Good morning! Welcome to a little teaser from NEVER A BRIDE, my January 21, 2020 contemporary romance release. In this scene, Carlo and Emma have spent the night together, but probably not in the way that both would have expected.
Teaser
Emma woke to tempting warmth and a teasing tickle against her cheek. Half asleep, she tried to smooth away whatever was causing it and encountered a wall of hard muscle and crisp chest hair. She groaned and screwed her eyes shut as memories of the night before pummeled her brain.
“You okay?” Carlo said and his deep voice rumbled through her, awakening other parts of her body.
“I am so so sorry,” she said and met his amused gaze.
“I have to confess that in all the dreams I had about our first night together – ”
“You dreamed about us being together?” she asked and her heart pounded, rushing blood to all those already alert parts.
With a half-grin, he shifted so they were face-to-face on the pillow and covered the hand she had splayed on his chest. “I never imagined our first night together or the morning after would be quite like this.”
There was no mistaking the look in his eyes and what he had expected, but that didn’t keep her from saying, “What did you imagine?”
My transformation continues and I’m happy to say the scale keeps on going down. Ready to hit another milestone soon and go for another one. If you’re on your own journey, I hope it is going well for you, but if it isn’t going as you wish, just remember anything is possible. To help you with that thought I’m sharing this amazing inspirational video that was shared with me! This man’s transformation is amazing and if you don’t cry while watching this video . . .
I hope you had a nice day yesterday! I spent the day with my sis at the amazing Longwood Gardens and you can check out some of the photos below.
And now, don’t forget to have some fun today by entering the Never a Bride Cover Reveal giveaways! Today is the last day and I can’t wait to pick winners for all these awesome giveaways. You can find the giveaways at these links:
Just one day left until the Cover Reveal Party and Giveaways! Yes, you read that right, giveawayS as in one each hour from 10 to 3 plus some awesome teasers and Behind the Scenes of my January release NEVER A BRIDE, #3 in the At the Shore series.
Please join me at my Facebook Fan page tomorrow, December 11, from 10 am to 3 pm EST for lots of fun.
Sorry about being absent last week, but I caught some kind of bug and it really laid me low. So low I wasn’t able to keep up with my regular exercise routine for most of the week. I was back at it a little yesterday with a slow walk on the treadmill which was about as much as I could handle. Hopefully, I’ll improve each day this week.
Today’s Motivation Monday is about keeping to some kind of fitness schedule and by fitness I mean “activity” in any way, shape or form. One of the things I’ve done in the last year in my desire for a new healthier lifestyle is to be more active. You may wonder why, but I’m sure you’ve heard that sitting is this generation’s smoking.
It’s just not healthy to not be mobile. So if you can help it, be more active. I’ve found that one way to accomplish that is to have a fitness buddy. In my case, it’s my hubby. We go to the Y together most days and keep each other honest. It’s rare that we both don’t want to go and on the weekends, we’ve both found things we like to do that are active. For him, it’s a long jog and for me, it’s a long walk.
My daughter and her new hubby have also paired up to be more active and have started their own fun way of doing it. They’ve set up challenges they undertake based on what happens in the latest Hallmark Christmas movie they are watching. For example, if one of the leads says “Christmas” they have to do 10 jumping jacks. Other actions lead to other exercises. Fun right?
That’s another important component of a new fitness regimen: Fun because if you don’t like what you’re doing you’re less likely to keep it up!
So, that’s my two cents on this Motivation Monday. I hope they help you on your journey to a healthier you!
Original Bikers Image by skeeze from Pixabay
I blogged a short while ago about practicing gratitude and there is no more appropriate holiday for that than Thanksgiving. Since like many I’ll be busy cooking in the morning, I wish to take this moment to thank you all for visiting with me and I’d like share all for which I’m grateful, namely:
My wonderful family that has grown by many this year with the addition of the wonderful Egli family.
My amazing friends who are always so supportive.
My truly wonderful agent and editors.
My health.
Our military, law enforcement, and first responders. God keep them safe.
