She’s his little sister’s best friend—totally off limits. But then again, this tattooed bad boy has never followed the rules.
Maddie:
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with Nathan Burns. We met when I was six and twenty years later, I love him still. But he’ll never see me as anything other than his little sister’s best friend—a pest—if he even thinks of me that much. I’ve got to face facts. He’s not into me. He’ll never be into me.
It’s beyond time to move on.
Nathan:
I swear I blinked and my little sister’s best friend—a woman who’s about as off-limits as it can get—grew up. And she’s hot as hell. When did that happen? It doesn’t help that she’s everywhere now—at our weekly family dinner nights, sleeping on my brother’s couch next door, lying out in our complex’s swimming pool in a barely-there bikini. And who are these losers hanging around her lately? None of them are worthy of the woman she’s become. Then again, neither am I.
And when I stumble across her profile on a hook up app, all bets are off.
To say I wasn’t in a great mood would be an understatement. I went to bed pissed off at my brothers, the production company, and most of the world—and woke up the same way. If not worse.
Although the honey sunning at the side of the pool was a pleasant distraction.
Hello, hottie.
I couldn’t see her face—she was on her stomach with her head turned away from the building, but her body was banging—curvy and plump in that way that got me hard with just one look. Her dark chocolate hair was up in one of those messy buns girls liked to do to keep their hair out of their face. It was easy to imagine it coming down her back in a luscious curtain. And me holding it in a fist as I knelt behind her…
Fuck.
I hadn’t met whoever had moved into the end unit, but it was past time that I introduce myself.
Ducking inside, I stripped down, pulled on board shorts and my favorite pair of flip flops. After grabbing a towel, some book Sabrina had been nagging me to read, and a pair of sunglasses, I shut and locked my door behind me and made for the pool.
I didn’t have any kind of a plan. Didn’t know what I was going to say. Or do. I figured I’d just wing it.
Reaching the condo’s pool, I tossed my stuff on a lounger. Ms. Hottie was in the same place, only now her head was turned the other way, so I still couldn’t see her face. From all appearances, and despite the book next to her, she was sleeping.
I didn’t want to look like the creeper I was clearly being, so I did the only thing I could think of.
I jumped in.
Diving into the deep end, I started swimming laps. My arms and legs moving in a comfortable rhythm. Soothing. After the second lap, I forgot about the beautiful girl I wanted to talk to. After about the fifth lap, I forgot my anger with my brothers. After the tenth, I forgot about my rage against our producer, James. After my twentieth lap, my stomach started growling.
Damn, I was hungry.
Resting my arms against the edge, I panted a little and took a break. My stomach growled again. Or maybe I was done. I needed breakfast.
“I didn’t know you kept up with your swimming,” Maddie’s voice sounded from my left.
I turned my head and because of the quick glimpse of her I got, I lost my grip. I plunged back into the pool with a splash, water invading my lungs.
Ms. Hottie was Maddie.
Maddie.
As in my little sister’s best friend, Maddie.
The revelation looped in my brain as I fought back to the surface. Breaking through, I coughed as I tried to breathe again. I pulled myself up onto deck, splayed out on my belly. But I didn’t stay there long.
Hands pulled against torso, urging me to my side. I blinked, and Maddie’s face came into focus as she hovered worriedly above me.
“Oh my god. Are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?”
I tried to scoff, but it came out a rough cough and forced more liquid outta me.
“Let’s get you into the recovery position. Hand under your head and this leg bent.”
My eyes crossed as Maddie leaned over me, her plump breasts straining against her itty-bitty bikini and only centimeters from my mouth.
When the hell did little Maddie Roberts get a body like that?
Christ, how had I missed all of this?
“Nathan? Nathan, are you okay? Oh god. I’m just gonna run in and grab Hope. She’s taken some first aid classes for the Boys and Girls Club. She’ll know what to do.”
The panic in her voice snapped me out of my haze. “Maddie, I’m fine.”
My wheezing breaths belied my words, but I’d stopped her from racing away.
Although, given the way her tits bounced with only a few steps, I was kinda sad when she stopped moving.
Fuck, what was wrong with me? This was my little sister’s best friend. Maddie firmly belonged in the friend zone. No matter how little her bikini was and how deliciously she filled it out.
Friend. Zone.
Right, my dick mocked as it pressed against my board shorts. I’d like to get friendly with her.
Gillian has a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering but prefers to spend her time on happily ever after. She writes the kind of stories she loves to read—the hotter the better!
When Gillian’s not pounding away on the keyboard, she can be found surfing the couch indulging in her latest reality tv fixation, baking something ridiculously tasty (and horrible for her waist line) or snuggling with her husband.
Home is currently in the wilds of Nevada with her amazing husband, ridiculously cute kiddo, and goofy dog.
One look at Grant Riggins standing in my bakery looking at me like I’m his last meal is enough to know I’m in way over my head.
He’s relentless in his pursuit. The kind of man I could get lost in. But Grant makes me wish for things I can’t have.
I’ve finally got my life back. The last thing I need is to fall for the first man to give me a second glance, even if he does seem sincere in his efforts to win me over.
Grant
Aurora Steele smiles shyly across the counter, captivating me with her warm hazel eyes and effortless beauty.
Her bakery is filled with mouthwatering treats, but the thing I crave the most is not on the menu. I know one taste of Aurora will never be enough.
She’s different than other women, and she’s definitely immune to the Riggins charm. But I’ll prove to her I’m different too, and kiss by kiss, I’ll make her mine.
Kaylee Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. When she’s not spinning tales of happily ever after, she’s reading or spending time with family. Born and raised an Ohio girl, Kaylee resides in Cincinnati with her husband and their son.
Running away from her wedding seemed like the perfect option, until the best man decides to chase her.
When Ash Grayson agreed to stand in as best man at his friend’s wedding, he was only doing it to get a glimpse at the single women in the crowd.
He never thought that the one catching his eye would be the bride to be.
Dixie Sutton was beautiful—long flowing black hair, huge doe eyes, with curves a man could drive for miles.
And those are just a few of the things that Ash likes.
Ash’s friend might be mad as hell when Dixie stops the wedding, but Ash?
He’s determined to chase down the runaway bride and make sure she stays in Alaska with a ring on her finger.
His ring.
Welcome back to the town of Matrimony, Alaska. A town full of Mountain Men looking for the women of their dreams. I’m bringing you back in town just in time for the New Year. Ash has plans to ring out 2020 happily ever after style.
Please note this book is a standalone, safe, drama free, and tied up in a pretty bow.
Stella Hartley doesn’t believe in fairytales. After all, even Cinderella didn’t spend her day up to her elbows in other people’s plumbing. But when an unplanned pregnancy sent her life off course, it was the community in Sweetbriar Cove that stepped up to offer a hand. Now, she’s proud of her business and the life she’s built for her son. She isn’t expecting Prince Charming to walk through the door — and she definitely doesn’t expect him to take the shape of the handsome high-achiever who owes her a kiss…
Aidan Kinsella was on top of the world — until one reckless error sent him crashing back down to earth. Now he’s hiding out in Sweetbriar Cove, trying to plan his next move. Except it turns out, his feisty neighbor is a constant distraction. She’s down-to-earth, practical — and practically irresistible.
Soon, sparks are flying between the unlikely couple, but Stella isn’t looking to play games. Their attraction spells major trouble for the steady life she’s worked so hard to build, and as they grow closer, she can’t help wondering when their fairytale romance will have to end. Will the story finish too soon, or can Stella and Aidan find their happily-ever-after?
Find out in the swoon-worthy new Sweetbriar Cove story – featuring all your favorite characters!
A small-town girl, Melody grew up in the English countryside before moving to Los Angeles. She is now a New York Times bestselling author of feel-good contemporary romance novels, and is also currently writing for the upcoming BRIDGERTONS television adaptation from Netflix. She has two cats.
Owen Riggins is too good to be true… the best things in life usually are. He’s good looking, generous, and interested in me. Too bad someone like him and someone like me aren’t meant to be together.
He’s used to the best things in life, and I’ve grown up with the worst. Building a better life means working hard and staying on track, not falling for some sexy suit with a brooding stare who is just passing through.
Life has taught me not to trust, and even though I want him more than anything, I don’t need his charity or his love…
Owen
When a friend sends me to Florida to scout out a hotel, it’s the gorgeous waitress with the shy smile and the worn-out shoes I can’t take my eyes off of.
