#Book Blitz #One Hundred Dreams (An Aspen Cove Romance 2) by Kelly Collins @Xpresso Book Tours30/12/2022
One Hundred Dreams
-- EXCERPT: He pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. “These are my rules.” She seemed to sink in front of him, but it was a momentary muscle lapse before that invisible string pulled her back up. Only this time, it seemed to drag her forward to stand in front of him. She swiped the envelope from his hand and tore open the flap. Once she drew out the single page with his rules, she let the envelope fall to the floor. He watched as her eyes moved across the page. Second by second, they grew until he was sure they’d pop from her skull. She raised her head and stared at him. “Are you serious?” “Why would I give you that if I wasn’t serious?” “It’s a page with one rule. You said rules.” He smiled. “I don’t need more than one.” She glanced at the paper and lifted her head. “You make all the rules?” She stared at him like he’d sprouted a horn in the center of his forehead. “That’s my one rule. Take it or leave it.” Her jaw dropped, and she took a step back. “What are you going to do? Leave?” She tore the page in half and let the pieces fall to the marble floor next to the envelope. “You’re not the boss, and you don’t make the rules.” “Wrong.” He turned around, walked back to the elevator, pushed the button, and waited. “You’re seriously leaving? How am I supposed to get to Colorado?” He took several cleansing breaths before he spun around to face her. “Nothing has changed. You have a flight waiting at Los Angeles International Airport. It will take you to Denver, where you’ll have to get a ride to Aspen Cove. Rent a car. It’s only a few hours’ drive from there to your destination.” She seemed to wobble on her heels. “You’re abandoning me?” He shook his head. “I’m not. I gave you my rules, and you dismissed them. You don’t get to be the top private security firm in the country if you break your own rules, and my only rule is I make the rules.” The elevator door opened, and he stepped inside. “I’ll give you ten minutes to decide. If you’re not down in the lobby by then, I’ll leave. It’s that simple.” She opened her mouth to speak, but the doors closed before she could get a word out.
GIVEAWAY! --
Between Takes
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play Only 99c for a limited time! -- EXCERPT: “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m handling it.” He dragged his hands through his thick brown hair, tugging at the ends a little too hard. Someone is stressed. “That’s ridiculous,” Shaun muttered. “I’m the star! They wouldn’t.” They so would – or so Sherry said. Apparently, he wasn’t the easiest person to handle on set. Just two weeks into a gruelling six-month schedule and Shaun had already alienated half the crew. The producers had been amicable to start, but now they’d started to see that their chosen star was driving them into the sun. The fight drained from Shaun’s shoulders and the tension bled out of him. Moments later, he slumped against the doorframe. His eyes scanned slowly up my body, and something about his unfocused but softening gaze made goose bumps break out along my arms. My boss was checking me out. It lasted for all of five seconds, and then my spine stiffened and I folded my arms across my chest. With a leisurely pace, his eyes rose to my hard face. He smirked before focusing his attention back on Sherry. “Fine. But it’s a trial and when I say it’s done, it’s done.” I was fairly certain Sherry wouldn’t agree with his estimations. He tensed and I barely stopped myself from smiling in triumph. Take that, Hotshot! “Are you fucking serious?” His eyes fixed on me, eying me like whatever threat Sherry had issued was entirely my fault. Given her desperation to get me here, I was fairly certain it was a threat. I glared right back at him. “Pretty sure I employ you, Sherry. Are you enjoying the beach house my fee earned you?” Oh yeah, entitled asshole alert. Somebody had forgotten his roots. My research said Shaun Martin didn’t come from an acting dynasty. He grew up in a small working-class South Wales town, went to a secondary school. If the critics were to be believed, he was a natural talent. He’d never had acting lessons, no Sunday drama clubs or drama classes in school. With all that, you’d think he’d be a bit more humble. “I’m telling you this won’t work, but whatever.” His lip curled like a sullen child’s. All he needed to do was stomp his foot and the image would be complete. He grumbled one more time then hung up. Shaun clattered down the steps and sauntered towards me. I tensed and eyed him like the shark he was. He took the coffee from my rigid hands. I was rather proud of myself for keeping the damn thing intact all this time. “What did you say your name was?” This close, I had to tip my head back to meet his eyes. I wasn’t short by any stretch of the imagination, but he made me feel tiny and vulnerable. Not a thing I’d ever wanted from a man. And I wouldn’t start wanting it now. “Mona.” “Fine, Mona. It looks like you’re my PA.” He sipped the coffee, pulling a face