Cold Case Reopened, my March release from Harlequin Intrigue, is very much a mystery as Rhea and Jackson try to find out what happened to Rhea’s twin sister, but it’s also a romance since working on the case draws Rhea and Jackson together. As you can imagine, that attraction couldn’t happen at a worse time. Today’s teaser is from a later chapter in the book when that attraction is starting to flare into something more. In this scene, Rhea and Jackson are trying to recreate a bonfire to test out one of their theories on the case and they are also just finishing up dinner.

Excerpt

He paused with a forkful of apple pie halfway to his mouth and glanced at her. His steely gray gaze glittered with a heat she hadn’t thought possible. “Not always.”

The warmth that had kindled in her core earlier grew ever higher, like the flames in the fire a few feet away. It was so intense, she had to cool off with a few sips of icy lemonade.

“What about you, Rhea? I know you’re talented. Determined,” he said, the latter word followed by a playful chuckle.

She considered him over the lip of the glass, thinking about how to answer. After a pause, she said, “I know some people think artists can be temperamental and flighty. You probably did.”

He smiled as he scraped the last of his pie from the plate and then licked the fork clean. “I plead the fifth,” he joked, but then quickly added, “But you probably thought I was uptight and by-the-book.”

She felt the urge to shake him up a little. “I still do, but I look forward to you proving me wrong.”

His glass rattled against the tray as he set it down and, when he fixed his gaze on her, it seared her with its fire. “I look forward to that also.”

She gulped down the rest of her lemonade to cool the blaze he’d ignited and turned her attention to her pie.

Another collapse of the logs in the bonfire had them both bolting from their chairs to the wood pile. They almost collided there, forcing Jackson to reach for her to keep her from falling over.

Electricity sparked between them, and Rhea rushed back to her seat.

Jackson took his time feeding the fire, needing to control what he was feeling for Rhea. Banking the flames burning inside because he worried that if he released them, it might consume him. He was unused to such feelings, being, as Rhea had said, normally uptight and by-the-book.

But Rhea had loosed those bounds he’d lived with all his life, first as an athlete, then as a Marine and finally as a cop.

It couldn’t have happened at a worse time, he thought. Rhea’s emotions were too fragile, and he had to stay focused because so much was at stake, including his career. But more importantly, he had to keep Rhea safe.

Order

You can order Cold Case Reopened at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3iGCbKr
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3kAloKb
Amazon Kindle Box Set: https://amzn.to/2PSVRyn
Apple Books: https://bit.ly/coldcasereopened
Apple Box Set: https://bit.ly/applecoldcaseboxset
B&N: https://bit.ly/BNColdCase
B&N Box Set: https://bit.ly/BNColdCaseBoxset
Harlequin: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCase
Harlequin Box Set: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCaseBoxset
Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCase
Kobo Box Set: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCaseBoxSet

This morning I’ve got a teaser for you from Cold Case Reopened, my March release from Harlequin Intrigue. It’s my debut novel with them and I loved creating a story around solving a cold case! Here’s the teaser for you.

Teaser

They are on a cold trail
And running out of time.

Rhea Reilly is certain her twin sister’s sudden disappearance six months ago wasn’t a suicide, no matter what Colorado authorities think. She can’t afford to trust police Detective Jackson Whitaker—even if he’s risking his career to uncover the truth. But a lethal trail of lies is drawing them together…and into an inescapable trap.

Excerpt

Chapter One

It was hard to believe that such beauty possibly held unspeakable evil.

Rhea Reilly stood on the shore of the mountain lake where six months earlier her twin sister, Selene, had disappeared on a cold fall night.

Her artist’s eye took in the scene before her. The waters of the lake sparkled like diamonds beneath a sunny cerulean sky. At the farthest end of the lake, the waters tumbled over a spillway for the dam that held back a rush of water during a spring thaw or heavy rain. In the distance, ragged mountains leaped into the sky, still frosted with the remnants of winter snow at the highest elevations.

Normally she would have savored painting such a lovely sight, but not today, when it might be her sister’s watery tomb.