Layla Massey is quiet, beautiful, and in need of a little help— even if she won’t admit it. A generous tip was meant to buy her some suitable shoes, not buy her love. I want to earn that all on my own.
I’m used to women throwing themselves at me, the name, the money… but she wants neither. It makes me want her all the more.
Little by little, she opens up and piece by piece, she’s taking my heart.
Kaylee Ryan is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. When she’s not spinning tales of happily ever after, she’s reading or spending time with family. Born and raised an Ohio girl, Kaylee resides in Cincinnati with her husband and their son.
One plus-size woman who wants to have a child via artificial insemination because her biological clock is ticking. One reclusive billionaire who is more than willing to give her the kid she wants…the natural way. Two people who might very well discover that what they’d wanted at the beginning of their relationship isn’t what they’d really needed at all!!!
Laura:
I have everything I’ve always wanted. A successful career as a plus-size model, a new business that’s flourishing, financial security, and amazing friends who I know will always have my back.
So everything should be perfect in my world, right? I should be content.
Unfortunately, I’m not. I want to have a child, and my biological clock is ticking way too loudly for my liking. Since every man I’d ever dated was a jerk, I was okay with not having a man in my life. I’d already decided I was better off without one. Problem was, I did need a baby daddy, so my only solution was to find a sperm donor, and I was ready to do exactly that at a fertility clinic…until a very unlikely source, billionaire Mason Lawson, offers to knock me up the natural way.
I mean, really? How can a woman who wants to have a child not consider Mason’s offer? The man was every woman’s fantasy, including mine. I can’t even look at him without wanting to tear his clothes off and find out what’s underneath that cool, businesslike, billionaire facade.
Honestly though, I just don’t understand his motives. Why would he want to have an intimate relationship with a plus-size woman like me? Not that I wouldn’t love to dip into his “gene pool,” but why in the world does he want to be the father of my child?
I wasn’t about to accept his offer. There would be way too many complications, but I’m still intrigued by the man who put that option out there in the first place.
Why did he do it?
Somebody like Mason is the man a woman really wants, but can never have.
He’s the unattainable.
Still, as Mason starts a sensual game of seduction with me, I’m finding it almost impossible to resist
J.S. “Jan” Scott is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of steamy romance. She’s an avid reader of all types of books and literature. Writing what she loves to read, J.S. Scott writes both contemporary steamy romance stories and paranormal romance.
They almost always feature an Alpha Male and have a happily ever after because she just can’t seem to write them any other way!
She lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her husband and two very spoiled German Shepherds.
Bethany Lopez is a USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty books and has been published since 2011. She’s a lover of all things romance, which she incorporates into the books she writes, no matter the genre.
When she isn’t reading or writing, she loves spending time with family and traveling whenever possible.
Bethany can usually be found with a cup of coffee or glass of wine at hand, and will never turn down a cupcake!
And all are single, over the next year things are going to change.
If you read the Iron Orchids then you fell in love with the sassy heroines, strong friendships, and steamy romances. It’s time to meet the new girl gang- the Iron Badges.
Get a taste of each of these ladies’ personalities as they have a night to remember at an All Male Strip Show.
Then sit back, coming June fourth is Book 1 in the series – Book ’em Sadie.
I stared at myself in the mirror for what had to be the tenth time this morning, making sure that my pins were perfect and my shirt was pressed. The only things that weren’t sexy were the boots, but hey, I didn’t mind them since they were part of the standard uniform of all motorcycle deputies. Who would have ever guessed that I, Sadie Kathryn Lazar, would become a motorcycle deputy? I still got butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. I mean . . . why wouldn’t I? I was getting ready to roll out on two wheels of county-owned property, and it would be up to me so save the people of Orange County Florida from danger. Okay, more often than not I was saving them from their own stupidity and I wasn’t doing it alone, but whatever. There were other deputies and city police officers and state troopers, but I was part of that team. I was twenty-eight fucking years old, and even though I wasn’t a kid any longer, this was a lot of responsibility. A lot of pressure.
I grew up watching Cops with my daddy. I was all about bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do thanks to that show, and I never wavered from my career choice.
