Erin Nicholas's Blog - Posts Tagged "boys-of-the-bayou"
My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding is almost here!
I can't wait for you to meet Josh and Tori in the first book in my new series, Boys of the Bayou!
Here's a peek into My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding!
He tossed the two quarters in the tip bottle on the bar. “Free three sips of a drink. Fifty-cent payment for the advice to stay the hell away from N’Awlins boys who drink too much bourbon and barely recognize nice girls anymore.”
“You think I’m a nice girl?”
“I definitely do.”
She was. She didn’t realize she broadcast it quite so loudly, but yeah, she was. She nodded. “Sorry about that.”
He gave her a smile. “Somebody’s gotta go square dancing with all those nice farm boys up north.”
She gave a little gasp, but she couldn’t help her grin. “I’ve never been square dancing in my life.”
He chuckled. “But I bet you’ve let a nice Iowa boy drive you around on his tractor.” He wiggled one eyebrow suggestively.
She scoffed. “Not even once.”
“No?”
She shook her head. “Don’t need a boy for that.” Tori slid her purse strap up on her shoulder. “I’ve got my own tractor to drive around. When I’m in the mood for…tractor driving.”
There was a brief pause and then he laughed.
In a brief flash of sassiness, she winked at him. “But if you ever make it to Iowa, I’ll take you on a ride.”
“Damn, girl, that’s tempting.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Josh.”
“For?”
“Being a good guy.”
He gave a little shrug. “I’m already regretting it, I’ll be honest.”
With a smile, she turned and started for the door.
She’d just stepped out onto the sidewalk when she felt someone grasp her upper arm and twirl her around.
It was Josh.
“Wha—”
He cupped her face and covered her mouth with his.
Coming April 9th!
Available at Apple Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Google Play! Paperback available too!
Here's a peek into My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding!
He tossed the two quarters in the tip bottle on the bar. “Free three sips of a drink. Fifty-cent payment for the advice to stay the hell away from N’Awlins boys who drink too much bourbon and barely recognize nice girls anymore.”
“You think I’m a nice girl?”
“I definitely do.”
She was. She didn’t realize she broadcast it quite so loudly, but yeah, she was. She nodded. “Sorry about that.”
He gave her a smile. “Somebody’s gotta go square dancing with all those nice farm boys up north.”
She gave a little gasp, but she couldn’t help her grin. “I’ve never been square dancing in my life.”
He chuckled. “But I bet you’ve let a nice Iowa boy drive you around on his tractor.” He wiggled one eyebrow suggestively.
She scoffed. “Not even once.”
“No?”
She shook her head. “Don’t need a boy for that.” Tori slid her purse strap up on her shoulder. “I’ve got my own tractor to drive around. When I’m in the mood for…tractor driving.”
There was a brief pause and then he laughed.
In a brief flash of sassiness, she winked at him. “But if you ever make it to Iowa, I’ll take you on a ride.”
“Damn, girl, that’s tempting.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Josh.”
“For?”
“Being a good guy.”
He gave a little shrug. “I’m already regretting it, I’ll be honest.”
With a smile, she turned and started for the door.
She’d just stepped out onto the sidewalk when she felt someone grasp her upper arm and twirl her around.
It was Josh.
“Wha—”
He cupped her face and covered her mouth with his.
Coming April 9th!
Available at Apple Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Google Play! Paperback available too!
His protective streak is even hotter than the local jambalaya.
Beauty and the Bayou is out in the world and I'm SO thrilled with the response!
I'm so happy you all love Sawyer and Juliet as much as I do!
I remember a reader saying after Sweet Home Louisiana that she couldn't wait to see who was going to heal him. That really hit me and I really wanted to do Sawyer and his past trauma justice while also making sure that he got the happily ever after he so deserved! I'm so glad to know that I pulled that off! :)
Thank you to everyone who grabbed Beauty and the Bayou already and who have left lovely reviews and sent me such amazing notes!
And I can't wait for you all to get to know Kennedy and Bennett better and see how this guy handles the feistiest Landry of all (or is that Ellie? Or Leo? lol!) Hint: he doesn't handle her. He just loves her ;)
We'll go back to the bayou on September 30th!
Thank you again for making release week for Beauty and the Bayou so much fun!!
xoxox
Erin
I'm so happy you all love Sawyer and Juliet as much as I do!
I remember a reader saying after Sweet Home Louisiana that she couldn't wait to see who was going to heal him. That really hit me and I really wanted to do Sawyer and his past trauma justice while also making sure that he got the happily ever after he so deserved! I'm so glad to know that I pulled that off! :)
Thank you to everyone who grabbed Beauty and the Bayou already and who have left lovely reviews and sent me such amazing notes!
And I can't wait for you all to get to know Kennedy and Bennett better and see how this guy handles the feistiest Landry of all (or is that Ellie? Or Leo? lol!) Hint: he doesn't handle her. He just loves her ;)
We'll go back to the bayou on September 30th!
Thank you again for making release week for Beauty and the Bayou so much fun!!
xoxox
Erin
Must Love Alligators
“I didn’t know you were attracted to me.”
“Bullshit,” he chided.
Finally, she gave him a half-smile. “Okay, maybe I thought you were a little. But I think I thought that I was just the first girl who hadn’t fallen at your feet and you were determined to figure out what that was about.”
He nodded slowly. Interesting that she’d realized that about him. “That was part of it. At first.”
“I knew it.”
“But just at first,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about you for six months.” He thought about his next words and decided that this confession was important. “I haven’t been with anyone since that crazy night when I made a total ass of myself with you and we had the most awkward non-kiss ever.”
She blushed, but still looked intrigued. “You haven’t?” she asked softly. “Really?”
“Really. And, trust me, that’s unusual.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I trust you on that.”
He chuckled. “You’re not my type. I didn’t even kiss you. But I can’t stop thinking about you. So I’m pretty glad you’re here and pretty glad you were hoping to see me.”
“You’re not my type either,” she said. But she sounded just puzzled by that. “But maybe that’s why I wanted to come and see if that feeling was still here.”
“What feeling?” His voice was a little gruff without him even trying.
“The feeling of I-want-more-of-that in spite of knowing that didn’t make any sense."
Newly expanded version for 2020!
Grab it now!
https://books2read.com/MustLoveAlliga...
“Bullshit,” he chided.
Finally, she gave him a half-smile. “Okay, maybe I thought you were a little. But I think I thought that I was just the first girl who hadn’t fallen at your feet and you were determined to figure out what that was about.”
He nodded slowly. Interesting that she’d realized that about him. “That was part of it. At first.”
“I knew it.”
“But just at first,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about you for six months.” He thought about his next words and decided that this confession was important. “I haven’t been with anyone since that crazy night when I made a total ass of myself with you and we had the most awkward non-kiss ever.”
She blushed, but still looked intrigued. “You haven’t?” she asked softly. “Really?”
“Really. And, trust me, that’s unusual.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I trust you on that.”
He chuckled. “You’re not my type. I didn’t even kiss you. But I can’t stop thinking about you. So I’m pretty glad you’re here and pretty glad you were hoping to see me.”
“You’re not my type either,” she said. But she sounded just puzzled by that. “But maybe that’s why I wanted to come and see if that feeling was still here.”
“What feeling?” His voice was a little gruff without him even trying.
“The feeling of I-want-more-of-that in spite of knowing that didn’t make any sense."
Newly expanded version for 2020!
Grab it now!
https://books2read.com/MustLoveAlliga...
My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding
My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding is now the start to a six book series with a spin-off coming in 2021!
Start it now!
“I have a wedding to go to. Actually, a whole wedding extravaganza,” she said. She rolled her eyes. “It’s a multi-day thing. It’s my best friend’s wedding. And I could use…a date.”
The way she paused in front of a date made him curious. “Just a date?”
She wet her lips. “Well…”
For a moment, he was distracted by those lips. Unable to help himself, he lowered his head again and kissed her. She sure as hell didn’t push him away. She fisted the front of his Boys of the Bayou T-shirt and got up on her tiptoes.
The kiss was long and sweet, but eventually, she pulled back. She stared up at him as if a little dazed. He knew the feeling.
“So, this date,” he prompted, not moving back out of her space one millimeter.
She smiled, as if she’d forgotten what they’d been talking about before the kiss.
“Right. Well, I need a date, yes. But not just any date. It has to be you and you have to be…”
“I’m in. What do I have to be?” There was no way in hell he wasn’t going to this wedding, and whatever else, with her. A chance to spend a few days with her? Hell yes, he was in.
“You have to act like you’re crazy about me,” she said, softly. Almost sheepishly.
He laughed at that. “I think I can pull that off.”
She smiled, but said, “I mean, actually, seriously into me. Like we’ve got a relationship. Like we’ve been talking regularly over the past year. Like you’re…my…you know…”
“Your you know what?” He loved the blush on her cheeks and the way she was stumbling over her words. Victoria Kramer clearly didn’t realize that he’d do anything she needed him to do.
She blew out a breath. “My boyfriend.”
“Done.” Could he play her crazy-about-her boyfriend for a few days? Probably too well.
“Yeah?” She looked so sweet and adorable looking up at him as if he was her knight in shining armor.
