[Release Day] Changing Course by Aly Martinez #giveaway

Title: Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)

Author: Aly Martinez

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 29, 2014

 

Buy the Book

Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble

 

Synopsis

I met Sarah Kate Erickson when I was 21 years old. I was lucky enough to keep her for seven years before a tragic accident stole her from me. She didn’t die, but sometimes I think it would have been easier if she had.

I lived in a haze for those four years after the accident. Catering to her every need, even though she hated the very sight of my face. I tried to hold on to her and the future that we were supposed to build together. But you can’t hold on to someone that doesn’t exist anymore.

It wasn’t until I met Jesse Addison, a barista at the local coffee shop, that I realized I didn’t just lose Sarah that tragic night, I lost myself as well. Jesse taught me how to let go of the past and learn to love again. But what happens when your past haunts your present and the woman you used to love refuses to accept the woman you can’t live without?

 

Excerpt

I met Sarah Kate Erickson seven years ago during a chance meeting at the local library. We were both reaching for the same William Shakespeare Collection. Our hands brushed, sparks flew, and it was love at first sight. We dated for three years, got married, and had sex for the very first time on our wedding night. Well, at least that is the story she made me promise to tell our future children. The truth is that, I met Sarah in a bar while she was approximately one drop of alcohol away from spending the night praying to the porcelain gods. She had on some ridiculously tight red dress and the tallest pair of black fuck-me heels I had ever seen. It was whore-tastic, but damn, she looked amazing. She was already tall for a woman, but in those cock-hardening shoes, she towered over the other women. Her friends were dressed in similarly sexy and in somewhat coordinating outfits. A collaborative effort that was no doubt on purpose. I watched as she asked for another drink from the bartender who stood staring at her partially exposed breasts for a beat too long. She reached across the bar, pushed one finger under his chin, and guided his gaze back to her eyes while she ordered drinks. She then turned and leaned her elbows behind her, propping herself up on the bar, and effectively thrusting her barely covered breasts into the face of every man in the room. It was then I knew I needed to meet them...I mean her...I had to meet her. Sure, staring at her was probably creepy as hell, but I just couldn't take my eyes off her. As cheesy as it sounds, there was just something about the tall blonde that commanded my attention. It didn't hurt that I got an insta-hard on when I thought about those long legs wrapped around my waist. Okay, so maybe staring wasn't the only creepy part.  

About the Author

I’m a 32 year old wife and stay at home mom to four kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. My life is crazy, which is probably why I drink entirely too much wine. Oh who am I kidding, I had a love affair with wine long before the kids came along. I was born and raised in Savannah Georgia, but we recently moved to Chicago. Let me tell you, this southern girl was not ready for the cold weather up here! I’m an avid reader, but I haven’t always been that way. A few years ago my sister loaned me her Nook Color, and it changed my life forever. In the span of about two years, I read over 500 books. My newfound love of reading led me to start a book blog with two of my best friends. (Insert shameless plug here: WhiteZinBookends.com). Through WZ Bookends, I've had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing authors, bloggers, and readers out there. Now that I have taken the leap into writing my own book, they’ve all shown me endless amounts of encouragement and support. While driving home from Walmart one day in late October, a story embedded itself in my head and would not let go. It spiraled out of control until I finally opened my laptop and started writing. This journey has been a wild ride filled with tears, hand cramps, and tons of laughs. I love company, so follow me at one of the social links below and join me aboard this crazy train!  

Connect with Aly

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Email / Goodreads

 

Giveaway

$50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card (winners choice)

(3) Signed Paperbacks of Changing Course with Swag Pack (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Hosted By

Love Between the Sheets Promotions

[BlogTour] Arranged Love by Lacey Wolfe

Arranged Love by Lacey Wolfe

They think they're fooling their parents, but really, the joke's on them.

Kayla Ames's parents could win an award in meddling. Every time she turns around, they're setting her up with someone new. Try as she might, she can't convince them to butt out of her love life.

Ryan Newell isn't looking for love. After having his heart torn to shreds by his ex, he's determined to never again fall in love and leave himself that vulnerable to being hurt. His parents, however, believe he just needs some help finding the right woman, and their friends' daughter, Kayla, might be a perfect match.

