“Please, no,” she whispered. “Come on, Turner. Would you just cut me some slack, just this once? I swear to God I will always remember to put my headlights on in the future.”
He carefully pulled the top layer of paper from the pad, and handed it to her through the open window. “It’s just a warning, but it’s not just for the headlights. You’ve got a serious exhaust problem, and I’m ordering you to have your North Carolina emissions inspection completed within seven days. Plus, you’re not wearing a seatbelt.” He shook his head, slowly scanning her. “You’re a hot mess, girl.”
“Yeah,” she said meekly, accepting the paper. Truer words had never been said, she thought to herself as she looked away.
Candy refused to cry. There was no way she’d let her old friend see her fall apart. That had never been her style. She was a survivor. A fighter. Hell, she was a woman who knew how to take care of business! She would simply laugh this whole thing off. That’s right. That’s what she’d do.
Candy looked up again—and stared. While she’d been busy with the self-coaching, Turner’s entire demeanor had changed. The corner of his mouth had curled up mischievously. His hazel eyes smoldered. His masculine face had softened and he’d tilted his head slightly.
She’d known this guy since elementary school. Sure, she’d noticed that Turner Halliday had taken the route from cute boy to handsome teenager to helluva-hunky man, but something about the sight of him right at that moment was a shock to her system. Exactly what was going on here? Was it the light? Was it the fact that Turner was an authority figure actually being decent to her, offering her the first break she’d had in what seemed like forever? Was it the way he was trying his best not to smile? Trying not to look down her shirt?
Maybe it was just the alluring shape of his mouth, that little dip in his top lip, the strong, full line of his bottom lip, those little dimples that bracketed both.
Who knew? But the fact remained that Turner Halliday was leaning into her car window all big and brown and sexy and powerful—and wearing that cute little badge—and Candy actually heard herself suck in air at the shock of it all.
She tossed the traffic warning to the car seat, and before she could give any decent amount of thought to what she was about to do, she pushed herself up, grabbed him by his fine-looking face, and planted a big, juicy kiss on her lifelong friend’s lips.
Hello.
Shee-it.
This was interesting.
The kiss kept going. That hadn’t been her intention. This was supposed to be a simple, friendly, spontaneous expression of gratitude, a genuine burst of affection for a fellow human being who had been kind enough to cut her some slack.
Right?
Which was perfectly understandable given the context. Candy was practically penniless. She’d lost millions in the Florida real-estate crash and was about to declare bankruptcy. She’d lost her luxury home in Tampa. Her Infiniti had been repossessed. She had no job. She’d mishandled her mother’s retirement nest egg, a pesky detail her mother remained blissfully unaware of. And Candy had recently crawled back to her hometown in the western hills of North Carolina, where she’d been taken in by her best friend’s receptionist, an octogenarian floozy who couldn’t seem to stay out of her guest’s underwear drawer.
Was it any wonder she felt compelled to kiss an old friend who’d just shown her a modicum of kindness?
Fine.
Then why were her arms now around Turner’s neck? Why was she hanging out of the car window with her boobs arched out and pressed up against his hard, muscled chest? Why was one of Turner’s hands buried up under her hair while the other was on its way down her spine, headed directly to her—?
“Holy hell, girl.”
“Hmm?”
Candy felt herself being pushed away from the heat, pressure, and exquisite juiciness of Turner’s mouth. She blinked. The spotlight nearly blinded her. She’d forgotten where, exactly, she was, and why, exactly, she was there.
Turner stared at her, his eyes wide and filled with surprise. He pulled one hand from her hair and the other from the small of her back and stepped away from the car. Candy slid back down into the driver’s seat.
“Oh, God. Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Right. No. I’m sorry. My bad.”
Candy looked up in time to see Turner execute a series of moves more suited to a baseball coach on the sidelines than a cop. First there was a quick removal of his ball cap. That was followed by a sweep of his hand across his close-cropped hair, the return of the ball cap, a fast rub of his chin and mouth, and a few taps of his feet in the dirt. The routine was topped off by an adjustment of his gun holster.
“Drive safely,” he said as he turned away.
Candy peered out the driver’s-side window and watched him practically jog to his SUV. “Uh, thank you!” she called out, feeling ridiculous. What exactly was she thanking him for, anyway? Not arresting her?
Or was she thanking that man for giving her the finest, hottest, most bad-assed-open-mouthed kiss she’d ever had in her freakin’ life?
St. Martin’s Paperbacks Titles by Susan Donovan
Not That Kind of Girl
The Night She Got Lucky
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
The Girl Most Likely To…
The Kept Woman
He Loves Lucy
Public Displays of Affection
Take a Chance on Me
Knock Me Off My Feet
Praise for the Novels of Susan Donovan
THE NIGHT SHE GOT LUCKY
“This second in Donovan’s stories of dog-walking friends is a wonderful combination of love and laughter, with serious moments as well as some intrigue. The animal characters are a delightful addition to the story.”