“Fuck yeah.” He softened his voice too. “Tori, I’ve been thinking about you for almost a year. I went to that bar four times last night. I’ve been pissed off and frustrated all damned day that I didn’t see you. I’ve mentally mapped out a route from here to Iowa. Even though I don’t even know where in Iowa you’re from. I am feeling crazy here, and I’d love to get to know you better, and if you’re here for the next few days, I’m right there with you.”
She seemed to need a moment to take all of that in, but she finally let out a breath, in obvious relief. “That’s…amazing. Thank you.”
“But…” he said, as everything sunk in and he was able to think about something other than how much he wanted to get her naked. Right now. “…why do I need to play the boyfriend-of-a-year role? I mean, I’m happy to,” he added. “But sounds like there’s more to this story.”
She nodded. And winced. “There is.”
“Is there an ex who’s going to be there or something?” Oh yeah, he’d love that. He’d be happy to show some loser that he never should have let her go…and keep him far from her over the next few days.
“Not that, exactly.”
“You need to keep your grandmother from setting you up with some guy you have no interest in?” That he could also absolutely do. In fact, if his job here, in any way, involved him keeping her away from other men, he was definitely in.
She smiled. “Not that either. I um… Last night, when I went to the bar and was so excited to see you…I saw someone who reminded me of you and I um…kind of…kissed him.”
Josh processed that, and the stupid surge of jealousy he felt. “You kissed another guy last night?”
She nodded. “I thought it was you.”
He frowned. “How?”
“He was built like you. And you both have beards. And it was in Bourbon O. And he saw me and clearly recognized me. Oh, and he was wearing a mask,” she added quickly.
Okay, yeah, that was important information. That helped a little.
“So, I thought it was you and I…kissed him.”
“And what does that have to do with this wedding?” Josh asked, feeling like he was still missing something.
“Uh…” She bit her bottom lip, then squeezed her eyes shut and said, “It was the groom.”
Oh. Yeah, that could be a problem.
★彡 Grab it for FREE now! 彡★
Apple: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-Apple
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Nook: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-BN
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Audio Audible: https://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-Audio...
Start it now!
“I have a wedding to go to. Actually, a whole wedding extravaganza,” she said. She rolled her eyes. “It’s a multi-day thing. It’s my best friend’s wedding. And I could use…a date.”
The way she paused in front of a date made him curious. “Just a date?”
She wet her lips. “Well…”
For a moment, he was distracted by those lips. Unable to help himself, he lowered his head again and kissed her. She sure as hell didn’t push him away. She fisted the front of his Boys of the Bayou T-shirt and got up on her tiptoes.
The kiss was long and sweet, but eventually, she pulled back. She stared up at him as if a little dazed. He knew the feeling.
“So, this date,” he prompted, not moving back out of her space one millimeter.
She smiled, as if she’d forgotten what they’d been talking about before the kiss.
“Right. Well, I need a date, yes. But not just any date. It has to be you and you have to be…”
“I’m in. What do I have to be?” There was no way in hell he wasn’t going to this wedding, and whatever else, with her. A chance to spend a few days with her? Hell yes, he was in.
“You have to act like you’re crazy about me,” she said, softly. Almost sheepishly.
He laughed at that. “I think I can pull that off.”
She smiled, but said, “I mean, actually, seriously into me. Like we’ve got a relationship. Like we’ve been talking regularly over the past year. Like you’re…my…you know…”
“Your you know what?” He loved the blush on her cheeks and the way she was stumbling over her words. Victoria Kramer clearly didn’t realize that he’d do anything she needed him to do.
She blew out a breath. “My boyfriend.”
“Done.” Could he play her crazy-about-her boyfriend for a few days? Probably too well.
“Yeah?” She looked so sweet and adorable looking up at him as if he was her knight in shining armor.
“Fuck yeah.” He softened his voice too. “Tori, I’ve been thinking about you for almost a year. I went to that bar four times last night. I’ve been pissed off and frustrated all damned day that I didn’t see you. I’ve mentally mapped out a route from here to Iowa. Even though I don’t even know where in Iowa you’re from. I am feeling crazy here, and I’d love to get to know you better, and if you’re here for the next few days, I’m right there with you.”
She seemed to need a moment to take all of that in, but she finally let out a breath, in obvious relief. “That’s…amazing. Thank you.”
“But…” he said, as everything sunk in and he was able to think about something other than how much he wanted to get her naked. Right now. “…why do I need to play the boyfriend-of-a-year role? I mean, I’m happy to,” he added. “But sounds like there’s more to this story.”
She nodded. And winced. “There is.”
“Is there an ex who’s going to be there or something?” Oh yeah, he’d love that. He’d be happy to show some loser that he never should have let her go…and keep him far from her over the next few days.
“Not that, exactly.”
“You need to keep your grandmother from setting you up with some guy you have no interest in?” That he could also absolutely do. In fact, if his job here, in any way, involved him keeping her away from other men, he was definitely in.
She smiled. “Not that either. I um… Last night, when I went to the bar and was so excited to see you…I saw someone who reminded me of you and I um…kind of…kissed him.”
Josh processed that, and the stupid surge of jealousy he felt. “You kissed another guy last night?”
She nodded. “I thought it was you.”
He frowned. “How?”
“He was built like you. And you both have beards. And it was in Bourbon O. And he saw me and clearly recognized me. Oh, and he was wearing a mask,” she added quickly.
Okay, yeah, that was important information. That helped a little.
“So, I thought it was you and I…kissed him.”
“And what does that have to do with this wedding?” Josh asked, feeling like he was still missing something.
“Uh…” She bit her bottom lip, then squeezed her eyes shut and said, “It was the groom.”
Oh. Yeah, that could be a problem.
★彡 Grab it for FREE now! 彡★
Apple: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-Apple
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WdUj36
Nook: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-BN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-Kobo
Google Play: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-GP
Paperback Amazon: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-PB
Paperback BN: http://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-BN
Audio Amazon: https://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-Audio...
Audio Audible: https://bit.ly/MardiGrasWedding-Audio...
Surely it was going to be a flash mob, right?
Otterly Irresistible
“You also can’t bring your friends with you when you’re stalking me,” the man said.
Charlie looked around. Had his stalker brought an entourage? Was it for a flash mob? Or for a kidnapping? Really, neither would’ve surprised her here in Autre. Which was one of the things she loved about this town. The definition of crazy was different here than anywhere else she’d ever been. And not exactly frowned upon.
She also wasn’t afraid to admit she was willing to stick around for a flash mob. Or a kidnapping. She would, of course, call for other people to come out if it turned out to be a kidnapping. Okay, or a flash mob. So it wasn’t as if the guy was actually going to end up stuffed in a trunk of a car. She was just waiting to see which of those scenarios she was dealing with.
“Don’t you think it’s time to go home?” the guy said to his stalker. “Come on. I’ll take you.”
Oh, good, he was a nice guy. Even if Sugar was harassing him, he was still willing to be sure she—or he—got home safely.
Dammit, did this mean Charlie needed to follow them? In case the kidnapping happened away from the bar? Or what if Sugar had a hatchet and duct tape waiting for the guy back at her place?
Or, maybe worse, what if Sugar waited to sing and dance for him in her living room? Charlie would miss the whole performance.
Now she was invested. She was going to have to follow them. Crap. She really wasn’t dressed for traipsing around in the dark. Or the light. Her Valentino Garavani Rockstud ankle-strap pumps were perfection. And not at all comfortable for any kind of distance walking.
But she really didn’t want to miss the flash mob.
Surely it was going to be a flash mob, right?
Or a striptease. At least.
Charlie decided if she were going to do a flash mob for a guy she stalked to a wedding, she’d choose Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”.
Obviously.
She was in town for her cousins’ weddings. Yes, plural. Three of her cousins had gotten married today, and she was now attending the reception held at her grandmother’s bar. Considering the guy was confronting Sugar just outside the back door of the bar, Charlie assumed he was a wedding guest as well.
The Landry family never did anything small, and that, apparently, included weddings. Of course, growing up in Shreveport, Charlie sometimes forgot the easy-going, laid-back ways of the bayou. Hence why she’d worn a pale pink strapless cocktail dress that hugged her breasts and waist and had an uneven hemline that nearly touched the ground in back to a wedding where the grooms wore blue jeans, and some of the guests were alligators. Literally.
She also had on Valentino heels, fake eyelashes, fake nails, and hair extensions.
Yeah, she might have overdone it.
And yes, some of her cousins had already given her shit about the fake fingernails.
Still, as much fun as the food, dancing, laughing, and one-upmanship was inside, she wasn’t above enjoying a little romantic drama outside on her way back from the bathroom.
“Come on, Sugar,” the man said. “Let’s get you home.”
Charlie literally had her fingers crossed for the first strains of Taylor Swift when she heard the stalker reply for the first time.
“Behhhh!”
Charlie jumped, then frowned. Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that.
She peered around the corner of the building.
There was a man sitting on the back step of her grandmother’s bar.
And he was surrounded by goats.
He was holding one goat’s face in his hands and was talking to it directly. The other goats seemed content to munch on the grass and weeds that grew along the edge of the gravel drive that led to the back of the bar. But this goat was, as far as Charlie could tell from six feet away in the dimming light of the evening, gazing at the man adoringly.