Rhea hugged her arms tight around herself, closed her eyes and listened to the soft lap of the water against the rocky shores of the lake. Imagined Selene standing there that fateful night, tapping out the message she’d sent to Rhea.

I can’t take it anymore. I can’t. I’m finally going to do something about it.

The police had taken that text to mean that Selene had decided to end her life that night, right there on the shores of those stunningly beautiful mountain waters. But Rhea wasn’t convinced.

Although her sister had been troubled the last few months, Rhea was certain that Selene would never take her life.

If anything, it was more likely that Selene’s husband had killed her sister, but the police in Selene’s hometown had been unable to find enough evidence to charge him. No-body homicides were apparently very difficult to prosecute.

The police here in Regina, Colorado, where Selene’s car had been found by the lake, were convinced that her sister had committed suicide, even though they also hadn’t been able to find Selene’s body.

But Rhea was sure her sister wasn’t dead. There was something inside her, that special twin connection they had always shared, that had been saying from the very beginning that Selene was alive and hurting.

That was why she’d undertaken her own investigation once her sister’s case had become inactive because the police had run out of leads.

Rhea dashed away the tears that had leaked from beneath eyes screwed shut.

Her sister was alive and, if she wasn’t, her husband was responsible. She intended for the police to do something about it based on the information she had collected over the last six months. But for the truth to come out, she needed more corroborating evidence and only the police could provide the resources to accomplish that.

She whirled, stumbled a bit on the rough rocks beneath her feet. Righting herself, she marched to her car which she had parked on the street near where Selene’s sedan had been found. The street would have been deserted when Selene had texted her that night.

Rhea stopped to look around, examining the scene. Along the edges of the lake, a marina spread out across the shore. Dozens of boats were parked at the docks behind a large building that held a restaurant, a marina office and a shop that sold supplies for boaters, as well as tourists, partaking of the lake’s many summer activities.

Across the way were a few homes and in one of those homes was a witness who had seen Selene park and walk toward the lake. The older woman hadn’t thought much of it because people often stopped, even at night, to take in the splendor of the lake.

Rhea intended to speak to her, but hopefully with the police to back her up and add their own expertise to the interrogation.

The police.

It all kept circling around to needing their assistance, so it was time she got going and spoke to them about Selene’s case.

She got in her car and headed to Main Street and the Regina Police Station. As she cruised down Main Street, she was once again struck by the loveliness of the town. It was postcard-perfect with its charming downtown filled with an eclectic mix of shops that catered to locals as well as the tourists who would visit for skiing and water sports.

Rhea found a spot just a block shy of the police station, parked and grabbed the thick folder bulging with the information she had gathered over the many months. With it tucked under her arm, cradled as securely as a newborn baby, she walked to the police station and paused at the base of the steps.

Like everything else about this town, the police station looked like something off a movie set. The building blended harmoniously with the other structures along Main Street. On either side of the wide steps leading to the door, spring flowers in a riot of colors cascaded over the edges of the terraced garden. Bright pink, purple and blue blossoms waved at her in welcome as a slight breeze swept across the street, still a bit cold despite it being early spring.

The chill settled in her bones as if warning her that she might not be happy with what she found inside.
She dragged in air through her nostrils and then expelled it with a harsh breath.

Time to get going.

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Paperback: https://amzn.to/3kAloKb
Amazon Kindle Box Set: https://amzn.to/2PSVRyn
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Apple Box Set: https://bit.ly/applecoldcaseboxset
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B&N Box Set: https://bit.ly/BNColdCaseBoxset
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Harlequin Box Set: https://bit.ly/HarlequinColdCaseBoxset
Kobo: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCase
Kobo Box Set: https://bit.ly/KoboColdCaseBoxSet

South Beach, two chefs falling in love, and an unexpected competition to be THE CHEF featured in a local magazine! What could go wrong? Did I mention two teen nieces who each want to have the best Sweet 15 party ever? If you love sweet romances filled with flavorful food, humor, emotion, and romance, you’ll love SOUTH BEACH LOVE, coming from Hallmark in May 2021. It’s my pleasure to share a teaser from SOUTH BEACH LOVE!

Excerpt

“Chef, there’s someone out there who says he’s an old friend.”

