His right hand rested on his hip, near his gun, and his clipped tone raised goose bumps on her arms. Something was seriously wrong.
“Let’s go up to the house,” she suggested, hoping to diffuse the situation. “I’ll make some coffee.”
Lawson stood aside with a nod at Jordan. “You first.”
Lexie saw the muscles in Jordan’s jaw bunch tight. Sensing he was close to an explosion, she quickly stepped past Lawson to lead the way.
“Damn it, Lex—”
She kept walking despite Lawson’s angry protest. She heard them following and, too late, thought about Jordan walking behind her, watching her. He’d commented on her uneven stride yesterday…would he notice it was worse again today?
She tried not to think about it, but felt her body grow warm with the thought of his brown gaze lingering on her backside. A silent groan of self-annoyance rumbled through her head. The man hadn’t shown an inkling of interest beyond his fumbled words at dinner, yet she constantly found her thoughts and gaze wandering to him throughout the day. It had to stop.
She misjudged her stride at the steps to the house and ended up with her right leg stepping first, straining to bear her weight. To relieve some of the pressure from the burning, weakened muscles, she made a desperate grab for the railing. A firm, warm grip on her left forearm steadied and assisted her up the stairs.
Jordan met her gaze briefly, but said not a word as they took the next step together. Heat engulfed her, a combination of embarrassment for her weak leg and awareness of his touch.
“Let her go.” Lawson’s command whipped at their backs. Jordan’s hold tightened and Lexie halted.
“It’s—” she began.
“Back off,” Jordan snapped over his shoulder.
The unmistakable sound the sheriff drawing his gun froze Lexie and Jordan in their tracks.
“I said, don’t touch her,” Lawson snarled. “Let her go and step away.”
Lexie gripped the rail and nodded up at Jordan. He released her arm, but when he started to turn around, Lawson barked an order to remain facing forward, keep his hands where he could see them, and move forward.
The hair on the back of Lexie’s neck tingled as she faced Lawson and saw his furious expression. “What is going on?”
“We’ll talk inside.”
She folded her arms and leaned a hip against the railing, easing her weight off her right leg. “Tell me now.”
He glanced in her direction, then focused back on Jordan, who’d turned his head toward Lexie and eyed Lawson over his shoulder.
“That reporter, Craig Thompson, was murdered last night.”
~~~~
Mistletoe Rules ~ a Christmas anthology ~ Winner of Wisconsin Romance Writer’s 2010 Write Touch Readers’ Award
Christmas recipe for love—combine a matchmaking Santa, lots of mistletoe, one iron-clad rule, fated hearts; mix and stir. The Riley siblings don’t stand a chance.
Mistletoe Mischief: Christmas in July at the zoo is the last place single parents Eric Riley and Marissa Wilder expect to find love. Thanks to some mistletoe mischief in the form of their two young daughters and Santa, they discover Mistletoe Rules were not made to be broken.
Mistletoe Magic: Major Mark Riley plays Court Jester to Janelle Walsh's Snow Queen at the Christmas Parade and is instantly captivated by the cute redhead whose grandpa just happens to be Santa. When Mark learns she's the tenant he evicted from his newly purchased property, it's going to take a little bit of Santa's mistletoe magic to save their romance.
Mistletoe Match-up: When Lisa Riley comes home for Mark's Christmas Eve wedding, her high school rivalry with Janelle's cousin, Derek Walsh, picks up right where it left off, only this time Derek's got the upper hand. Santa bides his time as they battle it out because he's waited a whole year for this mistletoe match-up.
***What reviewers are saying:
Night Owl Reviewer Top Pick “This is the perfect anthology that mixes lots of mistletoe, plenty of passion and one jolly old man – Santa himself – and produces three fantastic stories to sink your teeth into!” ~ Diana Coyle
Long and Short Romance Reviews ~ Best Book “Each story has a clearly-defined nicely-developed plot and distinct, well-rounded characters. This is the best e-book I’ve read in a while and an absolutely delightful Christmas treat.” ~ Water Lily
~~~~~
Chasin’ Mason ~ contemporary western
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When his father announced his engagement to a gold-digger with a lying, scheming fourteen-year old daughter, seventeen-year old Tripp Warner left Warner Ridge Ranch and never looked back. Until the day he got the phone call that his father had died unexpectedly.
Reggie Reed lives with her guilt every day but can't quite work up the courage to track down the son of the man who raised her as his own. When Tripp shows up at his father’s funeral eleven years later--and a hell of a man to be reckoned with--he has no interest in her too-late apology. Worse, they’ve inherited half shares of the family ranch—but only if they work together to catch Mason’s Gold, the stallion a young Reggie let escape and made sure Tripp took the blame for.
Tripp proposes a secret competition to the beautiful witch who stole his life: whoever catches the stallion first gets the ranch all to themselves. It sounds simple, but once they’re out on the range, tempers and passions flare in the Texas heat and nothing goes as either of them expects.