when it hit his tongue. I hated lukewarm coffee too. He lowered the cup and fixed me with a glower meant to make me sink into the dirt, I’m sure. “Ground rules: Stay out of my way and we’ll be fine. Take my calls. Your number one job is to keep the producers and my agent away from me. Clear?” Not bothering to wait for a reply, he turned around and walked back to his trailer. I followed him, disbelief and outrage warring for control of my mouth. Outrage won. “No dice. I’ll do my job.” My firm tone caused him to spin around, a quirked eyebrow raised. “I’ll keep you on track and that includes keeping you out of a bottle and attending creative meetings with the producers who took a massive gamble on your falling star. My job is to get you through this show in one piece and make sure you’re still hireable.” “Now, wait—” he started, but I raised my hand, cutting him off. His mouth hung open in shock. “You may not like me. Or the situation,” I continued, raising my voice to discourage any more interruptions. “But I’m what you’ve got. It’s me or a huge fee when you fail to complete this show and maybe the end of your career as you know it. You have no choices left.” His lips flatlined as my meaning sank in. If he didn’t get his act together soon, he could kiss his A-list status, and all the perks that came with it, goodbye. If he fucked up this show, he’d be too much of a liability for any of the big studios or production companies to take the risk. With my speech done and my position clear, I waited. And waited some more. He observed me. His hard gaze bore into me, searching for a crack. I didn’t so much as flinch. “Fine. It’s you. Now do your job and leave me the fuck alone.” Shaun spun on his heels and bounced up the steps. The door swung shut behind him again. Oh no, he didn’t. I stomped up to his door and slammed my fists against it. Not looking for a repeat of the last time, I backed away fast. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and put on my best “don’t fuck with me” mask and waited. The door flew open, slamming back against the trailer. “What!” “You’re in make-up in five minutes.” I was rather proud of my cool, calm tone. “Then I’ll go in five.” “No. It’ll take you five to walk there. You leave now.” His eyes skimmed my body before returning to my firmly set face. “You’re a hard-ass. Anyone ever tell you that?” With a grim smile, I crossed my arms and waited. At that, Shaun Martin sighed and clattered down the steps before following me to make-up like an obedient dog. But I wasn’t fooled.
GIVEAWAY! --
Cut From Stone
-- EXCERPT: The screen was broken into multiple squares focused on Northern Africa. Instead of the differentiated plains of grass, earth, and water with settlements sprinkled throughout, there was a sprawling web of interconnected buildings, roads, and a brand-new infrastructure spanning the width of the continent and trailing off the screen to the south. They completely took over. They weren’t practice. They were their base, James thought in terror of the army that required an entire continent to operate. As the images filtered in, the web of settlements grew throughout the landmass. There were entire squares filled with what looked like long, lean barracks neighboring full towns of armories, each covering the same square mileage as a major city. Harbors along the coasts were filled with ships and docks, while airfields were strewn throughout the flatlands displaying gleaming rows of chrome weaponry perfectly arrayed, wing to wing. “How the hell did they pull this off?” asked Stacie. “It’s just… wham, an entire continent disappeared and in its place… this.” “We have no clue. We’re having trouble determining exactly when all of this happened, but it must have been months ago.” Months?! James’s mind was spinning, thinking of the physical demands and resources it would take to build infrastructure of this magnitude. They were looking at a decades long project at the least. If whoever ran the BlankZone accomplished all of this in a matter of months, what else were they capable of? He kept scanning the area when he noticed clouds were blocking some of the images. He moved closer and realized they were moving in an odd pattern, flowing over the land, and petering out along the southwest coast. He looked around trying to find where they started, but the originator was offscreen. Is that smoke? He wondered what source of fire could be so widespread it caused clouds on such a grand scale. His mind drifted to pictures of volcanos he studied in high school. “How did we get these?” James asked, trying to wrap his mind around the enormous scale of the base. “Same as before. A break in their satellite protection and constant attempts to hack through,” Croyton replied. “Different this time though.” “How so?” asked Stacie from the other end of the line. “They meant us to see these shots.” “A threat,” Croyton replied stonily. “They want us to know what they’re capable of, how easily they can assert control without blinking an eye. The ships were a warning. This…” He shook his head, unblinking. “This tells us how ready they are.” 
