Kelly reviews Stripped Down by Lorelei James

Stripped DownTITLE: Stripped Down (a 1001 Dark Nights Novella
SERIES #: BlackTop Cowboy #6.7
CHARACTERS: Wynton Grant & Melissa Lockhart
AUTHOR: Lorelei James
PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lorelei James, a new steamy story of the Blacktop Cowboys…
Never challenge a cowboy to a little naughty competition…
A flirty game of sexual truth or dare between best man, Wynton Grant, and maid of honor, Melissa Lockhart during their BFF’s wedding reception results in a steamy hookup.
But their plans for a one and done change when a family crisis leaves Wyn shorthanded at the Grant Ranch. Experienced horsewoman Mel volunteers to help out and gets way more than she bargained for living under the same roof as the sexy rancher. Playing house has never appealed to Wyn…until now.
But the feisty redhead is keeping secrets and Wyn’s not above stripping her bare—body and soul—to get to the bottom of it

KELLY’S REVIEW:
Wham, bam thank you ma’am!!!!
This was a quick read that started out dirty & naughty that turned into a sweet and loving story. Wyn and Melissa have wonderful little nicknames for each other that just cracked me up!!! These two are two peas in a pod and make a perfect couple. Ms. James packs a lot into a very short story all while making you feel like you are reading a full length novella.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Evil Eye Concepts in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Kelly reviews Unraveled by Lorelei James

unraveledTITLE: Unraveled
SERIES #: Mastered #3
CHARACTERS: Knox Lofgren & Shiori Hirano
AUTHOR: Lorelei James
PUBLICATION DATE: March 3, 2015
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In this sizzling continuation of the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man will find the domination he’s always craved…

Shiori Hirano and Knox Lofgren are left to run the martial arts program at Black Arts while Ronin Black travels. On the surface, the two highest ranked belts appear to cooperate—but in private, they butt heads constantly, despite the undeniable attraction between them. Soon their power exchanges start to make for a sweltering dynamic in the bedroom…

At first Knox is shocked to be living out his submissive desires, but Shiori sets out to prove that embracing his true sexual nature doesn’t make him a weak man. But even while their sexual relationship grants him a power and fulfillment he finds surprising, there’s no training regimen for the fight that comes with loving a strong woman

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts Wowza can Ms. James write a story. Unraveled kinda throws you for a loop by having the Dom/sub role reversed. But let me tell you it was a great story. I am not sure it would have worked with any of the other character so far in this series. But Knox and Shiori make it work and make it real. I will admit at times the story was a tad slow and I found myself wanting to skip forward. But then I was worried I would miss something. Needless to say I was very happy with Knox and Shiori’s journey of discovery.
I am already looking forward to the next book in this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley & & Penguin Group Berkley, NAL/Signet Romance, DAW in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Spotlight & Excerpt from Ms. Lorelei James Unraveled + a giveaway

UNRAVELED 

9780451473639_large_Unraveled

Buy Links: Print | E-Book

In this sizzling continuation of the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man will find the domination he’s always craved…

Shiori Hirano and Knox Lofgren are left to run the martial arts program at Black Arts while Ronin Black travels. On the surface, the two highest ranked belts appear to cooperate—but in private, they butt heads constantly, despite the undeniable attraction between them. Soon their power exchanges start to make for a sweltering dynamic in the bedroom…

At first Knox is shocked to be living out his submissive desires, but Shiori sets out to prove that embracing his true sexual nature doesn’t make him a weak man. But even while their sexual relationship grants him a power and fulfillment he finds surprising, there’s no training regimen for the fight that comes with loving a strong woman

 

UNRAVELED Excerpt

The slow, bluesy music was the perfect tempo to sway together.

When she sighed and melted into him, he felt the insane urge to press his lips to the top of her head.

“This is nice,” she said softly.

“You really haven’t ever danced like this?”

“No. I went to an all-girl’s school. In college when I went out with my friends, we went to clubs where we all danced in a group. We did some dirty dancing as a joke.”

“So no drunken groping and sloppy kisses at your friends’ wedding dances?”

“Wedding dances aren’t a big thing in Japan. Or at least not in my circle of friends.”

“Glad I’m your first.”

She laughed. “I’ll bet you had girls lined up to slow dance with you.”

A compliment? He waited for her to tag it with an insult, but she didn’t. “Yes, I did. You’re looking at the slow-dancing stud of Westwood Hills Junior High.”

“And what made you such a hot commodity?”

