ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

Riley O’Brien & Co. Series #1

Jenna Sutton

Released June 2nd, 2015

Berkley

 

The first in a brand new contemporary romance series starring the men and women who are determined to keep the billion-dollar denim dynasty, Riley O’Brien & Co, on top, but aren’t about to let success stand in the way of love…

Amelia Winger is a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a successful designer. So when she gets a gig designing accessories for denim empire Riley O’Brien & Co., it’s a dream come true. Amelia can handle the demanding job, but she isn’t quite prepared for sexy CEO Quinn O’Brien. She’s doing her best to keep things professional, but the attraction sparking between them makes it personal. And so does the secret project she’s working on behind his back…

Quinn’s not interested in the new accessories, but he is interested in the woman designing them. Amelia is smart, sexy, and talented, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since they met. Mixing business and pleasure isn’t wise, but that doesn’t stop him from coming up with excuses to spend time with her. He thinks he understands the risk he’s taking when he gets involved with Amelia. But he doesn’t know he’s risking a lot more than his heart.

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He realized Teagan was still talking. “. . . knew you were going to be in the office today, so I told her it would be okay.”
“Wait, what did you say?”
Looking down, she tapped her fingers against her bottom lip. He tensed. She was a terrible liar and an even worse poker player because she always tapped her lips when she was nervous or unsure.
He stood. “Tell me,” he demanded when she stayed silent a beat too long.
“I told Amelia Winger you would be available to meet her this morning.”
“Shit, Teagan! You know I hate it when you ambush me with things like this. . . .”
She stopped tapping her lips and started tapping her toe, never a good sign for innocent or not-so-innocent males nearby. “This is a priority, Quinn,” she shot back. “I’ve already worked out all the legal details with Amelia. All she wants is a meeting with you. So it’s not on your calendar. Deal with it.”
“When will she be here?”
“She’s already here.”
“Of course she is,” he said dryly. He ran a hand through his hair before smoothing the mess he had made. “Let’s go get her.”
With Teagan click-clacking alongside him, he made the trek down the hall. He wasn’t looking forward to this meeting, and not just because his sister had sprung it on him. The women’s division limped along like a three-legged dog, and he doubted some new belts and purses would make a difference.
“Are you sure Amelia Winger is the right person to design our accessories?” Quinn asked.
He’d reviewed the information Teagan had provided about the designer, but he still had his doubts, especially since Amelia Winger had no formal design training, and she’d never done any work for a company like Riley O’Brien.
“I’d never heard of her before you mentioned her,” he continued. “Just because her best friend is a country music star and wears her designs doesn’t mean Amelia has any real talent. It just means she’s smart enough to capitalize on Ava Grace Landy’s success.”
“Ava Grace doesn’t wear Amelia’s designs just because she’s her best friend. She wears them because they’re incredible.”
Pushing open the door to the reception area, he ushered his sister through it before following. Frank turned at the sound, winking at Teagan.
The security guard tilted his head toward the only person sitting in the reception area. “There’s your girl,” he said with a smile.
Teagan hurried toward the woman with her arms outstretched. “Amelia, it’s so nice to see you again!” she exclaimed.
The woman dropped the magazine she’d been reading and quickly rose from her orange chair. It clashed horribly with her long red hair, and his heart kicked in his chest as Teagan gestured toward him.
“Amelia Winger, this is my brother, Quinn O’Brien. Quinn, this is the fabulous designer we talked about.”
Amelia released Teagan’s hands and stepped forward to greet him. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand to him. Her voice had a slight twang to it, betraying her Texas roots.
Clasping her hand, he gazed down at her. She couldn’t have been more than an inch or two above five feet tall because the top of her curly head didn’t even reach his shoulders. Her brown eyes crinkled as she smiled, and he noticed a slight gap between her top front teeth.
Her smile wobbled a bit as he stood there silently, staring into a face sprinkled with freckles that reminded him of brown sugar. Finally, he spoke, but when he did, it wasn’t exactly what he had intended.
“Nice ass,” he said.
Damn. Did I really say that out loud?