Sara peered over the half wall that separated her restaurant’s open kitchen from the dining area. As her hostess jerked her head in the direction of the front door, Sara craned her neck to see an older, but unquestionably memorable face, at the hostess podium. A face she had dreamed about more than once as a teen.

“OMG,” she heard from beside her. “Is that Tony Sanchez? The Tony Sanchez?” said Jeri, her business partner, fellow chef, and long-time best friend. Inches shorter than Sara, Jeri had to rise on tiptoes to peer over the half-wall.

“None other,” Sara said as she grabbed a towel to dry her hands and shot a quick look at a starstruck Jeri. Her aqua blue eyes were wide with surprise in a face of flawless café con leche skin. “Can you handle things for a few minutes?”

At Jeri’s nod, Sara rushed out to greet Tony. She told herself not to make too much of how his smile widened when he spotted her, or how his eyes, those melty chocolate-colored eyes, warmed as he settled his gaze on her. But it was impossible to stop how her heartbeat picked up speed that he was here and seemingly happy to see her.

Hugs had always been freely given by the Sanchez family, but she held her hands out to him to avoid a hug, uncertain of how she’d react to the embrace. “It’s been way too long, Tony.” Nine years and eight months, give or take. Not that she was counting.

Liar, the little voice in her head chastised. Even though Tony had left Miami behind, she’d eagerly followed all his accomplishments. Even dared to wonder if he’d ever make Miami his home again.

Tony took both her hands in his and playfully wagged them. “You’ve grown up, chiquitica.”

She laughed and tried to ignore the tingle building where her hands rested in his. Slowly she eased her hands free. “I couldn’t stay ten forever. You look good,” she said and prayed it didn’t sound too much like flirting. To cover for it, she blurted out, “What brings you to Miami?”

“Family,” he said and glanced around the restaurant. “I ran into Rick the other day and he mentioned you had a place, so I decided to come by and say ‘Hello.’”

“Well, hello,” she said, feeling more and more like a tongue-tied fool with every passing second. “Monica will get you a table.” She waved at the hostess and when the young woman came by, she said, “Please seat Tony as soon as you can.”

He raised his hand in a ‘stop’ motion. “Por favor, no special treatment.”

Sara peered around the dining room. Every table was full inside and a quick look through the windows confirmed the outdoor seats were all taken. Plus there were quite a number of people milling around outside waiting to be seated.

“It may be a while,” she said with an apologetic grimace.

Tony mimicked her action, scrutinizing the restaurant and outdoor area. “I can wait. I’ve got all night. And if I’m still here when the rush is over, maybe we can grab a coffee later?”

Coffee? With Tony? Butterflies erupted in her stomach, but she somehow got the word out. “S-s-s-ure,” she stammered and without waiting for his reply, she rushed back to the kitchen before she embarrassed herself even more.

“You’re blushing. I’ve never seen you blush before,” Jeri kidded as Sara resumed the final plating of the nearly complete orders.

“It’s the heat in the kitchen,” she said, although her partner probably knew it was a lie.

“Sure, Sara. The heat and not…” Her friend paused and looked over the wall to where Tony waited outside, just beyond the entrance to the restaurant. “That hot guy you obviously have a crush on.”

“Not a crush,” she said and jerked tickets off the board to place them and the finished plates on the counter. Like clockwork her servers came over to pick up the meals and take them to their respective tables.

“Sure thing, Sara. Whatever you say,” Jeri teased as she finished up an order of sliders by topping them with slices of perfectly grilled foie gras. When she was done, she passed the plates to Sara for the final touch of caramelized onion compote before a toasted brioche bun top completed the slider and the order went up on the counter.

“Please, Jeri, leave it alone,” she pleaded and with a reluctant nod, her partner returned her focus to the new orders while Sara prayed that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself with Tony when it came time to chat with him.

She’d tried to keep her crush a secret from him and if he’d ever noticed it, he’d been gentleman enough not to mention it.

She wanted to keep it that way.

He had his restaurant and life in New York and she was here in Miami and never the twain would meet.

But in the back of her mind, she wondered, “What if?”