“I was tall, for one thing. Other boys in my class hadn’t hit their growth spurts yet. It was awkward for taller girls to dance with shorter boys. The other appeal of dancing with thirteen-year-old Knox was I figured out girls might say they didn’t want a boys’ hand on their butt, but if you made the move gradually, they didn’t notice until you’re rubbing circles on their ass and then they realize they like it. So I could cop a feel, but not in a threatening way.”

Shiori tilted her head back. “You think I didn’t notice your big hand is on my ass?”

He grinned. “Well, you didn’t put me in a wrist lock, so I figured it was okay.”

While she kept her eyes on his, her hand traveled up his neck to the back of his head. She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. Hard.

Sweet baby Moses, his knees nearly buckled.

What the ever-lovin’ fuck? How could he like that? Why did he want her to stop and yet . . . at the same time he felt desperate for her to continue.

Knox returned his hand to her lower back.

She released him but kept the lock on his eyes.

“What?”

“Not the reaction I expected from you.”

“That’s not a reaction I expected to have either,” he said without anger or sarcasm.

“You confuse the hell out of me, Knox Lofgren.”

“The same could be said for you, Ms. Hirano.”

They studied each other, almost as if it were the first time they’d met.

Shiori curled her hand around his neck and stroked the pulse point by the hollow of his throat. “How many songs have we danced to?”

Not enough. “Two. Why?”

“How long do you plan to keep me out here dancing with you?”

Knox slipped his hand up her back and beneath her hair to curl around the side of her face. “Junior-high Knox had worked out a strategy that if he could keep a girl in his arms, moving body to body, by song three she would let her kiss him.” His gaze dropped to her mouth.

Posted by arrangement with New American Library, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Lorelei James, 2015.

Make sure to check out Kelly’s review of Unraveled HERE

 

Lorelei James 2013Lorelei James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary erotic romances, including the Mastered series: Bound and Unwound and the Blacktop Cowboy novels. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family.  Connect with her online at http://www.loreleijames.com, https://www.facebook.com/LoreleiJamesAuthor, and https://twitter.com/loreleijames.

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Kelly reviews Bound by Lorelei James + a giveaway

BoundTITLE: Bound
SERIES #: The Mastered Series #1
CHARACTERS: Ronin Black & Amery Hardwick
AUTHOR: Lorelei James
PUBLICATION DATE: February 4, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N | Books-A-MillioniBooks 

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES

In the new Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a woman’s desire to shatter her inhibitions leaves her unprepared for where that erotic journey will take her….

Former small-town girl Amery Hardwick is living her dream as a graphic designer in Denver, Colorado. She’s focused on building her business, which leaves little time for dating—not that she needs a romantic entanglement to fulfill her. When her friend signs up for a self-defense class as part of her recovery after an attack, Amery joins her for support. That’s where she meets him.

Ronin Black, owner of the dojo, is so drawn to Amery that he takes over her training—in public and in private. The enigmatic Ronin pushes Amery’s boundaries from the start, and with each new tryst, Amery becomes addicted to the pleasure and to him. But when Amery senses Ronin is hiding something, she questions her total trust in him, despite the undeniable thrill of his possession….

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I have to start by saying that this was my first Lorelei James book. I know, I know. As soon as I post this I will get tons of book suggestions. Thanks in advance. Next the formatting of this book was bad. I realize it was an advance copy but it was a little hard to read. Okay on to the story.

I liked this story. I was not in love with it. Ronin is a bit of an asshat an extremely hot, brooding, tough as nails guys but still an asshat. I liked him and hated him all at the same time. Which means he must need lots and lots of love. I guess I will just have to hope that Amery will be able to do that. Speaking of Amery, I do like her. It was fun to watch her come out of her shy little shell. But I would have like to see her stand up for herself just a little bit earlier in the book. But then again if she did that the book might have ended.

As it is I will have to wait for book 2 Unbound to find out if Ronin can get things back on track or if he screwed things up to much.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

3hearts-68-77

Lorelei James 2013Lorelei James is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Blacktop Cowboys and Rough Riders series as well as the steamy new Mastered series.  She lives in the Black Hills of western South Dakota with her family.  Visit her online at www.loreleijames.comwww.facebook.com/lorelei-james, and www.twitter.com/loreleijames.