GIVEAWAY! -- #Bok Blitz #Her Best Friend's Brother by Yahrah St.John #Contemporary Romance @Xpresso Book Tours26/12/2022
Her Best Friend’s Brother
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: Riley brought Wynter to his bed. He wanted to make love to her properly. That first time in his living room had been a feverish coupling because of the intense attraction they felt. But now, he wanted to take his time. If tonight was all he had, he wanted to show Wynter how much pleasure they could have together. Wynter wasn’t some naive virgin. She returned his touches and kisses and showed him she knew exactly how to make him moan. And when she wanted to be on top, Riley let her without hesitation. She was skilled and brought them both to a culmination that had Riley seeing stars. Eventually, they took a shower together, but even that turned into a sensuous glide of naked bodies that kept them up until the wee hours of the morning. Afterward, Riley fell into a deep sleep, which was unusual for him. For years, he’d never been able to get more than four or five hours of sleep because, when he was a teenager, he’d been on high alert. He had to make sure his mother was okay and wouldn’t harm herself. The pattern stuck when he went to college and then, later, law school. The long nights of studying to stay on top and be the best took their toll until Riley didn’t need much sleep to operate. But last night, he’d slept like a baby because he’d had Wynter’s lush body wrapped around him. However, awakening this morning, something was very clear. He was in bed alone. Sometime in the early morning, after they’d just had the best sex of his life, Wynter had slipped away from his bed. Riley sat upright. That had never happened before. He was used to being the one who left, not the other way around. Riley didn’t know whether he should be offended or not. Or perhaps Wynter hadn’t been as satisfied as he thought last night? No, he shook his head. Women could fake it, but Wynter hadn’t faked a moment of their intimacy. He could tell. She was responsive and very vocal about what she wanted. She hadn’t been afraid to take charge of her pleasure or his. Riley groaned when he thought about the way she’d wriggled down the bed last night to position her head close to his groin. The way she’d run her fingertips over his erect shaft. Her touch had been featherlight, as if she’d reveled in the sensation of having him at her mercy. He’d been enthralled, and rather than fight it, he’d given in. She’d bent her head, taken him in her mouth and sucked him. Afterward, she’d raised her head and given him a triumphant smile, all the while licking her lips as she caught a drop she must have missed. It was one of the most erotic experiences of his life. Wynter had moved to the top of the list as the best lover he’d ever had. Although he wished they could have a repeat of the night before, Riley appreciated that Wynter understood the parameters. As a result, she’d left of her own accord, without him having to show her the door like some of his ex-lovers. At least he would always have the memory of their one hot night. But, in the back of his mind, Riley would always wonder what might have happened if she had stayed. 