 

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Jenna Sutton spent most of her career as an award-winning journalist covering business-related topics including healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and technology. Nowadays she writes about hot, lovable guys and the smart, sexy women who make them crazy. It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream, and she feels so lucky to be able to do it.

Jenna has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.

Jenna and her husband live in a 103-year-old house in Texas.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 

 

 

Jennifer’s Review of All The Right Places

In seaside Blueberry Cove, Maine, friends are just another word for family, and big-city politics take a backseat to local pride. But the real treasure on these shores is always love…

When D.C. lawyer Hannah McCrae heads home for her brother’s wedding, she’s dragging a lot of baggage along with her—and she doesn’t mean suitcases. Betrayed personally, and humiliated professionally, the last thing she wants is a new man. That’s fine with square-jawed, rugged contractor Calder Blue. He and Hannah may be wildly attracted to one another, but all he wants is to build the town’s hotly contested new yacht club and mend a centuries-old family feud. Yet thanks to resentments old and new, day after day the pair wind up tangled in each other’s business—and maybe soon in each other’s arms.

Every bride needs something “blue”…

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She was taller than he’d initially thought when she’d been in the car. Somewhere around five-nine, maybe five-ten. He didn’t know what kind of heels she had on, but, regardless, she wasn’t much shorter than he was, and he came in at six-one. Lithe and lean, not much in the curves department, either. That much he’d accurately ascertained from his blouse assessment earlier.

She paused as she noted the sign on the side of his truck.

“Blue Harbor Farm.” She looked back at him. “I thought you said you were a contractor.”

“I am. Family business. Fourth generation.”

“And the farm?”

“First generation,” he said with a smile.

“You?”

He nodded.

“Sounds like a lot to juggle.”

“If you ask my father, it’s a waste of time and money. If you ask my brothers, a hobby that got a little out of control.”

“And if I asked you?”

He kept his smile in place, but his answer was serious and heartfelt. “The thing that kept me sane through a hellacious divorce.” His smile grew slightly. “Continues to keep me sane working with family.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “About the . . . hellacious part.”

She waved a hand briefly, but said no more. She held his gaze, then looked at the sign again, more, he thought, for somewhere else to look. Other than at him. He wasn’t sure what she’d seen in his expression, but banged up or not, she seemed a pretty sharp sort. So probably . . . too much.

He saw her eyebrows lift. “Calais?” she said. “You’re a long way from home.”

“Not that far. Hour and fifteen to the company office, hour-forty-five to the farm.”

“Unique town, Calais. Sort of umbilically attached to Saint Stephen across the border in New Brunswick, right? Interesting blend of cultures.”

“Mais oui, bien sur.”

She smiled a little at that. “I guess you grew up speaking French and English, living so close.”

“It’s predominantly English on both sides of the border. I speak French because my mother is French Canadian. I grew up with both languages.” He opened the passenger door to his truck.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she said, as he helped her up to the passenger seat.

She levered herself into the truck with a natural, graceful ease, making him wonder if she was a dancer, or some other thing that elegant women did with elegant bodies like the one she had. She required only a little assistance from him, which was just as well, he thought. Putting his hands on any more of that elegant body wouldn’t be wise. She was the kind of distraction he never needed in general, and definitely didn’t need right now.

She pulled on her own seat belt, wincing a little as she did, then immediately leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “But I’m very grateful you did.”

“Not a problem,” he said, palming the door, intending to close it.

“Hannah,” she said, quietly now, so he knew she was in more pain than she’d been showing, making him pause.

“I’m Hannah. McCrae.”

“Calder Blue,” he responded.

“Ah. Blue Harbor Farm,” she added, as if recalling the sign on his door. “Any relation to Jonah Blue?” she asked through barely moving bruised lips, eyes still closed.

“Great-nephew.”

“I thought I’d met all the Blues.”

“Different branch of the family.”

She opened her eyes then, and turned all that dark blue on him. Despite whatever pain she was in, and whatever worries she might have, her eyes were still surprisingly sharp, and quickly assessing. “You mean—as in Jedediah Blue’s branch?”

“The very same.”

