First Fight Friday: The Marriage Makeover by Eva Scott

Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.

Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight out of their latest book.

Eva Scott is here for ...

First Fight Friday

 with a scene from 



 The Marriage Makeover

Being with Nick causes her to question everything she thought was true. Has she made a mistake thinking her love for Nick is dead? Can he still love her? More importantly, can he again trust after everything they’ve been through?

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"Nick, I came all this way to ask you something?"

She saw his body tense and a guarded look shuttered his face. "And that would be?"

"I think it might be time we got a divorce." There! She'd said it. Talia waited for Nick's reaction. Silence stretched long and deep, wrapping itself around them. The only sound Ernest, the dog, snoring. Then after the longest time, shattering the silence, he spoke.

"You do, do you?" His voice sounded soft but a dangerous tone lurked underneath.

"Well, yes. Don't you? I mean, we've been living apart for six years. I'm not even sure we can be considered married anymore it's been such a long time."

"And, who is responsible for that?"

Talia nervously twisted her fingers together in her lap. She sensed his anger lying beneath his cool, calm exterior he presented. If she didn’t diffuse the situation there would be little hope of keeping the conversation contained and civil for much longer.

"Look, I know I'm to blame for the breakdown of our marriage and I take full responsibility for that."

"You do, do you?"

"Of course I do. That's not the point."

"What is the point?"

"The point is we both need to get on with our lives and the only way we'll be able to do that is if we finalize our marriage legally." Surely he could see it was the only course of action for both of them. She had never meant to hurt him but she couldn’t undo the past. Moving forward with their lives seemed the best thing they could do now.

A look of thunder crossed Nick’s face and his eyes became stormy as he fought for control.

"You mean you need to get on with your life. I took our marriage vows seriously the day we married" he said through clenched teeth. "Until death do us part - do you remember Talia? You've run away from everything else, you are not running away from this. You are my wife and you will remain my wife. I will not give you a divorce so you can get on with your life after leaving me here to pick up the pieces of the life you left behind. The life you rejected."

"It wasn't like that, Nick! You know it. You were there. You saw what a mess I was after Adel-... after our daughter died."

"Adeline. Our daughter's name is Adeline. You can say it Talia. Have you visited her since you arrived?"

"No" she whispered, letting her hair fall over her face as she struggled to hold back the tears.

"I am surprised. But then again, why should I be? You got out of here so fast after the funeral my head is still spinning." His anger plain for her to see.

"I couldn't stay. I couldn't stay and..."

"And help me deal with her death? You left me alone with the grief of losing my child, not to mention the additional joy of being left by my wife. How do you think I explained it to people when I couldn’t even explain it to myself? How do you think I coped?" His tightly leashed fury frightened her.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for how I behaved. Our baby girl was dead. I'm her mother. I should have been able to save her, to protect her. I failed. I suffered from post-natal depression. The doctors properly diagnosed it later, after...."

"After you ran away," he finished for her.

"Yes," she whispered. "After I ran away."

"All those years and not once did you pick up the phone to see how I had coped." Nick sounded disgusted with her, tired and disgusted.

"It took me such a long time to claw my way up out of the darkness. By the time I did too much time had passed. I didn't know what to say to you. I kept putting it off and then suddenly years had gone by. I never meant for any of this to happen, Nick. I am so sorry." A single tear escaped her control.

He studied her for the longest time. "Why didn't you let me help you?"

"Your grief frightened me. It seemed to go so deep. I couldn't see how you could help me and I knew for sure I couldn’t help you while I was in that state. It's the honest truth." Tears now rolled freely down her face. In all these years she had never articulated that to anyone. Sitting here in her old home with her husband it almost seemed they had been transported back in time. Her grief was as keenly present as if they had buried Adeline yesterday and not half a decade ago.

"She would have been going to school this year" Nick said quietly.

"Oh, don't!" Talia covered her face with her hands and gave into the sobs wracking her body. Losing a child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome was like having a wound which constantly bled.