There were also two ducks and a potbellied pig. Most of them seemed unconcerned with what was going on, except for the one duck who was standing like a bodyguard next to the goat having the intense conversation with the man.
Surprisingly, none of that was the most startling thing about the scene in front of her.
No, that was the fact that the man on the step was the extremely good-looking man who Charlie had previously asked to dance at the wedding reception. And who had turned her down.
It wasn’t just that he’d turned her down, though without getting too full of herself, Charlie could admit she wasn’t all that used to men telling her no. It was also that she knew they had chemistry. She’d caught him watching her across the bar earlier in the evening, and when she had slid in next to him to order another drink, he hadn’t given her much space. Nor had he seemed annoyed with her taking up any of his space.
Still, he’d turned her down when she asked him to dance. Without an explanation. He hadn’t claimed a sprained ankle or being a terrible dancer or having a girlfriend. He didn’t have a ring on his left hand.
So yes, even before she saw him sitting on the back step with a goat—correction, nine goats, two ducks, and a potbellied pig—she had been wondering what the hell his deal was.
It was probably the not-being-used-to-being-told-no thing, but something made her walk around the corner of the building and say,
“So, does she think that’s a carrot in your pocket? Because it sounds like you’re not that happy to see her.”
Apple Books: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Apple
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Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
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Nook: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-nook
Google Play: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-GP
Paperback-Amazon: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-PB...
Paperback-Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-PB-BN
Audio coming soon!
“You also can’t bring your friends with you when you’re stalking me,” the man said.
Charlie looked around. Had his stalker brought an entourage? Was it for a flash mob? Or for a kidnapping? Really, neither would’ve surprised her here in Autre. Which was one of the things she loved about this town. The definition of crazy was different here than anywhere else she’d ever been. And not exactly frowned upon.
She also wasn’t afraid to admit she was willing to stick around for a flash mob. Or a kidnapping. She would, of course, call for other people to come out if it turned out to be a kidnapping. Okay, or a flash mob. So it wasn’t as if the guy was actually going to end up stuffed in a trunk of a car. She was just waiting to see which of those scenarios she was dealing with.
“Don’t you think it’s time to go home?” the guy said to his stalker. “Come on. I’ll take you.”
Oh, good, he was a nice guy. Even if Sugar was harassing him, he was still willing to be sure she—or he—got home safely.
Dammit, did this mean Charlie needed to follow them? In case the kidnapping happened away from the bar? Or what if Sugar had a hatchet and duct tape waiting for the guy back at her place?
Or, maybe worse, what if Sugar waited to sing and dance for him in her living room? Charlie would miss the whole performance.
Now she was invested. She was going to have to follow them. Crap. She really wasn’t dressed for traipsing around in the dark. Or the light. Her Valentino Garavani Rockstud ankle-strap pumps were perfection. And not at all comfortable for any kind of distance walking.
But she really didn’t want to miss the flash mob.
Surely it was going to be a flash mob, right?
Or a striptease. At least.
Charlie decided if she were going to do a flash mob for a guy she stalked to a wedding, she’d choose Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”.
Obviously.
She was in town for her cousins’ weddings. Yes, plural. Three of her cousins had gotten married today, and she was now attending the reception held at her grandmother’s bar. Considering the guy was confronting Sugar just outside the back door of the bar, Charlie assumed he was a wedding guest as well.
The Landry family never did anything small, and that, apparently, included weddings. Of course, growing up in Shreveport, Charlie sometimes forgot the easy-going, laid-back ways of the bayou. Hence why she’d worn a pale pink strapless cocktail dress that hugged her breasts and waist and had an uneven hemline that nearly touched the ground in back to a wedding where the grooms wore blue jeans, and some of the guests were alligators. Literally.
She also had on Valentino heels, fake eyelashes, fake nails, and hair extensions.
Yeah, she might have overdone it.
And yes, some of her cousins had already given her shit about the fake fingernails.
Still, as much fun as the food, dancing, laughing, and one-upmanship was inside, she wasn’t above enjoying a little romantic drama outside on her way back from the bathroom.
“Come on, Sugar,” the man said. “Let’s get you home.”
Charlie literally had her fingers crossed for the first strains of Taylor Swift when she heard the stalker reply for the first time.
“Behhhh!”
Charlie jumped, then frowned. Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that.
She peered around the corner of the building.
There was a man sitting on the back step of her grandmother’s bar.
And he was surrounded by goats.
He was holding one goat’s face in his hands and was talking to it directly. The other goats seemed content to munch on the grass and weeds that grew along the edge of the gravel drive that led to the back of the bar. But this goat was, as far as Charlie could tell from six feet away in the dimming light of the evening, gazing at the man adoringly.
There were also two ducks and a potbellied pig. Most of them seemed unconcerned with what was going on, except for the one duck who was standing like a bodyguard next to the goat having the intense conversation with the man.
Surprisingly, none of that was the most startling thing about the scene in front of her.
No, that was the fact that the man on the step was the extremely good-looking man who Charlie had previously asked to dance at the wedding reception. And who had turned her down.
It wasn’t just that he’d turned her down, though without getting too full of herself, Charlie could admit she wasn’t all that used to men telling her no. It was also that she knew they had chemistry. She’d caught him watching her across the bar earlier in the evening, and when she had slid in next to him to order another drink, he hadn’t given her much space. Nor had he seemed annoyed with her taking up any of his space.
Still, he’d turned her down when she asked him to dance. Without an explanation. He hadn’t claimed a sprained ankle or being a terrible dancer or having a girlfriend. He didn’t have a ring on his left hand.
So yes, even before she saw him sitting on the back step with a goat—correction, nine goats, two ducks, and a potbellied pig—she had been wondering what the hell his deal was.
It was probably the not-being-used-to-being-told-no thing, but something made her walk around the corner of the building and say,
“So, does she think that’s a carrot in your pocket? Because it sounds like you’re not that happy to see her.”
Apple Books: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Apple
Amazon US: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-Am...
Kobo: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresisitible-Kobo
Nook: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-nook
Google Play: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-GP
Paperback-Amazon: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-PB...
Paperback-Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/Otterly-Irresistible-PB-BN
Audio coming soon!
Heavy Petting ~ Sneak Peek!
“Jordan!” A male voice yelled through the door. He pounded again. “Jordan! It’s me, let me in.”
Jordan froze with shock.
That was Fletcher’s voice.
Immediately her eyes filled with tears.
“Jordan! Dammit! Let me in!”
She ran to the door, twisting the deadbolt, fumbling with the chain, and finally yanking it open.
Fletcher Landry was on the other side, his fist raised, ready to knock again.
He froze.
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Then she launched herself at him.
He caught her easily, his big arms wrapping around her. He stepped through the doorway with her, her feet dangling three inches off the floor. He kicked the door shut behind them and then just squeezed her.
There was nothing better in her life than Fletcher hugs. That had been true since she’d been six years old and had fallen on the playground at recess, scraping her knee, and he’d come over to check on her and hugged her. That was it. Fletcher Landry had been hugging her and making things better for the past twenty years and this moment was no different.
But, as she buried her face in his neck, she realized this was totally different.
He hadn’t had to come.
Things had been awkward between them for months. She’d cried the last time they’d been together. He’d asked her to choose between him and Jason.
And clearly, she’d made the wrong choice.
But still, he’d come. Now her best friend in the entire world and the person who could always make everything okay was here. As if by magic.
Of course, it wasn’t magic. Fletcher had, clearly, gotten on a plane immediately after finding out what happened and had flown to her.
He let go of her with one arm and reached behind him to re-lock the door and replace the chain. Then he walked to the sofa in the living room of the suite.
He sank down onto one of the cushions, taking her with him. He pulled her into his lap and continued to hug her tightly. Jordan curled into him, her arms around his neck. He was warm and solid and familiar.
So familiar.
They sat together on the couch, hugging, for several minutes.
Eventually, she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him.
He met her gaze, but didn’t say anything.
He didn’t really need to say anything.
“Thank you,” she told him. She didn’t need to say anything either, she knew, but she wanted to.
He just gave her a single nod.
She pulled back slightly studying him. His jaw was tight and though he was holding her and hugging her, his eyes were stormy.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He gave a soft snort. “I think that’s my line.”
She shook her head. “Well, obviously I’m not okay. I’ve never been more humiliated in my life. But you look…” She narrowed her eyes. “Really pissed.”
“Accurate.”
Yeah, that made sense. Fletcher wasn’t a huge fan of Jason’s. In spite of her best efforts and desires over the years, Jason and Fletcher had never been friends. They tolerated one another. Mostly because she insisted on it. But there was a tension between the two and always had been.
Jason had, at times, been jealous of Fletcher. At least in the beginning. When they were fifteen and had first started dating, everything about relationships had been new to both of them. Her being close to Fletcher had made Jason suspicious. But after some time, he’d realized that she and Fletcher truly were just best buddies.
It probably helped that Fletcher had been a playboy from a young age. He was a Landry and the Landry males were well known for being too charming for their own good. They all had more than their share of female attention and they all wallowed in it. Fletcher had been no exception. He’d dated extensively through high school and had been very familiar with back seats and lost panties long before Jason even got lucky with his longtime girlfriend.
