by Melissa Blue
When their relationship shifts from business to personal, will Emma and Tobias be able to conquer their demons and find their sweet reward before the deal turns sour?
Everything He Dreamed, Palmer Island Series
Phoenix Taylor takes one look at Tony Creed and knows she’s in trouble. Everything inside her screams run. If she didn’t need the finishing bonus from Everything You Need, she’d listen to her gut. The company has hired her as project manager to build cabins on Palmer Island and work with Creed Construction. Tony’s the general contractor and there’s no way to avoid him. Just when she has a plan to move on and close the door on a very dark chapter in her life…there he is. Falling for the contractor with the wicked smile and infectious charm doesn’t fit into her plan. She’s not ready for that captivating emerald gaze or the trouble Tony can surely cause her heart.
Tony Creed has forced his father to draw up a contract that explicitly states this will be his very last job before going on a much needed vacation from the family business. The pressure’s getting to him, and he feels himself turning into his father, a hard and heartless man. He just needs a break, period. He doesn’t have the time or energy to give this simmering attraction between him and the new project manager. All he wants to do is focus on building the cabins for the next six months and be a free man. After all, he’s not looking for anything, but her vivacious personality has his mind wandering back to her much more than he wants to admit.
They just have to keep things light, which is hard at first, and then just impossible when something just a little supernatural intervenes on their well-laid plans.
Weekend Lover, Down With Cupid Shorts
The weekend that started it all…
Sebastian Clark’s intentions are simply to buy Nicole, a beautiful stranger, a drink, make her laugh and disappear before dawn. As a publicist for Snapshot, his days are long and his moral code is to always keep things light. Until he touches her, and lust fades any lasting hold on common sense. His questionable motives pave a road to unbelievable pleasure.
Nicole Harrison is on the fast track for a promotion at Limelight, a PR boutique. She’s given up dating, especially handsome men. They tend to suck up time and sometimes common sense. Sebastian has the ability to do both. One single night won’t break her own rules and Nicole gives in to temptation.
The boundaries are clear—no last names, no shared details. She has only to walk away to end the affair. One night turns into three, and her naughty little weekend becomes more than just sex.
One night of consenting pleasure sets Sebastian Clark and Nicole Harrison on a course that could ultimately destroy them both, or bring them a love for all time…
See Megan Run, See Her Fall Series
All Megan Hazely has to do is stay home for thirty days and attend her mother’s wedding to get the deed to her father’s home. Except there’s Aiden Blake, Megan’s ex-boyfriend. The boy she loved has become a man. Time hasn’t lessened the spark between them, a spark that should have died the day she hitchhiked out of her small town. A rock and a hard place has nothing on Megan.
See Lynne Chased, See Her Fall Series
Nathan Craine eats small businesses for breakfast. There’s one store he is dying to buy, but this time it is for very personal reasons. He’s certain the owner will hand over the store; it’s only the matter of naming a price. To his surprise, Lynne Kelley refuses to sell, now or ever… In this battle, someone has to lose. And the cost of winning might be far more than either is willing to pay.
Excerpt from the final book of the A Modern Fairy Tale series: Double Trouble
Sasha chuckled when Warren swayed a little on his feet when a sweet yeasty scent wafted from the open door of Sweet Tooth. The smell alone backed up Sasha’s insistence to come here before getting coffee.
She smiled at him now and pushed through the door. “Told you so.”
A bell dinged, announcing their entrance and he followed behind her. Her mouth watered at the aromas fighting for space in the store. Sasha’s heels clicked on the black-and-white checkered floor as she headed for one of the many display cases filled with pastry after pastry.
Every time Sasha came here she knew what Charlie must have felt like entering Wonka’s factory. “Want me to choose for you? I’m an expert.”
The penchant frown deepened as he took in the amount of pastries. “Everything looks good.”
She placed her hands on her hips and turned to the display cases with him. “I usually chose by what mood I’m in.”
“You designed the placards?” His eyes unfocused for a moment and then cleared. “And the sign outside?”
“You notice everything, don’t you?”