Copyright © Eva Scott

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The Marriage Makeover by Eva Scott

Nick and Talia Carmichael were childhood sweethearts. Grief over the death of their baby daughter from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome crushed their marriage. Talia moved to a new city, with a new career and life. Now it’s time to close the door on the past and ask Nick for a divorce.

Nick has other ideas. Once his wife, always his wife. He has no intention of letting Talia off so lightly and proposes terms and conditions to his agreement. It will mean moving back into their marital home, and force her to face long buried grief. Can she do as he asks?

The Marriage Makeover is available to buy at these places: 
Amazon  | Musa 

Now that you've had a taste of Eva's work, would you like more?

Other avalible titles by Eva Scott are:

RELUCTANT WEDDING PLANNER                            

Dr Camden James is a rural vet, not a wedding planner, so he quickly feels out of his depth when, in a fit of generosity, he offers to glam up his sister's budget wedding in a secret move designed to surprise her. With only six weeks to make this the wedding of his sister's dreams he needs to move fast.

Stumbling around in the largely female world of weddings he gets a lead on the go-to girl for wedding flowers - Georgiana Mac Intyre. Georgi, reeling from a very public breakup, is not interested in men in anyway shape or form. Not even super-cute vets - even when they are clearly interested in her.

Cam shamelessly uses his story to get her to help. It has all the elements; romance against the odds, true love, orphans (you can't have good story without an orphan or two), and a bride.

T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

During her Christmas Eve performance, part time Burlesque dancer Miss Ginger Snap looks out into the crowd to see her first and only love, Clay Roberts. The man who broke her heart and betrayed her. The man who caused her to flee her home town to Sydney and never look back. Desperate to avoid him, she makes a mad dash for the last train back to her home town in time for Christmas.

For Clay time stands still as he recognises the dancer. He’s certain it’s Jessica King. She ran out on him at their high school graduation and he’s been searching for her ever since. After missing her train, Clay convinces Jessica to travel home with him.

Can Clay convince his one true love to give him the opportunity to atone and a second chance? Can Jess risk being hurt again by the man she loved?

Eva's bio:
Eva lives on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland Australia in the town which brought the world the Bee Gees. When she’s not writing romance you can find her out on the water kayaking, fishing or swimming. When on dry land it’s all about the shoes and the coffee (and old Bee Gees records).

Follow Eva Scott online

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER 

Thanks for sharing Eva!

Nikki Moore's Blog Hit: Crazy, Undercover, Love

Nikki Moore's Blog Hit

New Release - Crazy, Undercover, Love

  

The day has finally arrived!! 

Nikki Moore's debut novel with HarperImpulse 

Crazy, Undercover, Love 

 is released as an ebook today, 24^th April 2014.

If you like pacy, sexy romance and fancy a long weekend in Barcelona 

with a smoking hot guy this one's for you!  

Want to know more...?

When uber-feisty career girl Charley Caswell-Wright takes on the assignment as PA to the gorgeous Alex Demetrio, CEO of Demetrio International, she's there under entirely false pretences; to get her life back on track. Having lost the job she worked so hard to earn, she’s determined not to give it up so easily, especially when she didn’t deserve to lose it in the first place.

Mr Dreamy CEO is her only chance of clawing back her career – and her reputation. So she has to keep things strictly professional… boy, is she in trouble!

To buy Crazy, Undercover Love as an ebook:

Amazon – http://amzn.to./1gdpOxb

Google Play - http://bit.ly/1rTMrQw

iTunes - http://bit.ly/1mkzpHP

Kobo - bit.ly/QlpKpC

Sainsbury's - http://bit.ly/1hoD1bj

Or to buy it as a paperback on pre-order, released on 26^th June:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/1rTKGmB

What people are saying about Nikki's other stories...

The Love Letter and A Day in the Life... HarperImpulse short story collection Be My Valentine, with Teresa F Morgan and Brigid Coady, attracting 4 and 5 star reviews.

'I loved all 5 stories and will look out for more books by each author.'

CometBabesBooks, Amazon

'Whilst I enjoyed all of the stories, I particularly liked Nikki Moore's … her voice as an author really resonated with me and I can't wait to read more of her work.'

Kate Beeden, Goodreads

Nikki's short story A Night to Remember in the Mills & Boon/Romantic Novelists Association anthology Truly, Madly, Deeply which has also attracted 4 and 5 star reviews.

'My favourite story was A Night To Remember. I think what drew me to this … was its resonance with real life. I'm not going to spoil the story but I could feel the emotions spilling out of the page - it was beautiful.'

Beckie, www.beckiesbookmix.blogspot.co.uk

'A Night to Remember - Beautiful, devastatingly so.'

Cheryl M-M, Goodreads & http://mmcheryl.wordpress.com/

Nikki Moore lives in beautiful Dorset and writes short stories and sexy, pacy romances. 

A finalist in several writing competitions including Novelicious Undiscovered 2012, she graduated from the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers' Scheme after four years and and has contributed to their magazine Romance Matters. 

She has far too much fun attending the annual RNA conference and has previously chaired a panel and taken part in a workshop at the Festival of Romance.

She blogs about some of her favourite things – Writing, Work and Wine – at www.nikkimooreauthor.wordpress.com and believes in supporting other writers as part of a friendly, talented and diverse community. 

You can find her on Facebook or on Twitter where she invites you to pop in for chats about love, life, reading or writing!

First Fight Friday: Crazy, Undercover, Love by Nikki Moore

Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.

Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight out of their latest book.

Fellow Harper Impulse author  

Nikki Moore 
      
        
     is here for ...

First Fight Friday 

with a scene from 

Crazy, Undercover, Love

Mr Dreamy CEO, the gorgeous Alex Demetrio, is Charley's only chance of clawing back her career – and her reputation. So she has to keep things strictly professional… boy, this uber-feisty girl in trouble!

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This big handsome guy, a man who looks like a film star or a model in an American underwear ad, is the CEO? Unbelievable. Just my luck. My heart clunks to the pit of my stomach, feeling like it catches some vital organs on the way down. After all the gossip Tony circulated about me, and given the reason I’m here, my boss for the weekend is the last man in existence I can be attracted to.

I study him covertly, trying to swallow moisture back into my mouth. Being immune to his appeal fails in spectacular fashion, as an unfamiliar burn of heat sweeps along the back of my neck, spreading down my chest. I just manage not to wipe damp hands along my trouser legs. What’s wrong with me? Although a redhead, I never blush, something I’ve always been thankful for.

Boy, am I in Trouble.

There’s no time to dwell on the thought because he ends his call, throwing his phone onto the seat between us.

‘So. Who the hell are you?’ He demands as the car pulls out into the insane London traffic.

Teeth snapping shut, my shameless appreciation of his outrageous good looks nosedives. Is he for real? Why so rude? But I must keep him on side, can't lose my cool, so I breathe in slowly, the scent of new leather making me feel slightly sick.

‘Well?’

‘Charley Caswell. Pleased to meet you.’ Forcing a brittle smile, I thrust a hand toward him. ‘The agency sent me to assist you over the next few days?’

His handshake is brisk and he withdraws like I have a contagious disease. I ignore the tingle in my palm at his touch.

‘I know why you’re here,' he replies, 'I instructed the agency to hire someone. It’s just that you’re ah,’ a pause, ‘not what I was expecting.’

His gaze flickers over my chest, which I’ve always hated because my boobs are so big they make me feel like a low grade porn star. Flushing, I button my suit jacket, trying to put aside the unwelcome excitement choking my oxygen supply.

Stop it. I should be offended by the quick glance, not flattered.

Be professional. I have to convince him I’m a sane human being, earn a little of his trust.

Rerunning his last remark, not what I was expecting I connect it with his downward glance. Is the problem I’m not a man? Not okay. But confrontation isn’t what I came here for. ‘I appreciate my first name may have caused some confusion, but I assure you I’ve lots of experience as a PA.’ It’s not exactly a lie. I was a PA for a year and a half during my climb up the corporate ladder. I’m sure the skills will come back to me.