Order

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Apple Books: https://amzn.to/37mQbpX
B&N: http://bit.ly/BNSouthBeachLove
Google: http://bit.ly/GoogleSouthBeachLove
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/south-beach-love
Additional Retailers: https://books2read.com/SouthBeachLoveHallmark

Vampires. Christmas. New York City. Three of my favorite things all wrapped up into the first Holiday with a Vampire story that I did. Yes, I did a second one a year or so later – A Vampire for Christmas – but you’ll have to wait for that story which is set on the Jersey Shore and involves a Christmas angel and a vampire. Fate Calls Holiday with a Vampire features a Christmas do-gooder who is driving my cranky vampire crazy with her bell-ringing. I hope you enjoy this little teaser! In this scene, vampire Hadrian has used his powers to take Connie captive and what follows is…interesting.

Teaser

When Connie Morales volunteers to help raise money by manning a collection kettle, the last thing she expects is to be whisked away by devastatingly handsome vampire Hadrian who is upset with her bell-ringing and Christmas cheer.

Vampire Hadrian has known nothing but pain during the holidays and cannot imagine that any good can come out of them or the annoying Santa who has interrupted his rest. But as Christmas approaches, Hadrian finds it impossible to ignore the hope and joy that Connie has brought into his lifeless existence.

Connie is shocked to find out that her captor is less than human, but little by little the cracks appear in his hard exterior to reveal a man capable of great love and honor.

Can Connie’s holiday with a vampire become something more or will Fate bring yet more pain and loss to Hadrian’s undead life?

Order

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mJ7IOn
Apple: https://apple.co/37AOiol
B&N: http://bit.ly/BNFateCalls
Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboFateCalls
Scribd: http://bit.ly/ScribdFateCalls
Vivlio: http://bit.ly/VivlioFateCalls

Excerpt:

Warning for Mature Audiences Only

Once inside, he shut the door behind them with a sweep of his hand and faced her.
With the brisk winter wind gone, a slightly sour aroma permeated the air around her. He wrinkled his nose and motioned to the Santa suit.

“Take it off.”

Her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides and once again, he felt the pull and push of power between them as she defied him.

Interesting.

He took a step closer and raised his hand to the neck of the Santa suit, where he found the pull for the zipper. As the back of his hand skimmed the slick black shirt beneath, her body trembled.

“Don’t tell me you’re a virgin,” he said while slowly drawing down the zipper on the suit, revealing the ample curves of her breasts beneath the shimmer of the tight-fitting fabric.

He suddenly itched to touch those breasts but contained himself.

Before pleasure came punishment for her defiance.

To his continued surprise, she tilted back her head and with only a slight hitch in her voice to give away her discomfort said, “Just because I’m not a virgin doesn’t mean I’m not virtuous. I dislike being pawed by the likes of you.”

Hadrian chuckled as he completely unzipped the top of the Santa suit. “The likes of me?”

“You won’t get away with this.”

He laughed again, amused by her spirit. “Who will stop me?”

He picked up his hand and once again had to fight the urge to cup her breast. His human desire confused him. It had been quite some time since he had felt it. Instead of giving in to it, he cradled the side of her face and leaned close until his nose barely brushed hers.

“Who will stop me? You?”

“Yes, me.” Her voice exploded against his lips, the spill of her breath warm and all too tempting.

A harsh laugh escaped him this time as he met her gaze. “How will you—”

“There are laws—”

“And I suppose you know all those laws,” he said and inched his hand downward, but not to her breast. Instead, he slipped his hand beneath the fabric at her shoulder. With a forceful nudge he sent the offensive Santa suit to the parquet floor.

“I’m a lawyer,” she said, reaching for his hands as he moved to the drawstring at her waist.

His laugh this time was sharp and unrestrained. “A lawyer. There are some who might say there is not much difference between the two of us.”

Her eyebrows narrowed once again before she thoughtfully asked, “And why is that?”

He unleashed the demon, transforming into a vampire. When he spoke, his voice was tinged with the low rumble of the beast he had let loose.

“Because we are both bloodsuckers, aren’t we?”

***

The blood drained from Connie’s body, creating the chill of fear as she examined the demon who now stood before her.

The dark chocolate-brown of his pupils had bled out, replaced by an eerie neon blue-green glow. Long and lethal-looking fangs had erupted from beneath the edge of his full top lip, past his pouty lower lip, down to the middle of his chin.

She had placed her hands over his as they rested at the tie to the suit’s drawstring. Now she knew that the cold of his skin wasn’t from the weather outside.

And then she told herself she had to be dreaming or hallucinating. There were no such things as vampires. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to wake, but when she opened her eyes again, things were as they had been before. This was all too real.

Containing her fear and summoning every last bit of her courage, she said, “Then I guess you owe me some professional courtesy.”

The hands resting beneath hers jumped. He shifted back to peruse her face. Arching a lush, dark brow, he asked, “Professional courtesy?”

“From one bloodsucker to another.”

The laughter that erupted from him was full and rich as he threw his head back. His body shook with it.

Human mirth, she thought, since it lacked the earlier animal rumble she had heard. When he faced her once again, her perception was confirmed. All traces of the vampire were gone and what remained were the handsome features that had snared her attention earlier.

“You are…intriguing.”

“Let me go,” she said again even as she felt the shove of power that had compelled her to put down the bell and follow him, no matter how hard she tried to fight it.

“I think not.”

Beneath her hands, his nimble fingers worked the drawstring and loosened the waistband until the pants puddled at her feet, leaving her standing before him in the tight and rather revealing underwear.

Interest flared in his gaze as he perused her body. To her surprise, she felt herself responding.

He might be a demon, but he was a damned attractive one and he was gazing at her as if he wanted to eat her.

But then again that is what he might truly want to do, Connie reminded herself.

But not before some pleasure, her brain surmised, rocking her with the reality that the man standing before her could control her every thought and action.

Fear came again as it had before. Her body trembled as he moved his hand to her neck, but all he did was pluck the lanyard with the key to the library from around her neck.

He held it out to the side and said, “George.”

A man scurried from the shadows behind him. Connie hadn’t noticed him standing there before.

“Yes, Hadrian,” he said with an obsequious bob of his head.

Hadrian. At least the demon now had a name. An interesting one at that.

Hadrian jiggled the lanyard up and down. “Please take this key and put Miss…” He paused, waiting for her to answer.

“Connie Morales. And it’s Ms. Morales.”

A glimmer of a smile flashed across his lips before he said, “Please put Ms. Morales’s things away, would you? And do something about that Santa suit.”

“It is rather rank, isn’t it?” George quickly took the key but had to wait for her to step from the puddle of the pants before he scurried away to do Hadrian’s bidding.

“Do you always get what you want?” she asked, intrigued despite the danger of the situation.

In a millisecond the human disappeared, and the vampire emerged, his movements so swift they were a blur. And then she felt the sharp edges of his fangs at her neck.

“Always,” he said and then pain swept her away as he sank his teeth deep into her flesh.

I am so excited about SOUTH BEACH LOVE, my May 2021 release from Hallmark Publishing. I loved playing around with all the recipes that the chefs are using in their battle to give their niece’s the best Sweet Fifteen parties ever and to snag the feature spot in a local magazine’s article on quinceañeras!

I wasn’t lucky enough to have a quinceañera when I turned fifteen, but it was important for me and my daughter to restore that tradition. I also loved sharing it with you in SOUTH BEACH LOVE. I hope you’ll enjoy taking part in that tradition through the book and also enjoy the romance between Tony and Sara, the two chefs in the story!

So here’s a little teaser for you from SOUTH BEACH LOVE and a picture of my daughter, hubby, and me at her quinceañera. You can find out more about SOUTH BEACH LOVE at http://bit.ly/SouthBeachLove.

Excerpt

“Chef, there’s someone out there who says he’s an old friend.”

Sara peered over the half wall that separated her restaurant’s open kitchen from the dining area. As her hostess jerked her head in the direction of the front door, Sara craned her neck to see an older, but unquestionably memorable face, at the hostess podium. A face she had dreamed about more than once as a teen.