My ten-minute warning alarm signaled it was time for me to get my ass in gear. After sliding my gun into its holster, I grabbed my helmet and marched out of my small duplex. I opened the door to my tiny garage door, which was truly meant for storage and rolled out my motorcycle before reporting in to dispatch.
“Thirteen twenty-two, ten-eight.”
“Orange County copies. 05:57 hours.” Dispatch confirmed that I was logged in and on duty.
I fired the engine on my bike and then rolled back on the throttle. To many, the roar of the engine might as well have been a foreign language, but to me, it was my native tongue.
As the early morning sun warmed my cheeks and the wind whipped against me, I hummed and maneuvered through the rush hour traffic. It wasn’t even ten minutes after beginning my shift that my call signal rang out across the radio.
“Thirteen twenty-two.”
“Thirteen twenty-two, go ahead.”
“Are you available to support a search at Mills and Colonial?”
“Ten-four, show me fifty-one, be there in under five.” After letting dispatch know that I was on my way and less than five minutes out, I upped my speed, only slowing when I spotted the three deputy vehicles along a side road. “Hey, what’s going on?” I asked Colton. The guy had been on the force about as long as I had.
“Hey, Sadie, this is one of those stories that is totally Cops worthy.”
“Oh, do tell.”
“It seems that Wanda”—he pointed to a tall woman in gold stilettos and a catsuit (the pleather kind, not the furry kind)—“and her best friend Pammy are no longer best friends.”
“Why?” I asked with all the fake concern I could muster, and Colton nodded with his own fake concern for their friendship.
“Wanda believes that Pammy stole her client.”
“Well, that isn’t a very best friend like thing to do, is it?” “Nope. Not at all.” Colton was clearly trying to keep himself from laughing.
“Apparently, his name is John, and he’s a very loyal . . . client.” Colton raised an eyebrow.
“It’s six o’clock in the fucking morning. If that doesn’t say loyal, I don’t know what does. So, why the sudden change of heart from our friend John the Client?”
“Oh.” Colton finally lost it and let out a chuckle. “I’ll let them tell you. I don’t want to deprive you of any of the joy.” Colton gave me a knowing grin and I shook my head as I flipped him off and made my way over to the two women.
I walked over. “Oh, good, missy, you need to arrest her. She’s a thief.”
“I ain’t no thief, I’m a hooker.” I looked over my shoulder to Colton, who had moved to stand with Dan and Enzo. All three were watching me with bored expressions. I knew better, and would pay each one of them back for this nonsense. Three male deputies, and they called me.
“Ladies, since the dispute has to do with business, this is actually a civil case and not criminal. You need to get an attorney and sue through the courts. Perhaps you can even try to get loss of income.” Yeah, I said that last part with a straight face, looking for all the world to be nothing more than a helpful officer handing out helpful advice.
“Wanda, I ain’t taking no Johns from you,” Pammy said. “I’m gonna be truthful, okay? I stole some of your Oxys. But, girl, you got so many from that guy you blew, you didn’t even miss none.”
I wanted to groan. Fuck, I needed to do a search.
“Okay, ladies,” I said as I pulled out black plastic gloves. “I’m going to need you to step away from each other. If you could please face the car.” “What you doing, bitch? You ain’t arresting her, she’s my best friend.” Wanda, who just seconds ago was claiming that they were no longer friends, looked ready to fight for said friendship.
About the Author
Before becoming a romance writer, Danielle was a body double for Heidi Klum and a backup singer for Adele. Now, she spends her days trying to play keep away from Theo James, who won’t stop calling her or asking her out.
And all of this happens before she wakes up and faces reality where in fact she is a 50-something mom with grown kids. She’s been married longer than Theo’s been alive, and she now gets her kicks riding a Harley.
As far as her body, she can thank Ben & Jerry’s for that, as well as gravity and vodka. But she says that she could never be Adele’s backup since she never stops saying the F-word long enough to actually sing.
Danielle writes about kickass women with even better shoes and the men that try to tame them (silly, silly men).
They were supposed to be together forever. That was the plan, but through a cruel twist of fate the night before their three-year anniversary, Tex Davis lost the one man he would ever love, Memphis King. A year has passed and he still hasn’t been able to move on. Everyone tells him it’s time, but what do they know? Memphis was his partner in love and life. Losing him, broke Tex.
