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Contemporary Romance

RELEASE BLITZ: “Last Love of Luka Hale” by Eden Butler

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Title: Last Love of Luka Hale
Series: Saints and Sinners #1
Author: Eden Butler
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 20, 2019



Blurb

She isn’t the girl Luka Hale loved.

 Gia Jilani killed the child she’d been, right along with the memory of his smile and the sting of his sweet kiss.

But sometimes, against her will, Luka comes back to her— his smile, his laugh, the crooked twist of his lips just before he kissed her. He’s a phantom that won’t ever fade. He’s a reminder of what happens if you love too deeply.

Now Gia returns to the place where the past and the present converge. Where pain and pleasure threaten to consume her. Where she is forced to face a past that has never really left her and the memories that still haunt her and likely always will.  

This is a Saints and Sinners prequel novel set in the Thin Love timeline







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Excerpt

“You got no idea, do you?” He kept his voice soft, low, though his insides were burning with the instinct to touch her, to lick dry the water from her beautiful skin. Luka closed his eyes, inhaling that lilac scent like it would satisfy him. He knew it wouldn’t. “You’re clueless how easy it would be to have any man you want?”
Luka opened his eyes when he felt the wet touch of her fingertips near his cheek. Gia didn’t smile. She didn’t seem able to do anything but hold every emotion off her face as she watched him. Her control awed him.
Gia opened her mouth, pink lips glistening with moisture as she wet them with her tongue. “I only want one man,” she admitted, her words confident, but there was still a wobble in her tone. Luka tensed, not sure what she wanted or how she’d go about getting whatever that was.
She meant him, he knew, but that wouldn’t make him move. It wouldn’t keep the reminder of her age, her probable inexperience from his thoughts. “You’re young,” he told her, hoping that would keep her from touching him again. 
“I’m old enough.”  
Luka was starting to realize this Gia was one that might be tired of the sidelines. Maybe she was tired of watching and waiting and never having what she wanted. Maybe, he thought, she was ready to step onto the field and play.
Gia moved, making Luka step back, her wet body closer to him now, her breath heating his skin as she spoke. “I’m old enough for you, Luka.” Her breath was cool, smelled like mint, and there was a low, soft moan in her voice that made him harder. “My…my uncle…” She cleared her throat, looking down, then quickly up at him as though internally convincing herself to finish this. “My uncle will leave for Florida after tomorrow’s practice.” Some of her confidence slipped when she brushed her wet hair behind her ear, but she still looked directly at Luka. “My dorm is empty. We could be alone.”
Fuck me, he thought.
She was off limits, right? She was forbidden. Luka knew that. It was information that ran like a ticker tape scrolling in his mind. Gia wasn’t some beautiful woman he’d flirted with at a club or some Blue Devil-proud girl eager to thank Luka for his performance on the field.
She was his coach’s niece. She was his coach’s eighteen-year-old niece.
He could have taken her right then. She was already wet. He was sufficiently hard, but Luka held back, teeth gritted, jaw working as he grabbed the towel hanging from the hook next to the entrance. He moved close, his skin wetting as he grazed her chest and shoulder when he covered her body with the thick towel in his hand. The smallest twist of his head and he could reach her mouth. Their lips were so close already, their breath heated and mixed and did things to Luka’s head he wasn’t sure he liked.
Gia shifted her gaze, moving her chin like she was prepared for whatever he gave her. Like she wanted it all and wouldn’t settle for anything less. But Luka reminded himself one last time who she was and why he shouldn’t be there with her. He lingered, unable to pull back out of her reach before he inhaled, taking in that lilac scent and the teasing delicious taste of her breath.
He moved his chin, a half an inch away from her lips, then grinned, a half smile gesture that made her release the breath she’d been holding.
“Be sure to lock up before you head out,” he told her, winking before he turned to grab his clothes and put as much space between that off-limits girl and himself as he could.



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Author Bio


Eden Butler is a writer of contemporary, fantasy and romantic suspense novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.

When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, reads, and spends too much time in her garden perfecting her green thumb while waiting for the next New Orleans Saints Superbowl win.

She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana.

Please send help.


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COVER REVEAL: “Torn” by Harper Phoenix

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Title: Torn
Author: Harper Phoenix
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Pink Elephant Designs
 Release Date: November 11, 2019



Blurb

She was sworn off men…

…Until an accidental meeting changed everything. 

Alissa sacrificed everything for her husband and child. While he climbed the corporate ladder she made them a nice home and became the perfect wife. 
Until he broke her trust. 
Broke her spirit. 

Since a tragic accident changed his existence, Luke has had to fight his demons on a daily basis. Despite the heartbreak that haunts him he is determined to live his life to the fullest. 

A promise he can’t break. 
No matter the pain. 

When fate throws Alissa and Luke together it’s the very last thing either of them are looking for. Is there a chance it could be everything they need?







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Excerpt

Prologue

Alissa

When your whole world implodes and in the matter of hours and your happily ever after turns to dust, life sucks.

I’m left holding the baby. Literally.

The baby being my eleven-month old daughter, Nora, who knows nothing of her father’s failure to be a decent husband… man… well human-being really. He’s a shitty person and that’s all there is to it. Our story started out like your typical fairy-tale. Goosebumps still prickle my skin when I remember the way he chased me throughout Senior school, and the years of romance that followed. And the proposal and wedding? Just call me Cinde-fucking-rella. But my perfect life came crashing down as quickly as that pink line appeared on the pregnancy test. Apparently a tired, puffy and hormonal wife didn’t exactly make my husband’s dick stand to attention. So, in a move I can only imagine was driven by his little head (and I do mean little,) he decided my ex-best friend was a better option.

That’s right I said ex because before she did the dirty with my husband she was the best friend. I told her everything, confided in her and cried on her shoulder about my non-existent sex life and all the while her own sex life was heating up with my husband. Weekends away on ‘business trips’ and doing all the things a wife should be doing with her husband. Except she was his slutty side piece with a big fat mouth and a huge spent pussy the whole football team had ridden so often they called her the local bike.

Yeah, I’m bitter and I don’t care. I’ve been wronged by the two people I trusted the most. Now I’m a single mother with no social life to speak of, and my only conversation is in baby gobbledegook. I actually look forward to the delivery woman ringing the doorbell when I order groceries online. Yeah, I have them delivered. Have you ever tried juggling a crying baby and a shopping cart while concentrating on what comfort food you plan to stuff your face with that night while crying over chick flicks? Yeah, I’m miserable, it’s obvious, right?



Author Bio


I was born and bred in East Yorkshire England, and I still live in my hometown, with my husband and children.

My journey with stories began when I was just a child, I would often scribble down wherever my dreams or imagination took me.

My journey with writing stories, began much later when I became ill and housebound for a period of eighteen months. I decided I would escape real life and become immersed in a story of my creation. With the support of my husband and family my first real story was born. I would stay up night after night tapping the keys of my trusty laptop, while my husband lay sleeping beside me. I was hooked. But it wasn’t as easy as that. My story needed work. A lot of it. And it sat on my computer for some years after that. Later on I decided to embark on another journey. I went to university, where I studied Creative writing and english literature.

I then decided with a new wealth of knowledge that I would once again delve into the world that I had created. I had never forgotten the characters and would often think about what I would have liked to have done with them over the years. I had grown to love them for getting me through a very difficult period in my life, and I wanted other people to read all about them. And so I began to rewrite my book.

It wasn’t until I delved into the ‘Book world’ on facebook that I discovered the ‘Indie book world.’ It’s amazing! So many authors are now being heard publishing this way, and I can only hope that my books will leave a lasting memory for some or all of you readers too!


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COVER REVEAL: “Another Round” by Nikki Belaire

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Title: Another Round
Author: Nikki Belaire
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Taylor Sullivan
Release Date: September 30, 2019



Blurb

She knows I would die for her. Even if her father is the one who wants me dead.

A call I don’t expect. A job I don’t want. A hassle I don’t need. I’d protected his wife a long time ago, and now the notorious mob boss wants me to keep his daughter safe. I resist the tempting and troublesome mafia princess for as long as I can, but once I take her, there’s no going back, no giving her back. She thinks what we have between us is just a fling, but I know we’re forever. Regardless of what she says or her dad orders. 

Another Round is a friends-to-lovers, older man/younger woman mafia romance and touches on sensitive topics. Reader discretion advised. No cheating or cliffhanger.







