Title: Cruel Boy
Author: Clarissa Wild
Genre: Dark Bully Romance
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Blurb
Rich boys sin best.
Gossip always goes around at Falcon Elite Prep.
Everyone knows Nate Wilson, the most popular football quarterback and every girlâs crush.
But thereâs more behind those drop-dead gorgeous eyes and that killer smile â¦
Heâs a notorious heartbreaker â¦
And heâs got his eyes set on me.
The twisted games he plays are cruel and dangerous.
He teases and tempts me ⦠just to ruin me.
Because I know the one thing he doesnât want anyone to know.
A big, dirty secret â¦
And thereâs nothing bad boys wonât do to keep a secret buried.
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Excerpt
Heâs so close now, all the ridges of his abs underneath his shirt are visible, and itâs almost making me want to reach out and touch them.
Stop this, Sam. Just fucking stop it.
âYou make me laugh,â he mutters, placing both hands on the windowsill behind me, caging me inside his arms once again.
Goddammit.
âYou piss me off,â I reply.
âKeep telling yourself that,â he quips.
One of his hands slides from the windowsill to my hand, and I freeze. His warm hand feels like lightning shooting all over my skin as it travels up my arm.
âYou should know better than to taunt me,â he says, leaning in to whisper in my ear. âI like scared little girls ⦠like you.â
His tongue dips out and grazes along the rim of my ear. A chill runs up my spine as he places his other hand on my knee. The oxygen is knocked right out of me when he slides it upward along my thigh.
âYouâre a dirty girl, arenât you?â he whispers, adding a groan that sets my body on fire. âI like that.â
His hand creeps up my red and black checkered skirt, fingers curling underneath the fabric of my panties.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Why am I letting him do this? Heâs the bad guy.
He groans again, tugging at the elastic to pull them down. âYouâre a filthy ⦠little ⦠thief.â
RIP!
In one quick pull, heâs torn them straight off.
I gasp in shock as he holds my panties in his hand, wearing a victorious grin on his face.
âWhat theâ?â
He brings them to his face and takes a whiff, a delicious moan grumbling in his throat.
âIâll hold onto these,â he murmurs, stuffing them into his pocket.
And after a dirty look, he turns around and walks off.
âWhat?â I mutter, ignoring the throbbing sensation between my legs.
He glances at me over his shoulder. âConsider it a down payment ⦠Iâll give them back if you give me those pictures within a day. And if you donât, Iâll find more creative ways to tempt you.â
So thatâs what this is all about. Extortion. I shouldâve known, shouldnât have been so gullible to assume heâd ever feel something for me. Playing with lust as though itâs a goddamn tool.
I spit at him, but it lands on the floor. âYouâre a disgusting piece of shit, Nate Wilson.â
He doesnât even look at me when he says, âBelieve me, I know.â
Then he closes the door on me.
Author Bio
Clarissa Wild is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of Dark Romance and Contemporary Romance novels. She is an avid reader and writer of swoony stories about dangerous men and feisty women. Her other loves include her hilarious husband, her two crazy but cute dogs, and her ninja cat that sometimes thinks he's a dog too. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, playing video games, reading tons of books, and cooking her favorite meals.
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Title: Another Round
Author: Nikki Belaire
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Blurb
She knows I would die for her. Even if her father is the one who wants me dead.
A call I donât expect. A job I donât want. A hassle I donât need. Iâd protected his wife a long time ago, and now the notorious mob boss wants me to keep his daughter safe. I resist the tempting and troublesome mafia princess for as long as I can, but once I take her, thereâs no going back, no giving her back. She thinks what we have between us is just a fling, but I know weâre forever. Regardless of what she says or her dad orders.
Another Round is a friends-to-lovers, older man/younger woman mafia romance and touches on sensitive topics. Reader discretion advised. No cheating or cliffhanger.
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I lead her to the stool where I normally serve her dinner. She climbs up and slides her pert arse across the wood. Crossing her gorgeous legs out of habit. That tempt me more than ever knowing how close I came to having some other bastard touch them.