“Your branches don’t talk to each other. For like . . . a hundred years.”

“A little longer, but that is true, yes.”

“How long have you been in Blueberry?”

“Just heading in, actually

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes again, but her lips curved upward just a hair and stayed that way, even when she winced at the pain.

“Something amusing about that?”

“Not at all. It’s . . . I just realized that your bombshell is going to be a lot bigger than mine.”

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, Donna Kauffman has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet…and under every bed….), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and…), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers!

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Sea Glass Sunrise

Review (4 Stars): Hannah and Calder were a great couple together and you could see the instant chemistry between the two characters even when they tried to pretend that they didn’t.  They seemed as though they would be exact opposites and would have nothing in common but sometimes exact opposites make the best couples.  Sea Glass Sunrise is a smart, charming, small-town romance that will keep readers coming back for more in this delightful new series.  I enjoyed every moment of Hannah and Calder’s love story and I can’t wait to see what couple finds love next in the second book of the series.

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She bears the scars of the past. He blames himself for things he can’t control. Their defenses are up, but in Cecy Robson’s latest Shattered Past novel—perfect for fans of Monica Murphy and J. Lynn—true love lands a knockout punch.

Sofia Tres Santos remembers a time before her life went sour, before her innocence was ripped away, before she began punishing herself with risky behaviors and unworthy men. Now, at twenty, she just hopes she’s ready to rebuild some of what she lost. One way or another, it always comes back to her childhood friend and longtime crush, Killian O’Brien.

As strong as Killian is, Sofia has always been his one weakness. He knows Sofia has suffered and wants to ensure she’s never hurt again—not like before, and definitely not under his watch. When Sofia agrees to work at his mixed martial arts gym, Killian seizes the opportunity to help and protect the sweet girl he’s always cared for. And yet, as he trains Sofia to defend herself using his hard-hitting MMA techniques, he’s drawn to the vulnerable beauty in ways he never expected.

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The steady pummeling of fists against the speed bag continued as if the body slams and swears weren’t bouncing off every wall of the MMA gym. Every strike, every blow, promised pain and demanded respect. I tried not to react to each loud smack, or cower from supersized bodies dripping with sweat, but it was hard. Controlled chaos was the best way to describe the scene unraveling before me. And no one owned it like Killian O’Brien.

I slipped my fingers into the computer bag hooked to my shoulder, pretending to fumble with the files tucked against my laptop, while totally checking out Killian behind the safety of my sunglasses.

His broad and muscular back was to me, but that was okay. I liked the way his Celtic cross tat crawled down the length of his spine and spread across his shoulder blades. I liked the way his wavy jet-black hair tickled the base of his skull. I liked the way—okay, who was I kidding? I liked everything about him. I had since I was seven, when he and his large Catholic family moved into the row home across from ours.

Killian hadn’t noticed me. He was busy kicking what remained of a heavy bag, showing the younger MMA brawlers how it was done. At six feet five, and fighting at super heavyweight status, Killian shouldn’t have been so flexible. But he was. Dear Lord, he so was.

His foot skimmed the top of the bag with each brutal thump, causing the chain holding it to rattle and jolt with hard shakes. Killian was best known for his kicks. If he caught his opponent in the face with his foot, the poor guy was done, and so was what remained of his face.

“Hey, Sofia!”

I jumped when the youngest O’Brien approached. “Oh. Hi, Finn.”

The dimple on his right cheek deepened when he grinned. He motioned to my nylon

computer bag. “You ready to work?”

“Oh, yeah. Ready to go.” I patted the bag like a total loser, then rather awkwardly let my hand fall to my side. In an attempt to regain some sense of grace, I slipped my sunglasses to the top of my head, pushing the strands of my long, bouncy curls behind my ears.

Finn’s grin widened. He likely sensed my nervousness. His toothy smile made him appear younger than his nineteen years, but it was sweet enough to soothe the tension my first day back had caused. I liked Finn, I always had. He was smaller than his brothers, but just as tough, working his way up the MMA ranks as a welterweight.

He slapped his gloved hands together, full of energy as usual. God, it seemed, had dumped all the O’Brien muscle onto Killian’s heavy-duty frame. God was funny that way. That didn’t mean Finn wouldn’t take on a guy twice his size. Finn was funny that way.

He scratched the top of his curly ginger hair. “Killian know you’re here?”

“Ah, no, but that’s okay. I can just head to his office and start on his website—”

“Kill, Kill!” Finn cupped his mouth with his hands, yelling at the top of his lungs. “Your woman is here!” His attention cut to my mortified face. “You are his woman, right, Sofia?”

“Ah . . .”

Killian’s head jerked our way, along with most of the behemoths training. I wasn’t sure if he could see how red my face was from where he stood, but the easy smile spreading along his strong features told me he could. He abandoned what remained of the heavy bag and crossed the padded floor as the rest of the fighters resumed their free-for-alls.

I froze, watching him prowl forward like the mad beast he was, his hulking and densely tattooed arms swinging loosely against his sides. It wouldn’t take him long to reach us, despite the large expanse of the converted warehouse, so I tried to speak fast. “I’m not his woman, Finn.”

“So you’re just banging?”

“No!”

“But you want to.”

“Want to what?”

“Bang my brother like a pair of cymbals,” he said, like I was the stupid one.

“Yes—no.” Oh, good heavens.


“Why not?”

“Finn!”

“He’s a good guy.”

“Finn, I’m not having this conversation with you.”

“Do you want to have it with Kill instead?”

“Have what with me?” Killian’s deep voice rumbled like thunder as he stopped just in front of me.

Dear. Lord.

It had been a few weeks since I’d last seen him. Dark stubble grazed his chin, forming a mini-goatee and emphasizing the angles of his square jaw. But his face didn’t hold my attention for long. My stare traveled down his body, taking in his light skin glistening with sweat . . . before I remembered that my sunglasses now rested on the top of my head and I was blatantly gawking at him.

“Like what you see?” he asked, playfully.

“I . . .” The urge to bolt had me shifting my weight, hard enough to slap the hem of my long white skirt against my bare legs. But I stayed put, trying not to faint from his scorching level of badassness and working to form a decent response. “I was just admiring your sweat.”

So much for a decent response. He stopped smiling. “My sweat?”

I punched him in the arm, because, yeah, I was just that lame. “Totally. You must have had quite the workout, huh, asskicker?”

Finn grimaced as if it pained him to watch me go down in flames. I was good with computers. I couldn’t say the same about men. If the fate of the world depended on me successfully interacting with the male species without stuttering, blushing, or recoiling, the world would just end and we’d all die some sick apocalyptic death.

Killian analyzed me closely like most would a bug they were debating on squashing, before his chest shook with laughter. God, this is Sofia. Please strike me dead.

Killian closed the distance between us, the fingertips of his large hand extending to tickle my chin. “I was just getting started. Nice to have a pretty girl appreciate my efforts.”

About the Author:

Cecy Robson is the New Adult author of Once Perfect, Once Loved, and Once Pure and the award-winning author of the Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Once Pure
Review (4.5 Stars): Sofia and Killian’s story was amazingly beautiful and the love that they shared with one another brought me to tears. Sofia is a rape survivor and because of that experience is afraid to get close to anyone except Killian O’Brien.  They have been close since they were young and he is the one person that has always made her feel safe.  When Sofia agrees to help Killian with his MMA gym, they find that the more time they spend with each other, the closer they are to finding the love they have always wanted.

Ms. Robson always makes me cry but in a good way.  Her books are a gut-wrenching journey of emotions for her characters that almost always leads to a happy ending.  For Sofia, she not only got Killian but she got her life back.  He taught her to defend herself and showed her that she wasn’t broken because of what she went through.  She was stronger because of it and the scene where she reacted instead of cowering in fear made me cheer.

Killian is my new favorite book boyfriend and I liked how protective he was of Sofia over the course of this book.  He blamed himself for something that wasn’t his fault and I was glad that he and Sofia could work through their past and have a wonderful future.  I love all the books in this series and I’m crossing my fingers that Ms. Robson will start finding happy endings for each of Killian’s siblings next.  I desperately want to see who ends up with Wren.
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In this edgy, sizzling romance for fans of Monica Murphy and Abbi Glines, a bad boy shows a straitlaced law student how to slow down and savor the good things.