He snorted. “Annoying habit actually.”
“I couldn’t let my friend pay through the nose for something subpar.” Her cheeks heated. “That sounds so arrogant, doesn’t it?”
He shrugged. “Do you have Google Alerts?”
She shook her head, trying to keep up with his train of thought. “No. Have no idea what it is.”
“It’s a way to get like an alarm through you’re email account every time someone mentions your name on the Internet.”
She laughed. “Let me guess: you have Google Alerts for your name and your books.”
“For a while until I got over myself. Long and short of it, I understand.” He lifted the laptop bag. “You can choose something for me. I’ll be sitting down, making some more notes.”
“Ok,” she said and watched him walk away.
Warren wasn’t her type at all, but he kept surprising her. He had the ability to pay attention to everything and nothing. There was something about him that eased out all the tension in her frame when they talked. Sasha felt relaxed and intelligent and sexy all at the same time when he focused on her. She could get addicted to the feelings.
“Break the stupid bet,” Emma’s whisper cut in on Sasha’s thoughts. Her best friend leaned on the glass and motioned her to come closer.
Sasha did and whispered back, “It’s a matter of pride.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “All matters of pride end in bloodshed.”
Sasha schooled her face to look innocent. “I would never stab Abigail.”
Although there had been times…
Emma pursed her lips, looking exasperated. “You know exactly what I mean. You acting dumb is out of character.” She gestured with her chin to Warren. He’d settled into a booth, laptop open and frowning, already, at the screen.
Sasha balled her fists against the tingle. She’d done so well for the past four hours. They’d ended up sitting on the same couch, arm to arm and thigh to thigh as he watched her do a rough sketch of a country side. An ease didn’t mean there wasn’t a small buzz from their skin touching. Sasha was human, after all.
“What?” she asked, playing dumb.
Emma tilted her head. “Warren was checking out your butt when you walked in, but when he noticed what he was doing he blanched.”
“And that means?”
“He’s so not your type, and that’s the one you shouldn’t run from.”
Sasha let the silence be her answer before saying, “I’m not calling off the bet.”
“I’m not saying draw him. I’m saying…” Emma lifted her brows twice. “You know.”
Scandalized, Sasha gasped. “I expect this type of advice from Abigail. Not you. You’re supposed to be—”
“The boring level-headed one? The one who is walking down the aisle practically a virgin.”
“The one who doesn’t have meaningless flings,” Sasha corrected.
“Well, you have me there, but that’s me. You’re the one who jumps head first into every situation. You’re the one with the limitless amounts of courage to make the leap of faith again and again.” Emma’s pinched expression filled with worry.
Sasha sighed. “That’s the thing, it wasn’t a leap of faith any time I went out with young, male models. It was a surefire way to avoid serious relation
ships. At the time it’s what I wanted. And wasn’t it you who said not too long ago that a woman shouldn’t settle for the first man who comes along and is nice to her?”
“My battle cry had nothing to do with settling. It had everything to do with being scared.” Emma placed both hands over the glass. “I had these insane expectations no man could have ever meet, to ensure no man could ever meet them. I could go on, but as I recall, it was you who pointed that out a time or four million.”
Frustration stirred in Sasha’s chest. “What is this?”
Emma sighed. “It’s my way of saying I love you the way you are. And that man is hot and you should totally reel him, because he’s swimming around looking for the hook.”
Sasha’s gaze cut to Warren. He hunched over the computer typing like hounds were nipping at his fingers if his hands weren’t on the keyboard. She could go over there and flirt with him shamelessly. She could fall back on the tried and true way of snagging a date. She could use all the assets in her arsenal to fluster him and leave no doubt in his mind what she wanted.
But it wasn’t what Sasha wanted anymore. She wanted the stumble upon the man of her dreams. She wanted the old fashioned way of falling in love. She had her own un-named expectations, and Warren didn’t fit them. No matter how unbelievably…adorable he was.
“I’m sticking to my plan and I’m not calling off the bet,” Sasha said.