She takes in the mess on the floor behind me. Anxiety drawing down her face as she peruses the damage. âWhat happened?â
My palm cups her cheek to turn her back to face me. The only thing I give a damn about is settling things between us. Setting her straight about other men. Or the lack there of going forward. âI dropped it.â
âAndy?â
Now she knows Iâm the one whoâs lying. Silky hair brushing across my forearm as she tilts her head in worry and disbelief. Making the cords tighten from her concern over my stuff. Over my anger. Over me.
I place my fists on each side of the counter behind her. Locking her in place. Trapping her between my arms. Applying old interrogation methods she wonât be able to fight. âWho was that guy?â
She swallows and licks her lips. Responding to the demand pulsing in my tone.
âJosh. Laurenâs engaged to his older brother Logan.â
Tension surges between us from the proximity of our bodies. From her squirming in her seat. From her looking up at me with no way out from under my gaze. âAre you going to go out with him?â
Never fucking happening but I want to know what she intends. What she mistakenly believes Iâm going to allow her to get away with.
âWe just met.â
I donât fall for her dismissive tone. As if the idea is preposterous. As if sheâs never considered the possibility. As if I have nothing to be concerned about. âAre you going to go out with him?â
My voice is low, hard, almost unrecognizable even to myself with a possessiveness Iâve never heard. Iâve never experienced until now.
âLauren is trying to fix us up. A double date. She thinksââ
âWhat do you think?â
She shivers when I lean closer. My nose nudging her hair out of the way while my lips brush over her ear. A shuddering breath blows against my cheek and fireworks explode across my skin when her hand curls over my opposite shoulder. Steadying herself from me engulfing her.
âHeâs n-nice. Heâs easy to talk to.â
âOf course he is. He wants to fuck you.â
âThatâs all you think I am?â My accusation enrages her, and she twists to the side, trying to face me again. Too small to be at eye level she stares up at me with all the bravado she can muster, leveling me with her disgust. Before I got sympathy and compassion. Now I get unadulterated fury. Sheâs pissed as hell at me. Almost as much as I am at her. âThatâs all you think anyone would ever want from me?â
What she lacks in size she makes up for in rage. Shredding me to the core with the pain in her wracked body. The mafia princess in her full glory as she rolls back her shoulders and gives me a hard shove. âGet the fuck off me!â
Fuck that. My hands encircle her wrists, and I diminish my force to ensure I donât crush the fine bones under my fingers. âIâm not finished talking to you.â
âWell Iâm finished with you. Iâm tired of being humiliated. Now let me go!â
The agony in her voice slices through me, and I still. Shocked by her allegation. Iâm hung over and my damn headâs spinning from booze and lust, but I know I canât be hearing her right. âI may have fucked up more times than I can count, but I know Iâve never humiliated you.â
Straining against my grip, she keeps fighting for me to release her. Which will never happen. âThatâs all you ever do.â
âTrouble, youâre going to have to explain it to me because Iâm totally confused.â
Misery surges in me with the loss of her gaze. Unwilling to look at me. Her shoulders drooping as much as her fire fades. âWhen I held your hand you couldnât get me off of you fast enough. And when I kissed you, you rolled away. Itâs embarrassing that you donât want me.â
No one has ever been more wrong than her in this moment. âLook down.â She draws in a shaky breath from the huskiness of my voice. From the need in my eyes and my touch and my body. âLook down at my cock and see how much I want you.â
Her forehead brushes my chin, and I breathe deep, relishing the enticing scent of her flowery shampoo with the top of her head near my lips as we stare at my dick bulging in my pants of its own volition. âIâve wanted you since the first moment I saw you.â
âThen why do you keep rejecting me?â
âBecause Iâm an idiot.â
Once again I fuck up and have no choice but to let her go. Instantly, her arms cross over her chest in protection of her wounded heart. She still refuses to look at me. I force her to, sliding my fingers under her chin and lifting her exquisite face to mine. âIf things were different Iâd make you mine.â
âI want to be yours.â
Fuck. She is killing me. âYou know that canât happen.â
Author Bio
Nikki writes contemporary romantic thrillers and admits to a weakness for bad boys, especially ones who can't live without the strong women they love. She spends more time in her characters' lives than her own. But, when she's in the real world, her passions include reading, wine appreciating, running, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
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Title: Alma Underwood Is Not A Kleptomaniac
Author: Lacey Dailey
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Blurb
Alma Underwood is NOT a kleptomaniac.
