He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the temple, inhaling her light perfume. A second later, her hand slid way south of the PG-13 line.
“Eleanor…” he snickered out of the corner of his mouth. “Not for another forty-five minutes.”
“Bublé,” she whispered back.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my tireless and fantabulous editor, Stacy, for helping me with this very complicated story, for asking the right questions and offering cool ideas I would’ve never thought of with only my little brain. This project was a toughie but I’m so incredibly proud of it. Let’s listen to some MB to celebrate!
Alycia, for your awesome edits and for making me think deep early on when I still could. I’m so proud to be a Bliss author.
Debbie and the rest of the publicity squad at Bliss. You work so hard for us and you’re one of the reasons writing for this line is such a big, fat joy.
Sue, my critique partner, for lots of crap, as always. I couldn’t have written this without your help, both with hairy plotting issues and military factoids—some of which I chose to blow off until it was almost too late. When are we going to Italy, already? Ohhh, you might be too busy now…
KL, for the thoughtful QA edit and for making sure I got important facts right, and for loving Dean Winchester, too.
Ginger, for your eagle eye and great ideas at the verrrrry last minute. I’m just glad I was able to use them this time!
Nancy, for reading this first when it was a whole bunch of disaster but still being supportive and telling me there was a cool story in there somewhere. Why haven’t we had custard lately? Sheesh.
Mom, for instilling in me a respect for the military and a love for happily ever afters. How fun that I got to write about both this time.
To my super-cool cyber friends, the supportive and enthusiastic readers, bloggers, tweeters, and fellow authors. You make this journey so worth it.
And lastly, thank you to my dear buddy, Chick Taylor, the inspiration for his name sake. This one’s for you!
About the Author
Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching art-house movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of ABBY ROAD; the Perfect Kisses series including: PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE, and FALLING FOR HER SOLDIER, and the new adult DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE. Visit her at http://ophelialondon.com. But don’t call when The Vampire Diaries is on.
Find your perfect kiss with Ophelia London’s Perfect Kisses series
Playing at Love
The one guy she can’t have is the only guy she can’t forget.
When a school budget crisis pits the music program against sports, choir teacher Tess Johansson doesn’t think things could get any worse. Her singers will need to prove themselves during halftime at every football game, plus take first place at Regionals. Then…she meets her competition.
New head football coach Jack Marshall just needs to keep a steady job to win his custody battle for his young daughter. But when he realizes his competition for funding is Tess—the amazing summer love he never forgot—winning takes on a whole new meaning. With everything at stake, Tess and Jack find themselves torn between doing what it takes to win and doing what it takes to be together.
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Speaking of Love
The matchmaker has finally met her match.
Speech teacher and successful matchmaker Mackenzie Simms decides to find a woman for her friend, handsome newspaper tycoon Rick Duffy. Though they’ve been each other’s go-to dates for the past month, Mac and Rick couldn’t be more different: she is outspoken, sarcastic, and completely loathes his privileged lifestyle. He’s laid-back, unassuming, and seems comfortable at an upper-class charity function. So why can’t she stop thinking about him?
Rick knows he and the opinionated-though-adorable Mackenzie are better off as friends, so he agrees to the double-date getaway Mac plans at his family cabin. But seeing Mac cuddle up with her “friendly” date rankles Rick beyond reason, and Mac regrets her matchmaking scheme the minute she sees the way her beauty-queen cousin looks at Rick. Can Mac ‘fess up to what’s really in her heart, when speaking her mind puts everything at risk?
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Find your Bliss with Tracy March’s Tempted in the Tropics
Paige followed the couple into the sanctuary. Beyond, Lane still stood naked in the pool, leaning against the edge, looking as surprised as Paige had felt when she opened the door. The couple stopped near the pool, the man looking sterner than he had before, the woman more shocked.
“Mom, Dad,” Lane said, “this is Paige.” He looked at Paige apologetically. “Paige, these are my parents, Don and Karen.”
Paige shifted nervously from foot to foot, clutching the sheet to her chest. She dipped her chin, not sure exactly what to do— shake their hands…curtsy? “Nice to meet you,” she said, as if everyone was dressed.
Don simply stared at her, his fiery eyes the same captivating shade of green as Lane’s.
Karen glanced over at the patio and apparently caught sight of Lane’s shorts and briefs on the chaise, her eyebrows jumping halfway up her forehead before she lowered them quickly into a grimace. “Obviously we’ve interrupted something.”
Paige stepped over to the patio while Lane got out of the pool. Karen and Don faced her, their intent gazes simultaneously resting on something behind Paige at about knee level. Paige turned to see her sundress and bright-pink-lace bra tossed across the chaise, her thong dangling by a thin strip of elastic from the armrest. Her stomach pitched. Champagne bubbled in the back of her throat, and she thought she might hurl. And why not? A puddle of puke would be like icing on the cake of this train-wreck scene.
Paige practically leaped over to the chaise and scooped up her clothes. She yanked her thong from the armrest, but the elastic caught on the curved end. The thong snapped from her fingers and went flying, landing limply in the pool beyond her reach.
“We’ll worry about that later,” Lane said in a low tone as he joined her, facing Don’s and Karen’s glares.
Paige officially wanted to die. But short of that, she was dying to leave…now. Nothing could save her at this point. “I, um…” She looked in the general direction of Don and Karen. “Nice to meet you, but I need to run.” She glanced at Lane and shrugged. “I’ll get your sheet back to you,” she said, and broke a walk-of-shame speed record getting out the door.
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Find your Bliss with these new releases
Love Songs for the Road by Farrah Taylor
The only thing rock star Marcus Troy loves more than making music is his kids. So finding just the right nanny to take on tour with them is important—as is proving to his ex he deserves joint custody. Falling for his employee wouldn’t just be fodder for the paparazzi: it could ruin everything. Too bad the perfect nanny turns out to be beautiful, vibrant Ryan Evans. When the whole world’s watching them, will life in the spotlight be too hot to handle?
Tangling with the CEO by Annie Seaton
Blake Buchanan and Anastasia Delaney were roommates in college and could never see eye to eye about anything.Years later, Blake comes back to Ana’s small California town to manage a corporate takeover that will close down the home restoration business she’s poured her heart and soul into. Blake’s business- first position hasn’t changed, and Ana can’t fall for the man who could become her boss—it’s not only her job at stake, but her heart.
Flirting with Danger by Claire Baxter
Firefighter Jasmine Mackinnon has always just been one of the guys. So no one’s more shocked than she is to find herself kissing fellow firefighter a
nd all-around sinfully handsome playboy Aaron Parkes after a friend’s wedding. Jasmine knows she can’t risk an emotional connection with a colleague—a potentially dangerous entanglement when fighting fires together—and nothing’s more important to her than her job. But when their casual flirtation builds into a steamy affair, both will have to “man up” to get what they truly want.
Falling for Her Soldier: A Perfect Kisses Novel (Entangled Bliss) Page 22