Last but never least, the great and fabulous United States of America. God Bless America.
My new contemporary romance novel, NEVER A BRIDE, is Carlo and Emma’s story in the At the Shore series. I just love Carlo! He is so darn sexy and in love with Emma. Unfortunately, Emma has a lot of daddy issues she has to overcome to be able to see that Carlo is the perfect man for her. In this scene, Emma has gone to check on the men who are trying on tuxes for an upcoming wedding. All the men are ready except for Carlo, who is still in the fitting room. When Emma goes to check on him, the sparks fly!
Excerpt
“I can see you’re all having fun, but did you decide on any of the tuxes I picked out?” she said as she peered at Jonathan, Owen, and Andy, and wondered where Carlo was hiding.
Jonathan sauntered over, grabbed the last piece of sandwich, placed it on a plate, and handed it to her. “Eat. It’s way past lunch hour and you’re cranky.”
“I’m not cranky,” she said, but her stomach complained noisily, forcing her to add, “Just hungry.”
“More like hangry,” he teased. Grinning, Jonathan laid an arm over her shoulders and walked her to the leather wing chair beside a massive leather couch where Andy and Owen sat sipping beers. She joined them there and took a bite of the sandwich, nearly moaning as the flavors of the tender roast pork, bitter broccoli rabe, and sweet mozzarella cheese exploded in her mouth. Not to mention Carlo’s secret garlicky tomato sauce, the game changer that had made him a champion on a network cooking show.
After swallowing, she glanced around the room at the men. “So what’s up? Where are the tuxes I left out for you?”
“We decided we’re not tux kind of guys. Well, Owen is, but the rest of us are just plain ol’ suit types,” Jonathan said as he sat on the arm of her chair.
She arched a brow. “And Carlo?”
Owen gestured with his beer bottle to the dressing room. “He’s in there.”
Wondering if Carlo needed help, she walked over and knocked.
“Come in,” he said.
She did only to find Carlo standing there in nothing but his tidy whities and a white shirt that was too small for his broad shoulders. The shirt hung open in front giving her a glimpse of what lay beneath the fabric.
Her heart did a little stutter at the sight of him, all lean sculpted muscle and smooth skin with the remnants of a summer tan. Heat suffused her and her face warmed in a blush.
If Carlo noticed, he did his best to hide it as he fought to pull the shirt closed and said, “I never knew that the buttons on your suit sleeve said so much about a man. If they’re real. Stitched. Horn. Who knew?”
She took a few hesitant steps until she was close to him and brushed his hands away as he struggled to button the shirt. “This shirt is absolutely the wrong size, but the style will suit you,” she said and smoothed the fabric across his broad shoulders and chest.
At his ragged sigh, she looked up and met his gaze. The desire there was impossible to miss and she should have stopped touching him. She should have moved away, but she couldn’t.
“You’re not playing fair, Emma,” he said, a rough grumble in his voice as he laid his hands at her waist.
“I’m sorry. It’s just so scary to think about changing what we are,” she said and finally stepped away from him and wrapped her arms around herself.
He raked his hands through his thick cocoa brown hair, tousling the ever-present waves. “I’m not your father, Emma. I would never hurt you. I respect you.”
“I know,” she said, but inside there was still too much fear and doubt. “I just need a little more time, Carlo. And you said you’re a patient man, remember,” she teased, trying to ease the tension in the room.
“I am, but I’m not a saint either. When you touch me . . . I want to touch too, Emma, but I can wait. Just promise me one thing.”
She was afraid to ask what she had to promise but fought back her fear. “I guess it depends on what the promise is.”
With another ragged sigh, he shrugged his shoulders, straining the fabric of the shirt. “I feel like a tool. Promise you’ll make sure I look okay because I’m not a suit kind of guy.”
She grinned and was about to reach out to smooth the linen over his shoulders again but jerked her hand away and locked it with her other hand behind her back to keep from touching him again. Meeting his gaze, she said, “I promise.”
You can purchase NEVER A BRIDE at the following retailers:
