Une novella qui est une jolie conclusion à cette série (lecture VO)

 J'ai beaucoup aimé la série des frères Winter de Whitley Cox et Ember Leigh dont chaque tome est consacré à un frère et à leur compagne : le premier tome réunissait les trois hommes de la famille qui s'étaient perdus de vue, après le décès de leur père : ils devaient vivre ensemble pendant un an avant de pouvoir toucher leur héritage. Or, eux qui n'étaient jamais venus dans cette ville, découvraient que toute la vie en voulait à leur famille mais ils ne savaient pas pourquoi : il faudra attendre le dernier tome pour connaître les raisons et voir s'ils allaient réussir à se faire accepter par la ville.

 Dans cette novella, qui sert un peu de conclusion, nos trois couples qui vivent toujours ensemble décident de jouer les entremetteurs et de réunir deux personnes emblématiques de la ville et pour cela, ils sont prêts à tout faire, quitte à organiser une fête de Noël dans leur manoir avec une bonne partie de la ville mais aussi les soeurs de Lily, l'héroïne du tome 3 et nouvelle mairesse de la ville. Mais leurs deux amis, assez âgés, n'ont guère envie de venir : il va falloir ruser pour espérer les attirer. En parallèle, un journaliste écrit un article lapidaire sur les trois frères, menaçant de ruiner tout le travail qu'ils ont fait pour se faire accepter par la ville : arriveront-ils à démontrer qu'ils sont vraiment différents de leurs ancêtres. Vous rajoutez des nouvelles de nos trois couples, une alternance de points de vues (chacun a la parole) et vous avez une mignonnette novella avec toujours cette touche de suspense liée à la série et le désamour de la ville vis à vis de la famille mais surtout, ces trois couples qui cherchent à leur tour à provoquer le bonheur des leurs mais aussi de ceux qu'ils ont appris à apprécier. Y arriveront-ils? eh bien, vous le saurez en lisant cette histoire qui se déroulent lors de la saison de Noël.

"The Matchmaking Heirs : first Christmas in Winter Harbor" est sorti le 1er décembre et je remercie Enticing Journey Books Pr pour leur envoi en service presse ou ARC. Rappel, vous avez les chroniques des trois premiers tomes sur le blog.

- The bastard heir (tome 1)

- The asshole heir (tome 2)

- The rebel heir (tome 3)

https://amzn.to/480qp7f (ebook) ou https://amzn.to/47X6oyq (papier) 

Présentation de l'éditeur : 

It’s the Winters brothers first Christmas in Winter Harbor!
They’ve reconciled, found love, found a purpose and are winning over the hearts of the townspeople. What more could they ask for?

Perhaps even an inkling of an idea what to get their better half for Christmas for starters.

And now they’ve been tasked with a matchmaking quest that seems downright impossible. Maribel has put it on the brothers and their lady loves to help widow Drucilla Crombie finally get the man she’s pined over for nearly sixty years. But old Mr. Gentry is oblivious and ornery and, according to Maribel, would need a map and a compass to find the nose on his own face, so he’s completely hopeless when it comes to love.

Now, it’s up to Callum, Carson, Colton and their women to help bring the two Winter Harborites together once and for all. But it won’t be easy. And if that’s not hard enough, there’s a journalist in Summer Hills hell-bent on dragging the Summers and Winters family names through the mud. So they need to figure out what his problem is and put a stop to it before things escalate and ruin Christmas for everyone.

Get ready for laughter, swoony moments, and one unforgettable Christmas in the quirky small coastal town of Winter Harbor, Oregon as the brothers and their loves unravel mysteries, play matchmakers and sneak moments under the mistletoe for the first time ever.