But she does take things that donât belong to her.
The best part about working as a maid in her parentâs motel is pocketing all the random objects people leave behind. From old ticket stubs to the glue that comes with a toupee, Alma has discovered it all and stored it in a tub beneath her bed.
Her greatest treasure isnât what she found in room six at Great Lakes Motel, but itâs who she discovered in an old, abandoned train car behind her house.
His name is Rumor, and he certainly wonât fit under her bed.
After a quick scan of Rumorâs surroundings, it becomes crystal clear that heâs not just hanging out in the train car for a place to escape. Heâs living in it.
With determination heavy inside her, she does the only thing that makes sense to her...
She brings him home.
Turns out, heâs looking for a treasure of his own, and who better to help him find it than her?
The best place to find Lacey is with her nose in a book. Sheâs a sucker for a good love story and a happy ending that has her swooning. When sheâs not obsessing over giving her own characters a happy ending, you can find her in the dance studio empowering young dancers and giving out tons of stickers. Thanks to her motherâs pizzeria, Lacey can make a delicious pizza.
When sheâs not putting on her dance shoes or inhaling a slice of pizza, sheâs in front of her computer binge watching romantic comedies and penning stories with love so powerful, itâll last a lifetime. As a recent graduate of Central Michigan University, Lacey intends to keep inspiring people through dance and lots and lots of words. She currently lives in Central Michigan surrounded by her family and unpredictable weather.
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Title: Bad Apple
Series: Bad Creed #1
Author: Gemini Jensen
Genre: Contemporary New Adult Bully Romance
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Blurb
Senior year is supposed to be the time of your life. Keyword: Supposed.
But Iâve just been shipped off to a new school. Sentenced to hard time deep in the heart of Hicktown, USA.
I left everything behindâmy friends, my girl, my band, my ambitions.
Besides graduating, I thought there was nothing left to strive for.
Then, I meet her...
Pretty. Preppy. Popular. Basic.
Most importantly, daughter of the enemy.
And now I have a new vision...
Rip away her crown.
Knock her off her pedestal.
Wear her down until sheâs stripped bare.
She has no idea whatâs coming for her.
They say the apple doesnât fall far from the tree, and the Creed family tree is full of bad apples.
But me?
Iâm the most rotten of them all.
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Excerpt
âI fucking hate you, you know that?â His words come out a taut, restrained, and he stares straight into my eyes, delivering the blow. I guess Iâm becoming immune to his antics, because I just nod my head, biting back the smile that desperately wishes to break free.
Maybe you do. But not nearly as much as you wishâ¦
âAnd youâre still going to give me the most precious thing youâve got right now, even knowing Iâve got no love for you? Knowing I donât even like you, not even a little bit?â
I roll my eyes. If heâs trying to scare me away, to make me second guess myself, itâs not going to work. And if thatâs the case, I think that speaks more to his own shitshow of feelings and not being able to sort through them, than anything Iâve done.
âSteph says sex angry sex is the best. Iâm betting hate sex might be even betterâ¦â I shoot him a cocky smirk.
âHow will you know? You have nothing to compare it toâ¦â
âNot now, maybe. But I will one day.â
Author Bio
GEMINI JENSENâs love for reading began at a young age, and her love for writing was born not long after she learned how to put pen to paper. When she was in 2nd or 3rd grade, she won a poetry contest for all the elementary students in her county.
She has a passion for all things romance-related, particularly angsty, forbidden, and slow-burn romances. Taboo stories are another guilty pleasure.
An avid reader, sheâs been enjoying the romance genre much longer than she should be able to admit, stealing her momâs books and returning them before anyone noticed they were missing.
Born and raised in Western North Carolina, she still resides there with her familyâher husband and their two kids...along with three dogs, and a rabbit named Ted Bunny. She enjoys anything related to creativity, Disney, and cooking.
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Title: Unexpected Fall
Series: Unexpected Arrivals #3
Author: Kaylee Ryan
Genre: New Adult Romance
Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative Covers Photo: Eric Battershell Model: Corey Mortenson
Release Date: October 10, 2019
Blurb
Life is full of ups and downs. Events that shape who you are, even those that are filled with heartbreak and tragedy.
What do you do when actions bring devastation? How do you pick up the pieces and keep moving forward? One breath. One second. One minute. One hour. One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected fall.