Tex has been given an opportunity to move from New York to Seattle. His friends and family are encouraging him to take it, but he has already decided to decline the offer because that would mean leaving Memphis behind.
Then something happened.
Whether it be fate or something else, Memphis came back to him. Tex’s first love is supposed to help him move on, but not even Memphis can bring himself to force Tex to let him go.
Is it so wrong to want to spend forever with the person you loved most? Both hearts are begging to be unbroken.
1 –
One year. One year since Tex had lost Memphis. One year since his lover had been killed, and it had yet to get easier. Everyone kept telling him it would, it never did. There were times he thought about ending it all, and then he would feel something…hear something, making him change his mind.
Actually, sometimes he thought he was losing it.
And today, he called in sick to work, unable to get out of bed until this afternoon. When he finally emerged, he only relocated to the living room after grabbing a full bottle of Southern Comfort, plopping down on the sofa. The very sofa he and Memphis picked out together. It had been their first major furniture decision when they decided to move in together. The moment the delivery men left, Tex and Memphis broke it in thoroughly, wearing themselves out.
Tex’s eyes looked around the room. It seemed so empty without Memphis, and he felt so lost without his lover. He’d been sitting here for hours? Minutes? It had to be some amount of time since the bottle was half gone and he was feeling a drunken morose engulfing him, and he could not stop the bitter question from leaving his lips, the very question he had been asking daily since losing his best friend, lover, other half…his everything. “Why? Why Memphis? Why did you have to go? Why did it have to be you and not me?”
Shaking his head, Tex sniffled and brought his glass filled with amber liquid to his lips. “When you left, it completely broke my heart…I’m still broken. I need to hear you say that you love me one more time. A million more times, but that won’t happen. Can’t happen.” He took another gulp, draining the glass before wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
Pouring himself another glassful of liquor, he breathed out as drops of saltwater fell on his coffee table. He should probably stop drinking and put himself to bed to finish wallowing there, but he couldn’t. It had been one year. One year since that fateful night…unlucky night more like it. One year since he’d heard Memphis’s voice, touched his body, and the loss Tex felt that night remained just as acute tonight as it did then. He thought time was supposed to heal the wounds, to lessen the pain…lies. All lies. “It’s my fault, Memphis. If I hadn’t been spiteful and allowed that monstrous bitch, jealousy, to cloud my judgment…if only. If only. I regretted everything, regretted that the last words I spoke to you were bitter and vile. I can’t forget you, can’t move on. I’m lonely without you, Memphis. It hurts so much that you aren’t here.” He wailed like a banshee, his cry full of sorrow and pain.
More tears were falling, but he ignored them like he’d done every time they sprang up. It was easy to do after all this time; besides, they didn’t matter. Nothing mattered any longer and hadn’t for a year.
He sobbed again and then got angry. “I wish you could come back to fix me, fix what you destroyed when you left, but that’s a pipe dream. You got mad, said your piece, and then stormed out of here. If you had just waited…” Tex choked on his words.
“You went the other way. Why? Why the other way? Was it because of the bar? The one where we met? Memphis, do you remember? I was sitting at the bar and you walked up to me and gave me that stupid, cheesy pickup line, ‘I seem to have lost my phone number, can I have yours?’ So stupid. I remember I said, ‘That’s a shame because I lost mine too. I guess we’re both screwed.’ You winked at me then. I should have known something bad was going to come out of your mouth…sexy mouth.
‘Not yet, but we could be.’ I laughed. You were always good at making me laugh, making me smile.” Shaking his head and snickering, he poured another glass. If he destroyed his liver, if he got alcohol poisoning, then maybe he could be with Memphis again.
Tex downed the entire glass, hoping that the pain would deaden or that he would stop feeling anything. Maybe if he drank enough, he could join Memphis.
Grabbing a pillow from the couch, Tex threw it across the room, and it bounced off the window overlooking the streets of Manhattan. “You were supposed to go right! You were supposed to go to Christy’s apartment!” He wailed, “Why weren’t you at your sister’s? Why did you have to go the other way? She looked horrible because she had been sick, even her blue hair looked green.” Tex snorted mirthlessly.