 

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

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Kelly reviews Turn and Burn by Lorelei James

Turn and Burn

TITLE: Turn & Burn
SERIES #: Blacktop Cowboy #5
CHARACTERS: August Fletcher & Tanna Barker
AUTHOR: Lorelei James
PUBLICATION DATE: August 6th, 2013
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Tanna Barker is a world champion barrel racer. But her personal life has been less of a success, and she’s feeling adrift. After her mother’s unexpected death, her father has remarried, and sold the Texas ranch she called home. Now a rodeo injury has left the restless spitfire holed up in Muddy Gap, unsure what her next move should be.

Until she meets her match in a wild, wild cowboy

Veterinarian August Fletcher has always put his job first. He’s never found a woman who could handle his on-the-road lifestyle. But when sassy, sexy Tanna blows into town, he finally finds the woman of his fantasies. And there’s something between them, but she claims she’s been burned by love ’em and leave ’em road dogs before. How can Fletch prove that he’s in it for the long haul, and that their sizzling relationship is better than winning any rodeo medal? It’ll take some sweet persuasion to convince Tanna that Muddy Gap is where she belongs.

REVIEW:
This was just an okay book for me. Maybe I should have read the books before this one. I am not sure. I just never really connected with the characters, the world and the whole story in general. It was not a bad story and I like the cast of characters. It just didn’t grab me and suck me in.
I am sure that Lorelei fans will really enjoy this book and I hope that they do.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Day Three – REDNECK ROMEO RELEASE PARTY

Ten Tidbits About Dalton McKay

1) He’s eaten rattlesnake, bear, lizard, and grasshoppers–the last one not by choice thanks to his 3 older brothers who loved to trick him into eating weird stuff or held him down and force fed him
2) When Dalton sings…with that deep voice of his he sounds like Trace Adkins
3) He’s wrecked 3 dirt bikes but no cars
4) Dalton would rather do all ranch work on an ATV than a horse
5) The first song he learned all the words to –Driving My Life Away by Eddie Rabbitt
6) The blue heeler dog his brother Luke gave him for his 18th birthday was the best present he ever got
7) He cheated on a math test in 9th grade and felt so guilty he spent the summer relearning everything he’d missed during the school year
8) His favorite fruit are plums
9) Dalton hates wearing pajamas
10) Someday he’d like to create a piece of art using his chainsaw

Lorelei James is celebrating the release of REDNECK ROMEO with a SEVEN day party.  SEVEN great giveaways, SEVEN different posts.  Stop by all the amazing blogs participating in the party to increase your chances to win!!! Each blog will post a special REDNECK ROMEO post all seven days (no weekend posts)

Prize List:

1) Redneck Romeo charm bracelet

2) Kindle fire

3) Basket of goodies, including a McKay brand fleece blanket and other McKay branded stuff and conference trinkets

4) Full set of signed Rough Riders books

5) 1 of a kind handmade small Western purse

6) Arc of TURN AND BURN

7) $100 gift card to amazon.com

RR-Release-Party (1)

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bkredneckromeo (2)

Amazon  | B&N

The last McKay standing is knocked to his knees…

Three years ago, Dalton McKay looked across the altar and saw the woman he knew he’d love for the rest of his life…only it wasn’t his bride. That’s when he took the McKays’ love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation to new heights—fleeing the ceremony and Wyoming.

Now a family issue has brought Dalton back to Sundance, giving him a chance to prove to everyone—especially the woman he thought he lost—that he’s a changed man.

Aurora “Rory” Wetzler has fallen for cowboy hottie Dalton’s smooth-talkin’ ways too many times. So he’s determined to convince her he’s playing for keeps this go around? Fine. She’ll call that bluff—she can’t ignore their intense chemistry or resist smokin’ hot sex, but she’s not willing to gamble her heart again.

Dalton has plenty of fences to mend with the McKays, but his biggest fear is that Rory doesn’t believe they have a future. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to show her they belong together for the long haul.

Warning: Contains a sexy cowboy who tames his sassy lady love with his romantic and his kinky side. In explicit detail.

 

 

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Day Two – REDNECK ROMEO RELEASE PARTY

Lorelei James is celebrating the release of REDNECK ROMEO with a SEVEN day party.  SEVEN great giveaways, SEVEN different posts.  Stop by all the amazing blogs participating in the party to increase your chances to win!!! Each blog will post a special REDNECK ROMEO post all seven days (no weekend posts)

bkredneckromeo (1)
Amazon  | B&N

The last McKay standing is knocked to his knees…

Three years ago, Dalton McKay looked across the altar and saw the woman he knew he’d love for the rest of his life…only it wasn’t his bride. That’s when he took the McKays’ love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation to new heights—fleeing the ceremony and Wyoming.