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Excerpt

Relief floods my clenched muscles once we reach the landing. Only a few more feet, and she’ll be inside her apartment. Safe from danger. Safe from me. She pauses at the door and looks up. Hope bubbling in her expression where there shouldn’t be any. I shouldn’t have created any.
“Wait just a second. I’ll be right back.”
This isn’t good. I should tell her good night and lock the door behind her. Walk away literally and figuratively. Instead, I stand here waiting once again. Not impatient or irritated. Because I know she’s coming back, and she’s always well worth the wait.
Of course she’s fucking gorgeous when she does. A sparkling smile, glowing with joy and mischief, grows with each step closer.
“What are you up to trouble?”
She holds up the heavy pink blanket draped over her slender arm. “Want to be naughty with me?”
Impossible to resist with her eyebrow twerking up in challenge, I nod automatically. Without thought or reason for what’s right or logical or decent. My turn to be curious as to what she’s implying. She points to the silver metal ladder attached to the wall at the end of the corridor.
“Let’s go up on the roof and look at the stars again.”
Beyond wrong, but I can’t seem to tell her no with the excitement brewing in her expression as she flexes on her feet. Eager to climb up. Keen to learn more. “All right. For a little bit.”
I’d kill a man for keeping me from enjoying the ecstasy radiating in her from my agreement. As usual, she practically runs to the narrow access and I definitely have to run to catch up. I allow her to ascend the first three rungs before I scramble behind her. Sheathing her small body to mine to keep her from falling if she loses her grip. Our ascension is quick which is a blessing since I can’t think straight with her captured between my arms. Fighting against the overwhelming need to touch her more.
Adorable when she turns around after stepping onto the concrete and offers me her hand. Unwilling to offend her by declining her unnecessary assistance, I accept and squeeze her fingers in appreciation. But let go as soon as I’m up. Much to her dismay if the faltering grin is any indication.
Picking a spot in the middle, she billows the bedspread across the surprisingly dry and clean surface and kneels down to smooth the wrinkles. I sit beside her. Spreading my legs in front of me and crossing my feet at the ankles. Attempting to keep a virtual barrier between us as she crawls closer to me once she finishes her efforts.
She lays back on the cover. Silky hair splayed around her. Longer than when she first arrived since she hasn’t found a salon yet that she likes. Fucking crazy that I know this kind of personal girly stuff, but since she tells me everything, I know everything.
Except what she’s thinking right now. As she looks at me, rather than the dark expanse above us. Her soft gaze studies me, contemplative and inquisitive.
“Will you show me some more constellations?”
I have no choice. I have to lie down with her because how in the hell can I deny her request. As soon as my back hits the fabric, she scooches closer and curls onto her side. Friendly and innocent resting her head on my shoulder. Until she tucks her face into my neck.
Inhales my scent with a deep breath.
Fists my shirt with her small fingers.
Whispers my name with a needy murmur.
Hardens my cock with no effort at all.
Fuck.
“What are you doing?”
Barely able to get the words out, my voice rasps with the same desire that she conveys with her actions.
“I don’t know.”
Then we shouldn’t be doing this. Not if she’s as terrified as I am that we’ve gone too far. We can’t go back. We can’t undo what we’ve done.
Obvious she doesn’t agree. Not with her delicate hand cupping my face. I shouldn’t do it but I can’t resist and look down at her. So fucking perfect staring back up with a longing that mimics my own. Jesus.
I’m so fucking weak. I push it. Push her to see if she really wants this. Wants me. I roll over, pinning her underneath me. Raising up on my forearms to keep from crushing her. “You really are trouble.”
That accusation makes her grin. And caress her fingers over my short hair. And rise up to kiss me. Gentle and tentative and soft. Everything I’m not. But somehow I restrain myself and let her lead with tender brushes of her lips. “I know.”
She pulls back, smiling up at me. My cheeks fill her dainty palms from me smiling back down at her. Behaving like the gentleman she deserves and expects and knows. Tamping down the beast roaring inside me from the proximity of my hungry dick nestled between her legs. From the heat engulfing me with her trapped beneath me with no escape. From every inch of her body molding to mine without hesitation or fear.
“You are too.”
That I am. And, it’s unfair to her. I remain motionless. My question answered that she’s not ready. She can’t handle me or what I want to do with her.