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Only available at the following retailers until October 9 B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS Also Available 99c for a limited time! AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Kaylee Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. When she’s not spinning tales of happily ever after, she’s reading or spending time with family. Born and raised an Ohio girl, Kaylee resides in Cincinnati with her husband and their son.
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Title: Rock Star, Interrupted
Series: Tragic Duet #1 Author: S.M. Shade
Genre: Rock Star Romance
Cover Design: Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Blurb
I found my stillness, my space between breaths, when I was a kid. The answer is simple. If it hurts, I pour music on it.
After years of hard work, it's finally happening. Tragic has a number one album and we've gone from being discussed as one hit wonders to hearing words like meteoric mentioned alongside our name. With two tours planned and another album on its way, we have a lot to look forward to. Playing in a different city every night, the shimmer and roar of the crowd, after parties and endless women. My lifelong dream is in the palm of my hand until one phone call leaves everything hanging in the balance. Pre-order Links AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Excerpt
Axton steps up to the mic with a smile that no doubt wets women’s panties. “We have some songs for you.” He pauses to let the responding roar of the crowd die down. As it does, a woman wolf whistles, and he turns his head to wink at her, making the audience lose it. Thunder booms again, and he smiles. “You aren’t going to let some rain run you off, are you?” While the cheers and screams drown out everything again, he steps back, motions to Elliot and they begin to play.
I’ve streamed his music. I’ve heard him practice and sing at home. His talent was never in doubt, but this…I can’t even describe the experience. Everything else falls away. It’s fully dark outside and he’s backlit by deep blue lights as his voice raises goosebumps on my skin. The song builds and he moves around the stage like he’s part of it, like every inch belongs to him. His face contorts with such passion as he belts out the powerful chorus, then relaxes when the verse resumes in his low, soulful croon.
Eyes closed. Wet hair hanging in his face. So much emotion.
The crowd is as silent as I’ve heard them all day, hanging on every sound he makes. The drums kick in and the lights flash in tandem. His face is illuminated in a spotlight as he sings the last verse with more intensity, jumping and moving with the music as if he’s possessed by it.
He’s like a different being up there. There’s some sort of…magic. A force that seems to wrap around him, to cloak the entire crowd and pull everyone into that space with him. Into a world where he’s all that exists.
My throat tightens as I listen, my gaze glued to the man I’ve only recently managed not to despise. But who could fight against this? His voice is ecstasy charged by summer thunder, sweet agony wrapped in desire. It holds the promise of feverish love and whispered, filthy things.
The way the crowd reacts to him, reaches for him, the sobbing and screams, I understand it now. He’s chaos and calm, heady and all consuming.
And they fucking love it.
Author Bio
I'm a full time author who is hopelessly addicted to iced coffee, love stories, sunshine, and men with full sexy lips, though not necessarily in that order. A voracious reader since I sounded out my first word, I started writing as a teenager and rediscovered my love of writing as an adult. Originally from Indianapolis, I now live in a small Kentucky town with my college age son.
Title: Broken Promises
Series: Burning Mistakes #1
Author: Aimee Noalane
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: September 27, 2019
Blurb
A split-second decision. A costly mistake.
My skin has been marred, slashed, burned and bruised.
My bones have been severed and broken more times than I can count.
Iâve been told I was unworthy. Fought through life seeing nothing but black.
But itâs a pain I welcome.
An ache I deserve.
UNTIL HER
She is my redemption.
The flicker of fire that dances in my darkness.
Our love is effortless.
Our love is a lie.
A desire
A delusion.
A MISTAKE
She should have known better than to entrust me with her heart.
I should have known destiny wouldnât give me a second chanceâ¦at least not one I could keep forever.
The black cloud is back.
And revenge is the only thing it has on its mind.
Available at the following retailers for a VERY limited time B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS BOOKS2READ Excerpt
âHow the hell should I know why she hasnât stopped by this week?â I defend. âSheâs probably just busy preparing for her mid-terms or some shit.â
âTry again, dickhead.â
âWhat do you want me to say, Vince?â I hate how guilty my voice is right now.