For some reason, thinking about that now, she became acutely aware of the fact that she was in Fletcher’s lap.
She’d sat in Fletcher’s lap lots of times. Usually when there had been too many people packed into someone’s pickup heading down to the bayou for a bonfire.
Was that the safest situation? Of course not. Would they have been pulled over and ticketed by the cop if he’d seen them? Probably. But if they were ever short on seats, whether in the pickup or on someone’s couch for movie nights, she’d always plopped down on Fletcher. Sometimes not even just because they were short of seats. She’d sat on his lap and shared blankets around bonfires and ballgames a number of times.
But it had been a while.
And for some reason, at this moment, she was aware that he was bigger and harder than she remembered from past lap-sitting situations.
Of course he was. He was twenty-six now. This was definitely not the same body she’d cuddled up with in high school on the pontoon boat when the sun dropped and things got chilly on the bayou.
It wasn’t just him in general that was bigger and harder. There is a specific part of him pressing into her right butt cheek at the moment that definitely could be described as big and hard.
She wiggled.
His hand clamped down to keep her from moving. And that was when she became aware that one of his big, hot hands was resting on her hip.
Her mostly bare hip.
Because she was wearing the t-shirt she slept in and panties. And she hadn’t covered up to answer the door.
So now she was sitting on Fletcher’s lap, barely dressed, in a hotel suite, and he seemed very happy to see her.
“Fletch—”
“Ignore it.”
Yeah, he knew what she’d noticed. As always, they were on the same page without exchanging many words.
She shifted again, his grip tightened on her hip, and she was shocked to feel tingles dance across her skin.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“I’m ignoring the fact that you’re half-naked. You can ignore my reaction to it.”
It was completely stupid, and probably inappropriate, but Jordan snorted.
“Your ‘reaction’ would indicate that you’re not actually ignoring me being half-naked.”
Fletcher gave the soft chuckle and squeezed her hip again. Then he nudged her off his lap.
Jordan stood and gave him a smile. “You’ve seen me in less.”
They’d swum together many, many times. She’d worn bathing suits, bikinis, and they’d even skinny dipped a couple of times. Never just the two of them and, as far she knew, he’d never gotten a good look. But he’d probably seen a flash of her ass at least. And she’d gotten one really good full frontal view the summer after they’d graduated. It had been quick, right before he dove into the water, and she’d, of course, been completely caught up in Jason, but she’d understood what the girls of Autre and the surrounding area had been gushing about.
Fletcher stretched up from the couch and Jordan had to take a step back to give him space.
“Who’s saying that I didn’t have this ‘reaction’ then too?” he asked.
Jordan grinned. This relationship was so easy. They could talk about almost anything and there was very little filtering of language or topics. At least it had always been that way. She was incredibly relieved to think that was still true. They hadn’t really been “them” for a while, but now standing here, looking up at him, after two years of being physically apart and three and a half months of things being awkward and tense in phone calls and texts, she desperately needed them to be them again.
“Thanks for saying that,” she told him.
“Thanks for shaving your legs,” he returned. His eyes drop to her bare legs.
Again, he’d seen them many times in shorts, skirts, and bathing suits. But he’d also known her through many awkward growing-up stages. Like before she’d started shaving her legs. And after she started shaving her legs and hated it. She’d sometimes go a few days even in the summer when she was wearing shorts and he always gave her shit about it. To which she would always reply, “I’m only hanging out with you, it doesn’t matter.”
Right now, though, she was really glad she’d shaved her legs too.
“Get your stuff," Fletcher said.
“What?”
“I’m taking you home. Get your stuff.”
“Home?”
Fletcher blew out a breath. “Well, what else are you going to do?”
He had a point. But if she went home, she couldn’t not have the conversation with her mother that she didn’t want to have.
She was suddenly single. And homeless, since the apartment in Nashville was Jason’s. And even if she was going to get her own, she didn’t have a job—also thanks to Jason and her quitting her job to travel with him four months before he told her he was in love with someone else.
But she didn’t want it to be in Nashville anyway.
She’d clearly taken too long to respond, because Fletcher said, “You need to come home.”
“Sure, why not? Everyone already saw the most humiliating moment of my life, I might as well slink back home with my tail between my legs, jobless, boyfriend-less, pathetic, and miserable.”
It took Fletcher about three seconds to answer. “Yeah, you might as well.”
That was not going to make it into the pep talk Hall of Fame, but Jordan felt her mouth curving into a grin. “At least there’ll be moonshine and good coffee.” It seemed no one outside of Louisiana believed in chicory coffee, which was a true travesty. She paused. “I’m really glad you’re here."
His eyes flickered with emotion but he just gave her a little nod. “Of course I’m here.”
Of course he was here. She probably should’ve been expecting it.
“I just really —”
“Jordan,” Fletcher interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“You need to put some clothes on.”
She looked down at herself. Her shirt was a pale peach color and hit about three inches below the lower curve of her ass.
“But I shaved.”
Fletcher tucked his hands into his front pockets of his jeans and braced his feet apart. He nodded. “Yep. And I’m wondering just how much shaving you do.”
Her eyes widened in her mouth dropped open. She stared at him. There was very little off limits between her and Fletcher, but there were just some things they naturally steered away from. How much shaving she did was one of those things.
“I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
He shrugged. “It’s the truth. Also that shirt is a little see-through when you’re standing in front of the window.”
She glanced behind her. The sun was coming in through the huge window. She looked back at him. “I—”
“And I can see your nipples.”
Again she felt her mouth dropped open. She was very rarely speechless around Fletcher. Then again, Fletcher very rarely talked about her nipples. In fact he had never talked about her nipples.
She crossed her arms over her chest instinctively. It seemed that her nipples liked being talked about because they were a little perkier than they had been a moment ago.
“Wow,” was her only response. Very eloquent.
Again, he just shrugged. “Thought we could always say anything to one another.”
“We…can…I just never…had you comment…my nipples before.” She couldn’t believe she was stumbling over her words with Fletcher.
“You sure?”
“Very.”
“Huh.” Fletcher seemed to be thinking about that. “Well, I’m sure I’ve noticed them before, so I must’ve been trying to be a gentleman by not commenting.”
“And you’re not feeling gentlemanly today?”
“Not especially.”
“And why is that?”
“It just you and me, Jordan. And you’re now single. Do I need to be a gentleman?”
She took a deep breath, studying him.
Fletcher seemed a little wound up. Not his usual laid-back, easy-going self. She realized he was worried about her. So no, he did not need to be a gentleman.
“Nope,” she said.
“Good. Now go get dressed.”
Or else what? She thought. But she didn’t say it out loud. She wasn’t going to taunt Fletcher about her near naked state and her nipples.
That was ridiculous. And inappropriate.
Probably. For some reason.
Why didn’t that feel inappropriate and ridiculous?
That was probably something she should think about later. But she was acutely aware now of her near-naked state and her nipples and getting that all covered up seem like a good idea.
“Be back in a bit,” she said, pivoting on her heel and heading for the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath.
Coming May 25th!
PREORDER NOW!
Amazon: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-Amz
Apple Books: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-Apple
nook: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-nook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-Kobo
Google Play: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-GP
Paperback and audio coming too!
Jordan froze with shock.
That was Fletcher’s voice.
Immediately her eyes filled with tears.
“Jordan! Dammit! Let me in!”
She ran to the door, twisting the deadbolt, fumbling with the chain, and finally yanking it open.
Fletcher Landry was on the other side, his fist raised, ready to knock again.
He froze.
They stared at each other for a long moment.
Then she launched herself at him.
He caught her easily, his big arms wrapping around her. He stepped through the doorway with her, her feet dangling three inches off the floor. He kicked the door shut behind them and then just squeezed her.
There was nothing better in her life than Fletcher hugs. That had been true since she’d been six years old and had fallen on the playground at recess, scraping her knee, and he’d come over to check on her and hugged her. That was it. Fletcher Landry had been hugging her and making things better for the past twenty years and this moment was no different.
But, as she buried her face in his neck, she realized this was totally different.
He hadn’t had to come.
Things had been awkward between them for months. She’d cried the last time they’d been together. He’d asked her to choose between him and Jason.
And clearly, she’d made the wrong choice.
But still, he’d come. Now her best friend in the entire world and the person who could always make everything okay was here. As if by magic.
Of course, it wasn’t magic. Fletcher had, clearly, gotten on a plane immediately after finding out what happened and had flown to her.
He let go of her with one arm and reached behind him to re-lock the door and replace the chain. Then he walked to the sofa in the living room of the suite.
He sank down onto one of the cushions, taking her with him. He pulled her into his lap and continued to hug her tightly. Jordan curled into him, her arms around his neck. He was warm and solid and familiar.
So familiar.
They sat together on the couch, hugging, for several minutes.
Eventually, she lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up at him.
He met her gaze, but didn’t say anything.
He didn’t really need to say anything.
“Thank you,” she told him. She didn’t need to say anything either, she knew, but she wanted to.
He just gave her a single nod.
She pulled back slightly studying him. His jaw was tight and though he was holding her and hugging her, his eyes were stormy.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He gave a soft snort. “I think that’s my line.”