Author Bio


Nikki writes contemporary romantic thrillers and admits to a weakness for bad boys, especially ones who can’t live without the strong women they love. She spends more time in her characters’ lives than her own. But, when she’s in the real world, her passions include reading, wine appreciating, running, and spending time with her husband and daughter.


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RELEASE BLITZ: “Perfect Storm” by Erica Marselas

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Title: Perfect Storm
Author: Erica Marselas
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 16, 2019



Blurb

I should have never taken the babysitting job at the Goodwin house, but I had my reasons.
But what I really shouldn’t have done is fall for Mr. Goodwin. 
For years, I watched his marriage fall apart, and when it ended, I was the one who helped him put back the pieces of his broken heart. 
Now there’s a storm brewing in the form of his ex-wife. 
I’m hoping I can hold on as she comes blowing back into his life.
Though it isn’t only her that could destroy us… 
I have a secret, 
and I’ll do anything not to have it exposed.







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Excerpt

“I love her, maybe more than life itself. But in the eyes of everyone else, our relationship might never be anything more than a sordid affair.
Lola Anderson is every bit the forbidden fruit.
She’s the perfect, intoxicating, taboo treat, and I have fallen for her. Hard.”






Author Bio


Erica is a wife, a mother of four, and a tequila drinking smart mouth. When she’s not wrangling her children and trying to keep them alive, she’s writing. She’ll write anything from sweet stalkers, to forbidden love, to erotica, to rom coms to young adult because she believes no love story is created equal and every story deserves to be told. Even the fictional ones. As long as she can dream it, she’ll write it. 


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Giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ: “Imitation of Life” by Felice Stevens

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Title: Imitation of Life
Series: Rock Bottom #2
Author: Felice Stevens
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
Release Date: August 16, 2019



Blurb

Benny DeMarco is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. He works hard, takes care of his little sister, and pays the bills. Childhood bullies and an abusive stepfather invade his dreams, and at times he wishes life would grant him a do-over. Would he like a boyfriend? You bet. But Benny knows love isn’t for him. He’s been looked over, looked through, and looked past all his life. Even worse, the one guy he’s been in love with for almost two years is the biggest flirt who will sleep with anyone. Anyone except Benny.

Gino Acosta smiles to keep from crying. Everyone he meets tells him he’s beautiful and sexy, but Gino knows the truth. His outside may be perfect, but inside he feels dirty and unworthy. Bounced around as a child, he yearns for someone to love and a family to call his own. He hops from man to man, desperate to belong, believing the lies he’s told, but all he finds is a body for an hour or two. Things would be so different if only he knew—the man he’s searching for is waiting for him, right under his nose.

Benny starts dating the “perfect guy”and it’s okay if there’s no spark—that’ll happen eventually. Won’t it? Gino’s fast-paced modeling career has taken off, but once again, he’s trading his body for a dream. When Gino’s world explodes, Benny must fight for what and who he really wants. Gino must learn to trust what people tell him—that he’s got so much more to offer than a pretty face and a moment of pleasure.

If all your life you believe you’re nothing, how do you move past heartbreak and hardship to reach for everything?







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 Author Bio


I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, my characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.


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Giveaway

RELEASE BLITZ: “Until Joe” by CP Smith

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Title: Until Joe
A Happily Ever Alpha World Novel
Author: CP Smith
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: August 16, 2019



Blurb

Sometimes the greatest love comes in the middle of your life.

Joe Rouger (Uncle Joe from the Until Series by Aurora Rose Reynolds) is ready for a woman who completes him. He finds what he’s looking for in a feisty Southern belle named Bernice Armstrong (Wallflower Series by CP Smith) The question is, can he leave his world behind for a chance at happiness?

And if he does, can he keep Bernice away from outside sources that threaten to steal what he’s waited for his whole life: a soul mate he can live and die for!

Part of the Happily Ever Alpha World brought to you by Boom Factory Publishing LLC, Aurora Rose Reynolds, and Author CP Smith.







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Author Bio

CP Smith lives in Oklahoma with her husband and five children. She loves football, reading, and card games. Writing for her is about escape. She writes what she loves to read, and leaves the rest to those with better imaginations.