Mon avis : Je vous l'ai dit, j'ai retrouvé avec plaisir ces trois couples et cette ambiance particulière qui règne aussi bien dans cette petite ville si solidaire, propre aux romances anglo-saxonnes et ces couples que l'on a appris à connaître et à apprécier. Comme ils ont trouvé le bonheur, ils décident de jouer à leur tour les cupidons avec deux personnes bien connues de la ville et qu'ils aiment beaucoup. C'est d'autant plus mignon que ce sont des personnes âgées et ça, c'est original. Mais leurs deux amis n'ont guère envie de venir à la fameuse fête qu'ils vont organiser dans leur manoir. Progressivement, cette soirée s'élargit et c'est quasi toute la ville, celle qui leur était hostile, qui va venir au manoir. 
En parallèle, on il y a cet article négatif, faisant référence à ce que l'on leur reprochait, étant les enfants de ceux qui avaient mise à mal la ville et ils ont peur que leurs nouveaux amis et cette paix encore fragile, soient mise à mal. On retrouve leurs doutes mais aussi leurs moments d'amour et de complicité pour chaque couple : on a donc de jolis moments, tout comme ceux qu'ils usent pour faire venir leurs vieux amis à leurs fêtes. 
Epanouis, les frères Winter peuvent laisser parler leur vrai caractère et leur joie à vivre ensemble et leur envie de toujours rendre plus heureuse les femmes de leur vie.

Bref, c'est une jolie conclusion, bien dans l'esprit de la série et en même temps, dans cette époque particulière qu'est Noël et ses miracles. 
Comme je l'ai dit, lors de ma chronique précédente, j'espère que les soeurs de Lily auront aussi leurs histoires et qu'elles trouveront le bonheur.
C'est une série sympa à découvrir que je vous conseille. 

Release Blitz... Sortie du jour VO

 

Title: The Matchmaking Heirs

Series: Winter Harbor Heroes, Book 4

Authors: Whitley Cox & Ember Leigh

Genre: Christmas, holiday, winter, matchmaking, small town, mystery, family secrets, feel-good, inspirational, warm and fuzzy

Cover Design: EmCat Designs

Release Date: December 1, 2023

ember

“I always love holiday themed books but when you pair it with an update for characters of a great series, now that’s a good read!” – Christina, Goodreads

“This book gave me all the giggles and warm hugs!” Goodreads reviewer

“This book was filled with wonderful interactions, heart warming holiday gifts and the true meaning of family and love in the season.” – Nicki, The Overflowing Bookcase

“Funny, sexy, steamy and a good time is to be have by all. It was fun returning to Oregon and I wished we could have more. A story you won't be able to put down, another winner for Whitley and Ember!” – Jo-Ann, Goodreads

It’s the Winters brothers first Christmas in Winter Harbor!

They’ve reconciled, found love, found a purpose and are winning over the hearts of the townspeople. What more could they ask for?

Perhaps even an inkling of an idea what to get their better half for Christmas for starters.

And now they’ve been tasked with a matchmaking quest that seems downright impossible. Maribel has put it on the brothers and their lady loves to help widow Drucilla Crombie finally get the man she’s pined over for nearly sixty years. But old Mr. Gentry is oblivious and ornery and, according to Maribel, would need a map and a compass to find the nose on his own face, so he’s completely hopeless when it comes to love.

Now, it’s up to Callum, Carson, Colton and their women to help bring the two Winter Harborites together once and for all. But it won’t be easy. And if that’s not hard enough, there’s a journalist in Summer Hills hell-bent on dragging the Summers and Winters family names through the mud. So they need to figure out what his problem is and put a stop to it before things escalate and ruin Christmas for everyone.

Get ready for laughter, swoony moments, and one unforgettable Christmas in the quirky small coastal town of Winter Harbor, Oregon as the brothers and their loves unravel mysteries, play matchmakers and sneak moments under the mistletoe for the first time ever.

“How are your balls?”

“Happily empty.”

Amaya giggled. 

“So … speaking of happily …” What a horrendous segue. Whatever, I had to use what was at my disposal. I was desperate.

“Hmm?”

“Come Christmas morning, what would make you happiest? What is Amaya hoping to find under the tree from Santa Claus?”