She shook her head. “Well, obviously I’m not okay. I’ve never been more humiliated in my life. But you look…” She narrowed her eyes. “Really pissed.”
“Accurate.”
Yeah, that made sense. Fletcher wasn’t a huge fan of Jason’s. In spite of her best efforts and desires over the years, Jason and Fletcher had never been friends. They tolerated one another. Mostly because she insisted on it. But there was a tension between the two and always had been.
Jason had, at times, been jealous of Fletcher. At least in the beginning. When they were fifteen and had first started dating, everything about relationships had been new to both of them. Her being close to Fletcher had made Jason suspicious. But after some time, he’d realized that she and Fletcher truly were just best buddies.
It probably helped that Fletcher had been a playboy from a young age. He was a Landry and the Landry males were well known for being too charming for their own good. They all had more than their share of female attention and they all wallowed in it. Fletcher had been no exception. He’d dated extensively through high school and had been very familiar with back seats and lost panties long before Jason even got lucky with his longtime girlfriend.
For some reason, thinking about that now, she became acutely aware of the fact that she was in Fletcher’s lap.
She’d sat in Fletcher’s lap lots of times. Usually when there had been too many people packed into someone’s pickup heading down to the bayou for a bonfire.
Was that the safest situation? Of course not. Would they have been pulled over and ticketed by the cop if he’d seen them? Probably. But if they were ever short on seats, whether in the pickup or on someone’s couch for movie nights, she’d always plopped down on Fletcher. Sometimes not even just because they were short of seats. She’d sat on his lap and shared blankets around bonfires and ballgames a number of times.
But it had been a while.
And for some reason, at this moment, she was aware that he was bigger and harder than she remembered from past lap-sitting situations.
Of course he was. He was twenty-six now. This was definitely not the same body she’d cuddled up with in high school on the pontoon boat when the sun dropped and things got chilly on the bayou.
It wasn’t just him in general that was bigger and harder. There is a specific part of him pressing into her right butt cheek at the moment that definitely could be described as big and hard.
She wiggled.
His hand clamped down to keep her from moving. And that was when she became aware that one of his big, hot hands was resting on her hip.
Her mostly bare hip.
Because she was wearing the t-shirt she slept in and panties. And she hadn’t covered up to answer the door.
So now she was sitting on Fletcher’s lap, barely dressed, in a hotel suite, and he seemed very happy to see her.
“Fletch—”
“Ignore it.”
Yeah, he knew what she’d noticed. As always, they were on the same page without exchanging many words.
She shifted again, his grip tightened on her hip, and she was shocked to feel tingles dance across her skin.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“I’m ignoring the fact that you’re half-naked. You can ignore my reaction to it.”
It was completely stupid, and probably inappropriate, but Jordan snorted.
“Your ‘reaction’ would indicate that you’re not actually ignoring me being half-naked.”
Fletcher gave the soft chuckle and squeezed her hip again. Then he nudged her off his lap.
Jordan stood and gave him a smile. “You’ve seen me in less.”
They’d swum together many, many times. She’d worn bathing suits, bikinis, and they’d even skinny dipped a couple of times. Never just the two of them and, as far she knew, he’d never gotten a good look. But he’d probably seen a flash of her ass at least. And she’d gotten one really good full frontal view the summer after they’d graduated. It had been quick, right before he dove into the water, and she’d, of course, been completely caught up in Jason, but she’d understood what the girls of Autre and the surrounding area had been gushing about.
Fletcher stretched up from the couch and Jordan had to take a step back to give him space.
“Who’s saying that I didn’t have this ‘reaction’ then too?” he asked.
Jordan grinned. This relationship was so easy. They could talk about almost anything and there was very little filtering of language or topics. At least it had always been that way. She was incredibly relieved to think that was still true. They hadn’t really been “them” for a while, but now standing here, looking up at him, after two years of being physically apart and three and a half months of things being awkward and tense in phone calls and texts, she desperately needed them to be them again.
“Thanks for saying that,” she told him.
“Thanks for shaving your legs,” he returned. His eyes drop to her bare legs.
Again, he’d seen them many times in shorts, skirts, and bathing suits. But he’d also known her through many awkward growing-up stages. Like before she’d started shaving her legs. And after she started shaving her legs and hated it. She’d sometimes go a few days even in the summer when she was wearing shorts and he always gave her shit about it. To which she would always reply, “I’m only hanging out with you, it doesn’t matter.”
Right now, though, she was really glad she’d shaved her legs too.
“Get your stuff," Fletcher said.
“What?”
“I’m taking you home. Get your stuff.”
“Home?”
Fletcher blew out a breath. “Well, what else are you going to do?”
He had a point. But if she went home, she couldn’t not have the conversation with her mother that she didn’t want to have.
She was suddenly single. And homeless, since the apartment in Nashville was Jason’s. And even if she was going to get her own, she didn’t have a job—also thanks to Jason and her quitting her job to travel with him four months before he told her he was in love with someone else.
But she didn’t want it to be in Nashville anyway.
She’d clearly taken too long to respond, because Fletcher said, “You need to come home.”
“Sure, why not? Everyone already saw the most humiliating moment of my life, I might as well slink back home with my tail between my legs, jobless, boyfriend-less, pathetic, and miserable.”
It took Fletcher about three seconds to answer. “Yeah, you might as well.”
That was not going to make it into the pep talk Hall of Fame, but Jordan felt her mouth curving into a grin. “At least there’ll be moonshine and good coffee.” It seemed no one outside of Louisiana believed in chicory coffee, which was a true travesty. She paused. “I’m really glad you’re here."
His eyes flickered with emotion but he just gave her a little nod. “Of course I’m here.”
Of course he was here. She probably should’ve been expecting it.
“I just really —”
“Jordan,” Fletcher interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“You need to put some clothes on.”
She looked down at herself. Her shirt was a pale peach color and hit about three inches below the lower curve of her ass.
“But I shaved.”
Fletcher tucked his hands into his front pockets of his jeans and braced his feet apart. He nodded. “Yep. And I’m wondering just how much shaving you do.”
Her eyes widened in her mouth dropped open. She stared at him. There was very little off limits between her and Fletcher, but there were just some things they naturally steered away from. How much shaving she did was one of those things.
“I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
He shrugged. “It’s the truth. Also that shirt is a little see-through when you’re standing in front of the window.”
She glanced behind her. The sun was coming in through the huge window. She looked back at him. “I—”
“And I can see your nipples.”
Again she felt her mouth dropped open. She was very rarely speechless around Fletcher. Then again, Fletcher very rarely talked about her nipples. In fact he had never talked about her nipples.
She crossed her arms over her chest instinctively. It seemed that her nipples liked being talked about because they were a little perkier than they had been a moment ago.
“Wow,” was her only response. Very eloquent.
Again, he just shrugged. “Thought we could always say anything to one another.”
“We…can…I just never…had you comment…my nipples before.” She couldn’t believe she was stumbling over her words with Fletcher.
“You sure?”
“Very.”
“Huh.” Fletcher seemed to be thinking about that. “Well, I’m sure I’ve noticed them before, so I must’ve been trying to be a gentleman by not commenting.”
“And you’re not feeling gentlemanly today?”
“Not especially.”
“And why is that?”
“It just you and me, Jordan. And you’re now single. Do I need to be a gentleman?”
She took a deep breath, studying him.
Fletcher seemed a little wound up. Not his usual laid-back, easy-going self. She realized he was worried about her. So no, he did not need to be a gentleman.
“Nope,” she said.
“Good. Now go get dressed.”
Or else what? She thought. But she didn’t say it out loud. She wasn’t going to taunt Fletcher about her near naked state and her nipples.
That was ridiculous. And inappropriate.
Probably. For some reason.
Why didn’t that feel inappropriate and ridiculous?
That was probably something she should think about later. But she was acutely aware now of her near-naked state and her nipples and getting that all covered up seem like a good idea.
“Be back in a bit,” she said, pivoting on her heel and heading for the bedroom. She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath.
Coming May 25th!
PREORDER NOW!
Amazon: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-Amz
Apple Books: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-Apple
nook: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-nook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-Kobo
Google Play: http://bit.ly/HeavyPetting-GP
Paperback and audio coming too!
Flipping Love You!
Flipping Love You, book three in the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series, is coming June 29th!
Here's a peek at Zeke and Jillian!
He's the tattooed bad boy her mama warned her about.
She's his hot mess--but mostly hot--next door neighbor.
Until a two-night-stand gives them the surprise of a lifetime...
“So your stress-relieving list is sex, therapy, wine, and massages. And sex is your preference because it’s faster, easier, and cheaper than all the others.”
“Yep.”
Wow. She was…something.
“Except, like I said, it’s not always faster than a massage.”
Right.
“How long are your massages?”
“An hour. Hour and a half if I’m really tense.”
“Yeah, this is going to take longer than that.”
He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to make an impression on this woman, but now that he’d made her smile, and had her full attention, and had seen her green eyes up close, he was going to send her on her way with a huge grin and very fond memories of Autre.
“Do you have more tattoos?” Her eyes were back on his arm where his full sleeve showed beneath the edge of his t-shirt. Oh, she liked tattoos.
“I do.”
“Are you any good at dirty talk?”