It’s been a year and Tex floated through life, unable to move on. “I know I should continue to live for us…for you, but I don’t know how,” Tex’s words ended on a shout, full of rage, and his face was red from more than just the alcohol.
“There has always only been you. You got me when no one else did. You loved me…I loved you. Three years. We were together one night shy of three years. We never got to see four.” Tex fell back and stared up at the blue ceiling with white fluffy clouds painted on it, his tears falling down his face like two rivers. There was no point in wiping them away because there was no end to them, and he couldn’t staunch them even if he tried. Memphis was gone and would forever remain gone.
He chugged the rest of the amber liquid from the bottle and fell to his side onto the couch, resting his head on the cushion. More tears fell. They never stopped. Even if they weren’t falling down his face, his soul cried and mourned the loss of his friend and lover. The pain hadn’t stopped since the day he lost Memphis.
Sitting up, Tex grabbed the bottle of Southern Comfort and raised it into the air, choosing to do away with the glass. “A toast to you and your lost life. Memphis, I still love you, and I wish every single god damned day that you were still here beside me. Each day that passes reminds me that you will never be part of my life again, that you will never hold me, never tease me again. You were funny, caring, sexy, and all mine. Forgive me…God, please forgive me for that night, for accusing you of cheating. I know you loved me. Jealousy is a fucking bitch. Somehow, I’d gotten it into my head that you were leaving me when you weren’t. I found out after. Sometimes I think I killed you. I’m sorry. So, so sorry.” He whimpered as he took in a shaky breath. “Memphis, I will always love you and only you.”
I wish you were here to fix the heart you broke when you died, Memphis, Tex thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Before he fully submitted to the effects of the alcohol though, he felt a set of lips press against his. “Memphis, love…” he slurred, his words tapering off as he finally allowed himself to completely fall into the void.
Fingers running through his short brown curls and the heaviness of someone sitting next to him had Tex leaning into the touch and smiling. “Memphis, I’m trying to sleep,” he argued, pretending not to like the feel of his lover soothing him.
Reality hit a split second later.
Tex’s eyes popped open, but all he saw was the blackness of his blanket because when he slept, he liked to bury himself and only the top of his head could be seen. Pushing it down and away from him, he twisted his head this way and that, trying to figure out why it felt as if someone was playing with his hair when the apartment should have been completely empty save for him. Events from the previous night filtered into his brain, and he shook his head, still scanning the room.
Another thought occurred to him. He was so focused on if it could be Memphis, there was a more logical explanation–thanks to Christy and Wil for planting the idea in his head. Spider! He panicked and grabbed his head, trying to dislodge the bug if it existed, but he found nothing. Instead, much like the night before, he fell off the bed onto the floor, this time hitting his hard head with a loud thud.
“It wasn’t a spider,” Memphis told him, although watching Tex scramble as he did, had been funny as hell. He didn’t know what happened earlier, one minute he had been here in this apartment with Tex, and the next, nothing…blackness. Nothing scary or oppressive, just a void. Some might call it purgatory, but he didn’t think so because if that was the case, why was he allowed to leave and come back to his Tex?
Head snapping up, Tex tried to find the source of the voice, and this time he did, a little easier than last time. With the curtains drawn and the sun beginning to set, the room was dimly lit, and on the bed, on Memphis’s side of the bed, was a…something. Tex wasn’t exactly sure how to describe it. It wasn’t a figure, but it wasn’t exactly nothing either. A mist? No. Smoke? Not really. Shadow? Sort of. It was just there.
“Me-Mem…Memphis?” Tex asked hesitantly. His heart was beating wildly and he was on the verge of hyperventilating as his eyes widened, waiting in anticipation for the answer he would receive. And he didn’t know which way he wanted the…thing to answer. If positive, Tex might be crazy. If negative–in a way–it would be like losing Memphis again. Fuck, he was a wishy-washy asshole!
“Do you remember the night we met? I think I might have told you, but I don’t remember, but the reason I approached you was that I didn’t want Jordan to have you,” Memphis told Tex as if this whole situation was completely normal.