“OMG,” she heard from beside her. “Is that Tony Sanchez? The Tony Sanchez?” said Jeri, her business partner, fellow chef, and long-time best friend.  Inches shorter than Sara, Jeri had to rise on tiptoes to peer over the half-wall.

“None other,” Sara said as she grabbed a towel to dry her hands and shot a quick look at a starstruck Jeri. Her aqua blue eyes were wide with surprise in a face of flawless café con leche skin.  “Can you handle things for a few minutes?”

At Jeri’s nod, Sara rushed out to greet Tony. She told herself not to make too much of how his smile widened when he spotted her, or how his eyes, those melty chocolate-colored eyes, warmed as he settled his gaze on her.  But it was impossible to stop how her heartbeat picked up speed that he was here and seemingly happy to see her.

Hugs had always been freely given by the Sanchez family, but she held her hands out to him to avoid a hug, uncertain of how she’d react to the embrace.  “It’s been way too long, Tony.” Nine years and eight months, give or take. Not that she was counting.

Liar, the little voice in her head chastised.  Even though Tony had left Miami behind, she’d eagerly followed all his accomplishments.  Even dared to wonder if he’d ever make Miami his home again.

Tony took both her hands in his and playfully wagged them. “You’ve grown up, chiquitica.”

She laughed and tried to ignore the tingle building where her hands rested in his. Slowly she eased her hands free. “I couldn’t stay ten forever. You look good,” she said and prayed it didn’t sound too much like flirting. To cover for it, she blurted out, “What brings you to Miami?”

“Family,” he said and glanced around the restaurant. “I ran into Rick the other day and he mentioned you had a place, so I decided to come by and say ‘Hello.’”

“Well, hello,” she said, feeling more and more like a tongue-tied fool with every passing second. “Monica will get you a table.” She waved at the hostess and when the young woman came by, she said, “Please seat Tony as soon as you can.”

He raised his hand in a ‘stop’ motion. “Por favor, no special treatment.”

Sara peered around the dining room. Every table was full inside and a quick look through the windows confirmed the outdoor seats were all taken. Plus there were quite a number of people milling around outside waiting to be seated.

“It may be a while,” she said with an apologetic grimace.

Tony mimicked her action, scrutinizing the restaurant and outdoor area. “I can wait. I’ve got all night. And if I’m still here when the rush is over, maybe we can grab a coffee later?”

Coffee? With Tony? Butterflies erupted in her stomach, but she somehow got the word out. “S-s-s-ure,” she stammered and without waiting for his reply, she rushed back to the kitchen before she embarrassed herself even more.

“You’re blushing. I’ve never seen you blush before,” Jeri kidded as Sara resumed the final plating of the nearly complete orders.

“It’s the heat in the kitchen,” she said, although her partner probably knew it was a lie.

“Sure, Sara. The heat and not…” Her friend paused and looked over the wall to where Tony waited outside, just beyond the entrance to the restaurant. “That hot guy you obviously have a crush on.”

“Not a crush,” she said and jerked tickets off the board to place them and the finished plates on the counter. Like clockwork her servers came over to pick up the meals and take them to their respective tables.

“Sure thing, Sara. Whatever you say,” Jeri teased as she finished up an order of sliders by topping them with slices of perfectly grilled foie gras. When she was done, she passed the plates to Sara for the final touch of caramelized onion compote before a toasted brioche bun top completed the slider and the order went up on the counter.

“Please, Jeri, leave it alone,” she pleaded and with a reluctant nod, her partner returned her focus to the new orders while Sara prayed that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself with Tony when it came time to chat with him.  She’d tried to keep her crush a secret from him and if he’d ever noticed it, he’d been gentleman enough not to mention it.

She wanted to keep it that way.

He had his restaurant and life in New York and she was here in Miami and never the twain would meet.

But in the back of her mind, she wondered, “What if?”

Despite the drop in the temperature, I’m still trying to hold on to summer which is my favorite time of year, followed by spring and fall. Winter, OMG not my fav at all. So I’m trying to help you keep summer with you by having some special pricing on ONE SUMMER NIGHT and NEVER A BRIDE from the At the Shore series. You can check them out at https://amzn.to/2YZF2pE. Also check out this excerpt from NEVER A BRIDE!

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:

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