to put this fire out…

When Rikki’s first love dies in the line of duty she vows to keep her heart guarded and never give it away again.

After moving to a new town for a fresh start, she is given the opportunity to show off her photography skills and shoot a sexy fireman calendar. Although taking the job might bring up painful memories, she knows this is her best chance at fulfilling her dreams of becoming a professional photographer.

While out with her new roommates, Rikki meets Simon and Carter and feels an instant spark of attraction… to both equally gorgeous and tempting men. This is the same intense feeling she had the first time she fell in love. But how can she feel that way about two men?

When she arrives at the firehouse to shoot the calendar, she is surprised to find that Simon and Carter are firefighters so she immediately pulls back on their growing flirtation. But Simon and Carter are men who know what they want, and they want Riki. As the chemistry between them ignites Rikki finds it hard to resist falling prey to her steamiest fantasies.

Now she has to choose between keeping her heart safe… or taking a chance on love… and possibly losing everything.

Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/mdKVdX

* * *

Excerpt:

“From the two gentlemen at the bar. They said to say welcome to Muldone.”

Rikki’s gaze shot to the bar, and the man she’d been gazing at before smiled and nodded. Then she glanced at the man next to him and—

It was like a punch to the gut. That same intense feeling as she’d had when she’d seen the first man. That this was the man she was meant to be with.

This guy had the same type of physique as the first. Tall, muscular. Very strong. His hair was a soft brown, and wavy. She imagined it would feel soft to the touch. And his eyes seemed very warm.

His gaze shifted from his friend’s to hers  for the first time and—Wham! Instant electricity.

Oh, God, how could she have the same feeling—this very special and intense intuitive feeling—for two men?

Of course, she couldn’t. She was just reading things wrong.

The two men stood up and started to walk her way. Her heart fluttered, then started pounding faster as they approached the table.

“Hello. My name is Simon,” the first man said. “And this is my friend, Carter.”

“Hi,” Carter said.

Simon held out his hand and she shook it. At the first touch, sparks flared through her body, playing havoc with her senses. Then she shook Carter’s hand, and had the same wild reaction.

“Hi, uh . . . I’m Rikki.”

“May we join you?” Carter asked.

Ordinarily, she would make some excuse to send them away, but she was too befuddled and found herself nodding.

“I . . . uh . . . thanks for the drink.”

Simon smiled. “Our pleasure.”

“How did you know I just moved to town?”

Carter laughed. “Rhonda on the bar knows her clientele. She told us.”

Rikki nodded and took a sip of the icy drink, and the sweet flavor of peaches exploded on her tongue.

“It’s delicious.”

“So did your party break up,” Simon asked, “or will the others be coming back?”

“I’m not really sure. I’m not used to coming to places like this, but I think they might have moved on.” She could see Tina sitting at another table, and Mel leaning in close to the woman he was talking to at her table.

“So the guy just ditched you?” Simon asked.

She shrugged. “He’s not my boyfriend or anything. In fact, I barely know him. We just live together.”

At Simon’s arched eyebrow, she added, “He’s my new roommate. All three of them are. But I just met them when I moved in a few days ago.”

“Well, since they’ve moved on, do you want to go somewhere quieter where we can talk?” Carter asked.

Anxiety quivered through her. These guys were definitely moving faster than she liked.

“Don’t look so panicky,” Carter said. “I just mean we could move to a booth on the back wall. With the overhang, it’s quieter and we won’t have to fight with the music to hear each other.”

“Oh.” She glanced to the wall and saw a few booths were open. “That would be okay.”

She stood up and grabbed her purse and her gift from Anna. Simon picked up her drink and he and Carter followed her to one of the booths. As soon as she sat down, she noticed the difference in noise level.

“You’re right, this is better,” she said.

The two men sat across from her in the rectangular booth.

“I’ll just let my friends know where I am.” She grabbed her phone and texted Tina.

Way to go, Tina texted back with a winky face.

“So where did you move here from?” Carter asked.

“I was in Ashton. That’s the small town in Ohio where I grew up. But I got laid off from work and so I decided to start again someplace new.”

“And you came here because of the great scenery?” Simon asked.

“It is a beautiful spot. I hadn’t realized how pretty it was here or how much of a tourist destination  it is. I came here because a close friend from college lives here and I thought it would be fun if we lived in the same place again.”

“Friends are important.” Carter’s smile caused his eyes to twinkle.

“You two are good friends I take it,” she observed.

“That’s the truth,” Simon said.

“Yeah. We share everything.”

The glitter in Carter’s eyes sent a shiver of excitement through her. As if he’d just told her that he and Simon both wanted to be with her. To kiss her . . . undress her . . . make love to her. Together.

Oh, God, the thought of being with one of these big, muscular men was enough to steal her breath away. But the thought of being with both of them . . .

Of course, she was just being silly. Because of the weirdness of her intuitive feeling that she was meant to be with Simon. And with Carter. She was misinterpreting things. They probably shared an apartment and maybe a car and . . . whatever else guys shared on a regular basis.

Not women.

Not her.

Remember the mention of free books?

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Also, you can get a free anthology of 7 sizzling stories called Summer Nights. Perfect for your summertime reading!

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About Opal

As a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of erotic contemporary romance, Opal Carew writes about passion, love, and taking risks.  Her heroines follow their hearts and push past the fear that stops them from realizing their dreams… to the excitement and love of happily-ever-after. Her books have won several awards, including The National Readers’ Choice Award, The Golden Leaf Award (twice), The Golden Quill (3 times), CRA Award of Excellence, and Silken Sands.

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