Realizing they both have the same problem—parents who won't stop nagging them about finding a partner—Ryan and Kayla agree to an arrangement of sorts. All they have to do is pretend to date, and they don't even have to see each other, they can discuss the details of their "dates" via email. But then the email conversations lead to real dates, and Kayla finds herself struggling to keep her feelings for Ryan in check as he's made it clear love will not enter into the equation for him. Then Kayla's parents suddenly announce they're getting a divorce, and she begins to wonder if maybe Ryan has the right idea.

When it all gets to be too much for Kayla, she has a hard decision to make—agree to stay with Ryan and never experience love, or walk away for her chance to find it.

Content Warning: contains adult language and graphic sexual content

Excerpt:

Leaning forward, Kayla grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. It was early still and since she wasn't tired, sleep wasn't an option. She could go out again. Maybe call a friend to go to a club or something. Or she could go back to the bar from last night…no, no she couldn't.

If she went out though, she'd have to change. And she was really comfortable. She grabbed the remote again, and as the TV turned on, she swore she heard someone tap on her door. Was Bunny chewing on something she shouldn't be?

Kayla got off the couch, but saw the rabbit had taken a corner and was lying there, far away from the front door. She peeked through the peephole and, to her surprise, she saw Doug, or whatever his name was. Why was he there? And what was he carrying in his hands?

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. "Hi."

"It's nice to see you again." He smiled an oh-so-sexy grin. "Your parents sent me with food. They insisted I get this to you right away."

"They did, huh?"

He held the bag out to her and she took it. "Could I come in?"

She sucked in her bottom lip and weighed her choices. Send him away and be done with this, or see what he wants. What did she have to lose? "Sure."

Doug brushed past her into her house. She stood back a moment, watching him as he glanced around and then finally took a seat on her couch. Kayla joined the mystery man in the living room, tossing the bag of food on the coffee table as she sat on the love seat opposite of the couch he was on. Her stomach rumbled as she inhaled the aroma from the bag now sitting on the coffee table.

"So, what brings you by, besides the food?" she asked, and quickly added, "Please tell me your real name as well. It's only fair since you know mine."

"Kayla, and it's a lovely name. Mine is actually Ryan. Ryan Newell." He took a moment to rub his temple and proceeded. "Obviously, our parents are interested in us hooking up."

Hooking up…they'd covered that already. "I'm sorry. My parents are a bit over the top."

"I'd have to agree. Yours are a little worse than mine. Usually my parents leave me alone, but with your folks, it was like they were double-teaming me. They feel very strongly about you and I getting to know one another."

"Figures. I'd say we accomplished that in a way they probably weren't wanting."

He grinned again. Her heart fluttered. She needed to pack this man up and get him out of there.

"Why don't we give them what they want?"

What did he say? He couldn't really want to go along with them. "Excuse me."

"Let's date, for them. It'll get them to leave us alone."

She laughed. He wasn't serious, was he? "Brilliant plan, but I'll pass for now."

"Just hear me out. I'm not looking to fall in love. But if we pretend to be dating, our parents won't try to set us up anymore. We don't even have to see one another. We can discuss our dates and be on the same page with our stories."

"Wait." She held her hand up, staring at the dark-haired man that made her stomach do summersaults. "You're saying we aren't going to actually date. We never have to see one another. But our parents will think we are."

He nodded.

"I'm in." Kayla shrugged. "What could go wrong?"

 Buy Links:  Beachwalk Press

About the Author:

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.

Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

Author Links:    Site     Twitter    Facebook

[Book Tour] Live by Mary Ann Rivers #giveaway #guestpost

Live: The Burnside Series by Mary Ann Rivers

Loveswept

January 21, 2014

Blurb

Mary Ann Rivers kicks off a new contemporary romance series—sure to please readers of Ruthie Knox, Kristan Higgins, and Jill Shalvis—where love can be found unexpectedly.

If there’s an upside to unemployment, Destiny Burnside may have found it. Job searching at her local library in Lakefield, Ohio, gives her plenty of time to ogle the hottest man she has ever laid eyes on: the sexy wood-carver who’s restoring the building. But as the rejection letters pile up, Destiny finds an unexpected shoulder to cry on. With his rich Welsh accent, Hefin Thomas stirs Destiny so completely that, even though he’s leaving soon, she lets herself believe the memory of his scorching kisses will be enough.

Hefin can’t help but notice the slender, confident woman with ginger hair who returns each day, so hopeful and determined. So when the tears start to fall, his silence—penance for a failed marriage—finally cracks. Once he’s touched her, what Hefin wants is to take her back to Wales and hold her forever. But Destiny’s roots run too deep. What they both need is each other—to learn how to live and love again.

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Live-The-Burnside-Series-ebook/dp/B00FO60EWE

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/live-sam-rivers/1116193483?ean=9780804178211

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/live-the-burnside-series/id721430013?mt=11

Author Info

Mary Ann Rivers was an English and music major and went on to earn her MFA in creative writing, publishing poetry in journals and leading creative-writing workshops for at-risk youth. While training for her day job as a nurse practitioner, she rediscovered romance on the bedside tables of her favorite patients. Now she writes smart and emotional contemporary romance, imagining stories featuring the heroes and heroines just ahead of her in the coffee line. Mary Ann Rivers lives in the Midwest with her handsome professor husband and their imaginative school-aged son.

Connect with Mary Ann Rivers: Facebook | Twitter | Website

Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/11/now-booking-tasty-virtual-tour-for-live.html

If I wasn't an author I'd be a . . . 

I literally can't imagine not being a writer. Some of my first memories are of making up little stories, drawing about them, writing down what I could. I've kept a journal or diary for thirty-one years (I'm 39), and writing is the activity I prefer to do over almost all others. Even if I had never been published, I'd be a writer. Publishing was never the end goal for me -- I've just always been writing. 

I do have a job that I love, however. I'm a pediatric nurse practitioner. Right now, I'm the healthcare provider at a college's student health clinic. In this capacity, I get to talk about things people are worried about, or ashamed about, or have questions about. I get to educate and support women's health. I still work with other kids and newborns, too, which means I get to talk with and work with families. I'm really passionate about knowledge and self-knowledge, and access, and in this job I get to really live all of those ideas in a dynamic way with other people. It's a job I learn so much in, as well. I have a lot of access to education, and I learn a tremendous amount from my patients -- who are amazing. 

So I have this incredible privilege to do what I love in such a way that I am motivated to be better at all the things I do. 

Rafflecopter Giveaway ($25.00 E-book Retailer of Winner’s Choosing, or Loveswept Tote)

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[Cover Reveal] Shot Through the Heart by D'Ann Lindun

Blurb: Laramie Porter has tried to get her drug-addicted brother help, but he’s refused every time. When Laramie finds his wife—and her best friend—murdered, she vows to have him convicted. Before she can flee, her brother takes Laramie and his wife’s body into the mountains and throws them from a cliff. Somehow, Laramie lands on a ledge. After what her brother has done, Laramie doesn’t want to ever believe in another man, but Derrick earns her trust when he protects her from the man who would see her dead.

To cover up the evidence of his crime, Lawrence starts a wildfire. 

 Derrick Garrison is through with women after he learns his ex-wife was a bigamist who only wanted his money. Believing a lightning strike has started a wildfire, he’s pushing his cattle out of harm’s way when he discovers a woman huddled on a cliff side. Derrick can’t believe the same sheriff who helped bring his ex to justice murdered his wife. But when the cocaine addicted lawman tracks Laramie through a raging fire, attempting to kill them both, Derrick becomes a true believer. His protective instinct kicks in and he falls in love with the woman in danger.

Together, they survive the fire, the attempts on their lives and a bounty on their heads…to see justice served. And fall in love.

Bio: Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, D’Ann Lindun never thought about writing one until many years later when she took a how-to class at her local college. She was hooked! She began writing and never looked back. Romance appeals to her because there's just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. D’Ann’s particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them. This is probably because she draws inspiration from the area where she lives, Western Colorado, her husband of twenty-nine years and their daughter. Composites of their small farm, herd of horses, five Australian shepherds, a Queensland heeler, two ducks and cats of every shape and color often show up in her stories!

I love to hear from readers! Please contact me at

dldauthor@frontier.net

http://dlindunauthor.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DLindunAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/DAnn-Lindun/e/B008DKL9TU

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HYEM5N0

LIMITED TIME-- $.99 RE-LAUNCH!!!