âHow about the truth? Or if thatâs too hard for you, then maybe explain why youâve been staring at her like sheâs about to disappear.â
âAre you telling me that I canât look at her either now? Iâm just keeping an eye on her... or do you have issues with that too?â
âShe doesnât need you looking out for her,â he bites back. âThatâs what she has me for.â
âWhatever.â Iâve had enough. Enough of him, enough of her, and enough of our pointless frustrating conversation. I stand up from my chair and march out the front door.
âFor fuckâs sakes, Lambert,â Vince snaps, following me out. âIs walking away from this really how you want to finish our discussion?â
I pull off my ball cap and run a hand through my hair.
I donât know.
I donât know what to say. I donât know what to doâ¦
I donât fucking know.
Vince is my best friend. I broke his trust by falling for his sister, and Iâve been lying to him about it because pretending that my feelings arenât real is better than the outcome of telling him I broke my promise. And the worse part of it all: he has every right not to trust me. I could never be the man Aubrey deserves. From the day I was born, destiny has made sure I would be spending my entire life being deprived of that luxury.
Everything I touch, everything I love turns to ash.
I raise my shoulders before walking away. âI guess it is.â
âWho the hell would have guessed that my best friend was a fucking pussy,â he jeers when my back is turned.
âExcuse me?â
A shadow of a smirk crosses his face. Had I not spun on my heels when I did, I would have missed it.
âWhat kind of man are you if you canât even step up to your own feelings?â
âA loyal one,â I argue. âOne who decided to respect his best friendâs wishes when he said his sister was off limits.â
Author Bio
Aimee Noalane is a Canadian author and proud mother of three beautiful children. Having a military father allowed her to travel the world, but she is now living in a small town in Quebec, Canada.
After studying marketing in college, she became a customer service coach and instructor. A few years into her career, she decided to leave her teaching job and chose to devote her time to children in need, becoming a full-time foster parent. In 2015 she woke up with a vivid image of Abbygail and Oliver. For a few days, their story would play out in her head and being unable to concentrate on anything else, she decided to sit down and write down their constant bickering. Little by little, her words turned into the chapters of her first series No Regrets, which was published in 2016.
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Title: Pyro, Pyro, Burning Bright
Series: Phoenix Crew #1
Author: Miri Stone
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: September 27, 2019
Blurb
FROM THE ASHES, EVEN THE MONSTERS CAN BE REBORN.
Mackenzie wakes up, naked, in front of a burning apartment with amnesia and a voice in her head telling her to run. But when she takes refuge in a small mountain town, the fire beckons. The voice in her head has a disturbing connection to the flames. And yet, she canât seem to stay away from Ryan, the local Fire Chief and bear shifter alpha.
Too bad itâs a terrible idea to date a fireman when youâre harboring an inner pyro...
Ryan is on the hunt for the arsonist whoâs stalking his town. Yet, he canât get his mind off Mackenzie, the sassy new barista who pours lattes like a dream. When she keeps turning up at increasingly dangerous call-outs, he has to decideâ¦
Is his mate the arsonist or merely a soul swept up in the flames?
Their sexual charge is through the roof. But their lives, and the lives of everyone they love, are set to combust if they donât work out the true identity of the arsonist. Because he has a dark vendetta of his own. One that will not be denied.
PYRO, PYRO, BURNING BRIGHT is the first book in a suspense-filled, paranormal shifter romance series. If you like kick-ass female main characters, sexy bear shifters, troubled villains, sizzling romances, and high-stakes adventures packed with mystery then youâll love Miri Stoneâs PHOENIX CREW series.
This is a full length novel (133k words) and written for mature audiences (18+ only please!) It includes explicit sex scenes, frequent cussing, and hot growly alpha males bumping up against sassy heroines who can hold their own.
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99c for a limited time!
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
I write steamy romance novels with lashings of fantasy and adventure in them. I'm a writing mamma, an award winning filmmaker, a fellow book devourer and a hopeless coffee addict.
I believe in magic, the power of love, and that stories transform lives. Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper growing up in New Zealand, I've been telling wild and fantastical tales. Now I'm living in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. with my young family. My head is inhabited by a vast and wonderful array of book boyfriends and feisty heroine crushes (why choose?!) and a menagerie of imaginary friends that often feel more real than life itself.