Now a family issue has brought Dalton back to Sundance, giving him a chance to prove to everyone—especially the woman he thought he lost—that he’s a changed man.

Aurora “Rory” Wetzler has fallen for cowboy hottie Dalton’s smooth-talkin’ ways too many times. So he’s determined to convince her he’s playing for keeps this go around? Fine. She’ll call that bluff—she can’t ignore their intense chemistry or resist smokin’ hot sex, but she’s not willing to gamble her heart again.

Dalton has plenty of fences to mend with the McKays, but his biggest fear is that Rory doesn’t believe they have a future. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to show her they belong together for the long haul.

Warning: Contains a sexy cowboy who tames his sassy lady love with his romantic and his kinky side. In explicit detail.

EXCERPT

REDNECK ROMEO – book 15 – Rough Riders sereis

Copyright © 2013 Lorelei James
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Bang bang bang. “Dalton! Come on man, open up. I know you’re in there.”

Dalton cracked one eyelid and cast a bleary eye at the alarm clock. Seven a.m. He yanked the quilt over his head and mumbled “f*** off” to Boden Hicks, the idiot beating on his door.

“McKay. I’m not f***ing around. This is an emergency.”

That hauled Dalton’s ass out of bed. He unlatched the old-fashioned bolt and opened the door. “What’s the emergency?”

Boden hustled inside but a gust of snow followed before he slammed the heavy oak door shut. He stamped his feet. “Damn snowstorm came from out of nowhere.”

“You better not have tricked me out of bed to complain about the goddamned weather.”

Boden shuffled over to the woodstove to warm himself, but it’d been a good ten hours since Dalton had loaded it up. “It’s like a damn freezer in here.”

“That’s because I was sleeping. In my own bed, after roughing it on an elk hunt, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember. I’m just glad the hunting party made it out before this storm hit.” Boden unzipped his parka and pulled out Dalton’s cell phone, still attached to the wall charger. “Normally I could give a crap if you stay in bed a week after a hunt, but you left your phone charging at the lodge last night. The thing’s been buzzing like crazy. When I unplugged it, I noticed you’ve got twenty-seven missed calls. So it’s gotta be something important.”

Dalton’s stomach knotted. Since he had little to no cell service in the mountains, he forgot he even had a cell phone most of the time. Few people had his number—just his brothers, his mother, his cousin Sierra McKay, his accountant, his banker and his investment guys.

“Gimme that.” Dalton scrolled through the missed calls. Twelve from Brandt, twelve from Tell, three from Sierra.

Had to be bad news if his family had reached out to him.

The family he hadn’t seen in three years.

“What’s going on?”

He glanced up at Boden. “No clue. I haven’t bothered to set up my voice mail on this phone so I’ll have to call to find out.”

Boden sighed. “Speaking of…I wanted to make sure your two-way is charged. Since you have an issue with technology that allows people to get in touch with you.”

“It’s charged. I laid in a store of food before the huntin’ trip so I can ride out the storm.”

“Good. We’re supposed to get a foot of snow today and maybe more tonight.” Boden crouched in front of the woodstove and chucked kindling in the cold embers before setting the torch to the pile. “Might be a couple days before you can get out, if you need to go home.”

Home. It didn’t have the same connotation it once did. When it was all he’d known. “I’ll let you know what’s goin’ on as soon as I know.”

Boden piled several small logs in the black box before he stood. “You worried?”

Dalton shrugged.

But Boden didn’t buy his act; he never had, which was why they’d become such good friends. “You want me to stick around?”

“Nah. I’ll put on a pot of coffee before I call my brother.” He smirked. “Get on back to the lodge. Bree would jam my nuts in a vise if you got snowed in with me instead of with her.”

“Your nuts ain’t ever gonna be anywhere near my wife’s hands, McKay.”

He laughed. “I know your kink doesn’t extend to sharing.”

“Damn straight.” Boden zipped up his parka and slipped on his gloves. “You need anything, buzz us. If we don’t answer right away—”

“I’ll assume you’re tied up. Or rather, you’re tying Bree up.”

As soon as Boden left, Dalton started coffee. Then he stripped off his long johns and took a cold shower. That ensured he’d be fully awake.

The main room of the three-room cabin had warmed up by the time he’d dressed. After downing two cups of coffee, Dalton stood by the window in the kitchen and called Brandt.

His oldest brother answered on the fourth ring. “’Bout damn time, Dalton. Where the hell have you been that you can’t return a phone call?”