2014 is the BOMB! My Update & News!

Hello my lovely readers! It's been a long time since I've had the chance to sit and update on my writing. Last year was a beginning to a new me -- as a published author and following my dreams!
This year is all about holding on to my dream!

This year is definitely starting out with a BANG!

NEWS #1

First, I signed on with an agent, Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency! Woo hoo! I am super excited to work with Dawn and have already learned so much from her and her other clients. What a support group to be a part of! Hopefully there will be more news about New York Minute and my Manhattan Moments series this year. 

To find out more about my agency, click HERE.

NEWS #2

Love and Other Games is on another blog tour, to get us all ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics Games. You can follow the tour HERE

To celebrate our sexy new cover, the anthology is on sale for only 99 cents for a limited time! Don't miss your chance to join the excitement the Olympic Games!

News #3

I am super excited to share that I'm now working for Anaiah Press as the Public Relations Manager. This is the perfect job for me as I studied PR in college and I love to work with authors/bloggers/media. Check out this new faith-based press at www.anaiahpress.com

So, as you can see, this year has started out FANTASTIC! What is to come?

Again, I work with the #GoldenGirls from Love and Other Games, plus a few more fantastic authors that I'm very lucky to write with and publish a St. Patrick's Day anthology called One Lucky Night.

Not only that, but we have another anthology planned toward the end of the year called Covetous Curse. This is my first time working on a paranormal romance and my WIP takes place during the 1940's!

Besides that, you should expect to see great things come from my series, Manhattan Moments. BIG things are coming! I just know it!

I look forward to writing more on my blog this year and sharing all my great news! Please write me a note to let me know what you think of my plans, my work, my novels or just to share a joke. I'm fun that way!

Here's to a great 2014!

[Book Tour] Vision of Shadows by Vincent Morrone #giveaway

Today is my stop during the blog tour for Vision of Shadows by Vincent Morrone. Vision of Shadows is published by Entranced Publishing. This blog tour runs from 30 December till 19 January, you can view the whole tour schedule on Vincent Morrone his website.

Vision of Shadows (Vision #1)
by Vincent Morrone
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Release Date: December 30, 2013

Blurb:
Is Bristol Blackburn about to meet the love of her life...or her killer?
After the death of her parents, Bristol Blackburn's life is thrown into chaos and she's forced to move to Spirit, a small town where shadows are stirring. As she learns to navigate her new school and figures out how to keep her psychic abilities secret from her family, Bristol comes face to face with the boy who makes a regular appearance in her dreams: the gorgeous, possibly deadly, Payne McKnight. Soon she’ll find out if Payne will be the love of her life, or the end of it — and she has no idea which possibility scares her more.
And that's not even the worst of it. Strange shadows are haunting her dreams, and they're up to something that could put Bristol and the lives of everyone she loves in jeopardy.

You can add Vision of Shadows to your to-read list on Goodreads

You can find more about Vision of Shadows on the Entranced Publishing website.

Want to chat with Bristol, the main character of this series? Well she has her own twitter account.

Vision of Secrets (Vision #0.5)
by Vincent Morrone
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2013

Blurb:
Bristol understands secrets. She's got plenty of her own, ranging from the annoying ghost that keeps showing up and attempting to sing Copacabana, (badly) to the visions of a terrifying future that is getting closer each day.
Bristol knows secrets can kill. She's getting flashes of a boy racked with guilt over his secret. And a girl who's prank might lead to someone's death.
Vision of Secrets is a free prequel introduces you to Bristol Blackburn before the explosive events in Vision of Shadows and let's you see how a young girl deals with her Visions of Secrets!

You can add Vision of Shadows to your to-read list on Goodreads

You can download Vision of Secrets for free from smashwords

About the Author:

Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, Vincent Morrone now resides in Upstate NY with his wife. (Although he can still speak fluent Brooklynese.) His twin daughters remain not only his biggest fans, but usually are the first to read all of his work. Their home is run and operated for the comfort and convenience of their dogs.

Vincent has been writing fiction, poetry and song lyrics for as long as he can remember, most of which involve magical misfits, paranormal prodigies and even on occasion superheroes and their sidekicks.