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BOOK BLITZ: “Girl By Any Other Name” by MK Schiller

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Title: Girl By Any Other Name
Author: MK Schiller
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 15, 2019



Blurb

I fell in love with her. Then she died. But that’s not the end of our story.
I met Sylvie Cranston when I was ten years old. Back then, she was the annoying, weird girl who had moved next door and got me in trouble. But by twelve, we became friends when I taught her how to bait a fishing line and she showed me the value of a selfless act. At fourteen, she owned my heart.
At seventeen, she died.
Or so I was told. But I don’t believe it. Sylvie is part of my soul. I would know if she was no more. I searched and prayed for her to come back to me. Finally, I just waited for her.
Ten years later, she strolled into the English lit course I taught. Only this girl claimed her name was Sophie Becker and she had no idea who I was. But I’m not giving up. I’m going to get the girl I love back and protect her from the danger that took her away all those years ago.
My name is Caleb Tanner and this is our story.







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Author Bio


Not knowing a word of English, MK Schiller came to America at the age of four from India. Since then, all she’s done is collect words. After receiving the best gift ever from her parents—her very own library card—she began reading everything she could get her greedy hands on. At sixteen, a friend asked her to make up a story featuring the popular bad boy at school. This wasn’t fan fiction…it was friend fiction. From that day on, she’s known she wanted to be a writer. With the goal of making her readers both laugh and cry, MK Schiller has penned more than a dozen books, each one filled with misfit characters overcoming obstacles and finding true love.


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RELEASE BLITZ: “Bang Bang” by Belle Brooks

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Title: Bang Bang
Author: Belle Brooks
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: August 8, 2019



Blurb

Bang, bang!
They shot us down.
Bang, bang!
We ran through town.
Bang, bang!
Now here I am …
Bang, bang
… in an undercover police sting.

Miranda Sikes is a twenty-year-old university student who hates venturing into the city, but her grandmother’s watchband isn’t going to repair itself.
The watchband doesn’t get fixed.
She misses the bus home.
She’s stuck in the one place she loathes.
But there’s a silver lining: free wedding cake by Alessandro. It’s only the best cake in the world. Now all Miranda needs is a fiancé to dine with so she can meet the store’s terms.
Miranda’s next decision will change the course of her day, her year, and her life.
And it all happens when she grabs the arm of a man named Haggerty, finds herself shoeless while running down a busy street, and is forced to dive to the ground when she hears …
BANG! BANG!







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Excerpt

We stand across the room from each other. Lane with a huge smirk plastered across his handsome face. I rub my chin, wondering how I can bring down this brick shithouse. I used the only trick I had in my bag of moves. What to do, what to do?
“Are you ready to charge at me again, or are you going to let me show you how to do this properly?”
I match his smirk. “Oh, you’re going down, doll face.”
“Doll face? Really?” His eyebrows hitch.
“It’s what I said, isn’t it?” I flip him the bird, which causes him to laugh once more.
“Okay, then it’s your funeral,” he teases.
“Or yours.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“Well, come on then. I’m getting bored waiting.” He fake yawns, patting his hand in front of his lips.
Him and his smart mouth.
I bend my knees then sway from side to side. Go for his throat. That’s what I need to do.
“Are you coming or what?” He winks.
I need to show him I’m in control. I push my shoulders back and bounce on the balls of my feet until I take off at full pace towards him, bending my right arm and leaning in with my elbow.
Lane’s hands take my legs, and he flips me upside down. Mothertrucker. I scramble against his strength, and flick my legs around his neck, crossing my feet over each other behind his head, my head bouncing by his knees.
“Wrong move again,” he says. I feel his breath between my legs.
No shit!
I dangle, like a dead weight, until I cackle and squeeze my thighs as hard as I can around his neck.
Death by thigh strangulation. It could happen.
“Stop!” he shouts.
It’s working. I’m winning … until I’m not.






Author Bio


Belle Brooks is the International bestselling author of eight novels and multiple novellas. She lives out in the country of Queensland with her incredibly tolerant and crazy family. She writes contemporary romance, romantic comedy and contemporary women’s fiction ranging from young adult to adult audiences. She also writes crime and psychological thrillers.


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EXCERPT: “Love Block” by S.M. West

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Title: Love Block
Series: Love Lock Duet #1
Author: S.M. West
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 22, 2019



Blurb

I’m screwed.
Pippa just showed up uninvited with plans of staying the weekend.
I can hardly handle an hour with her, let alone two days.
Despite more than a year of dodging her, nothing has changed.
She’s the only woman I want.
Smart and sexy and bold.
My best friend’s little sister.
Forbidden.
Denying my desire for her is torture.
And she doesn’t make it easy; she wants me too.