The woman knew what she liked.
His entire body felt like he'd just taken a big shot of his grandpa’s moonshine. He was hot, on edge, and ready for the unexpected. Because when Leo Landry’s moonshine came out, you never knew what could happen.
“As a matter fact, I can’t really help it.”
She let out a breath. Then she gave him a full smile.
Yeah, he wasn’t going anywhere for a nice, long time. And suddenly his head felt fine.
“Do you have a wife, fiancée, girlfriend, woman who thinks she’s your girlfriend even if you don’t think so?”
“No. No. No. And I did but we cleared that up.”
She gave him another of those little half smiles. Like she didn’t want to be amused by him, but she couldn’t resist.
“How do you feel about one-night stands? Because I’m not looking for anything serious.”
“They are my favorite kind of night stand.”
Her smile grew and Zeke felt a strange warmth along with the heat.
“And you won’t brag about this to your friends tomorrow?”
“Oh, I’m absolutely going to brag to my friends about this tomorrow,” he said. He took a step closer to her. “Especially Michael. Since he was out there saving goats and being all charming and sweet and you didn’t invite him to your room.”
“He was on duty.”
Zeke lifted a brow. “That’s the only reason.”
“Probably. He’s hot. And has the heroic, sweet thing going for him.”
“He fakes most of the sweet stuff.”
“How about the heroic stuff?”
Zeke gave a dramatic sigh. “Unfortunately for the rest of us assholes, that’s all real.”
She gave a soft snort. “Maybe I actually am concerned about your head and thought I should keep an eye on you to be sure you don’t slip into unconsciousness and never wake up.”
“I’m going to accept that only because I like it better than the realization that Michael could be in here with you right now.” He leaned in. “But I don’t believe you. I think you took a look at my boots and Michael’s and realized that mine were bigger.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know I did that?”
He paused, then shook his head. “You did do that?”
“Of course.”
“You are…”
“I know,” she said, when he trailed off.
He wasn’t even sure what he’d been intending to fill in there. Odd? Quirky? Fascinating?
Yep. To all of that.
“So, can I brag to my friends about it tomorrow?” she asked, her voice huskier now.
“You better,” he said, dropping his voice to a gruffer note.
The next smile she gave him was one that said he’d given all the right answers, but even more, it was filled with heat as well.
“There it is.” He reached up and cupped her face.
Her breathing got more ragged as she looked up at him. And she had to look up a ways. She was small. She probably stood about five-three to his six-four.
“What?” she asked softly.
“The reaction I’ve been going for.”
“Reaction?”
“Yes, until now. You’ve seemed very…dispassionate towards me.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she was thinking about that. “Have I?”
“You have.” He leaned in, bracing a hand on the door just above her ear. “Quite insulting.”
This smile was a little more sly and definitely had a touch of mischief. “Maybe you should see how passionate you can make me.”
“Oh, challenge accepted,” Zeke told her.
Be sure you PREORDER NOW!
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-Amz
Apple Books: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-Apple
nook: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-nook
Kobo: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-Kobo
Google Play: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-GP
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-Amz-AU
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-Amz-UK
Amazon CA: http://bit.ly/Flipping-Love-You-Amz-CA
Paperback coming soon!
Audio in production!
Here's a peek at Zeke and Jillian!
He's the tattooed bad boy her mama warned her about.
She's his hot mess--but mostly hot--next door neighbor.
Until a two-night-stand gives them the surprise of a lifetime...
“So your stress-relieving list is sex, therapy, wine, and massages. And sex is your preference because it’s faster, easier, and cheaper than all the others.”
“Yep.”
Wow. She was…something.
“Except, like I said, it’s not always faster than a massage.”
Right.
“How long are your massages?”
“An hour. Hour and a half if I’m really tense.”
“Yeah, this is going to take longer than that.”
He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to make an impression on this woman, but now that he’d made her smile, and had her full attention, and had seen her green eyes up close, he was going to send her on her way with a huge grin and very fond memories of Autre.
“Do you have more tattoos?” Her eyes were back on his arm where his full sleeve showed beneath the edge of his t-shirt. Oh, she liked tattoos.
“I do.”
“Are you any good at dirty talk?”
The woman knew what she liked.
His entire body felt like he'd just taken a big shot of his grandpa’s moonshine. He was hot, on edge, and ready for the unexpected. Because when Leo Landry’s moonshine came out, you never knew what could happen.
“As a matter fact, I can’t really help it.”
She let out a breath. Then she gave him a full smile.
Yeah, he wasn’t going anywhere for a nice, long time. And suddenly his head felt fine.
“Do you have a wife, fiancée, girlfriend, woman who thinks she’s your girlfriend even if you don’t think so?”
“No. No. No. And I did but we cleared that up.”
She gave him another of those little half smiles. Like she didn’t want to be amused by him, but she couldn’t resist.
“How do you feel about one-night stands? Because I’m not looking for anything serious.”
“They are my favorite kind of night stand.”
Her smile grew and Zeke felt a strange warmth along with the heat.
“And you won’t brag about this to your friends tomorrow?”
“Oh, I’m absolutely going to brag to my friends about this tomorrow,” he said. He took a step closer to her. “Especially Michael. Since he was out there saving goats and being all charming and sweet and you didn’t invite him to your room.”
“He was on duty.”
Zeke lifted a brow. “That’s the only reason.”
“Probably. He’s hot. And has the heroic, sweet thing going for him.”
“He fakes most of the sweet stuff.”
“How about the heroic stuff?”
Zeke gave a dramatic sigh. “Unfortunately for the rest of us assholes, that’s all real.”
She gave a soft snort. “Maybe I actually am concerned about your head and thought I should keep an eye on you to be sure you don’t slip into unconsciousness and never wake up.”
“I’m going to accept that only because I like it better than the realization that Michael could be in here with you right now.” He leaned in. “But I don’t believe you. I think you took a look at my boots and Michael’s and realized that mine were bigger.”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know I did that?”
He paused, then shook his head. “You did do that?”
“Of course.”
“You are…”
“I know,” she said, when he trailed off.
He wasn’t even sure what he’d been intending to fill in there. Odd? Quirky? Fascinating?
Yep. To all of that.
“So, can I brag to my friends about it tomorrow?” she asked, her voice huskier now.
“You better,” he said, dropping his voice to a gruffer note.
The next smile she gave him was one that said he’d given all the right answers, but even more, it was filled with heat as well.
“There it is.” He reached up and cupped her face.
Her breathing got more ragged as she looked up at him. And she had to look up a ways. She was small. She probably stood about five-three to his six-four.
“What?” she asked softly.
“The reaction I’ve been going for.”
“Reaction?”
“Yes, until now. You’ve seemed very…dispassionate towards me.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she was thinking about that. “Have I?”
“You have.” He leaned in, bracing a hand on the door just above her ear. “Quite insulting.”
This smile was a little more sly and definitely had a touch of mischief. “Maybe you should see how passionate you can make me.”
“Oh, challenge accepted,” Zeke told her.
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a hot one-night-stand, surprise pregnancy rom com!
He’d better not need stitches.
He sat partially up and shoved at the bike. It only moved a little.
Suddenly annoyed at everything, he gave a loud roar and lifted the bike as he jerked his leg out from under it.
There. At least he was free.
He flopped back into the weeds and grass.
With his luck he was going to run into a snake or a gator down here in the ditch. But honestly, at the moment, he didn’t care.
He reached into his pocket for his phone. He could walk to his grandma’s bar, or to his shop, or to one of many houses, but he needed someone with a pickup to help him haul his bike. And he was feeling a little dizzy.
“Damn. This is inconvenient,” he muttered to himself.
Zeke stared at his phone trying to decide who to call. The gamble was trying to get someone who was alone. One phone call could turn up anywhere from four to twelve Landrys.
No one needed twelve Landrys all at once for anything.
Unless it was a crawfish boil, of course.
But even two or three would just make the headache that was starting to brew behind his eyes worse.
“Oh, baby, are you okay?”
His finger froze over his phone and he rolled his head at the sound of the feminine voice.
Or he could just let the owner of that voice take care of him.
“I’m a little sore, actually.”
The woman plopped onto her knees in the dirt beside him.
It was dark, so he couldn’t see her well.
That was also why he hadn’t clearly seen whatever it was that ran out in front of him until it was too late.
He was suddenly much less annoyed though.
The woman kneeling next to him leaned in and he caught the scent of coffee and soap.
He wasn’t sure why that struck him. Maybe because it was simple. She didn’t smell like perfume or flowery shampoo. She just smelled clean and comforting. Like that first cup of coffee in the morning after a shower.
That was a really weird thing to notice. And who drank coffee at eleven o’clock at night?
He probably had a concussion.
Great. That was just what he needed.
“Oh, sweetie,” she cooed.
And yep, he definitely felt a little better.
“I’ll be okay, but I could use a hand,” he said. Specifically, a woman’s soft hand rubbing his head and maybe her lips kissing his bump better.
Did he know her? She had long hair and that was about all he could tell.
“Are you hurt or just scared?”
Zeke pushed himself up to sitting, wincing as his head swam and his leg ached as he shifted it. “A little hurt. Not scared at all.”
The woman looked up at him. “What?”