She snorted and started to draw pleasant circles around my nipple with the tip of her fingernail. “Is that a euphemism?”

“You want my dick under the tree? That’s gonna make Christmas morning with my brothers a little awkward.”

“Ah, this house is one big rabbit warren. Everyone is boning all the time. I doubt they’d be that fazed by it.”

That was true. We really were a bunch of horny rabbits.

“Seriously, though, Vix, what do you want for Christmas?” I hated that I’d resorted to asking, but I was at a loss, and the days to Christmas were getting fewer and fewer. I needed a jumping off point. 

She was quiet for a while. At first, I thought she’d fallen asleep, which wouldn’t have surprised me, but then she shifted against me and sighed. “I have everything I could ever want. I don’t need anything.”

I resisted the urge to growl. That didn’t help me one bit. 

Squeezing her tighter, I pressed my lips to the crown of her head, inhaling her sweet floral scent. “Humor me.”

“I want you to surprise me, Carson. Do something unexpected. Outside your comfort zone. Bring joy to the masses. I’ve loved watching you reinvent yourself and your family name so much over these past few months, but I want to see something even bigger. A grander gesture. Something huge to really show Winter Harbor and me that you are Carson three-point-oh.”

A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn't end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it's not quite wine o'clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, Whitley’s books have all the funny and fabulously filthy words you could hope for.

Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young. A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides near Lake Erie with her Argentinean husband, where they run an Argentinian-American food truck and wrangle two wild boys.

HOSTED BY:

Dans ma pal... service presse VO

 le tome 4 de la série "Winter Harbor Heroes" "The matchmaking Heirs : first Christmas in Winter Harbor" de Whitley Cox et Ember Leigh : il sortira le 1er décembre. Merci à Ena de Enticing Journey Book Pr 

Les trois premiers romans sont chroniqués sur le blog.

Présentation de l'éditeur : 

It’s the Winters brothers first Christmas in Winter Harbor!
They’ve reconciled, found love, found a purpose and are winning over the hearts of the townspeople. What more could they ask for?

Perhaps even an inkling of an idea what to get their better half for Christmas for starters.

And now they’ve been tasked with a matchmaking quest that seems downright impossible. Maribel has put it on the brothers and their lady loves to help widow Drucilla Crombie finally get the man she’s pined over for nearly sixty years. But old Mr. Gentry is oblivious and ornery and, according to Maribel, would need a map and a compass to find the nose on his own face, so he’s completely hopeless when it comes to love.

Now, it’s up to Callum, Carson, Colton and their women to help bring the two Winter Harborites together once and for all. But it won’t be easy. And if that’s not hard enough, there’s a journalist in Summer Hills hell-bent on dragging the Summers and Winters family names through the mud. So they need to figure out what his problem is and put a stop to it before things escalate and ruin Christmas for everyone.

Get ready for laughter, swoony moments, and one unforgettable Christmas in the quirky small coastal town of Winter Harbor, Oregon as the brothers and their loves unravel mysteries, play matchmakers and sneak moments under the mistletoe for the first time ever.

Pour le précommander, c'est ici : lien Amazon Fr à venir 

Amazon US : https://www.amazon.com/Matchmaking-Heirs-Christmas-Winter-Harbor-ebook/dp/B0BW563H5T

Un tome 3 qui clôt magnifiquement la série! (lecture VO)

La trilogie de Whitley Cox et Ember Leigh "Winter Harbor" trouve sa fin dans ce troisième et dernier excellent tome "The Rebel Heir" qui est consacré au dernier frère de la fratrie Winter, Colton, qui a été envoyé en internat dès l'âge de deux ans, puis en école militaire où il s'est engagé et a servi son pays et quand il retrouve ses frères selon les derniers souhaits de leur père (ils doivent vivre ensemble un an dans le manoir familial avant de recevoir leur héritage) qu'il n'a jamais connu vus depuis son jeune âge, il est sur la défensive : c'est le plus mystérieux des 3 et on a hâte de le découvrir. Mais surtout, on veut savoir quelle est l'histoire de la famille puisque toute la ville les déteste et qu'eux ne savent pas pourquoi vu qu'ils étaient partis depuis leur enfance. On a eu quelques bribes d'informations lors des deux premiers tomes mais là, on va enfin savoir ce qu'il en est.