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Title: Just Roommates
Series: Blue Beech #5
Author: Charity Ferrell
Genre: New Adult/Roommates Romance
Release Date: September 19, 2019
Blurb
The first time we meet, Iâm eighteen, and he kicks me out of his bar.
Two years later, he does it again.
Maliki Bridges is the townâs hottest bartender.
He thinks Iâm a spoiled rich girl.
I think he has a stick up his ass.
Once Iâm old enough to drink, we become friends.
Nothing more ...
Until we become roommates.
Itâs a bad idea, moving in with him, but any opportunity I get to be around him Iâll take.
Consequences be damned.
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Charity Ferrell resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. She grew up riding her bicycle to her library and reading anything she could get her hands on. Angst is her happy place, and she loves writing about flawed people finding love. She loves the basicsâbooks, shoes, and online shopping.
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Title: Love Walks In
Series: Bliss Cove #1
Author: Nina Lindsey
Genre: Spicy Sweet Contemporary Romance
Blurb
Bus ticket to hometown of Bliss Cove â $124.50
Purchase of old building and business license â $35,250 Thirteen orphaned cats â free Finally proving to her family that she can be successful â priceless Shaking off her past mistakes and fickle reputation, Aria Prescott is determined to start a new life with her latest venture, the âMeow and Then Cat Café.â Though the café is in the townâs most rundown neighborhood, Aria will let nothing stop her from success. Then property developer Hunter Armstrong shocks the Mariposa Street shop owners with a buyout offer that threatens to destroy the old district. Aria refuses to let the ruthless businessman intimidate her into selling her beloved café, even if Hunterâs dark, glowering sexiness secretly makes her want to purr. Aria and Hunter are soon locked in a fiery, tense war over the fate of Mariposa Street. But when Hunter starts falling for this sexy town sweetheart, he discovers that winning the battle might mean losing his heart.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
Chapter One
Good things came in large, thick envelopes. At least, that was what Aria Prescott had always believed. Wedding invitations, college acceptances, Christmas cards, love letters.
But this?
She sank onto a chair in her darkened café, crumpling the brown envelope in her fist. The formal letter was clipped to a stack of papers made heavier by the copious use of legaleseâclauses, conditions, title. Financial terms.
Dropping the letter, she looked through the brick-and-glass partition separating the lounge from the front room of the café. Evening light illuminated the painted Meow and Then sign on the window. A chalkboard menu hung on the wall behind the counter. Wooden shelves held cat toys and cat-themed merchandise.
Sheâd created this. For the first time in her life, sheâd gone the distance, gotten the job done, seen the plan through. She couldnâtâwouldnâtâlet anything change that now.
Jumbo butted his fuzzy head against her arm.
âSorry, sweetie.â Stroking the tabby catâs ears, Aria got to her feet. âThirteen orders of chicken bites in gravy coming right up.â
Cats of all sizes stirred from various lounging positions around the room. Tails swishing and ears perked, they padded over to the row of food and water dishes.
Pushing the letter out of her mind, Aria retrieved cans of chicken from the storage cabinet and prepared dinner for her thirteen charges. A few of them meowed and slithered around her legs, while others sat waiting regally for their meal to be served.
A one-eyed cat with patchy fur, a torn left ear, and a sharp fanged tooth poking out of his mouth crouched under a table.
âCome on, Fang.â Aria clicked her tongue at the old cat, who glared at her. âYummy chicken.â
She filled a separate dish and set it close to him. Only when she backed away did he edge forward to eat.
After refilling the water dishes, she tied the full trash bag and headed out the back door to put it in the garbage bin. A thick layer of ocean fog and encroaching rainclouds covered the sky, blocking the sunset. Though the April weather had been temperate, evenings were cool in the coastal California town of Bliss Cove.
It was Ariaâs favorite time of yearâwarm days bursting with color and new life followed by chilly nights of sweatshirts and bonfires. But this spring was more important than all previous ones because before summer arrived, Ariaâs mother and two older sisters would see that she could not only follow through with a plan, but make it a success. Sheâd finally prove that she was stronger and smarter than anyoneâherself includedâhad believed.
The backdoor of the café creaked. A large calico peered at her from the crack in the open door, which she never forgot to close.
Until now. Not the greatest start to smarter.