It was then that he realized she wasn’t talking to him.
And that she was holding a goat.
He was ninety percent sure this was the reason that his bike was lying on its side in the ditch and he was bleeding from the head.
And the woman was calling the goat“baby”.
𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙩-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮-𝙖-𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧-𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧-𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚-𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮, 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 >>>
Flipping Love You>>>
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He sat partially up and shoved at the bike. It only moved a little.
Suddenly annoyed at everything, he gave a loud roar and lifted the bike as he jerked his leg out from under it.
There. At least he was free.
He flopped back into the weeds and grass.
With his luck he was going to run into a snake or a gator down here in the ditch. But honestly, at the moment, he didn’t care.
He reached into his pocket for his phone. He could walk to his grandma’s bar, or to his shop, or to one of many houses, but he needed someone with a pickup to help him haul his bike. And he was feeling a little dizzy.
“Damn. This is inconvenient,” he muttered to himself.
Zeke stared at his phone trying to decide who to call. The gamble was trying to get someone who was alone. One phone call could turn up anywhere from four to twelve Landrys.
No one needed twelve Landrys all at once for anything.
Unless it was a crawfish boil, of course.
But even two or three would just make the headache that was starting to brew behind his eyes worse.
“Oh, baby, are you okay?”
His finger froze over his phone and he rolled his head at the sound of the feminine voice.
Or he could just let the owner of that voice take care of him.
“I’m a little sore, actually.”
The woman plopped onto her knees in the dirt beside him.
It was dark, so he couldn’t see her well.
That was also why he hadn’t clearly seen whatever it was that ran out in front of him until it was too late.
He was suddenly much less annoyed though.
The woman kneeling next to him leaned in and he caught the scent of coffee and soap.
He wasn’t sure why that struck him. Maybe because it was simple. She didn’t smell like perfume or flowery shampoo. She just smelled clean and comforting. Like that first cup of coffee in the morning after a shower.
That was a really weird thing to notice. And who drank coffee at eleven o’clock at night?
He probably had a concussion.
Great. That was just what he needed.
“Oh, sweetie,” she cooed.
And yep, he definitely felt a little better.
“I’ll be okay, but I could use a hand,” he said. Specifically, a woman’s soft hand rubbing his head and maybe her lips kissing his bump better.
Did he know her? She had long hair and that was about all he could tell.
“Are you hurt or just scared?”
Zeke pushed himself up to sitting, wincing as his head swam and his leg ached as he shifted it. “A little hurt. Not scared at all.”
The woman looked up at him. “What?”
It was then that he realized she wasn’t talking to him.
And that she was holding a goat.
He was ninety percent sure this was the reason that his bike was lying on its side in the ditch and he was bleeding from the head.
And the woman was calling the goat“baby”.
𝙃𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙣𝙤𝙩-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮-𝙖-𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧-𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧-𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚-𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮, 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 >>>
Flipping Love You>>>
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She really shouldn’t fall for a guy with a death wish.
She really shouldn’t fall for a guy with a death wish.
Naomi LeClaire sighed as she stopped her truck in the middle of the road. She didn’t dare pull over to the side. The rain pounding down could wash away the ground on either side of the road in minutes. But it wasn’t like there was any other traffic out here in this storm so taking up the center of the road wasn’t really a problem.
Thank God this road was paved at least. It wasn’t unusual for Donovan to go out on dirt roads and even on not-really-roads-at-all when he was doing rescue and recovery missions for injured wildlife.
She peered through the rain that was pelting her windshield so hard her wipers could barely keep up.
He was lying on the road in front of her truck. Next to the body of a dead bear.
She shook her head.
A few months ago she would have been alarmed to pull up and find a man lying in the road next to a dead animal.
Today…she’d been expecting this. Or something like it at least.
Of course, a few months ago—i.e., before Donovan Foster had showed up in her tiny hometown of Autre, Louisiana—she wouldn’t have been out driving around while a hurricane was making landfall two hundred miles east of them.
She really shouldn’t fall for a guy who loved action and adventure and chaos and who either thought he was invincible or didn’t really care if today was his last one on earth.
But Donovan was out here because there were three orphaned black bear cubs that needed rescued and he would, of course, not go anywhere until they were all found and taken back to his rehabilitation center.
Or until someone convinced him that his well-being was just as important as theirs.
Naomi shut the truck off and reached up to pull her hair back. She wore her hair in cornrows mostly lately, keeping it back off her face and from getting tangled being outside in the wind and weather, doing God-knew-what-might-come-up with Donovan. Now she gathered the long, black braids that fell to her shoulder blades into a bunch and tied them together. Then she got out of the truck.
She was drenched within seconds.
Dammit.
She really shouldn’t fall for a guy who was the reason that over the past few months she’d ended up with a favorite outfit stained with something-she-didn’t-want-to-talk-about, an infected cut on her hand, and a lost shoe. Not lost in the sense that it was ruined and couldn’t be cleaned or repaired. It was just lost. Never to be found.
All things considered, she really shouldn’t fall for Donovan Foster.
The fact that he was outgoing, and charming, and that the crazy risks he took were to save wounded and threatened wildlife didn’t help though.
The hard muscles, contagious smile, deep green eyes, quick sense of humor, and hard, rippling, bunching, often-naked muscles—had she mentioned those?—also didn’t help.
Needless to say, she was now wearing much more practical clothes and footwear when she hung out with him. And gloves. Tough, no-way-am-I-bleeding-after-this work gloves.
But right now she wanted those hard, sun-bronzed muscles intact and inside where they’d be safe. Along with the rest of him, of course.
She marched across the thirty feet that separated them. Though the effect was definitely less impressive because she had to lean into the wind.
She stopped beside where he was lying. He was completely still, his eyes shut, but she knew he wasn’t dead. Or she was pretty sure. He’d apparently texted Zander, the town cop, just twenty minutes ago with his location.
Naomi planted her hands on her hips. “What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?”
He opened one eye, then lifted a hand to block the rain.
“Get off the ground, Donovan.”
She had to raise her voice to be heard over the rain and wind. But that was okay. She was mad and more than a little concerned. This man needed to get his fine ass in his truck and head back to town now. He wasn’t stupid or crazy, but he definitely didn’t take care of himself and he took far too many risks and that bothered her. A lot.
Because, whether she should or not, she had fallen for him.
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Naomi LeClaire sighed as she stopped her truck in the middle of the road. She didn’t dare pull over to the side. The rain pounding down could wash away the ground on either side of the road in minutes. But it wasn’t like there was any other traffic out here in this storm so taking up the center of the road wasn’t really a problem.
Thank God this road was paved at least. It wasn’t unusual for Donovan to go out on dirt roads and even on not-really-roads-at-all when he was doing rescue and recovery missions for injured wildlife.
She peered through the rain that was pelting her windshield so hard her wipers could barely keep up.
He was lying on the road in front of her truck. Next to the body of a dead bear.
She shook her head.
A few months ago she would have been alarmed to pull up and find a man lying in the road next to a dead animal.
Today…she’d been expecting this. Or something like it at least.
Of course, a few months ago—i.e., before Donovan Foster had showed up in her tiny hometown of Autre, Louisiana—she wouldn’t have been out driving around while a hurricane was making landfall two hundred miles east of them.
She really shouldn’t fall for a guy who loved action and adventure and chaos and who either thought he was invincible or didn’t really care if today was his last one on earth.
But Donovan was out here because there were three orphaned black bear cubs that needed rescued and he would, of course, not go anywhere until they were all found and taken back to his rehabilitation center.
Or until someone convinced him that his well-being was just as important as theirs.
Naomi shut the truck off and reached up to pull her hair back. She wore her hair in cornrows mostly lately, keeping it back off her face and from getting tangled being outside in the wind and weather, doing God-knew-what-might-come-up with Donovan. Now she gathered the long, black braids that fell to her shoulder blades into a bunch and tied them together. Then she got out of the truck.
She was drenched within seconds.
Dammit.
She really shouldn’t fall for a guy who was the reason that over the past few months she’d ended up with a favorite outfit stained with something-she-didn’t-want-to-talk-about, an infected cut on her hand, and a lost shoe. Not lost in the sense that it was ruined and couldn’t be cleaned or repaired. It was just lost. Never to be found.
All things considered, she really shouldn’t fall for Donovan Foster.
The fact that he was outgoing, and charming, and that the crazy risks he took were to save wounded and threatened wildlife didn’t help though.
The hard muscles, contagious smile, deep green eyes, quick sense of humor, and hard, rippling, bunching, often-naked muscles—had she mentioned those?—also didn’t help.
Needless to say, she was now wearing much more practical clothes and footwear when she hung out with him. And gloves. Tough, no-way-am-I-bleeding-after-this work gloves.
But right now she wanted those hard, sun-bronzed muscles intact and inside where they’d be safe. Along with the rest of him, of course.
She marched across the thirty feet that separated them. Though the effect was definitely less impressive because she had to lean into the wind.
She stopped beside where he was lying. He was completely still, his eyes shut, but she knew he wasn’t dead. Or she was pretty sure. He’d apparently texted Zander, the town cop, just twenty minutes ago with his location.
Naomi planted her hands on her hips. “What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?”