‘I haven’t got any problem with your experience, after all you’ve been vetted by the agency.’ He jerks open one of his jacket buttons and shifts his long legs restlessly. ‘But I’ve had ... issues with female staff in the past. My Executive Assistant has a burst appendix and is in hospital recovering and apparently no one could step in at such short notice. Or they’re still on leave.’ He looks less than impressed.

‘Well, we're barely into the New Year, and people do have a right to take holiday don’t they?’ I shouldn’t say it but I feel sorry for the employees he has such high expectations of. ‘And if you’re limiting the number of people who can assist you to men,’ I know by the flickering pulse in his jaw I’m right, ‘you are narrowing your field a bit.’ I won’t argue outright about his blatant sexism, but I can’t let it pass unnoticed.

‘Maybe,’ he agrees stiffly, looking at me with narrowed eyes. ‘I suppose I just expected more. A sense of duty perhaps.’

Sidestepping his remark: ‘So, what issues are you referring to about women anyway?’ Carrying out my plan is going to be a teensy bit problematic if my gender means he won’t even listen to me.

‘Some people can separate work from their personal lives, respect professional boundaries,’ he says coolly, ‘but unfortunately others don’t have that ability.’

‘You’re joking?’ I laugh. Is he suggesting men do and women don’t, or that he’s so attractive every female who works for him will try it on? Okay, he’s hot, but a large proportion of the female population demand equality and respect, and he’s hardly giving off those vibes.

‘No, I’m not.’ He frowns. ‘I was trying to be the opposite of funny.’

‘Okay.’ I bite the inside of my mouth. Talk about taking yourself too seriously.

‘What are you smiling at?’ he barks.

Blanking my face and voice, ‘Nothing, sir. Absolutely nothing. I apologise, I didn’t realise I was.’

‘Don’t be silly. You don’t have to apologise for smiling.’

I ache to exclaim I don’t, Sah? in a surprised, mock southern drawl, with a splayed hand to my chest whilst fluttering my eyelashes, but hold back.

‘And don’t call me sir. I hate it.’

He should try sounding less stern then. ‘Yes s-I mean, Mr Demetrio.’

‘Alex.’

‘Yes, Alex.’ I want to ask if he’s sure letting me use his first name is appropriate given his need to maintain boundaries, but it’d probably be pushing it.

A horrible thought chokes me. Is the point about boundaries something he tells all female staff or is it just directed at me? Does he know who I am? A trickle of cold sweat runs down my spine, the droplet trickling into the waistband of my trousers.

‘What’s the matter?’ he asks, broad body swaying with the movement of the car. ‘You look like you’ve been told your grandma’s been run over by a bus.’

‘N-nothing.’ I shake my head. Paranoia is setting in. Studying his face for any hint of a hidden agenda, I clock only bewilderment and annoyance shining in his eyes and curling his mouth. ‘But let me assure you I’ve no problem keeping my work and personal lives separate. I’m more than capable of being professional.’

‘Good.’ He runs a tanned hand through his hair, leaving it ruffled in messy spikes that make fireflies circle in my stomach. ‘Keep it that way.’

‘No problem.’ Crossing my arms and legs, I turn to stare out the window, wishing I could leap out of it. Gorgeous or not, the man needs a major attitude adjustment. Plus his behaviour has reinforced why I’m off men; my career and putting my life back together are what matter, not a pretty face and a hard set of muscles.

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Crazy, Undercover, Love by Nikki Moore 

Uber-feisty career girl Charley Caswell-Wright travels to Barcelona for a weekend assignment as PA to the gorgeous Alex Demetrio, CEO of Demetrio International.

But she's there under entirely false pretenses: to get her life back on track. Having lost the job she worked so hard to earn, she’s determined not to give it up so easily, especially when she didn’t deserve to lose it in the first place.

So she has to keep things strictly professional… 

boy, is this girl in trouble!

