by BJ Harvey
“If her brother is anything to go by, I don’t doubt it for a minute darlin’,” I murmur against her lips as I steal another tender kiss from my wife. “Bit like their mother in that way.”
“And I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
We’re suddenly interrupted by a tiny voice below us.
“Daddy! Daddy! Look at me.” I look down at the brown haired cherub standing in front of us.
“Shay, what are you doing?”
“I is getting wet daddy! Look!” he exclaims as another water spout shoots out of the ground, saturating him.
“Awesome, should we see if we can catch it little man?” I ask, bending down to pick him up, tickling his tummy as I go.
“Stop it, daddy! Stop it!” he laughs, squirming out of my hold to run after another water shot.
I stand back up and turn to Elle. She’s wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, and her whole face is alive with love.
“I love you so much, Mr. James,” she says, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling my head down towards hers.
“Not as much as I love you, Mrs. James” I murmur against her lips, taking a taste of the delicious mouth of hers. “Shit!” I feel a foot kick my stomach from Elle’s.
Elle starts giggling, my second most favourite sound in the whole world behind Shay calling me Daddy. “Told you!”
“Hell, she’s trying to get me away from you already. Little Leah is gonna be trouble, I think.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Elle says, kissing me gently before taking my hand and walking with me over towards our son.
Shay’s background novella Lost Without You Will be released February 2014
Long before he moved to New York to protect Elle Halliwell, Shay McCarron felt like a drifter.
Working with his best friend, Brax, he took whatever job he could get to survive until mob boss, Victor Bertorelli, offered them both the opportunity of a lifetime, a life line.
Now working security and close protection for some of Georgia’s richest families, the boys are living the high life. High profile jobs, nights of easy women, and copious alcohol...with their very lucrative, if not slightly illegal occupation, the boys think they’re sitting pretty.
Brenna, the youngest daughter of mob boss, Victor Bertorelli, hates her family’s mob ties, their morals, the whole damn thing. She wants to get as far away from them and the notorious Bertorelli name as she can.
Until the blonde haired, green eyed, guy she meets at an Atlanta bar late one night captures her attention, and her heart.
Unfortunately, it’s the very world they live in that will tear them apart forever.
Get to know the history of the best friend who gave his all in the highly acclaimed Lost series.
Continue reading after the acknowledgements for an excerpt from my new erotic romance book, Temporary Bliss, due for release in September 2013.
To everyone To those who listened to me live, breathe, sleep this book series.
To those who read for me, criticized me, helped me, laughed, cried and moaned with me.
To those who took the time to message me telling me they loved the book and wanted the sequel yesterday, those who took the time to review me, share me, and pimp me and my little book.
To the blogs who graciously shared my covers, my teasers, my giveaways and my photo quotes, I would not be anywhere without you. Blogs help make the indie community and I hope that each and every one of you realize how appreciated and loved you are.
This book would not be the same without the following people: I cherish your friendship, your words, your opinions and your help.
Brenna Weidner Cris Soriaga Hadarly Nikki Sparks
Nikki Groom
Deana Wolstenholme Kate McCarthy Chrissy Zent Sharp Wendy Bree Rex Missy MacKenzie Swain Jennifer Roberts-Hall Kristy Louise Claire Haiek
Christina Lefferts Kim Rinaldi
Josie Melendez &
April Merriman-For naming Silas
I’m on my way home after finishing a shift at the hospital. I’m just getting comfortable and texting Kate, when I drop my phone. Of course, it had to slide down the train away from me. Thankfully, being 8 p.m., the cab isn’t too full. Just as I’m about to get up and search the floor in a desperate last attempt to regain my life, hey, my phone is my life, don’t judge, I see him.
As luck would have it, my phone hit a strange man’s black loafer clad foot, and when I look up, I see said man making his way towards me. This man is sex on legs delicious. I totally clocked him when he got on the train at the stop after me. I’m amazed that I’m even coherent enough to notice anyone, given that I’m at the end of an eight hour day shift where I was rushed off my feet. I’m dog tired, but my mind is restless, wired, and you guessed it, horny.
Noah has been on a training course for the week, so there has been no chance of any on-call room hook ups, Sean has been out of town for business for the past few days, and Zander has had back to back bookings all week. It’s just been me, my trusty rabbit who, as luck would have it, has run out of juice, or option number 3, this delectable man who is now walking towards me.
Ding, Ding, Ding! I pick door number 3.
He just doesn’t know it yet.
He’s wearing a granite-colored suit, the jacket hanging over his arm which is carrying a black leather briefcase. His white dress shirt has the sleeves rolled up, and he’s obviously just finished work for the day because his top two buttons are undone, giving a slight glimpse of a tanned and toned chest that you just want to lick. I’m in businessman fantasy heaven, and he is being delivered to me on a plate, or in this case, a rattly, somewhat dirty, Chicago train.
But beggars can’t be choosers.
He’s totally caught me staring at him, his pearly white smile growing on his gorgeous face as he gets closer. I give him a slightly embarrassed, yet cute smile back, knowing that I’ve just been caught checking him out. He holds his hand out to me when he reaches my seat, and being the socially awkward idiot that I am, I put my hand out to shake his, feeling absolutely mortified when I realize that he was just trying to hand my phone back.
“Sorry, is this your phone? It slid down the floor from this direction, and you’re one of the only people on the train without a phone or an e-reader in your hand, so I’m taking a lucky guess,” he says with a sly grin, thankfully not laughing at my social ineptitude.
“Yeah, that’ll be mine. Sorry to make you come all the way down here,” I reply, an uncontrollable blush creeping up my cheeks.
“Hey, it’s no problem. I don’t mind being given an excuse to talk to a beautiful stranger, on the L, at night, alone…”
His words are calculated. He somehow has managed to compliment me at the same time as chastising me for being traveling along on the L at night. Now that is talent! I feel a chill run up my spine at the sheer presence of this man.
“Makenna Lewis,” I say, this time actually holding my hand out to shake his.
He looks down at my outstretched hand and drags piercing caramel colored eyes down my scrub clad body, his jaw twitching as he returns his gaze back to my face.
“Daniel Winters,” he replies, taking my hand in his and shaking it once while very deliberately dragging his hand slowly from mine, running the length of my fingers as he pulls away. I bite my lip as warm tingles travel from my fingers and up my arms, then shoot right down to my girly bits.
Holy hell, he’s got game, and it’s a game I wanna play!
This man leaves Zander in his wake, and Zander is a professional stripper who gets paid to flirt.
“Where are you headed tonight? Have you just finished work, or just starting?” he asks, reaching up to hold on to the cabin’s overhead rail while he looks down at me with a raised eyebrow. That move brings my attention to his tailored shirt tightening over his toned biceps, and then I see it. It’s like my eyes are homing beacons looking for the slightest hint of skin. A small part of his shirt has come loose at his wais
t and has ridden up, giving me a glimpse of a tight set of abs and the smallest smattering of hair leading a trail south below his waistband. Lord knows I’m a sucker for tight abs and a happy trail.
C’mon, Mac, get it together, you’re drooling, and he’s waiting for an answer.
“Ah work, yeah, I just finished my shift at NorthWestern,” I mutter, shaking my head to get rid of thoughts of him shirtless, and in my bed.
“Ah, a doctor then?” he asks with a smile.
“I’m a nurse in the ICU,” I answer back, the now stupid grin on my face getting wider as we just sit there, smiling at each other.
“And how about you? Let me guess...a lawyer? No, wait, maybe an accountant? Nope, not that either. My last answer is undertaker,” I tilt my head and give him a returning “whatcha got for me now” look.
He laughs and I literally stop breathing.
All of Daniel’s physical attributes are already measuring mighty high on the Makenna scale of hotness, but that laugh...the low baritone timbre that could stop wars, solve world hunger, and cure women of their need for underwear all at the same time...it is the work of the devil. I swear to god, all he’d have to do is lie there and laugh all day, and I swear I could sit on his chest and get off.
“I’m a stockbroker,” he finally tells me, leaning in and putting his spare arm on the back of my seat. “And I guess none of my sexy nurse jokes will win me any favors with you either, right?” I notice a slight upwards curl of his lips, and realize that he’s not only sexy and has a laugh that could make a nun horny, but he’s funny too.
Godammit!
“Probably not, but you never know your luck in the big city,” I muse.
He nods in agreement. “Duly noted.”
“So, you like to play with money then.” I can’t believe I’m being so blatant with this man. He smirks, and wouldn’t you know it, out come the dimples. Freaking adorable, cute as all hell divots on either side of his cheeks, dimples!
They’re going to be my downfall.
“I like playing with other people’s money,” he murmurs. His eyes have gone dark now.
“Sounds like fun. What else do you like to do?” Holy shit, Mac! Why don’t you just hump his leg already? Damn, I must need some sleep, or some rabbit relief, or something. I look down and blush again. I may talk a good game, but my blush always gives my self-conscious side away.
“Lots of things.” He pauses for a moment, just long enough for me to look back up into those gorgeous eyes of his. My breath hitches when I see him looking back at me like I’m water and he’s dying of thirst. “Candlelit dinners, long walks...sex on the beach…”
He smiles as he says that last thing, especially when my eyes go wide.
Confidence simply exudes from him; he’s sure of himself, but not in an overly cocky way. But lord knows that I really want to know what he could do to me and vice versa.
“How about we start with my bed?” I say with a sexy smile and a wink.
And that is how I met Daniel Winters.