Colton déteste depuis toujours Lily Summers, la petite-fille de l'autre grande famille de la ville voisine et qui est l'ennemie jurée des Winter (leurs grands-parents se détestaient et eux ne savent pas pourquoi) et on va donc assister à une histoire (en plus de l'intrigue qui nous tient en haleine depuis le premier tome) "ennemis to lovers" et soyons clairs, là, c'est de la vraie haine! Ils se détestent royalement et évidemment, il va falloir qu'ils trouvent un terrain d'entente pour aller vers l'amour. 

Mais la ville est en danger : un promoteur peu scrupuleux veut acheter les commerces et autres bâtiments afin de la transformer en une cité remplie de casinos et autres lieux dédiés aux jeux, au tourisme etc... et bien sûr, les frères Winter sont contre. Cette fois, ils vont être aidée par Lily qui adore la ville et qui va se présenter pour la place de maire pour contrer cette entreprise, qui en plus, a embauché son ex (un connard fini) pour essayer de convaincre les habitants de vendre. Mais pour cela, il lui faut une adresse dans la ville et à la très grande désagréable surprise de Colton, ses frères et leurs compagnes vont l'inviter à vivre avec eux. Même s'il est archi-contre, il ne peut lutter contre le vote. Cette cohabitation forcée ajouté à cet ex exécrable va amener notre héros à jouer les faux petits-amis : si les petits-enfants de deux ennemis jurés se rapprochent ce serait bon signe pour la ville, non? Or, de la fausse relation à la vraie histoire, il n'y a qu'un pas que nos personnages vont-ils franchir? Colton pourra-t-il abattre le mur qu'il a construit autour de son coeur et laisser une chance à la jeune femme et trouver comme ses frères, le bonheur? Lily arrivera-t-elle à se faire élire maire et trouvera-t-elle ce qui s'est passé entre leurs deux familles? Les frères Winter arriveront-ils enfin à se faire accepter par la ville qui les déteste tant depuis leur arrivée alors qu'ils n'ont jamais rien fait? des réponses à toutes ces questions et à d'autres dans cet excellent et dernier tome de la trilogie.

"The Rebel Heir" est sorti le 18 mars et je remercie Enticing Journey Book Pr pour leur envoi en service presse. Je vous rappelle que vous retrouver la chronique des tomes 1 et 2 sur le blog.

- The bastard heir (tome 1)

- The asshole heir (tome 2)

Présentation de l'éditeur : 

The Winter Harbor Heroes, Book 3

The only way to save our small town is by working with the enemy … but hearts might get broken in the process.

Colton

I don’t do emotional attachments.
Those who love me get hurt.
I keep people at arm’s length and never let women in my bed long enough for the sheets to get warm.
But when the granddaughter of my family’s mortal enemy comes to me for help, something in me shifts.
Lily Summers is a sassy, snarky, filter-free blonde with a brain—and mouth—that never quits.
Besides the sexual tension between us that keeps me awake at night, we only have one thing in common: neither of us wants the big city developer coming into Winter Harbor and destroying the integrity of the town with high rises and casinos.
We’re an unlikely team, but Lily has passion and Winter Harbor likes her, so I bite my tongue at her non-stop chatter and do what’s right for the town.
I never planned on falling for someone—let alone the enemy—but when we give into our attraction, I’m suddenly doing things I never thought I would … and it’s all for her.
Together, it seems like we can take on the world—or at the very least, Dunlop Holdings. But when a shocking development rocks Winter Harbor, its accompanied by an unsavory truth about Lily.
Now the question is: who is going to get hurt the worst?
Whether it’s me, Lily, or Winter Harbor itself, only one can survive the fallout.