Crazy, Undercover, Love
is available now
Amazon ~ Google Play ~  ITunes ~ Sainsbury's

AND

You can read the first chapter of 

Crazy, Undercover, Love 

in this free ebook sampler offered on Amazon UK

AND

Crazy, Undercover, Love 

will be available in paperback on June 26th 2014! 

pre-order now on Amazon UK

Want more from Nikki?

Check out her 
First Fight Friday: Skating at Somerset House #Love London Series Book 1

About Nikki: 

Nikki Moore lives in beautiful Dorset and writes short stories and sexy contemporary romances. A finalist in several writing competitions including Novelicious Undiscovered 2012, she graduated from the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers' Scheme after four years and and has contributed to their magazine Romance Matters. She has far too much fun attending the annual RNA conference and has previously chaired a panel and taken part in a workshop at the Festival of Romance.

She blogs about some of her favourite things – Writing, Work and Wine – here and believes in supporting other writers as part of a friendly, talented and diverse community. You can find her on Facebook or on Twitter and she invites you to pop in for chats about love, life, reading or writing!

Thanks for sharing Nikki!

First Fight Friday: Waking up in Vegas by Romy Sommer

Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.

Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight out of their latest book.

Fellow Harper Impulse author


Romy Sommer 

       is here for ...

First Fight Friday 

with a scene from 

Waking up in Vegas

What happens in Vegas…

Waking up to the bright lights of Vegas in an unfamiliar penthouse suite, cocktail waitress Phoenix Montgomery finds she’s covered from head to foot in gold glitter and not alone – aside from the empty bottle of champagne, there’s a mystery man in the shower and a huge sparkly ring on her finger!

Stays in Vegas?

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Angry indie rock music pumped from Phoenix’s apartment. He took the stairs two at a time to knock on her door. It was a long moment before she answered. While he waited, the couple on the bench below paid him no attention. He didn’t blame them. When he was with Phoenix the rest of the world had a tendency to disappear too.

She opened the door and the music was instantly deafening. Then she leaned against the doorjamb, blocking his way, arms crossed over her chest. Oh-oh.

He cast a glance over his shoulder. “May I come in?”

“If I don’t let you in, will you have me arrested, Your Highness?”

Shit.

He attempted levity. “Not unless you enjoy the idea of handcuffs.” From the look on her face, humour wasn’t going to do it. “Or unless you want your neighbours asking questions.”

She opened the door wider and stepped back. He crossed the threshold and shut the door behind him.

Phoenix kept her arms crossed over her chest and didn’t budge. She clearly had no idea what it did to her cleavage. And the anger flashing in her deep, dark eyes got completely the opposite reaction going in him. She was even more beautiful when she was angry.

The music battered over them. He nodded to the MP3 player hooked up beside the bed. “We need to talk.”

She moved to turn it down and he sat on the bed, beside an open suitcase with half its contents strewn across the duvet. “You’re leaving?”

Since there was no other place for her to sit, and she obviously wanted to keep her distance, she remained standing. “How about I talk and you shut up?”

He nodded.

“So the ‘family business’ is basically running the kingdom?”

He didn’t answer.

She glared at him. “Okay, you can talk now.”

“It’s not a kingdom, it’s a duchy.”

If she had lasers in her eyes, he’d be toast.

“And since you effectively conned me into marriage and won’t get a divorce, I am now the...Arch Duchess of Westerwald?”

“Officially, that’ll only be after the coronation. Until then you’re just a Princess.”

Most women would have got a kick out of being a Princess. Not Phoenix. She pressed her lips together tightly. “And when exactly were you going to tell me this?”

“I did tell you. On our wedding night. Though I’d like to point out...”

She held up her hand. He shut up. Stunning as she was enraged, he didn’t think a murder rap for killing the head of a European state would go down too well for her.

She began to pace. “Have you ever heard of a Princess called Phoenix?”

“It’s not your real name.” That earned him another glare.

He waited with all the patience he could muster as she continued her pacing. She needed to burn off a little of her anger, he realised. Perhaps wine would help. He held up the bottle he’d brought, a crisp white, a much finer vintage than the unfinished bottle he’d left in her tiny kitchenette the night before. “Do you want a glass?”