As they say in Brooklyn: Yo, you got something to say to Vincent?
Check out http://vincentmorrone.com/ where you can learn about Vincent and leave him a comment. You can also connect with Vincent on Twitter https://twitter.com/Vince524 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Morrrone.


You can find and contact Vincent Morrone here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads

Vincent also participates in a group blog called YA Rush which consist of YA and NA Entranced authors. You can find YA Rush here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Pinterest

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

A little of both. I do plan them out. I see them in my head, jot down in my notes certain traits. I hear their voice in my head well before I write, but once I begin, they also take on a life of their own. Things occur to me. In Vision of Shadows, I’ve got a character named Maggie. She’s the MC’s best friend. I knew right away that she was going to be a little insecure, a lot zany and just an awful lot of fun, but somewhere along the way I decided that her clothes would be as colorful as her personality.

One of your favorite quotes.

“Looks like we’re gonna have ourselves a ROCK AND ROLL PARTY TONIGHT!! Paul Stanley, KISS Alive. I’ve heard that in my head since I was kid and I first heard that record!

Do you have a website recommendation for other writers?

Absolute Write Water Cooler. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php

Great place for writers. They have places where you can brainstorm ideas, get help on query letters, specific genre help, questions on syntax and grammar, get technical help and on and on. It’s also a great place to network. That’s how I met Eden Plantz who signed me with Entranced. Along with fellow Entranced author Nicole Camp who nudged me in that direction.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

Well, I’ve got a really long book called The Dragon Club which I love but it needs major revision. I would also really love to write a great zombie book. I’m a huge fan of the walking dead as well as the zombie books by Joe McKinney. I’ve read a lot of zombie books. Some are really bad, cliché with nothing but the idea of mindless zombies roaming around eating people. Others are truly fantastic because there’s a story there that’s original like Aria Kane’s Once Upon a Darkness and Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies.

 What is your favorite scene in your new release?

This is a hard question for me because there are so many that come to mind, but I think I’ll go with the scene where Bristol is in the woods alone with Payne. There’s a lot of humor, sexual tension and sadness all wrapped together.

What’s your favorite body part of the opposite sex?

Eyes. I love a great pair of eyes.

What does love feel like?

It feels like being home.

Hey, baby! What’s your sign?

Gemini. Not that I think that’s important.

If you could take a romantic trip, where would it be?

A cruise to Alaska.

How did you meet your significant other?

My mother saw a singles add in a local paper. She pointed it out to me, thinking the person would be a good fit. Hey, you can’t argue with Mom!

Boxers or Briefs?

I actually wear boxer, briefs.

Boxers or Briefs?

If I want to finish, planner.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee

Vanilla or chocolate?

Vanilla. I’m the only one in my house who would say that.

Cat or dog?Dog. I’ve got 3. A black lab named Toby, a dark brindle named Molly and an Old English Bulldog puppy named Lilly.

Backpacking or luxury hotel?

Hotel. All the way.

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Vision of Shadows.
Here is what you can win:
- 1 Vision of Shadows Pen
- 1 Vision of Shadows Calender
- 1 Vision of Shadows Pen & calender
- 1 Vision of Shadows Pen and calender in a Vision of Shadows canvas bag
- 1 Vision of Shadows Pen, calender in Vision of Shadows canvas bag and an e-copy Vision of Shadows

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win:
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[Release Day] Tango Love by Nicole Flockton #giveaway

Tango Love

By: Nicole Flockton

Blurb

A sexy short story about being in love with your best friend — and discovering it takes two to tango.

Melinda Jones has been in love with her housemate, James Brady, since he moved in...but she has no intention of ever telling him. Except it seems James has his own plans...and they include asking her to share a sexy tango — then a little dirty dancing in his bed.

For Melinda, it's the best night of her life...until she wakes up alone the next morning. Is she destined to spend her life dancing by herself, or will James step up to be the partner of her dreams?

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tango-Love-novella-Nicole-Flockton-ebook/dp/B00GXUXOGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385851346&sr=8-1&keywords=tango+love+nicole+flockton

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/tango-love-novella

Link to Follow the Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/11/now-booking-release-day-tasty-book.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18805750-tango-love?ac=1

Author Info

On her very first school report her teacher said ‘Nicole likes to tell her own stories’.