âHey, boy.â Keeping her voice soft, she locked her gaze to his. âGo back inside. Iâllâ¦Porkchop!â
Faster than a blink, the cat shot into the alley and ran.
âPorkchop!â Aria slammed the door shut so the other cats wouldnât escape. She hurried around to the front of the café just as his swishing tail disappeared around the corner. âWho knew you could move so fast? Porkchop!â
Soon it would be dark and rainy. Breaking into a run, Aria followed the cat away from Mariposa Street. The rundown historic district was at least three miles from the center of downtown. Shops and restaurants lined the streets converging toward the popular and busy Starfish Avenue.
Annoyance flickered through her. In the two weeks sheâd had Porkchop, heâd proven to be both wily and smug. Heâd chewed rolls of paper towels, shoved other cats off the windowsill, and Aria swore heâd deliberately broken one of the cat figurines in the lounge.
There! A black-and-orange furball was just visible under a parked pick-up truck. She crept forward and extended her hand.
âCome on, Porkie Pie,â she crooned. âCome back home and Iâll give you some nice tuna fishâ¦Porkchop!â
He darted away. Several passers-by paused to try and catch him. The overweight cat continued to move surprisingly fast, evading every grasp.
Ariaâs lungs started to burn. Skidding in her flat, strappy sandals, she caught sight of him crossing the street to the ramshackle Outside Inn. The old Queen Anne building sprawled over an expanse of tree-dotted lawn with a trail leading to Pelican Beach.
Heavy raindrops started to fall. Aria hurried up the pathway leading to the wrap-around porch. Thick shrubs and overgrown weeds lined the foundation of the inn underneath the multiple lighted windows. Porkchop shot behind a dense boxwood.
âYou littleâ¦â She pushed through the shrubs, cursing as her flowy cotton skirt caught on a wet branch and tore. âYouâre lucky I took you on, you ungrateful little mouse catcher. If it werenât for me, youâd beâ¦Porkchop!â
Tail swishing, he bounded to the corner of the inn. If he took off toward the beach trailâ¦sheâd never find him on the dark shoreline. But under the awning, he was protected from the rain. Maybe heâd opt for comfort over risk and adventure.
Comfort is a far better choice, my feline friend. Trust me on that.
The cat stopped. His whiskers twitched. His yellow eyes gleamed. Aria gritted her teeth.
âYou come here right now.â She clapped her hands sharply and raised her voice. âI work very hard to give you and your fellow feline brethren a nice place to live, and I do not appreciate being forced to race through theââ
A window slammed open right above her. âWhat the hell is going on out here?â
The deep male voice boomed like thunder. Ariaâs heart jumped into her throat. Forcing an apologetic smile onto her lips, she straightened and looked up. Right into the scowling face of a man whose glare burned right into her.
She opened and closed her mouth. No words came out. Her heart raced.
âWell?â His black eyebrows snapped together over his intense dark eyes. He was still holding the window sash up, and the lifted position of his arms stretched his white dress shirt over impressively bulging biceps.
âWhat are you doing out here?â he barked.
âIâ¦.thereâs a cat.â Trying to gather her scattered wits, she ran shaking hands over her dress. âUh, I was justââ
âYou were annoying the crap out of me is what you were just doing.â
Irritation stiffened Ariaâs spine.
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to annoy you.â She indicated Porkchop, who was still sitting at the corner of the inn, staring at the man as if he, too, were transfixed by his sheer potency. âIâm trying to save my cat.â
His mouth twisted sardonically. âYour cat.â
âMy felis catus, if you want the Latin term.â
He expelled an impatient breath, his scowl deepening. Letting go of the window sash, he raked a hand through his disheveled dark hair. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing tanned forearms corded with muscle.
Good God. Who was he, this man whose glower ratcheted up his sexiness by about a thousand degrees?
And what was she doing fixating on him when she still had to catch Porkchop? The rain was coming down harder.
âI apologize.â She drew her shoulders back and met his smoldering black eyes. âMy cat escaped and made his way here, for some reason. Iâm trying to catch him.â
He shot a glare at the animal, who was still staring and twitching his tail. âGiven his size, it doesnât look as if catching him should be that hard.âAria frowned, stung by the dig about Porkchopâs weight. âIâll thank you not to insult my cat.â âYou named him Porkchop.â âI didnât name him. And he is |
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