—RT Book Reviews
“The Night She Got Lucky is a sexy, sweet, and simply delicious contemporary romance.”
—Joyfully Reviewed
“A cute, funny, and sexy tale from beginning to end.”
—Romance Reviews Today
AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG
“Donovan whips up a fine frappe of romantic comedy and suspense.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A delightful new series.”
—RT Book Reviews
“This is a terrific book and one that fans of Ms. Donovan, and new readers of first-class romantic comedies, don’t want to miss.”
—RTR Reviews
THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO…
“An exceptional novel with humor and pathos and rich in detail, and the finely-put-together characters make this a story worthy of our Perfect 10 award and a must-read. You’ll laugh, cry, and your heart will break over this brilliant story of a man and a woman—what most wondrous stories end up being about.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A wonderfully convoluted tale of love lost and found, secret pregnancies and spousal abuse, Donovan’s latest shows us the healing power of forgiveness and the strength found in the love of family. It’s peopled with complex characters who learn much about themselves and those they love through the course of this compelling story.”
—RT BOOKreviews
THE KEPT WOMAN
A RITA Award finalist
“Sexy and funny. Donovan takes the marriage-of-convenience plot and gives it a fun update that will leave readers grinning … these characters are filled with genuine warmth and charm.”
—RT BOOKreviews
HE LOVES LUCY
“A great book … terrific.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A fun and sexy ‘feel good’ story and a ‘must’ title to add to your current romance reading list.”
—Bookloons
“A story of rioting emotions, wacky weight challenges, and lots of love. This is one story you will be sad to see end. Kudos to Donovan for creating such a believable and realistic story.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“He Loves Lucy has everything: humor, sweetne
ss, warmth, romance, passion, and sexual tension; an uplifting message; a heroine every woman … can empathize with; and a hero to die for.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“An extraordinary read with intriguing characters and a wonderful plot … fantastic.”
—Romance Junkies
“Lucy is a humorous delight … fans will enjoy this fine look at one year of hard work to find love.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A great romance … a top-rate novel … with its unforgettable characters, wonderful plot, and excellent message, He Loves Lucy will go on my keeper shelf to be read and re-read a thousand times … Donovan has proven that she will have serious star power in the years to come.”
—Romance Reader at Heart
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
“Comic sharpness … the humorous interactions among Thomas, Emma, and Emma’s quirky family give the book a golden warmth as earthy as its rural Maryland setting. But there are also enough explicit erotic interludes to please readers who like their romances spicy.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Donovan blends humor and compassion in this opposites-attract story. Sexy and masculine, Thomas fills the bill for the man of your dreams. Emma and Thomas deserve a chance at true love. Delightfully entertaining, Take a Chance on Me is a guaranteed good time.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette
“Full of humor, sensuality, and emotion with excellent protagonists and supporting characters … a wonderful tale. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on this one. You’ll love it.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“Impossible to put down … Susan Donovan is an absolute riot. You’re reading a paragraph that is so sexually charged you can literally feel the air snapping with electricity and the next second one of the characters has a thought that is so absurd … that you are laughing out loud. Susan Donovan has a very unique, off-the-wall style that should keep her around for many books to come. Do NOT pass this one up.”
—Romance Junkies Review
“Susan Donovan has created a vastly entertaining romance in her latest book Take a Chance on Me. The book has an ideal cast of characters … a very amusing, pleasurable read … all the right ingredients are there, and Ms. Donovan has charmingly dished up an absolutely fast, fun, and sexy read!”
—Road to Romance
“Contemporary romances don’t get much better than Take a Chance on Me … such wonderful characters! You want sexual tension? This book drips with it. How about a love scene that is everything that a love scene should be? There’s humor, a touch of angst, and delightful dialogue … Take a Chance on Me is going to end up very, very high on my list of best romances.”
—All About Romance
KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET
“Spicy debut … [A] surprise ending and lots of playfully erotic love scenes will keep readers entertained.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Knock Me Off My Feet will knock you off your feet … Ms. Donovan crafts an excellent mixture to intrigue you and delight you. You’ll sigh as you experience the growing love between Autumn and Quinn and giggle over their dialogue. And you’ll be surprised as the story unfolds. I highly recommend this wonderfully entertaining story.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
CHERI ON TOP
Copyright © 2011 by Susan Donovan.
Excerpt from I Want Candy copyright © 2011 by Susan Donovan.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
ISBN: 978-0-312-53621-3
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / September 2011
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN 978-1-4299-8692-2
First St. Martin’s Paperbacks eBook Edition: August 2011
Cheri on Top Page 24