No doubt Brandt thought he was f***ing off someplace. Little did he know how tiring it was leading a ten-day hunting party into the mountains. But Dalton no longer explained his life choices to anyone. “What’s goin’ on? I had twenty-four missed calls in the last twelve hours.” No one knew Sierra had his number. His brothers would be pissed if they knew Dalton kept in better contact with Sierra than with them.

“Dad had a stroke.”

Silence. Finally Dalton asked, “Is he okay?”

“He’s alive, if that’s what you mean. He’s havin’ difficulties talkin’. They’re not sure if it’s permanent. They’re not too sure of anything at this point. So we—me’n Tell—are asking you to come home.”

Dalton closed his eyes. He didn’t want to play nursemaid to the man who’d made his life hell. Especially not after the last conversation they’d had, which was the biggest reason Dalton had left Sundance for good—not that he’d told his brothers or anyone else about what’d gone down. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Can’t? Or won’t?” Brandt demanded.

“Why do you want me there?”

“Hey, bro. Brandt put you on speaker phone,” Tell said. “Look, we need you to help us make some decisions about Dad’s care.”

Dalton let his forehead rest against the frosted windowpane.

“We haven’t seen you in over three years. It sucks that something like this had to happen for you to even consider comin’ home. But we do need you here.”

He pictured his brothers, Tell leaning against the window in the cab of Brandt’s truck, his restless fingers tapping on his leg. Brandt seated behind the steering wheel, his posture stiff, arms crossed over his chest.

“When did this happen?” Dalton asked.

“Brandt got a call from the hospital in Spearfish yesterday morning. They wouldn’t let us see him until late afternoon. Soon as we had some information, we tried calling you.” Tell paused. “You ain’t gotten any better at returning calls.”

“But I did return it. Not fast enough for you?” he asked sharply. Jesus. Within two minutes of talking to his brothers he’d reverted to the defensive guy he’d left behind. He exhaled slowly. “Sorry. Cell service here is spotty.”

“Where are you?”

Don’t feel guilty they don’t know. “Alder, Montana. We’re in the midst of a blizzard so it might be a couple days before I can make it out of the mountains.”

Silence.

“Has the doctor given you a time frame on how long he’ll be in the hospital?”

“No,” Brandt said. “But when Dad is discharged, it’ll be to the rehab wing in a nursing home.”

That oughta make Casper even more the patient from hell. “Sounds like it won’t matter then if I’m not there for a couple of days. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.”

“Sure. Will you be staying with one of us?” Tell asked.

“Nah. I’ve got it covered. Thanks though.”

Neither of his brothers asked where he’d be bunking down, although he sensed they wanted to.

“Okay, then. I guess we’ll see you when we see you.”

“Yep. Later.” Dalton hung up.

He stared out the window for the longest time, even though he couldn’t see sh** through the swirling snow.

But this storm wasn’t anything compared to the one he faced in Sundance.

The blizzard lasted two days. On the morning of the third day Dalton packed up his stuff, closed up his cabin and headed down the mountain.

Once he had a clear cell signal, he gave Brandt a heads up he was on his way. Brandt said they’d moved Casper to the rehab wing and to meet them there.

Then he placed a call to Sierra.

She answered with, “I swear every time I call you and I don’t hear back I live in mortal fear that you’ve disconnected from the world completely and you’re out in the forest running naked with woodchucks and sh**.”

“Not hardly. I returned the calls in order of importance.”

“So you’ve talked to your brothers?”

“Yeah. I’m on my way to Wyoming right now.”

“They giving you grief about…well, everything?”

“They both knew it wouldn’t take much for me to refuse to come back.” He flipped on the defroster. “How’d you find out about Casper’s stroke?”

“Keely. I knew your brothers would get a hold of you first, so my call isn’t about your father.”

“Then why did you call?” Dalton heard her take a deep breath and he went on full alert.

In a rush, Sierra said, “You’ve got to promise me that you won’t get mad at me for what I’m about to tell you.”

“No conversation ever ends well that starts that way.”

“True, but I want you to remember I was only following your parameters. And I kinda hoped someone else would tell you about this, so I didn’t have to. But then, you’d have to actually talk to someone who lives there, and we both know that’s a rarity, so I guess it falls to me.”

“You been drinkin’? ’Cause you ain’t making a lick of sense. Quit dancing around the subject, college girl, and spill it.”

“Rory is back in Sundance and working for Wyoming Natural Resource Council.”

Everything switched into slow motion. Dalton couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. He had to pull onto the shoulder so he didn’t wreck his truck.

“Dalton?”