Everly Parker is about to graduate from law school, always busy, and can’t stop rushing through life. Her late grandmother left her a bucket list of meaningful, can’t-miss experiences, but she hasn’t completed a single one. Then searing-hot Max Levin bursts into her world. As a casting director for a porn production company, Max is loaded, cocky, and all wrong for Everly. Still, she’s tempted enough to cross the first item off her list: Go out with someone you’d never give the time of day.

Inheriting a porn empire isn’t every guy’s dream (well, actually, it probably is), but Max isn’t complaining. It’s just that until he meets Everly, he has no idea what he’s been missing. As the pressure mounts to take over the family business, Max can’t help wondering what would happen if he chose Everly instead. So far, his life has been a wild ride, but only Everly promises the greatest rush of all: love.

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“Some of us find it easier to live than others.” I made sure to use air quotes to get my point across. “You probably get everything you want, don’t you?” I picked up the pen that sat on the table next to my laptop and tapped it against the fake wood. “Expensive cars. Expensive drinks. Women.”

Offense burned in his gaze. I saw it there for a split second before a smirk curved at the side of his lips and he leaned back, settling his torso against the bench. “You think I’m just an asshole in a suit.”

In the first two minutes of our introduction, maybe. Now I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t need to tell him that. I smiled and shrugged. “At least it’s an expensive suit.”

I expected him to laugh at my joke, but he didn’t. Instead he reached across the table. “What’s this?” He pulled the bucket list from between the pages of my textbook. “The color matches your eyes.”

“Give that back.” I swiped my hand at his, but he pulled the sheet of paper away too
quickly. Panic seized my brain and body.

“What is this?”

I breathed heavily. Being a lawyer was a search for the truth, for justice—I found it hard to lie. Under any circumstance. And I wasn’t going to start now. “It’s a bucket list.”

“A bucket list?” His eyes worked from side to side as he read the items. “Are you dying?” he asked.

“No!” The response was little louder than I’d anticipated, but it was an awful question.

His face scrunched up in confusion. “Then what are you doing with a bucket list?”

I swiped again and this time I connected. I grabbed the paper out of his grip. “It’s none of your business.”

There were a lot of personal things on that list. Things I didn’t want a total stranger
knowing I hadn’t done, like have a really good laugh.

“Have you completed any of the items?”

“If you haven’t noticed . . .” I pointed to the table with all my studying accessories. “I’m a little busy.”

Just then a smile spread across his face.

God, he needed to stop doing that.

“What if I offered to help you cross off one of those items tomorrow?”

I cocked my head. This should be good.

“Go out with me tomorrow night.” He lifted his hand and traced a check mark in the air as he said, “Item number one . . . check.”

“What?” My eyes scanned the list. Although I had it memorized, I needed to double
check.

Go out with someone you wouldn’t give the time of day.

“You’re . . . crazy.”

No he wasn’t. He was exactly right.

Loosen up, girlie. You only been given one life. Live it.

I tensed at the sound of Gram’s voice in my head.

Just then my favorite server came by to collect my empty cup. I was barely
acknowledged. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from my guest. I felt jealousy tighten in my stomach, a feeling I was not used to. Maybe she wasn’t my favorite waitress anymore. More important than the loss of my best barista, was his statement. Had I judged him wrong?

He didn’t acknowledge the server. Instead, his eyes stayed perfectly fixed on me. I swallowed hard. I wasn’t blind to his presence either—the masculine lines of his face, his totally kissable lips. Heat bloomed inside my body, in places I hadn’t properly acknowledged in a very long time. Was I wrong for wanting to feel the softness of his lips against mine, against my skin, against every inch of my body?

The sexual attraction to him was nothing I’d ever felt before—beginning as a slow ache between my thighs upon first sight and now an outright burn.

Down, girl.

I fisted my hands on my lap, under the table and out of sight. I couldn’t let him see just what kind of effect he had on me.