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Blitz #The Last Minute First Lady by Tinia Montford #Contemporary Romance @Xpresso Book Tours23/12/2022
The Last Minute First Lady
-- EXCERPT: “You wanna know why I am running for governor?” he began. “I’ve sat. Watched. Defended in the courtroom, the very people this state is supposed to protect. I’ve been in the trenches with you all.” He pointed to the crowd. “I’ve seen the disadvantages in working-class neighborhoods compared to the elite on the Gold Coast and Millionaire’s Row. I’ve seen families struggling to make ends meet, and youth struggle to stay out of street violence.” Cassian paused for a second. “Everything we care about is under siege by Governor William Radcliffe.” The crowd booed. “Our very identities do not fit in the governor’s plan, nor will they ever. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Englewood. Chicago’s murder capital. I’ve experienced poverty and crime, and I know the beauty there. I see amazing potential if we were to invest in the people there, not ignore them like Governor Radcliffe has.” A calm, collected feeling rolled over Cassian’s body, obliterating the nervousness he’d felt. The crowd watched him with anticipation. It thrilled him. Fueled him. The crowd roared. “Illinois is losing jobs and opportunities. Creative minds. The fiber of our communities. If we continue to let Governor Radcliffe lead, there won’t be a state for us to call home.” Cassian looked down in the crowd. He shouldn’t have noticed, but he did. In the center of the room, he spotted a woman. A beautiful woman. As they locked eyes, he recognized her. Jolie Coldwell. He couldn’t forget the fierce reporter. He observed at her closely, his practiced speech faltering. She wore a pure white, double-breasted blazer dress. From his position on stage, he could see it stopped mid-thigh, showing off the sexy, thick brown thighs. The dress wrapped around her curvy silhouette with decorative button details down the front that led up to her tasteful cleavage. Jolie lifted her chin, meeting his gaze straight on, a small smirk on her lips. That’s when he realized he had stopped talking. Clearing his throat, he returned her steady gaze, and something intense flared through him. “I’m not here to only make history. I’m here because I love the people of this state. I want to remind everyone We Are The Change.” 
GIVEAWAY! --
Guiding the Grouch
-- EXCERPT: As he listened to three more calls from Monique, they got progressively more annoying. The call from just an hour earlier ended with her making threats to “have Daddy fire you” if he didn’t come home and fulfill his holiday obligations. “Maybe I don’t want to be there,” Gabe said, unaware of his dark glower or that he spoke aloud as he scrolled through a dozen of Monique’s infuriating text messages. “Maybe I’ll skip every holiday from now until the end of time. Maybe I actually despise Christmas and all the hoopla of the stupid, stupid season!” “Well, aren’t you a grouchy one,” a teasing voice spoke from beside him, “I believe you could use a dose of Christmas cheer before you whip out the phone book and begin alphabetically listing all the people you hate. Or is it loathe?” Gabe had no idea about her reference to the phone book, and he didn’t care. Irritated at being interrupted, he glanced up and stared at the server. The stunning woman smiling at him could have been an angel as the overhead lights created a halo around her golden hair. Hers was a rare beauty. The kind that didn’t need makeup to enhance it, although she wore a light coat of mascara and lip gloss. She was of medium height and willowy, with high cheekbones, a generous mouth, and hazel eyes that twinkled with mirth. If she lived in New York City, he had no doubt she’d be in high demand as a fashion model. What was a woman with her looks and seductive voice doing in such a backwater place taking food and drink orders? He envisioned her in a ruby-red velvet evening gown, strolling on his arm to a symphony performance. The picture in his mind was so real, so clear, he felt the oddest sense of knowing this woman deep in his soul. Dumbfounded by his thoughts, Gabe felt like someone had sucked the air right out of his lungs. The woman slid the menu closer to him “Chef Owen is one of the best in the Pacific Northwest. You can choose anything and know it’s going to be wonderful. Take a look at the menu. I’ll be right back.” The angel strode across the room, walked behind the bar, and disappeared through a doorway before he could engage enough brain cells to utter a single word to her. Gabe picked up the menu, but it might as well have been written in hieroglyphics based on his sudden inability to read. It was like his brain had just decided to take a vacation and left him in the lurch.