***This is the third book of the Winter Harbor series which features a quirky small town, secrets galore, and three estranged brothers who find the key to healing comes from the women who steal their hearts.

Mon avis : Je vous l'ai dit, j'ai adoré cette série depuis le début : déjà, le fait que les trois frères doivent apprendre à se reconnaître après avoir souffert toute leur vie parce que leur père avait décidé de les envoyer loin de lui et les uns des autres, après le décès de sa femme, et qui se trouvent obligés de vivre ensemble pendant un an pour toucher leur héritage (et de dormir toutes les nuits dans la même maison) était original mais le fait que toute la ville semble les détester pour une raison précise (alors qu'ils n'ont jamais vécu là) et surtout que personne ne leur dise pourquoi est encore plus original : cela crée un fil conducteur depuis le début de la trilogie et on cherche comme eux, à savoir.

   Chaque frère a sa personnalité et celle du plus jeune, Colton, est la moins évidente car il a fait l'armée, s'est endurci et semble avoir fermé son coeur à ceux qui pourraient lui être proches. Pourtant, il démontre une sensibilité extrême : il est professeur de yoga, dessine (et visiblement a beaucoup de talent) s'occupe magnifiquement des roses (un point qu'il a avec Lily). Il est pourtant odieux avec elle bien qu'elle l'attire malgré tout et vous aurez envie de le frapper plus d'une fois et pourtant, en être assez ambivalent, il lui vient en aide en prétendant être son petit ami quand son ex l'insulte publiquement. C'est un personnage complexe mais attachant : ses blessures lui font faire des erreurs mais... je suis sûre que vous lui pardonnerez. 

   Lily est une jeune femme qui a plusieurs soeurs et qui a, elle aussi, perdu son père jeune (je vous rappelle que Colton, lui, a perdu sa mère) et elle est aussi au coeur de cette bataille dans laquelle elle ne comprend rien : sa mère ne veut rien à voir avec son propre père et ne veut rien dire, elle aussi. Elle essaie de renouer avec son grand-père mais lorsque celui-ci apprend qu'elle sort avec un Winter, il est encore plus furieux. Pourquoi? C'est une jeune femme engagée, courageuse et qui n'a pas mérité qu'on la traite comme ça, que ce soit son ex, Dennis, ou Colton au début et c'est sans doute pour cela que les autres membres de la fratrie et leurs compagnes l'accueillent aussi bien. Bien que n'habitant pas Winter Harbor, elle va se faire accepter par sa gentillesse, son sourire et sa capacité à aimer. Elle aussi a une relation particulière avec ses soeurs qu'on voit apparaître au cours du roman et qui pourrait bien faire l'objet d'une série spin-off (il y a la matière à, en tout cas) on réalise que même si au départ, ils ont tout pour les séparer, nos deux héros ne pouvaient qu'être attirés l'un par l'autre et que cette haine ne pouvait éclater qu'en une relation explosive. 

On retrouve les couples des deux tomes passés avec plaisir, on voit leur évolution et bien sûr, on sait enfin ce qui s'est passé et si les frères vont réussir à se faire accepter par cette ville qui les détestait quand ils ont été obligés de venir s'installer pour récupérer leur héritage. Vraiment bien fait : bravo! 

Cette trilogie se clôt mais comme je l'ai dit, il y a matière à en faire une autre avec les 3 soeurs de Lily. On va donc croiser les doigts ;) En tout cas, je vous recommande vivement cette trilogie très très bien faite. 

Pour l'acheter, c'est ici :  https://amzn.to/3MLLFpY (ebook) 

Release Blitz... Sortie du jour VO

 

Title: The Rebel Heir

Series: Winter Harbor Heroes, Book 3

Authors: Whitley Cox & Ember Leigh

Genre: enemies to lovers, small town, mystery, sibling rivalry, will/inheritance clause, feuding brothers, family secrets, broken hero

Release: March 18, 2023

The only way to save our small town is by working with the enemy … but hearts might get broken in the process.