Emma’s shoulders lowered and she slid her hands off the glass display case. “Ok. What do you want?”
Sasha sniffed. “Josh has been teaching you his puppy dog face, hasn’t he?”
Emma grinned. “Did it work?”
Sasha shook her head with a soft laugh, but the ball of frustration growing in her chest hardened. “Give me a slice of that strawberry tart and a chocolate covered croissant.”
“Coming right up.” Emma set to work.
Sasha’s gaze, once again, sought out Warren. His lips were moving as he focused on the laptop. Lost in his own world, he hadn’t noticed it’d taken much longer than necessary to order their pastries. Right there proved their incompatibility and she was done dating men she knew were wrong for her.
Warren needed a keeper. It took him five minutes to find the keys he’d lost—they were in his pocket. He patted himself and the laptop bag and the actions had been cute. Not to mention, nighttime would have fallen before he noticed the hunger pangs. He grilled her and watched her work in equal measure. She sighed. No matter how many times Sasha gazed at him, he wouldn’t suddenly turn into Prince Charming for her. Hell, he didn’t even believe in fate.
Resolute, she paid for their desserts and slid into the booth. He didn’t glance up. Sasha placed his pastry box in his line of sight with a fork and then dug into her croissant.
“What’d you get me?” He continued to type.
“Oh, um,” Sasha said, caught off guard.
Her tongue flicked out to catch the stray crust of the croissant. Warren looked up at the same time. She had no intentions in making the motion provocative, but the way his nostrils flared and those damnable irises became richer, darker and more decadent than the chocolate drizzled over her croissant proved intent didn’t matter.
His gaze narrowed, and she felt wanton for making the action. And hot. Heat prickled along Sasha’s skin and she had the sudden urge to lick the corner of her mouth again just to see what he’d do next.
His eyes lighted with knowledge. “Must be delicious.” His voice had deepened. “What’d you get me?”
She tried to remember how adorable he was, but simply couldn’t recall any examples of him being cute, or nice, or geeky. The man who continued to hold her gaze in challenge didn’t need a keeper.
Run. “Strawberry tart,” she eeked out a dry throat.
She won the staring contest by default when he opened the box and picked up the fork. He closed his eyes and hummed after the first bit.
“I see the appeal.” The corner of his mouth twitched.
She got her heartbeat under control with another breath. The look had been a fluke. He was adorable. That heated reaction had all been in her imagination. Warren had practically blushed at his earlier slip of the tongue.
“If that’s your reaction, I must have made a poor choice.” Still, her voice sounded husky.
He sampled another bite, eyes closed and it wasn’t wrong to detail his features in her mind. Strawberry syrup glazed his bottom lip and he scraped his teeth over the lush flesh. He tilted his head and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
She wanted to nip at the masculine skin, swipe her tongue over it to see if he would make the same humming noise as he did now.
Don’t walk, leave dust in your wake. “Second thoughts?” ’Cause boy, she was having some.
“The strawberries were cooked while ripe. The crust has a perfect crispness to it. Not soggy yet.” He opened his eyes and the heat in them melted the knot of frustration in her chest. “It’s damn good.”
She took a large bite out of her croissant. Trouble. He was trouble disguised as a forgetful, fumbling writer. She looked to Emma, who had leaned against the counter, hands under chin as she watched them openly.
Emma mouthed, “Told you so.”
Sasha glanced at Warren, who resembled the adorable type again with his gaze back on the computer and the dessert forgotten already. She felt like she’d just dodged one hell of a bullet. And, still, the croissant felt like a huge ball of dough in her mouth, because, maybe, Sasha had bitten off more than she could chew.
Coming Soon
Table of Contents
Twice Smitten, A Modern Fairy Tale: Book 2
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Bio
Other Titles by Melissa Blue
Excerpt from the final book of the A Modern Fairy Tale series: Double Trouble
Table of Contents
Twice Smitten, A Modern Fairy Tale: Book 2
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Bio
Other Titles by Melissa Blue
Excerpt from the final book of the A Modern Fairy Tale series: Double Trouble