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Blitz #Winter Dragon (Season's War 2) by Olena Nikitin #Fantasy #Romance @Xpresso Book Tours20/12/2022
Winter Dragon
-- EXCERPT: A flash of movement caught her attention. Next to the stables in the small courtyard, Ren danced with his sword. That was the only way she could describe his fluid, graceful movements as he glided around the small space. Relieved to see he’d recovered from their ordeal and fascinated by his technique, Ina grabbed the poker from the fire and clumsily followed his moves. Despite feeling embarrassed at her lack of skill, she followed the more straightforward combinations. If I can’t work my magic, it would be helpful to know a trick or two. Ina had never trained in combat, as her mother and great aunt wanted her to comport herself as a lady, and by the time she started university, enough people had belittled her inability to work any branch of Order magic that all confidence to try it was gone. The few attacks the witch could manage, she had learned from her mercenary friends in the tavern. Not that she would ever start a tavern brawl—not on purpose at least—but after getting caught up in two fights in Gruff’s place, Janik, the bloody idiot, taught her how to disable any drunk man who saw a woman as an easy target. Ina pictured her former associate as she thrust the poker forward, pleased at how satisfying it felt. ‘Die!’ she shouted, preparing to kill the wardrobe when the door snapped open, and Ren charged into the room. Despite his laboured breathing and heavy perspiration, the warrior’s eyes were focused as he looked around the small room, sword drawn and ready to strike the enemy. As he noticed Ina, alone, her poker pointed towards the wardrobe, he stepped closer and turned to the potential danger. ‘Ina? Move back. I’ll deal with this,’ Ren said slowly. ‘But Ren—’ she tried to say, but he raised his hand to silence her. ‘Step away from the wardrobe,’ he said, crossing the small room, not a single plank creaking beneath his feet. Ina rolled her eyes and stepped aside. The warrior yanked the door open, revealing an empty interior and a few spiders running away from the sudden light. Still, it wasn’t good enough. Ren poked and prodded the back panel before he turned around to Ina. ‘My lady, who was attacking you?’ he asked, and despite the calm tone of his voice, Ina noticed how on edge he was. ‘Why does everyone always assume someone’s trying to kill me?’ She could not resist but answer his question with one of her own. Ren just raised his eyebrow. ‘I saw through the window you were stabbing something and heard a commotion in your room, and you shouted, “Die!” when I was running up here. Care to tell me who was it and where they are now?’ Putting it like that, Ren had a point, and now it was her turn to explain. Pink shades of embarrassment blossomed on her cheeks as she started. ‘My magic is gone, for now. I can’t even start a fire, and I don’t know how long it will take to get it back. I saw you practising, and I wanted to learn.’ Ina tried to hide the poker behind her back. ‘That was what you saw in the window, and I may have tripped over the furniture a few times.’ Ren blinked several times, looking at her with disbelief. ‘You’re trying to tell me you practised Jian kata… with a poker?’ Something broke in him, and the warrior doubled over, laughing. He struggled to calm down, and gasping between bouts of laughing intertwined with cough, Ren stuttered, ‘But why, my lady?’ Ina huffed with exasperation. She was proud of her new moves, but Ren seemed to find it a joke. ‘I wanted to learn how to defend myself when my magic is depleted or blocked. I would like to know other ways to fight instead of always relying on magic and my Chaos. Right now, even a simpleton with enough strength could take me down. I don’t like it, Ren.’ Ren approached and reached behind her, taking the poker from her hand. ‘I will teach you, if you’d like.’ His eyes were smiling, and he behaved as if teaching her couldn’t make him happier. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Innocence
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: My gaze searched the treetops where it came from, and the falcon was jumping from branch to branch. Something hung from her claw. She stared straight at me as if she were begging for help. I lifted my arm, and she dove from the branch. Her talons pierced into my skin as she landed on my arm. The blood seeped through the jacket that Maria had lent me. My gaze flickered from the blood on the jacket toward the blinking red button on a metal sphere hanging from the leather laces. My fingers worked fast, untangling the leather strings around her leg. The magic pricked and burned the tips of my fingers, but I pushed through that too. The only thing that drove me through the pain was that someone had forcefully used magic to put this tracker on her. Someone nasty and that they wanted to hurt her beyond my understanding. It wasn’t the first time that the falcon had crossed paths with me. We were old friends. Met on previous occasions, usually in this forest. Sometimes I gave her berries or took her to Maria if she had a broken wing or something that needed attention. She would stay until she was ready to go on her way. “Again? How do you always get into trouble?” She kacked softly. As if she was telling me ‘I don’t know.’ I finally got the string off. The magic died as I shoved the tracker inside my pocket. I inspected her wing, pulled it softly open. She let me. There didn’t seem to be any other wounds. She kacked her thank you. “Don’t!” a man’s voice yelled, and the falcon pushed herself off my arm and darted through the trees. My arm throbbed where her claws had pierced into my skin. Arrows whooshed after her, and my teeth ground on each other as the guy was relentless, trying to kill something as beautiful as that bird. She didn’t do anyone harm. I didn’t think; I just charged. My body connected hard with his, and we both tumbled to the ground. Grunts left him and complaints left me as we rolled a couple of times. Rocks and pinecones pressed into my back, and something sharp on this guy nipped at my hip-bone. The scent of sandalwood mixed with a sweet manly fragrance spread through my nostrils and clouded my mind. My head bumped against something hard bringing me back to reality. His weight worked in his favor. My boney ass might have knocked him to the ground, but it wouldn’t get the upper hand in this struggle. My back connected hard with the ground as he pinned me there. He forced my hands above my head, grasping both my palms with one of his giant ones. An arrow pointed into my cheek. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Deception
-- EXCERPT: “I’m just having a bad day.” Her bottom lip quivers. “A really bad day.” “I can see that.” His voice is soft. So soft. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Sully speak to anyone that way. Interesting. “Talk to me.” “I can’t,” she whispers, her voice shaking. “Honey,” Sully says, lifting her chin so she’s looking up at him, “you can. You’re hurt. You can trust me, remember?” Rather than explaining to him what has her so upset, she cups his cheeks, drawing him to her. His lips are gentle as he kisses her supple mouth. It’s as though he has to handle her with kid gloves or she’ll break. I know for a fact she can take rough handling and barely crack. She’s much tougher than she lets on. His hunger for her wins out. Grabbing her ass, he pulls her up into his lap so her legs wrap around his middle. A needy moan escapes her, singing straight to my cock. As quietly as I can, I pull down my zipper and unbutton my jeans. I pull my throbbing dick into my hand, eager for some sort of release. Sully’s massive hands squeeze her ass as he moves her against his lap. They’re dry humping like there aren’t people just around the corner. So dangerous, but so hot. “We have to talk about this,” Sully murmurs. “As good as this feels, it’s only putting a bandage on the problem.” For fuck’s sake. Don’t be a pussy, man. She ignores him, kissing him with all the fiery passion she possesses. Sully shoves one hand down into the back of her yoga pants, his palm splayed out over her ass cheek. This must feel good because she starts panting harder. I stroke my dick in tandem with the sounds she’s making. I’d kill for some lube right now, but since I don’t have any, I make do with licking my hand a couple of times to get it nice and slick. “Ford,” she hisses, breaking from their kiss so she can look at him. With his free hand, he yanks down her hood, revealing her messy, damp hair. He stares at her like she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. These fuckers are obsessed. I know obsession when I see it. “I’m going to come.” Her whispered words sound surprised. “Ford, oh my…” She tilts her head back, baring her pretty neck. I want to bite it and suck it and wrap my hand around it. Mine. Mine. My breathing comes out quick and harsh. If they weren’t so consumed in one another, they’d hear me. I know the second she comes because her body tenses before trembling. She swallows down the cry of her orgasm as not to alert anyone. He starts to lift her hoodie, giving me a flash of her small bra-less tits, but she stops him, dragging it back down. “Ford,” she says, breathing heavily. “We can’t do this right now.” Right now. Not never. Images of her trussed up and captive in my bed are too much. I come silently, my semen hitting the orange ball with a barely audible patter. While I tuck my dripping dick back into my jeans, I keep my stare fixated on them from my hiding spot. They’re so enamored in each other. Which means she’s just as enamored with me. My turn. My fucking turn. I’m about to stand up and demand my turn when some doofus walks into the weight area. As soon as he noticed the two of them, his face blanches and he stumbles back. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I, uh, I’ll leave.” The dumb shit hurries to leave them to their dry fucking, but the moment is lost. Landry is already pulling from my brother and standing. He thrums with need, his dick trying to tear through his jeans as he reaches for her. “I shouldn’t be here,” she mutters to herself. “This was a mistake. I was upset but if he finds me gone.” Panic flashes over her features making her reddened skin pale to a ghastly white. “I have to go back home.” “Honey,” Sully growls. “Let me go with you. To make sure it’s safe.” “No, lover boy.” She smacks his hand that’s still reaching for her. “I appreciate…” Appreciate what, prickly princess? Making you come in your little panties and giving your lover boy blue balls in the process? He rises to his feet, capturing her waist and pulling her to his chest. “Did he hit you again?” “That was an accident, I think.” She frowns. “It’s other stuff. I just…never mind. You’ve calmed me down, but I really need to get back. I’ll call you later.” They share another long, passionate kiss until she peels away from him. She runs off, leaving Sully alone with his nine-inch boner. I stand up, ignoring the searing in my bad knee. Slowly, I hobble toward him. He hears the sound of my feet on the mats and whips around to face me. Shock turns into brief fear and finally into fury. “What the actual fuck, Scout?” he snarls, shoving my chest. “You were spying on me?” I reach down, rubbing at my knee, and scowl at him. “She’s my job, too.” His brown eyes flicker with a multitude of emotions, but the one that’s most prevalent is possessiveness. He doesn’t believe she’s a job like he’s supposed to, and he certainly doesn’t believe she’s mine too.
GIVEAWAY! -- #Book Blitz #A Home for Christmas by Katie Eagan Schenck #Holiday Romance @Xpresso Book Tours19/12/2022
A Home for Christmas
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: Lilly’s phone was still connected to the speaker and “I’ll be Home for Christmas” played. “I love this song, though it’s bittersweet.” “Because you haven’t had a home for Christmas?” “Well, yes,” he said, staring at the tree. “However, the lyrics aren’t really promising the singer will be home for Christmas. He mentions at the end how he’ll only be home in his dreams. For me, home isn’t about a specific place, but more about the people who make it a home.” He turned toward her. “My parents are gone and, as I told you before, my sister and I aren’t close. So my home for Christmas is truly in my dreams, because it doesn’t exist anymore.” Shelly’s eyes softened, and she took his hand. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.” “It’s not your fault, and I’m not surprised.” He gave her a half smile and patted her hand before letting go. “Leave it to me to turn a lovely Christmas song into something depressing.” “But you’re right, it is kind of a sad song.” “Perhaps we can make it happier.” He stood, then performed a slight bow and offered her his hand. “Would you like to dance?” She raised her eyebrows dubiously, but she accepted his hand and he pulled her to her feet. They faced each other, both unmoving, until Brad brought her closer to him and placed his free hand on her waist. Her hand rested on his shoulder as they swayed together to the beat. She was soft and warm in his arms and he detected the faint scent of cinnamon and something floral. As they turned in the limited space of the room, he was reminded of earlier that morning when he helped her into her coat. The way his fingers tingled when they touched her skin. He recalled how the look in her eyes made his heart stop. Now, his heart was pounding, and the air seemed to hum with electricity, just like that morning. He directed her to twirl, then caught her at the waist. This time, she was close enough to rest her head on his chest as they continued to sway. He tightened his arm around her and wished this could last forever. For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, it felt like they had known each other for years, instead of only one day. The song’s last notes played, and they stopped swaying in the sudden silence. When she gazed up at him, her emerald eyes were sparkling. She was absolutely radiant, the happiest he had seen her since they met. He released her waist, but he held onto her hand. With a smile, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it in what he hoped was a gentleman-like way. “Thank you for the dance.” Shelly averted her gaze. “You’re a wonderful dancer.” 
GIVEAWAY! -- |
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