Colton

I don’t do emotional attachments.

Those who love me get hurt.

I keep people at arm’s length and never let women in my bed long enough for the sheets to get warm.

But when the granddaughter of my family’s mortal enemy comes to me for help, something in me shifts.

Lily Summers is a sassy, snarky, filter-free blonde with a brain—and mouth—that never quits.

Besides the sexual tension between us that keeps me awake at night, we only have one thing in common: neither of us wants the big city developer coming into Winter Harbor and destroying the integrity of the town with high rises and casinos.

We’re an unlikely team, but Lily has passion and Winter Harbor likes her, so I bite my tongue at her non-stop chatter and do what’s right for the town.

I never planned on falling for someone—let alone the enemy—but when we give into our attraction, I’m suddenly doing things I never thought I would … and it’s all for her.

Together, it seems like we can take on the world—or at the very least, Dunlop Holdings. But when a shocking development rocks Winter Harbor, its accompanied by an unsavory truth about Lily.

Now the question is: who is going to get hurt the worst?

Whether it’s me, Lily, or Winter Harbor itself, only one can survive the fallout.

*** This is the third book of the Winter Harbor series which features a quirky small town, secrets galore, and three estranged brothers who find the key to healing comes from the women who steal their hearts.

Rain met my back, cool against the warm, humid tang of the air. I made quick work of inspecting each tire, but I found the problem before I’d finished making the rounds. The rear passenger tire was deflating. I swore under my breath and kicked at the flat tire.

Lily’s door opened, and she hopped out, glaring at me like I’d called her the worst type of flower name. Then her gaze dropped to the tire.

“So this is my fault, huh?” She propped her hands on her hips, staring at me expectantly.

“Get inside,” I told her, wiping rain from my forehead. “I’ll handle this.”

“Well, if it’s my fault, I should help, right?”

I sighed, heading for the bed of the truck. I knew there had to be a spare tire somewhere. Carson wouldn’t have a truck without a spare, right?

“I’m talking to you,” Lily said, following close behind.

“Yeah, I hear you.”

“Well, if I apparently can cause tires to deflate simply from my mere existence, then surely I can help fix them by standing near you?”

I heaved a sigh as I lowered the tailgate. I’d had the forethought to cover Lily’s things with a tarp before we left, but I hadn’t exactly canvassed the truck to see where a spare tire might be lurking. I pushed some things around, looking for a secret wheel well. “Well, I think we can safely say that you standing next to me isn’t helping. So thanks, but no thanks.”

She let out a frustrated noise, glancing up to the heavens. “Colton Winters, you are such a jerk. Do you know that?”

I did know that. But it was part of my strategy. I needed her to hate me, because if she didn’t, then I’d most certainly begin pursuing her.

And I couldn’t have that. Not when so much of my life was built around transience. Around have a good fucking time. Around one-and-done.

Lily was annoying. Not only that, she was smart, interesting, and getting more beautiful to me by the day. She was dangerous, at least to life as I’d known it thus far. I’d had enough disruptions in the past year, between discovering my dad died and then reconnecting with my brothers in Winter Harbor. Not to mention leaving my former life behind, which I’d quite enjoyed as an international vagabond.

I didn’t need to add someone like Lily to my long list of unexpected—and mostly unwelcome—life changes.

I must have remained silent for too long because she continued. “Whatever. You know what? It doesn’t matter. I thought you were maybe a regular guy underneath all the barbs and the shitty aloofness, but I was wrong.”

“It’s ’cause you love regular guys so much, huh?” My words tumbled out before I could even decide otherwise. I knew I shouldn’t go there, but it was too late. The dam had broken.

“Huh?”