He opened one eye, then lifted a hand to block the rain.
“Get off the ground, Donovan.”
She had to raise her voice to be heard over the rain and wind. But that was okay. She was mad and more than a little concerned. This man needed to get his fine ass in his truck and head back to town now. He wasn’t stupid or crazy, but he definitely didn’t take care of himself and he took far too many risks and that bothered her. A lot.
Because, whether she should or not, she had fallen for him.
SEALED WITH A KISS is coming soon!
PREORDER NOW!
https://bit.ly/Sealed-With-Kiss-Amz
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"Dare me"
He looked her up and down, his gaze hot. She knew she was a mess. So was he. And it didn’t matter at all. He looked rugged and capable and competent and she wanted to grab him by his amazing biceps, pull him in, and kiss him.
“I heard you had to climb in a window to get someone’s cat,” he said, one corner of his mouth tipping up as if he was amused and impressed at the same time.
She spread her arms. “I do what I have to do. And I didn’t just get a cat.”
“No?”
Bennett overheard them talking. He chuckled. “Leave it to Naomi to walk out of a single cat rescue with four additional animals.”
Donovan was clearly surprised. “Were there other cats sheltering up there?”
“A mama raccoon and three babies,” Bennett told him. “And Naomi barely blinked.”
Naomi shook her head. “Oh, I blinked. And backed up. And almost panicked.”
“Almost?” Donovan mouth curved more fully. “Did you guys have a live trap on the boat?”
“We just put her in the cat carrier,” Naomi said.
“How did you get it in there?”
“Queen Bad Ass here just picked the thing up and shoved it in there.”
Donovan suddenly frowned. “Wait. You just picked it up?”
“Well, I threw a towel over it first.”
“But then you just picked it up?” He seemed concerned suddenly.
“I didn’t have a choice. The cat carrier wouldn’t fit through the window.”
Suddenly Donovan grabbed her hands and started turning them over and running his hand up and down her arms from her
fingertips to her shoulders.
“Donovan, what are you doing?”
“It didn’t bite or scratch you, did it? They can carry rabies and canine distemper. They can be really nasty when they are cornered.”
“Stop it.” She tugged her hands from his grip. “It was too confused and hungry to be
aggressive. It all happened really fast for both of us.” She held up her hands with her palms out. “Michael already checked me out. No scratches or bites. I was wearing gloves and used the towel. I’m fine.”
Donovan just stood staring at her for a long moment. Then he said, “Come with me.”
She tipped her head. “Where?”
“I need more lemonade.”
She narrowed her eyes. She didn’t really want to be yelled at. She was fine. In retrospect, she could have possibly done something different with the raccoons, but she honestly didn’t know what. She supposed she could’ve waited for Donovan and sent him back over to the house. But the animals had needed to be rescued. They’d been trapped and hungry. There had been 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴. She’d done what she needed to do in the moment. She shook her head. “I’m good.”
“Just come with me.”
His jaw was tight and she could tell he was upset. Well, too bad. They were all taking some risks out here. She wasn’t special. She didn’t need to be treated with kid gloves or left in the boat when important things needed done.
“The stand with the lemonade is right there.” She pointed to the tent about thirty feet away.
“I’ll wait here for you.”
Bennett had turned away to talk to someone else and Donovan leaned in close to her ear.
“Come with me or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you over there and that will 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 get everybody talking.”
Her breath caught in her chest and her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
“Fucking dare me.”
She had never heard Donovan talk like that. Certainly not to her. But she wasn’t sure she had heard him talk that way to anyone. Yes, he definitely got intense at times, but he never got angry.
Studying his face, she realized he wasn’t exactly angry, though. He was…wound up. Still, she decided not to see if he was kidding about the over-the-shoulder thing.
“Fine.”
They walked together to the tent where huge vats of iced tea and lemonade and ice water were set up on long folding tables. But they didn’t stop in front of the tables.
Donovan grabbed her wrist and tugged her around to the opposite side of the tent. Out of view of the Landrys and her brother.
He turned to face her.
“Look, Donovan, you can’t be mad. I did what I had to do and I’m not sorry. I was as safe as I could be and you, of anyone, should know that sometimes we have to take some risks to get this stuff done.”
He stepped forward, took her face in his hands, and covered her mouth with his.
She sank into the kiss immediately. She wasn’t an idiot. He was worked up and there was a lot of adrenaline pumping for both of them, but Donovan was kissing her. She was going to pour all of her mixed-up emotions into this too and enjoy it for a few seconds.
He finally lifted his head. “I’m not mad.” His voice was husky as he looked into her eyes.
“You’re not?”
“I was…worried. I guess feeling protective. But I’m also—” He broke off, shaking his head as if he couldn’t figure out what words to use.
“You’re also what?”
“I just 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 so fucking much.”
That took a second to sink in, but when it did, Naomi laughed. She understood exactly what he was feeling. “I worry about you and like you so fucking much too.”
“And I really just need space to do this.” He sealed his mouth over hers again.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰!
https://bit.ly/Sealed-With-Kiss-Amz
“I heard you had to climb in a window to get someone’s cat,” he said, one corner of his mouth tipping up as if he was amused and impressed at the same time.
She spread her arms. “I do what I have to do. And I didn’t just get a cat.”
“No?”
Bennett overheard them talking. He chuckled. “Leave it to Naomi to walk out of a single cat rescue with four additional animals.”
Donovan was clearly surprised. “Were there other cats sheltering up there?”
“A mama raccoon and three babies,” Bennett told him. “And Naomi barely blinked.”
Naomi shook her head. “Oh, I blinked. And backed up. And almost panicked.”
“Almost?” Donovan mouth curved more fully. “Did you guys have a live trap on the boat?”
“We just put her in the cat carrier,” Naomi said.
“How did you get it in there?”
“Queen Bad Ass here just picked the thing up and shoved it in there.”
Donovan suddenly frowned. “Wait. You just picked it up?”
“Well, I threw a towel over it first.”
“But then you just picked it up?” He seemed concerned suddenly.
“I didn’t have a choice. The cat carrier wouldn’t fit through the window.”
Suddenly Donovan grabbed her hands and started turning them over and running his hand up and down her arms from her
fingertips to her shoulders.
“Donovan, what are you doing?”
“It didn’t bite or scratch you, did it? They can carry rabies and canine distemper. They can be really nasty when they are cornered.”
“Stop it.” She tugged her hands from his grip. “It was too confused and hungry to be
aggressive. It all happened really fast for both of us.” She held up her hands with her palms out. “Michael already checked me out. No scratches or bites. I was wearing gloves and used the towel. I’m fine.”
Donovan just stood staring at her for a long moment. Then he said, “Come with me.”
She tipped her head. “Where?”
“I need more lemonade.”
She narrowed her eyes. She didn’t really want to be yelled at. She was fine. In retrospect, she could have possibly done something different with the raccoons, but she honestly didn’t know what. She supposed she could’ve waited for Donovan and sent him back over to the house. But the animals had needed to be rescued. They’d been trapped and hungry. There had been 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴. She’d done what she needed to do in the moment. She shook her head. “I’m good.”
“Just come with me.”
His jaw was tight and she could tell he was upset. Well, too bad. They were all taking some risks out here. She wasn’t special. She didn’t need to be treated with kid gloves or left in the boat when important things needed done.
“The stand with the lemonade is right there.” She pointed to the tent about thirty feet away.
“I’ll wait here for you.”
Bennett had turned away to talk to someone else and Donovan leaned in close to her ear.
“Come with me or I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you over there and that will 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 get everybody talking.”
Her breath caught in her chest and her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
“Fucking dare me.”
She had never heard Donovan talk like that. Certainly not to her. But she wasn’t sure she had heard him talk that way to anyone. Yes, he definitely got intense at times, but he never got angry.
Studying his face, she realized he wasn’t exactly angry, though. He was…wound up. Still, she decided not to see if he was kidding about the over-the-shoulder thing.
“Fine.”
They walked together to the tent where huge vats of iced tea and lemonade and ice water were set up on long folding tables. But they didn’t stop in front of the tables.
Donovan grabbed her wrist and tugged her around to the opposite side of the tent. Out of view of the Landrys and her brother.
He turned to face her.
“Look, Donovan, you can’t be mad. I did what I had to do and I’m not sorry. I was as safe as I could be and you, of anyone, should know that sometimes we have to take some risks to get this stuff done.”
He stepped forward, took her face in his hands, and covered her mouth with his.
She sank into the kiss immediately. She wasn’t an idiot. He was worked up and there was a lot of adrenaline pumping for both of them, but Donovan was kissing her. She was going to pour all of her mixed-up emotions into this too and enjoy it for a few seconds.
He finally lifted his head. “I’m not mad.” His voice was husky as he looked into her eyes.
“You’re not?”
“I was…worried. I guess feeling protective. But I’m also—” He broke off, shaking his head as if he couldn’t figure out what words to use.
“You’re also what?”
“I just 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 so fucking much.”
That took a second to sink in, but when it did, Naomi laughed. She understood exactly what he was feeling. “I worry about you and like you so fucking much too.”
“And I really just need space to do this.” He sealed his mouth over hers again.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰!
https://bit.ly/Sealed-With-Kiss-Amz