“On top of the five tequilas I’ve already had, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.”

He could do with a shot himself. “Do you have any left?”

She stopped her pacing. “I’m sure the Rose and Dragon will be more than happy to serve you one.”

His sense of humour failed. She’d been in the town pub all night? Doing tequila shots on a Friday night, with at least half the young men in the town? His chest pulled tight and his hands fisted. If any man had touched her, he’d kill them with his bare hands.

Enough with humouring her. It was time to take command. He rose. “Okay, it’s your turn to sit and shut up, and let me talk.”

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Waking up in Vegas by Romy Sommer 

There’s no denying Max Waldburg’s demi-god sex appeal but commitment-phobic Phoenix doesn’t do relationships. 

Only it seems her new husband (agh!) has other ideas…he’s trying to keep that ring on her finger and his wife firmly back in his bed. 

The only question on her lips is – why? 

Or maybe, why not?

From the reviewers:

“Romy Sommer gives us a fun, sexy romance filled with every emotion. Waking Up in Vegas was a well written modern day fairy tale that will leave you with a smile on your face.” 

– Harlequin Junkie

“A fairy-tale romance to warm even the coldest of hearts.” 

– Chloe’s Chick Lit Reviews

“The chemistry between Max and Phoenix is fab and I loved their teasing banter with each other making this a fun and absorbing read for me.” – One More Page

“If you like a Cinderella type sweet romance, complete with princes, and castles and kingdoms, toss in a modern day setting, with a strong female lead afraid to follow her heart and accept her prince charming, and lots of sensuous romance, you will love this one.” – The Cat’s Meow

“I really enjoyed this authors writing style; it was easy to read and the pace and flow was perfect.” – Laura’s Book Reviews

“The author gave me moments of true emotional joy and at the end of the read had me in tears!” – Romance Book Haven

Waking up in Vegas

is published by Harper Impulse, a division of Harper Collins, and is available from the following online retailers:

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

iTunes ~ All Romance eBooks

About Romy: 

I’ve always written stories for myself, but didn’t even think of being an author until I realised that being over thirty and living in a fantasy world was a little odd. Writing those same stories for other people makes it a lot more acceptable!

By day I dress in cargo pants and boots for my not-so-glamorous job of making movies but at night I come home to my two little Princesses, in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I live, and I get to write Happy Ever Afters. Since I believe every girl is a princess, and every princess deserves a happy ending, what could be more perfect?

Follow Romy Sommer online

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ GOODREADS 

Thanks for sharing Romy!

First Fight Friday: The Right Side of Mr. Wrong by Jane Linfoot

Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.

Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight out of their latest book.

Fellow Harper Impulse 
author

Jane Linfoot 

        
        is here for ...

First Fight Friday 

with a scene from 

The Right Side of Mr. Wrong

She’s seizing the moment -- He’s breaking the rules

When bad boys can be so much fun who can resist getting on

The Right Side of Mr. Wrong

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‘Brando, you can’t park here, you’re on double yellow lines!’

Brando reeled at the speed of her reaction as he pulled up at the kerb in what seemed to him, little more than a village, but what passed in these parts for a town.

She was onto him before he’d even turned the engine off, dammit.

‘All part of the fun of being a playboy! I park where I like, and my PA pays the fines later! Lets face it, the absence of tow-trucks for bad parkers is the only upside to life in the sticks.’ He sent her an unrepentant smirk, expecting that to be the end of it, but she rapped straight back at him.

‘Grow up, Brando! There’s a car park the other side of the wall. Stop behaving like a child and go and park there!’

Who the hell went postal over something as minor as double yellows? She was reminding him more and more of Bry here, and not in a good way. But her exasperated cry slapped him into action, and before he knew it he was manoeuvring carefully into the centre of a marked parking bay.

‘Control freak comes out of the closet, or what? That good enough for you, Shea-rhymes-with-do-what-I-say?’ He hoped his query was mocking enough to hide his inner shock.