“Regular guys. Like Dennis. With the polos and the khakis.” I smirked as I glanced at her, palming the tailgate. We were both mostly soaked with rain by now, but I didn’t mind. It was humid, and I loved the way the rain made her shirt stick to her chest. I’d been staring at that bare shoulder all day, wondering what it tasted like, and now that it was wet and shiny, all I wanted to do was lick it. “And probably the completely lackluster performance in bed, too.”

She huffed, crossing her arms. “No, that’s— No. I don’t look for that. I just—”

“What is it, Lilium?” I squatted to peer beneath the truck and spotted the bulging spare wheel well. I made quick work of opening it. Mud smeared my forearms as I tugged the tire out and hauled it to the passenger side. I snatched the tools next, wiping my rain-soaked face with the collar of my T-shirt. I took Lily silence as my permission to continue needling her.

“You want me to be a regular guy, don’t you?” I kneeled in front of the tire, glancing up at her before I got to work jacking up the truck. “Too bad for you, I’m not.” Her rain-soaked shirt was plastered to the contours of her body. I jerked my gaze away. After our surprisingly hot kisses, followed by our first genuine connection, I was ten seconds from losing every ounce of cool around her. Seeing her more of her body did not help matters. “Just let the fucking jerk fix the tire and get inside the truck, okay?”

“No.” She crossed her arms again. I had to admit, her defiance was hot. But she didn’t know that she was playing with fire.

“Lily,” I said, more forcefully this time, as I finished jacking up the truck with a frustrated burst of air. “I need you out of my sight, okay? Let me fucking fix this tire.”

“Why can’t I be here? I should supervise. Make sure you’re not being a regular guy about it.”

I ground my teeth, weighing my options. I did want her out of my sight. But more than that, I wanted to see how far I could push the envelope. I knew there could be no way she’d be into me—I’d made sure of it over the past months of knowing her. But what was the harm of finding out for sure?

“If I have to stare at your perfect tits heaving out of your top for even one more second, I’m gonna explode. And I mean that in exactly the way you think I do. So just get. In. The. Fucking. Truck.”

Realization washed across her face. Her cheeks went pink again, and I was hard as a rock watching her. Fuck. I focused on ignoring Lily as I started loosening the first lug nut.

After what I’d said, I didn’t know what I expected from her. But I certainly didn’t expect her to step over my arms—as I finally removed the lug nut—and tower over me with a satisfied smile on her face.

“Lily—”

“If I have to watch you working on this truck with your muscles flexing in this rain for even one more second, then I’m going to explode. So what are we going to do about it?”

I gaped up at her, caught between awestruck and horny. I knew what we were going to do about it. Or at least what I’d love to do about it.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I suggested the solution,” I snapped, dropping the wrench as I inspected her bare calves from this close. Goose pimples covered her skin, flaring where my breath hit her legs. “Which was to separate us entirely. But it looks like you don’t want a regular guy after all.”

She shook her head, staring down at me with raw passion and vulnerability slashed across her face. I caught her drift. I was good at catching the drift when it came to situations like these. I touched the outsides of her ankles, dragging my fingertips slowly up the sides of her legs.

“What happens on the road from Portland,” she said, her voice growing shakier the higher my hands ran. “Stays on the road from Portland.”

A Canadian West Coast baby born and raised, Whitley is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they have two beautiful daughters and a fluffy dog. She spends her days making food that gets thrown on the floor, vacuuming Cheerios out from under the couch and making sure that the dog food doesn't end up in the air conditioner. But when nap time comes, and it's not quite wine o'clock, Whitley sits down, avoids the pile of laundry on the couch, and writes.

A lover of all things decadent; wine, cheese, chocolate and spicy erotic romance, Whitley brings the humorous side of sex, the ridiculous side of relationships and the suspense of everyday life into her stories. With single dads, firefighters, Navy SEALs, mommy wars, body issues, threesomes, bondage and role-playing, Whitley’s books have all the funny and fabulously filthy words you could hope for.

Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young. A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides near Lake Erie with her Argentinean husband, where they run an Argentinian-American food truck and wrangle two wild boys.

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