Tex gaped at the bed. The thing sort of had a form, but not really, and while it seemed Memphis voice came from it, it didn’t mean that it was Memphis. “Jordan? What do you mean?” He recalled something about Jordan and that night, but he couldn’t think right now because even if it wasn’t actually Memphis speaking to him, it was his voice. Tex couldn’t stop himself from asking while he tried to decide if he should scream and run for his life to admit himself into the nearest psych ward, or if he should rejoice because his lover had finally come back to him.
“We played pool to decide who would approach you that night. I lost, and when he went to the bathroom to piss out the five beers he drank, I made my move. It was a toss-up if we would remain friends, or if he would punch me in the nuts and never speak to me again.”
“No guy would ever punch another one in the sack.” Tex still wasn’t sure, although, that did sound like something Memphis would say, and definitely something Jordan would threaten if he was pissed off.
Memphis chuckled. “You do remember Jordan, right?”
Jordan Cash came to New Orleans to have fun with his latest fling, however, within twenty-four hours of arriving, he’s been abandoned and finds himself wandering around the city doing the tourist thing alone. Everyone is finding someone to love, but that’s not in the cards for him. He’ll spend his days cheering on his friends and having the time of his life.
He never expected to run into a man who immediately catches his attention in the middle of a graveyard. Did the Voodoo Queen put a spell on him from the beyond?
***
To say that Archer Wolfe is directionally challenged is the understatement of the year. He broke his cellphone and can get lost in the very city he lives in. It’s no surprise he gets turned around, and while trying to find his way, he pushes Jordan into a stone crypt. Not the best way to make a first impression.
Archer isn’t looking for love or anything else, but there is something about the smooth-talking Jordan. It was supposed to be a fling, simply some fun, but he is realizing he doesn’t want Jordan to disappear.
***
Once you’ve found someone who calls to your soul, how do you let go?
Maria Vickers currently lives in St. Louis, MO with her pug, Spencer Tracy. She has always had a passion for writing and after she became disabled in 2010, she decided to use writing as her escape. She believes that life is about what you make of it. You have to live it to the fullest no matter the circumstances.
From a young age, she has always loved books and even dreamed of being an author when she was younger. Growing up in the Navy, she used to weave tales for her siblings and her friends about anything and everything. And when she wasn’t creating her own stories, she had a book in her hand. They transported her to another world. She hopes that with her books, her readers have the same experience and that they can relate to her characters.
Getting sick changed her life forever, but it also opened doors for her that she thought would always be out of reach.
Watch love bloom in the new Sweetbriar Cove romance from New York Times bestselling author, Melody Grace!
Actress Lila Moore is starting over. Escaping Hollywood scandal, she’s hiding out in
Sweetbriar Cove to plan the next chapter in her life. The last thing she wants is an annoyingly handsome man snooping in her business, even if It turns out that he’s not the paparazzi… but her new gardener.
Landscape designer Griffin Forrester doesn’t care about gossip, and he definitely doesn’t
have time for a high-strung client like Lila. He prefers getting dirty planting spring bulbs, not walking the red carpet at a fancy premiere. As far as he’s concerned, their relationship is strictly business. But it turns out, Lila isn’t anything like the diva he expected. And when sparks fly, he can’t stay away…
Soon, the gardens aren’t the only thing blossoming at Rose Cottage. But can Lila trust
enough to open her heart again? And when the past catches up with them, will this unlikely couple find a way to keep love in season all year long?
Find out in the new feel-good romance from Melody Grace!
The Sweetbriar Cove Series:
#1 Meant to Be
#2 All for You
#3 The Only One
#4 I’m Yours
#5 Holiday Kisses
#6 No Ordinary Love
#7 Wildest Dreams
#8 This Kiss
A small-town girl, Melody grew up in the English countryside before moving to Los Angeles. She is now a New York Times bestselling author of feel-good contemporary romance novels, and is also currently writing for the upcoming BRIDGERTONS television adaptation from Netflix. She has two cats.
RT @CarrieAnnRyan: I thought I knew my place, my future. I was right.
FROM SHADOW AND SILENCE (The Final Elements of Five Novel) releases… 14 hours ago
@TheRealHoarse I got my first Covid vax jab on Wednesday! To say I was looking forward to it would be an understatement!! 😃 14 hours ago