The thing is, making her mine means ruining my best friend.

Love Block is the first book in the Love Lock Duet. 







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Excerpt

Drew

“Holy shit, you’re really doing this adult thing, aren’t you?” Finn clinks his shot glass with mine and sticky amber liquid spills over the sides onto my fingers. 

Sugary caramel flavors invade my senses as I bring the glass to my lips, and the Canadian whiskey slides smoothly down my throat, heat nipping at my gut. 

“You know you’re old when you buy property and shit, right?” He licks his upper lip. “First a condo, and now a cottage. Damn, just talking about all that responsibility makes me queasy.”

Ken snickers at my side, and despite Finn’s intention, I accept his jab as praise. Praise for a dream come true. They can take all the pot shots they want, I have no regrets.

“You’ve got to grow up sometime. A cottage isn’t exactly a burden.” A wide, goofy grin steals my face. 

Pretty soon their sorry asses will be begging to crash at my cottage from the Victoria Day long weekend in May—also referred to as May two-four, which marks the beginning of cottage season, blackflies, and summer—to Thanksgiving. Who’ll be laughing then? 

Friday night with the guys comes with lots of ribbing, lots of laughing, and lots of cold ones. Tonight’s no different, except we’re celebrating more than the end of the work week. We’re celebrating my new cottage in Muskoka. Well, it’s not new, rather old actually. A fixer-upper that cost a fucking fortune. But it’s mine and totally worth it. 

“Nah, not ready to grow up quite yet. My mom’s pestering me about when I’m gonna propose to Cass. That’s enough stress.” He shivers mockingly but ends up looking like he’s having a seizure. 

Finn Raine is a liar. I’ve known him since we were in diapers—our mothers are best friends—and Cassandra Donnelly is his high school sweetheart. Nothing about marrying her causes him undue stress. 

“And when are you gonna pop the question?” Ken, another buddy from our high school days, asks about what most would call the ultimate commitment—marriage. 

“Not any time soon.” 

Full of shit. He’s counting the days, literally, until Cass graduates with her Ph.D. to get down on his bended knee. He already has the ring. 

Cupping my mouth with my hand, I fake-cough, “Bullshit,” and elbow him in the ribs. 

“Shut it.” Finn shoves my arm. “What’s that you said? Another round on you?” 
Tipping my head back, I laugh hard, my insides heating from our usual spirited banter, the top shelf liquor, or both. 

“You’re in luck. I’m in a good mood. One more round on me, asshole.”

The guys whoop and whistle and bang their fists on the bar. That gets the attention of not only the bartender but half the room. Heads spin toward the ruckus, including a cute blonde a few seats down from us. 

She licks her lips, her hunger growing the longer I hold her gaze. If I wanted, we’d be fucking in under thirty minutes. 

I don’t. 

Our beers arrive, and I take a long pull of the cold, frothy lager. Finn called it. At twenty-nine, I’m an adult, already wading through burgeoning responsibility as a criminal lawyer and the proud owner of not one but two properties. All I need now is a woman to share my life. 

Like bitter February flurries in Toronto, my spine freezes, ripples of frost spreading through me. Where the hell did that thought come from? 

There isn’t a woman in my life or any prospects on the horizon. Marriage is a long way off. Came close with Scarlett, my girlfriend of two years, but we split six months ago. The break was amicable and mutual. 

Some days I miss her, some days I don’t, and some days I can’t make sense of what happened. Even still, if she were here right now wanting to get back together, I’m not sure that’s what I’d want. 

Since then, I’ve had a couple one-night stands—more out of habit than desire. Enough to realize I’m done with meaningless hookups. 

The blonde smiles again, and Finn notices, winking suggestively as if I need his approval or permission. 

“I’m gonna piss, and then I’m out. Go make your move, bud.” He slaps my shoulder like a coach boosting his player before sending him onto the field.

He vacates his stool, and I ignore him, signalling the bartender to settle my bill. 

“Ken, I’m gone too.” I take out my card as the bartender nears with the machine. 

“Sure. I’ll see you later this week.” Ken swigs the last of his drink and scans the crowd, on the hunt. The guy thinks with his dick. 

As I head out, I find Finn leaning against the wall by the entrance, with a shit-eating grin swallowing his features. The idiot was waiting for me, hoping I’d score. His eyebrows climb to his hairline at my solo exit. 

“Where’s the chick?” Both shoulders rise, his hands out, palms up.

I brush past him, out the door, and into the balmy May night. He follows, bewildered. “But she wanted in your pants.”

“I’ve got to get up early tomorrow.” I’m bored with this conversation.

“What? Since when does that have anything to do with a quick fuck?”
“Not interested.” I yawn. 

“The fuck?” He grabs my shoulder, twisting me to face him. “Who the fuck are you, and what did you do with Drew?” 

I chuckle. This guy can be a diva. He’s been with Cass for eleven years and lives the bachelor life through Ken and me. He’s beyond dramatic if we pass up a hookup. 

“I’m done with the one-night stands.” This isn’t news. We’ve had this chat.

I keep walking, but he’s rooted to the sidewalk, puzzled. My building is a block away, and I can’t get there fast enough. The insanity of my workload is finally hitting me. I’ve worked my ass off the past few weeks, knowing I’d be away for the next two. 

Sleep would be an awesome way to spend the weekend, making up for the long hours I’ve been putting in, but sleep has to wait. There’s too much to do.

“You’re crazy, asshole. Get back there,” Finn orders like this is life or death. Idiot. “The blonde was hot.”

“Don’t bust my balls.” Not interested. Blondes aren’t my type. 

Bold-faced lie. 

Only one blonde kicks my heart rate into overdrive, twists my insides, and brings me to my knees.

Pippa Raine. 

Finn’s younger sister.

Sexy spitfire and off limits. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I even go there? She’s not only Finn’s sister, she’s my younger sister Paige’s best friend. She’s family. 

Not to mention Finn has made it abundantly clear that if I so much as think about making a move on Pippa, he’ll chop off my nuts and feed them to me. 

Ouch. My hand involuntarily slides into my pocket and adjusts my junk. All good.

“You’re fucking dumb,” Finn pants, winded from the few feet of jogging.

“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” I quip, opening the door to my building. “You crashing here, or what?”

“Nah. I’m the smart one. Cass is waiting for me. I’m getting laid tonight. Later, loser.” He pulls out his phone for an Uber.

“Whatever,” I chuckle, holding my thumb and pointer finger in the shape of an L.

“I’ll come up next weekend with Cass, and maybe my parents, Pip, or the rest of the brood will come.” He barely glances up from his phone.

Finn has three siblings: Pippa, Claire, and Tom. While I’ve known all of them their entire lives and we’re like family, only one of them is a problem. And if she shows up next weekend, I’m done for. 

I sizzle with thoughts of Pippa. I’m a stick of dynamite, and she’s the flame. Ignite, blaze, combust. 

That’s why I’ve stayed away. 

It’s been well over a year since I’ve seen her. My avoidance was intentional. If I was going to keep my relationships with Scarlett, Finn, and my family, I had to end all contact. But now, with just a mention, I want to see her. Not a good idea. 

“That’s cool, but don’t bother.” My voice is steady and uninterested, contradicting the small explosion going on in my chest. “Alec and Paige are coming, and Ken’s going to take a day or two. I’m good, thanks.” 

 “All right.” He’s engrossed in his phone. 

The need to sleep has vanished, replaced by a wired edginess I know too well. 
Pippa. 

Finn had to say her name, and now I wonder what she’s been up to. I could ask Paige since they live together, but like my absence, my ignorance is deliberate. 

The less I know, the better. I don’t need the temptation. She’s the girl I can’t have. 
And that’s the thing, isn’t it? She’s just a girl, and seeing her now might be different. She’s most probably over me and dating. Dammit. Why’d I have to think about Pippa with another guy? Now I want to punch something.

The gym. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll unwind with exercise and exhaust myself. 

Sleep does eventually come, but it’s restless with dreams of a sexy blonde bombshell with the bluest eyes, the longest legs, and the sweetest smile. 






Coming Soon


Releasing September 5, 2019







Author Bio


S.M. West writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, erotica and whatever her heart desires. She spends most of her time juggling a day job, being a mom, wife, and writing. She’s a self-professed junkie of many things, including a voracious fan of music, a born wanderer, a wine aficionado and chocolate connoisseur.


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