He reached over and grabbed the list again. “Go out with someone you wouldn’t give the time of day.” He grinned. “I believe that’s me.”

He seemed way to happy to be not my type. But I couldn’t go out with him. Could I?

He leaned across the table and my nipples hardened at his infiltration of my personal space. “I bet you do everything you’re supposed to.” He cocked his head to the left. “Don’t you?”

As a matter of fact, I did. But damn him for thinking he knew me.

He dipped his head as if making a point to shield his forthcoming words from others. I swallowed hard.

“You may not think I’m nice. You may not think I’m sexy. But as for completing your life . . .” His piercing gaze met mine and I knew that with only a little more coaxing, I could be another one of his anonymous panty donors. “How do you know if you don’t give it a try?”

I scoffed. “I’ve never tried bull testicles, but I know they can’t be good.”

The grin never left his face as he pulled away. “Then it’s settled.” He slapped his palm on the table. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at ten. I’ll get your address from Jade.” He pointed behind him. “It was nice meeting you, Everly Parker.”

He extracted himself from the booth.

“I can’t . . . wait . . .” I reached out as if to grab him, but my hand fisted around air. Like a ghost, he had waltzed in and out of my life, somehow managing to shake my focus.

I’ve had my head down and nose in a book for the last three years and nothing has distracted me—except Max Levin. The blinders I’ve had in place to keep out the rest of the world had somehow been knocked off and I had no idea what to do with myself.

I sucked in a large breath. I admired his retreating form, especially that tight backside, which I wanted to feel against my palms. The farther away he got, the harder my body ached to touch him.

I looked up to the ceiling. I wasn’t one for believing in the supernatural, or even fate. I believed you made your own fate.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that Max Levin had been sent to help me with my bucket list problem.

About the Author:

When her dream of becoming a mafia princess didn’t pan out, Gina Gordon went after her second dream: becoming a writer. And she hasn’t looked back. A self-proclaimed happily-ever-after junkie and cupcake connoisseur, Gordon loves spinning contemporary tales of knee-bending first kisses, unconditional love, and super-hot sex. She lives in Milton, Ontario, with her husband and their lovable dog.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Jennifer’s Review of Rush

Review (4 Stars): Everly and Max were definitely two opposite personalities that fit well together.  She had big dreams and big opportunities ahead of her and falling in love with Max wasn’t what she planned for her life at all.  Max had everything a guy could want at his fingertips except love and Everly brought that to him if he would just take a chance.  They were a great couple together with enough heat and sexual chemistry to light up the night, and their happy ever after was waiting for them if they just could reach out and grab it.  Rush was a great romance about two people that found love when they least expected it and I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms. Gordon.

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Anna Madison has faithfully avoided her old flame for six years, even though their Main Street restaurants are only a few blocks apart. The sting of his rejection was enough to make her swear off dating for good, but when her successful restaurant is damaged in a fire, she’s left to the mercy of the one man she’s spent years proving she doesn’t need…and convincing herself she doesn’t want. Mark Hastings can’t say he’s happy being alone, but at least his heart is safe. Burnt out from running the Briar Creek diner, he’s ready for a change. He tells himself he’s just being neighborly by letting Anna use his kitchen, but being by her side again stirs up temptations he might not be able to resist a second time around.  

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*EXCERPT*

Mark leaned in, catching a whiff of her sweet scent as he did. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to capture the single sense. When he looked up, Anna was staring at him, her gaze hooded. He could lean in, just another inch, remember what it felt like to kiss her mouth, to feel her soft curves pressed against him.
He pulled himself back in the stool instead. He was here to find her friendship again. Nothing more. “The bookstore’s doing fine now; I see people in there all the time. It’s never looked so great.”
Anna sighed through a small smile. “It does, yes. But…that’s not what has me worried. I took out a loan to match Grace’s investment. She’s covering rent and the bookstore renovation; I’m covering well…everything else. For now. It was all going to be fine. More than fine. And then–”
“The fire.”
She nodded. “The fire.”
“How bad is it?”
She met his stare. “Bad.”
He let out a low whistle. It was exactly the kind of situation that made Hastings to appealing. The place was paid up; they owned it outright. A new venture, of any kind, could never offer the same security. One day it could be booming, the next…
“Does Grace know?”
“No,” said quickly, “and I don’t intend to tell her.”
He leaned into his elbow. “So what’s your plan, then?”
She looked at him quizzically. “I intend to win this contest!”
He burst out laughing, hearing his own foolish desires in her preposterous statement. Until now, winning had been a vague notion, not something he was banking on, but hearing her say it aloud, a desire to not only compete but to win, made him suddenly believe it was possible. That anything was possible.
“I do intend to win!” Anna cried, but even she couldn’t stop from laughing. The sound rolled through the room and pulled at his heart, filling holes he didn’t even know were there.
He didn’t realize he’d stopped laughing until she did. The air went still, punctured only by the sound of his heart beating in his chest, and he knew he couldn’t hold back any longer. Without thinking, or daring to consider the consequences,he leaned into her and her eyes flashed with surprise, her lashes fluttering quickly as he slid off his stool and closed the distance between them.
A gasp of surprise escaped her throat as he brought his lips to hers and his hands came around her waist, pulling her close to his chest until he felt her body relax on each kiss. He sensed her hesitation, but he couldn’t pull back, not when her lips were on his, her sweet taste filling his senses. She parted her mouth, and he pulled her closer, feeling the soft swell of her breasts against his chest. His groin pooled with warmth as her thighs rubbed against his. He pressed his palms deeper into her back, and lower, resisting the urge to explore her hips, knowing if he did he wouldn’t be able to stop. And he should stop–he should. But…he couldn’t.
He kissed her, as if for the first time, tasting the forbidden fruit, knowing it was wrong, wrong, wrong, even thought it felt so damn right. He tore his lips from hers, letting his mouth roam her neck, burying himself into her hair, that coconut-scented hair, and breathed into her ear, wondering if she would run, if she’d push him back, tell him to go.
He pulled back, watching the way her eyes searched his. He should say something, explain himself, but there was nothing to say.
Anna’s cheeks were dotted with pink as she picked up a knife and pulled the vegetables from the basket. His gaze lingered her on a few moments more, watching the way she expertly chopped and diced, the way they’d been instructed in school, fingers tucked.
“Anna.” His voice was low and husky.
He should tell her it was a mistake, that it couldn’t happen again. That he wanted to be friends, to make her understand once and for all that it was all they ever should have been.
“We should get to work,” she said abruptly, and he hated the slight quiver in her voice. “We still have a lot do and we leave for Cedar Valley tomorrow afternoon.”
They’d be at the lodge for two nights; he’d have time to talk to her then. For now, she was right. It was time to get to work, put all personal matters aside, and focus on winning this contest. And getting what they wanted at long last.

About the Author:

Having grown up in New England, Olivia Miles attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec before settling in Chicago where she lives with her husband, their daughter, and two ridiculously pampered pups. When she is not chasing after her little ones, she is hard at work creating feisty heroines and alpha heroes with a heart. A city girl with a fondness for small town charm, Olivia enjoys highlighting both ways of life in her stories.

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Jennifer’s Review of A Match Made on Main Street

Review (4.5 Stars): I liked Anna when I first met her in Grace’s story, Mistletoe on Mainstreet.  She was smart, attractive and loyal with a snarky sense of humor that always felt as though she had been through her own share of heartbreak.  In A Match Made on Main Street, we finally learn Anna’s story and her experience with a certain male which has lead to her to have such a low opinion on men. Mark Hastings was the one man who broke Anna’s heart and when a fire destroys her restaurant forcing her to work out of Mark’s restaurant to pay off her debt, sparks fly between these two characters.  These two had this intense chemistry and you could tell that they really cared about one another.  Mark was the perfect match for Anna but he had to redeem himself to her after everything that happened in the past. She was afraid to trust him after everything that happened but true love always seems to find a way to prevail.  I loved this delightful, charming romance and I’m hoping that Jane gets her happy ending next in this series.

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