Since when had he done what some woman ordered him to? And what’s more he’d done so without so much as a question. Hell, he’d offered no resistance whatsoever. He’d just obeyed. Sure, the image he liked to portray was laid-back and cool, but ultimately, beneath the chilled veneer he was always the one in control.

‘For future reference, I’m the one who gives out the instructions round here. I have a converted warehouse full of employees in London, who all answer to me. They do it because I’m the one who puts my head on the block, I’m the one who takes all the risks. I’m the boss, dammit, I don’t take ‘do as you’re told’ from anyone, and that includes you!’ He tapped the steering wheel, hoping he’d made his point.

‘Sorry Brando, but if you behave like a complete jerk, I will tell you.’

There she was again. Straight back, fighting. And she was so sexy when she did. There was definitely something different about this woman and the game she was playing. He just hadn’t quite worked out what it was yet. She was fumbling in the footwell for her bag now.

‘Are you going to mess around all day there, or are we going for lunch?’ Annoyance merged with frustration, leeching through his impatient bark, and he thought he caught a flicker of consternation on her face, but when she turned to him she was smiling a winning, confident smile.

‘One minute for lip gloss, then I’m all good!’

‘Lip gloss!’ He gave a double groan. The first, a small one, for the high-maintenance women he dated, and their preening, make-up laden lives, which he had so far managed to steer admirably clear of, the second, a larger, full-blown, shudder as he thought of the taste of her lips when he’d kissed her.

That kiss.

The thought of it sent an ocean tide roaring through his ears. However she’d tried to dismiss it, he knew she’d been kissing him back, kissing him hard, kissing him like a demon.

Damn women, damn their lip gloss!

As he slammed his car door, he was aware of her on the other side of the car’s low roof, unfolding, smoothing her jeans, stretching.

‘Almost there!’ She sent him a half mocking smile with the merest hint of apology.

The sheer anticipation of the moment when she pulled her jumper down tight over her jutting breasts had already sent his blood pounding downwards, and suddenly he knew the reason for his unbearably wound-up state, the reason this morning’s free running had offered him no release.

It was her. And the problem was simple. She was racking his desire to levels he was failing to handle.

The more time he spent with her, the more his already heightened libido was rocketing to crazy places. He cursed himself for neglecting the sexual side of his life over the last few months. Not that he’d actually thought about it much. Maybe he was getting old, maybe he was just too busy, but however hot the sex, somewhere along the line, the faceless repetition had ceased to thrill him. Perhaps if he’d given it more priority, he wouldn’t be in this state now.

So much for his boasts about being wild and bad.

He couldn’t particularly remember a time when he’d had this exact sense of urgency before, but he knew for sure there was only one answer to the immediate problem.

He needed to bed Shea Summers, and he needed to do it fast.

Copyright © Jane Linfoot

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The Right Side Of Mr Wrong by Jane Linfoot

One-off, moving on sex wasn’t meant to be this hot…

When determined singleton Shea Summers is persuaded to become the “wife” of the Lord of Edgerton Manor, the last thing she wants to do is play house with a stranger.

Brooding playboy Brando Marshall, is far from happy when Shea turns up at his sprawling estate with production crew in tow. Surely she’s just another woman after his wallet? 

And if she’s looking for Mr Right, she’s definitely hitting on the wrong guy. Then again, after catching an unscheduled glimpse of her knickers, perhaps Brando needs to teach this “gold-digger” a lesson!

The Right Side of Mr. Wrong 

is available on Amazon ~ Amazon UK

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First Fight Friday: High Heels & Bicycle Wheels by Jane Linfoot

About Jane: 

I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines and a bit of an edge.

I live in a mountain kingdom in Derbyshire, England, where my family and pets are kind enough to ignore the domestic chaos – happily, we’re in walking distance of a supermarket. For me, writing romance is cool because I get to wear pretty shoes instead of wellies. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage, most things french. 

When I’m not on facebook, and can’t find an excuse for shopping, I’ll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really scared, I ride a tandem.

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Thanks for sharing Jane!