Can they work together to keep the ranch, or will their past get in the way of their future?
***What reviewers are saying:
Dark Angel Reviews 5 Stars “Stacey Joy Netzel is at the top of her game with CHASIN’ MASON. I was hooked at page one and stayed hooked until the end. Pick up a copy, I guarantee you’ll love it!” ~ Becky
Night Owl Reviews Reviewer TOP PICK “I loved the twists and turns the author embedded throughout and I couldn’t help but want to see Tripp and Reggie reconcile their differences in the end. Ms. Netzel’s characters were well-rounded people that everyone could relate to in some fashion. The story was quite vivid and I felt as if I was watching it unfold before me. If you’re looking for a contemporary cowboy/cowgirl story, this one will fit the bill perfectly.” ~ Diana Coyle
EXCERPT:
“I expected you hours ago,” she said, exasperation heavy in her tone.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Hardly,” she said with a delicate snort.
Yet her eyelids lowered as her gaze swept down and up, taking stock of the comfortable tee shirt and jeans he’d worn for the long drive from Galveston. Something flickered in her eyes; something hot he instinctively recognized as more dangerous than a rattle snake. She shut it down quick and lifted her chin so her cute little nose stuck in the air.
“And now that I can see there’s no danger to Grandma, I’ll see you in the morning.”
Her bare feet whispered across the floor toward the stairs. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Shut up. Don’t go there. Don’t—
Her right foot hit the bottom stair, her nightgown swaying with the enticing movement of her hips.
“What about you?”
She paused and turned. “What?”
Hooking one thumb in the front pocket of his jeans, he took slow, measured steps across the floor. Tension spread through him like the flush sweeping across her pale skin. Her fingers tangled in the material of her gown, tugging the hem lower as he came to a stop in front of her. Unfortunately, she also succeeded in lowering the neckline. The thud of his bag dropping to the floor made her flinch.
Tripp lowered his tone. “You said there’s no danger to Nana, but what about you?”
“Th—”
Her voice cracked and her throat muscles worked fast. He dropped his gaze to the rapid pulse beating at the base of her neck.
“I’m f-fine.”
He lifted a hand to the rosy skin of her neck; felt her life beat beneath his finger tip. Anticipation hummed along his nerve endings, making him e
xcruciatingly aware of every shallow breath she took. “Fine doesn’t begin to cover it, Princess.”
When he slid his fingers into her silky hair to rub the back of her neck, her eyelids lowered, then closed. Her hands rose to press against his chest. God, he was pretty sure he hated her, and yet he damn sure wanted her. It was the craziest thing. He shifted closer, slid his other hand over the curve of her hip to press against the small of her back, leaned in to inhale the evocative scent of peaches. The heat of her skin burned through the thin, satiny material of her nightgown to warm his hand where it rested along her spine.
His mouth hovered above her moist lips, his unsteady breath mingling with hers. He started to close the distance.
“You hate me,” she whispered, her hands fisting in his shirt.
“Such a strong word—hate,” he murmured, even though he’d just thought it.
Forgoing her mouth, he lightly brushed his lips over her smooth cheek with its charming freckles. It wasn’t enough. With the hand buried in her hair, he angled her head to give him access to the delicate column of her neck. He pressed his tongue to her pulse, licked, then sucked gently. She made a small noise deep in her throat. His body throbbed in response as his arm curled tighter around her waist.
“You…d-don’t like me, then.”
Stubborn witch wouldn’t let it go. That hadn’t changed. He worked his way back to her mouth. “Do you like me?”
Her violet eyes opened and locked with his, making his heart thump hard.
“Don’t mess with me, Tripp. Please.” The sincerity in her voice was astounding.
“Who’s messing?” he asked, making light of her plea while brushing his thumb over her lower lip. He wanted to taste her so bad, and she just wouldn’t shut up.
“You’re going to take the ranch from me—this isn’t playing fair.”
The reminder of what was at stake in this game was just what he needed. He lowered his head to whisper against her mouth. “Like you played fair all those years ago?”
In a heartbeat, she stiffened and shoved against his chest to be free. Tripp held on; let her see who held the control now. Her eyes widened, and then darkened with a fury that turned him on even more. They stared at each other, breathing uneven, hearts pounding.
And just like that, something changed. Struck his chest so deep inside it terrified him. He released her and spun away as she grabbed the railing for balance. He braced a hand on the wall and hung his head, fighting for a lungful of air.
“Go to bed,” he rasped. “We leave at dawn.”
She didn’t reply. When he snuck a glance, she was halfway up the stairs, white silk panties playing peek-a-boo with the hem of her nightgown. Tripp uttered a low groan and made for the porch like the hounds of hell were on his heels.