“You said Rory is livin’ in Sundance.”

“Yes.”

“With her fiancé?”

“No. She, ah, broke off the engagement.”

“When?”

“Six months ago.”

This was not happening. Sierra had not kept this information from him about Rory for half a goddamned year.

“Dalton. I know your head is about to explode—”

“Jesus, Sierra, do you f***ing think? Why are you just telling me this now?” he roared. “Do you have any f***ing idea—”

“That you’ve been holed up in the middle of freakin’ nowhere moping because Rory got engaged to someone else? Why yes, I was completely aware of that little factoid, cuz.”

Silence.

“Besides, you were doing your lumberjack gig and completely off the grid when Rory ended the engagement. I’ll remind you of your zero tolerance policy—me not talking about Rory or sharing information about Rory’s life was your edict, Dalton. I was just following your parameters. And now the parameters have changed.”

“Seriously not f***ing amused. Will you just get to the point?”

“I really have to point out that you and Rory will actually be in the same place for the first time in over three years?”

“Three years? Try ten years since she’s lived there. I’da been in Sundance six months ago if I’d known she was there without some other asshole’s ring on her finger,” he snarled.

“Whoa. Take a step back, wolverine. I’m telling you now because maybe you’re smart enough to handle it the right way this time.”

“This time?” Dalton repeated sharply. “Don’t make this out to be my fault. I offered her—”

“Don’t snap at me or interrupt me again or I will hang up, understand?”

“Yeah, yeah, keep talkin’.”

“Rory is my sister. You’re my business partner and one of the few people I trust. I hate that I’m pulled between you two. It’s time you manned up, Dalton. And don’t remind me that you did that once three years ago after you walked out on your own wedding. Even you can admit it was piss poor timing on your part.”

“But that bad timing didn’t stop her from giving me an edict, did it?”

“Like I’ve told you ten thousand times, that wasn’t an edict. Two years was a time line for Rory to finish grad school and a frame of reference for you to understand how important that was to her. You shouldn’t have taken it as gospel.”

“Then she shouldn’t have given me false hope.”

“Then you shouldn’t have turned tail and run again,” Sierra retorted. “Especially after you gave her false hope that things might finally change between you two.”

Like he needed that reminder. “Does she know about Casper?”

“Doubtful. She’s been out of town and she stays out of McKay gossip completely.”

Then Rory wouldn’t suspect Dalton was on his way back to Sundance. The element of surprise might work in his favor. “What’s the best way to approach her?”

“She bartends at the Twin Pines on the side. She’s working tonight. Anything else I can do for you besides making your day with this news?” Sierra asked sweetly.

Making his day? Hell, she’d made his life, because now he had a shot at getting the life he wanted. “Where are the keys for the house in town?”

A pause. Then, “Why?”

“I need a place to stay.”

Sierra heaved a put-upon sigh. “They’re under the back deck on a key hook. But there are two conditions before I’ll let you stay there. First, you don’t tell anyone I own it. No one.”

“Deal. And FYI, that’s why we have a silent partnership.” He’d supplied Sierra with some capital to start her own business last year and he also wanted it kept on the down low. “What’s the second condition?”

“I need a handyman to do some things. Okay, a lot of things. You’re handy, you’re there and voila—you’re selected. I’ll FedEx my repair list today but anything else you see that needs fixed just go ahead.”

“I’ll do it but I want to be reimbursed once a week for whatever I buy. You don’t get to pull that sixty day wait for payment bull crap like you money people usually do.”

She laughed. “That’s how we become money people. We hold on to money as long as possible. Be warned, some of what needs done will be major costs.”

“I ain’t a carpet installer,” he warned. “Nor will I put in windows.”

Sierra sighed again. “You are a handy handyman, right?”

“Guess you’ll have to trust me, huh?”

“I’ll be keeping tabs on you.” Another pause. “I’m sorry about your dad. If you need to talk about anything—except for Rory—call me.”

By the time Dalton crossed into Crook County hours later, he had a plan in place.

Patience. Perseverance. He would not blow this chance.

Rory Wetzler was his. His. She always had been, she always would be.

And he’d do whatever it took to prove it.

 

RR-Release-Party (1)

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Prize List:

1) Redneck Romeo charm bracelet

2) Kindle fire

3) Basket of goodies, including a McKay brand fleece blanket and other McKay branded stuff and conference trinkets

4) Full set of signed Rough Riders books

5) 1 of a kind handmade small Western purse

6) Arc of TURN AND BURN

7) $100 gift card to amazon.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

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