It wasn’t until after the birth of her daughter and after having fun on the community board of eharlequin.com that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.

The stories she writes are contemporary romances with either a medical setting or in the boardrooms of high powered business. Nicole enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.

Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and her two fabulous kids.

Author Links

http://www.nicoleflockton.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NicoleFlockton

https://twitter.com/NicoleFlockton

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479388.Nicole_Flockton

Rafflecopter Giveaway ($15.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card)

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Excerpt

“What’s a pretty girl like you sitting at a bar all by herself?”

That voice. So smooth, like warm chocolate sauce sliding down your throat. Such a shame it was the lamest pick-up line in history. That voice deserved something so much better.

Melinda Jones turned, a light shiver tingling down her spine as she locked eyes with a pair of deep blue ones.

“Please tell me you don’t use that line all the time.”

His laughter rumbled through her soul, and gooseflesh rippled down her arms. She was in serious trouble. The man should be locked up. No woman was safe from his voice or his laugh. No wonder he had such a good success rate with the opposite sex.

“Only for you, babe, would I use a line like that. I know I’m pretty safe from getting a swift hit in the ribs with your elbow.”

“It just gets better and better. I’m going to dance, excuse me.”

And with that, Melinda dumped her wine glass on the bar, slipped off the chair and headed for the dance floor to join her friends. It was stupid to feel so hurt but she did. James didn’t know she had feelings for him, so she really had no reason to be angry. To him, she was just his housemate; the girl he could joke around with and test his pick up lines on.

The fact that she’d fallen in love him was her problem. He was the perfect housemate. He cooked, cleaned, ironed and listened. He even watched chick flicks with her sometimes.

He was the perfect guy and to him, she was just Melinda; the girl whose house he shared. He’d never once batted an eyelid when she’d brought guys home. In the beginning, she hadn’t batted an eyelid when he’d done the same and bought girls home. The fact that she hadn’t gotten laid in over six months wasn’t his issue. It was totally hers.

The realisation she’d fallen for him had been one Friday night when they’d been sharing Chinese. He’d said something and she’d looked over at him and WHAM that was when it had hit her. She’d fallen for him.

Mooning over a guy who wasn’t into you was the least attractive trait in a woman. How many times had she’d told her friends that? Now it was time to take her own advice and get over her feelings for James.

Melinda danced with her friends. She laughed at their jokes and gave the impression she didn’t have a care in the world.

“I’m getting a drink!” She shouted to her friends over the incessant thump of bass. They nodded and continued to dance.

Melinda headed towards the bar, wishing she’d worn her favourite, comfortable Jimmy Choos, instead of the new ones she’d bought that day. The shoes may have had sex written all over them, but they were pinching her toes.

She sat down on a recently vacated bar stool and ordered a fresh glass of white wine. Waiting for the bartender to return with it she looked around the club. The crowd had built while she’d been dancing. The testosterone level had risen tenfold.

As she gazed around, her eyes stopped at a pair of broad shoulders. His t-shirt fit him like a second skin.

Now that was the type of distraction she was looking for. She wanted—no needed—a body that night. Anything to take her mind off the one body she couldn’t have. It didn’t really matter that he wasn’t the hottest guy on the earth. At that moment Mr Heavenly Shoulders turned in her direction and locked eyes with Melinda.

Yes the night was definitely looking up, she thought.

Melinda gave him her come-hither smile. The invitation she was sending his way was very clear. The wink he gave in return told Melinda he was interested in taking her up on her offer.

The bartender arrived at that moment with her fresh drink. She reached for it, bringing it slowly to her lips, all the while watching and waiting for Mr Heavenly Shoulders to make his way to her. He’d taken two steps when he stopped abruptly, the flirty look stripped from his face.

He shrugged the heavenly shoulders she’d been imagining wrapping her arms around as if to say, “Thanks but not tonight.” He turned back to his friends.

“What the…?” There was no possible way she’d misread that look in his eye.

“He was only after one thing, you know.”

Melinda whirled around and faced the owner of the voice. The last voice she’d expected to hear warning her off a man. “Of course I knew exactly what he wanted. I invited him. I wanted to have wild animal sex with him.”