~*~
LOST IN ITALY
first chapter sneak peek
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~~~
“…starts off right away, and every page that follows is packed full of excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
Danielle The Book Whore Blog ~ 5 Hearts—Could not put down amazing
~~~
The best laid plans…
Halli Sanders spent two years planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy. Her itinerary did not include being stranded by her siblings, kidnapped by a sexy American movie star, dodging bullets, or fleeing criminals in a car chase around Lake Como. And that’s just in the first three hours.
…often go awry.
Trent Tomlin put his movie career on hold to investigate his brother’s murder-ruled-suicide at his Italian villa. He’s closing in on the suspects when an American tourist unwittingly films the murder of the retired cop helping him. The killers will stop at nothing to get the evidence—including holding Halli’s family as collateral.
Life’s a little different unscripted.
Thrust into the role of real-life hero, Trent finds himself falling for the Plain Jane whose beauty blossoms with every challenge they face. But how can he keep the evidence from the murderers to get justice for his brother and friend without betraying Halli and her family?
~~~
Chapter 1
“For the love of God, Hal, we didn’t travel over ten hours for you to film swans.”
Halli Sanders ground her back molars together, ignored her sister Rachel, and zoomed her camera in on the flock of white birds across the water. Graceful and serene, they stood out in stark contrast to the dark, shaded water of the small inlet her brother had parked near. A shaky breath helped steady her hands.
“You guys wanted to stop, now I want to see if Lake Como, Italy and Lake Como, WI have more in common than their names,” she informed her sister and brother.
“Who cares?” Rachel moaned. “And it was Ben’s bright idea to pull over, not mine. I just want to find the hotel and shower away some of this jet lag. And, we still have to find a converter for my hair dryer.”
Halli rolled her eyes and kept filming. Yes, she was being snotty about it, but they’re the ones who threw away her meticulously planned itinerary so they could make impromptu stops like this. Ben specifically had insisted she lighten up, as if she’d chosen to become a control freak after their crazy, unstable years on the run with their parents.
The half dozen or so swans had floated into the sunlight, near a wooden dock in front of a stone villa. She wondered who lived there. The tabloids always talked about George Clooney’s house on Lake Como in Italy and how he always had friends visiting—could this be it? If it was, any number of stars could be there right now.
That’s it, she told herself. Focus on something other than the fact her plans had all been scrapped. She did not want her anxiety issues ruining this vacation. As long as she had Ben and Rachel, she’d be fine.
She allowed herself one last lingering look at the regal villa through the viewfinder. The weathered stonework was beautiful, but the shiny, reflective windows captured her attention. She loved large windows that let in natural light. Wished she had them in her studio apartment overlooking the lake back home.
Ben ran interference behind her. “We’ll go find the hotel first, then an electronics store, then we’ll find a place to eat. Sound okay?”
“Yes, thank you,” Rachel agreed, her tone full of exaggerated drama. “Let’s go, Hal.”
“Fine. I’m coming.” Halli took a step backward, but a movement in the windows caught her attention. She paused and steadied the camera. The front door to the villa burst open. As someone ran outside, the swans took flight, their startled cries echoing across the water.
Behind her, she heard car doors open. Then Ben’s, “Oh, hurry up—there’s a break in traffic.”
Bam. Bam. Vrrooommm.
The slamming doors made Halli glance over her shoulder. She did a double take when the little blue car her brother had rented in Milan shot off the curb.
“Hey—” She spun around, took a few steps, then stopped with a disbelieving laugh. “Real funny, guys.”
Surely any second now, they’d give up the joke, pull to the side, and wait for her to catch up as they laughed their hilarious frickin’ heads off.
No brake lights.
No U-turn.
Nothing.
The blue car accelerated around the bend in the road and disappeared.
Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach sunk. Muttering under her breath, she looked around self-consciously, doing her best to distract herself from the fact that she was suddenly all alone in a foreign country. A dark-haired man across the street glanced her way with open curiosity. Thankfully, he kept walking. Cars cruised past; a couple kids on bikes; a woman on a moped. Though the kids stopped a short distance away, no one paid her much attention over the next few minutes.
Well, sure. Lake Como, Italy was probably used to lost tourists, what did they care?
No, you’re not lost. The adamant statement helped to steady her breathing. That’s right. Ben and Rachel would be back any moment. S
he had nothing to worry about as long as she didn’t leave this spot.
The man across the street gave her a more thorough inspection and a chill trickled down her spine. Halli averted her gaze and hugged her arms around her middle. Her heart rate continued it’s steady acceleration.
Oh, she was going to kill them when they got back. They’d pulled pranks in the past, but this one was cruel—especially her first time travelling overseas. Why would they do this now? Ben may live life with the motto “Rip the Band-Aid off”, but not Halli. It had to be a joke, right? It was either that, or they didn’t know she wasn’t in the car. But how could anyone miss something like that?
Stacey Joy Netzel Boxed Set Page 23