Tempted in the Tropics
Page 18
Special thanks to my editors, Stacy Abrams and Alycia Tornetta, for their patience and guidance and for their incredible ideas that helped give this story that special something. Should we call it magic?
I also greatly appreciate the readers and reviewers of The Practice Proposal, whose feedback was valuable to me as I crafted this next story in the Suddenly Smitten series.
Last, but never least, I thank my remarkably steady and patient husband, Mike, who is adjusting with grace to my unpredictable writer’s life. His love inspires every romance I write, and he’ll always be my hero.
About the Author
Award-winning author Tracy March writes romantic thrillers influenced by her career in the pharmaceutical field and her interest in science and politics. She also writes lighthearted romances inspired by her real-life happily ever after.
Always up for travel and adventure, Tracy has flown in a stunt plane, snowmobiled on the Continental Divide, ziplined in the Swiss Alps, and been chased by a bull in the mountains of St. Lucia. She loves Nationals baseball, Saturday date nights, and Dairy Queen Blizzards—and rarely goes a day without Diet Coke and Cheez-Its.
Tracy lives in Yorktown, Virginia, with her superhero husband who works for NASA. They recently spent two years living in Washington, D.C., and enjoy visiting often—especially when the Nats are in town.
Visit Tracy online at www.TracyMarch.com
Don’t miss the first book in the Suddenly Smitten series
THE PRACTICE PROPOSAL
by Tracy March
Liza Sutherland isn’t looking for love. Not from a charity-auction date she didn’t even bid on and especially not with Nationals first baseman Cole Collins, the guy she obsessed over as an awkward teenager. She won’t get involved with a notorious player, no matter how attractive Cole is.
Cole Collins is up for contract renegotiation, but after too many late-night parties, he’ll need some positive publicity before he can make the roster. His agent, Frank, pitches Liza as the perfect prop…only Cole didn’t account for Liza no longer being just a teenager with a crush. She’s gorgeous and smart and he’s instantly hooked.
When Frank makes Liza a deal she can’t refuse—a bet she will fall in love with Cole or a cool half mil goes to charity—the game is on. But neither bet on the real feelings that surface. Could a fake fling turn into an official forever?
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Find your Bliss with Roxanne Snopek’s
FAKE FIANCÉ, REAL REVENGE
So much for sentimentality. He wanted business? She’d give him business.
“About that ring.” She poured his coffee, one sugar, one cream. “Expectations are running high.”
“Thanks for the embarrassment, by the way. Much appreciated.” But he smiled, licked his finger, and marked an imaginary point in the air. “You got me good. Prepare for retaliation.”
“Looking forward to it. Remember, it’s all about size and the one you’re giving me is huge.”
“Oh, so we’re still on that, are we?” He rested his elbows on the counter, his arms crossed, his body angled toward her. “Maybe we ought to refresh your memory. I mean, no question, it’s plenty big…that diamond, I mean. But it seems to me it’s gotten even larger in your fantasies.”
“My memory is fine. And there are no fantasies.” She set her mug on the counter and leaned forward, making sure he had a good view of her cleavage. “But I suspect my taste is a bit more refined now. Since the last time I saw your… diamond, I mean. I know you don’t want to disappoint me.”
Mitch’s gaze seared over her flesh. Then, as her words penetrated, he lifted his eyes, as if coming out of a fog.
“Relax, Mitch, it’s not like I’m planning to seduce you or anything!” Sabrina forced herself to laugh a little harder than necessary. “But this is the kind of banter we’re going to have to do. I’m just giving you a taste of it, so you’re not shocked. Yesterday, you looked like you’d swallowed your tongue.”
His lip twitched. “Been thinking about my tongue, have you?”
She snorted. “Please. You only wish.” But now that he mentioned it…all sorts of memories were returning.
“And I guarantee you,” he drawled slowly, “when it comes to that…diamond…disappointment is not even on the table.” Sabrina gulped. She hadn’t had the conversation in as tight a grip as she’d thought. “Enough of this,” she said hoarsely. She cleared her throat. “Let’s save the flirting for when we need it, okay? Right now, we’ve got to get our facts straight.”
“That was flirting?” He reached out a hand and trailed it over the edge of her V-neck, tracing her collarbone. “Proper flirting is a contact sport. In my opinion, anyway.”
She jerked away. A line of fire burned where he’d touched her, sending sparks throughout her body. Her words were no match for his touch.
“What’s the matter, Sabrina?” Mitch’s expression was a perfect mix of innocence, seduction, and triumph.
“Nothing!” She grabbed his hand and held it against her neck. “Nothing at all. Feel me up all you like. Make it look real. But remember, after this, you’ll be doing it in public and I don’t want to get arrested.”
But instead of pulling away, he threaded his fingers through her hair. All the words she might have used disappeared when he cupped the nape of her head and pulled her toward him. His eyes were mysterious, fathomless, magnetic, and she was powerless against them.
“We should probably practice our kissing, don’t you think?”
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Don’t Miss Tracy March’s sexy and thrilling suspense novel,
GIRL THREE
Available in stores and online now!
Dr. Jessica Croft has avoided the players, the power, and the passions of Washington, DC. But when her estranged sister’s suspicious death is classified as natural, Jessie resolves to expose the murderer. As she pursues elite suspects who’d kill to keep their secrets buried, she encounters sexy security consultant Michael Gillette, who knows more about her sister than he’ll admit.
Michael has a vested interest in Jessie’s plight. Her sister died on his watch--while he wasn’t watching. His plan to find her murderer becomes complicated when Jessie’s father hires him to protect Jessie, and his interest turns from professional…to romantic.
Jessie and Michael must unravel a mystery rife with political agendas, deceit, and betrayal. When confidential papers reveal a fertility scandal surrounding the enigmatic Girl Three, the two realize the danger of exposing the truth. Who is Girl Three? And will the murderer kill again to keep a secret?
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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 and 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.
Bikers and Pearls by Vicki Wilkerson
When rebel biker Bullworth Clayton meets pastel-and-pearls- clad April Church, sparks fly immediately. Sure, April would clearly rather be paired with anyone else, but if working together means a successful charity event for a sick little boy they both care about, then so be it. Bull tempts her to don a pair of leather pants and go for a ride with him, while April desperately tries to keep her wild side hidden from her small town. Can they meet in the middle in order to find love?
Kissing the Maid of Honor by Robin Bielman
Sela Sullivan is resolved to be the best maid of honor ever, even if it means tolerating the best man. Arrogant Luke Watters is not only the guy who humiliated her at a kissing booth in h
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Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris
When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home, the last person she expected to run into was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush, Jason. Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love. In fact, he’s actively avoiding it. But when Colby returns to town, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. When she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason can’t say no. As their relationship heats up, though, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought.