He laughed. “Randa, I’ve already told you that I think you can do anything you want. And, with you, I’m pretty sure I can too. We’re going to rock the soccer field. I’ll coach the winning team. You’ll organize practice schedules and killer fundraisers. You just wait.”
Randa’s laugh was accompanied by sniffles but she was happier than she could ever remember being. It really was all going to work out. Maybe this wasn’t the plan she’d dreamed of as the littlest Whitmore, but it was perfect for the Randa she wanted to be.
She brushed his lips with hers and then rested her forehead against his while she listened to the beat of her heart. When she finally pulled back, she whispered, “So, the Westwind room… a week on a boat’s a dream come true.”
Tony’s eyes gleamed with heat and humor. “I didn’t dream big enough, obviously. A week with a long-legged blonde naked in my bed never occurred to me. Falling in love with her is a serious bonus. I think we’re both going to be really happy.”
Randa laughed and ran her finger over his tattoo. “That first day, I would have said it was impossible. But I can’t help falling in love with you.”
Want more Rock’n’Rolla Hotel?
See how the romance began in
STUCK ON YOU
Now available from Avon Books.
An Excerpt from
STUCK ON YOU
Love’s in the limelight when big-shot producer KT Masters accidentally picks a fight with Laura Charles, a single mother working as a showgirl waitress in a hotel bar. When he offers her the fling of a lifetime, Laura’s willing to play along… just so long as her heart stays out of it. If she can help it, that is!
LAURA SAID, “EXCUSE me, Mr. Masters.” When he held up an impatient hand, she narrowed her eyes and turned back to the two women. “Maybe you can tell him the drinks are here? I’ve got other customers to take care of.”
The pink-haired woman held out a hand. “Sure thing. I’m Mandy, the makeup artist. This is Shane. She’ll do hair. We’ll both help with costumes and props as needed.”
As Laura shook their hands, she privately thought that might be the best arrangement. Shane’s hair was perfect, not one strand out of place. Mandy’s pink shag sort of made it look like she’d been caught in a windstorm. In a convertible. But her makeup and clothes were very cute.
KT said, “Hold on just a sec, Bob. Let me go ahead and tweet this. Gotta keep the fans interested, you know.”
Laura glanced over her bare shoulder to see KT bound down the stairs, pause, snap a picture, and then type something on his phone before shouting about taking down the electronic display in the corner. Lucky would not be happy about that. As KT waved his arms dramatically and the director nodded, Laura smiled at the two girls. “Guess I’m dismissed.”
They laughed, and Laura turned to skirt their table as she reached for the drink tray. Being unable to move, like her feathers had attached themselves to the floor, was her first clue that something had gone horribly wrong. And when KT Masters bumped into her, sending the tray skidding into the sodas she’d just delivered, she knew exactly who was responsible. She tried to whirl around to give him a piece of her mind but spun in place and then heard a loud rip just before she bumped into the table and sent two glasses crashing to the floor. She might have followed them, but KT wrapped a hand around her arm to steady her. His warm skin was a brand against her chilly flesh.
The only sound in Viva Las Vegas was the tinny plink of electricity through one million bright white bulbs. Every eye was focused on the drama taking place at the foot of the stage. Before she could really get a firm grip on the embarrassment, irritation, shock, and downright anger boiling over, Laura shouted, “You ripped off my feather!”
Even the light bulbs seemed to hold their breath at that point.
KT’s hand slid down her arm, raising goose bumps as it went, before he slammed both hands on his hips, and Laura shivered. The heat from that one hand made her wonder what it would be like to be pressed up against him. Instead of the flannel robe, she should put a KT Masters on her birthday list. She wouldn’t have to worry about being cold ever again.
“Yeah, I did you a favor. This costume has real potential”—he motioned with one hand as he looked her over from collarbone to knee—“but the feathers get in the way, so . . . you’re welcome!” The frown looked all wrong on his face, like he didn’t have a lot of experience with anger or irritation, but the look in his eyes was as warm as his hand had been. When he rubbed his palms together, she thought maybe she wasn’t the only one to be surprised by the heat.
They both looked down at the bedraggled pink feather, now swimming in ice cubes and spilled soda under his left shoe. No matter how much she hated the feathers or how valid his point about their ridiculousness was, she wasn’t going to let him get away with this. He should apologize. Any decent person would.
“What are you going to do about it?” She plopped her hands on her own hips, thrust her chin out, and met his angry stare.
He straightened and flashed a grim smile before leaning down to scrape the feather up off the floor. He pinched the driest edge and held it out from his body. “Never heard ‘the customer’s always right,’ have you?”
Laura snatched the feather away. “In what way are you a customer? I only see a too-important big shot who can’t apologize.”
His opened his mouth to say… something, then changed his mind and pointed a finger in her face instead. “Oh, really? I bet if I went to have a little talk with the manager or Miss Willodean, they’d have a completely different take on what just happened here and who needs to apologize.”
Laura narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Oh, really? I’ll take that bet.”
About the Author
* * *
Whether she’s writing, reading, or just checking the items off of her daily to-do list, small-town girl CHERYL HARPER loves her romance mixed with a little laughter. When she’s not working, you will find her ignoring housework, cursing yard work, and spending way too much time with a television remote in her hand. You can visit her online at www.cherylharperbooks.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
By Cheryl Harper
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Stuck On You
”Love Me Tender” in Kiss Me:
An Avon Books Valentine’s Day Anthology
Give in to your impulses…
Read on for a sneak peek at four brand-new
e-book original tales of romance from Avon Books.
Available now wherever e-books are sold.
LESS THAN A GENTLEMAN
By Kerrelyn Sparks
WHEN I FIND YOU
A TRUST NO ONE NOVEL
By Dixie Lee Brown
PLAYING THE FIELD
A DIAMONDS AND DUGOUTS NOVEL
By Jennifer Seasons
HOW TO MARRY A HIGHLANDER
By Katharine Ashe
An Excerpt from
LESS THAN A GENTLEMAN
by Kerrelyn Sparks
New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks returns to romance during the Revolutionary War with the sequel to her debut historical novel, The Forbidden Lady.
Matthias gazed up the lattice to his balcony. As youngsters, he and his cousin had used the lattice to sneak out at night and go fishing. Of course the doors had not been bolted back then, but climbing down the lattice had seemed more exciting.
Matthias wasn’t sure the lattice would hold his weight now, but with Dottie’s restorative coursing through him, he felt eager to give it a jolly good try. Halfway up, a thin board cracked beneath his shoe. He shifted his weight and found another foothold. The last thing he wanted was to slip and tear Dottie’s stitches from his shoulder.
He swung his legs over the balcony railing and landed with a soft thud. How odd. His door was open. Of course, he reminded himself. Dottie had gone there to fetch his clothes. She must hav
e opened the door to air out the room.
He slipped inside. Moonlight filtered into the room, glimmering off the white mosquito netting. He strolled over to the secretaire, then kicked off his shoes and dropped his breeches. When he draped the breeches on the back of the chair, he noticed something was already there, something thick. He ran his fingers over the folds of cotton. The scent of roses drifted up to his nose. His mother’s perfume. Why would she have left one of her gowns in his room?
Odd. He pulled off his stockings. He’d talk to his mother in the morning. For now, he simply wanted to sink into a mattress and forget about the war.
He unwrapped his neck cloth, then removed his shirt and undergarments. How could he forget the war when he had so much to do? Ferryboats to burn. Supplies to capture. He untied the bow from his hair and dropped the thin leather thong on the desk. And those two missing females. Where the hell could they be?
He strode to the bed and slipped under the netting. With a sigh of contentment, he stretched out between the clean cotton sheets.
The bed shifted.
He blinked, staring at the ghostly netting overhead. He hadn’t budged an inch. There was only one explanation.
Slowly, he turned his head and peered into the darkness beside him. The counterpane appeared lumpy, as if— He listened carefully. Yes, soft breathing.
He sat up. A soft moan emanated from the form beside him. Female. His heart started to pound, his body reacting instinctively. Good God, it had been too long since he . . .
What the hell? He drew his racing libido to a screeching halt. This had to be another one of his mother’s plots to force him to marry! Even Dottie was in on it. She had insisted he bathe and go to the Great House. Then they had locked up the house, so he would be forced to climb the lattice to his bedchamber. Straight into their trap.
He scrambled out of bed, batting at the mosquito netting that still covered him.
The female gasped and sat up. “Who’s there?”
“Bloody hell,” he muttered. His mother’s scheme had worked perfectly. He was alone and naked with whomever she had chosen for his bride.
Another gasp, and a rustling of sheets. The woman climbed out of bed. Damn! She would run straight to her witnesses to inform them that he’d bedded her.
“No!” He leapt across the bed and grabbed her. “You’re not getting away.” He hauled her squirming body back onto the bed. Her sudden intake of air warned him of her intent to scream.
He cupped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t.”
She clamped down with her teeth.
“Ow!” He ripped his hand from her mouth.
She slapped at his shoulders.
He winced as she pounded on his injury. “Enough.” He seized her by the wrists and pinned her arms down. “No screaming. And no biting. Do you understand?”
Her breaths sounded quick and frightened.
He settled on top of her, applying just enough pressure to keep her from escaping. “I know what you’re after. You think to trap me in wedlock so easily?”
“What?”
He could hardly see her pale face in the dark. His damp hair fell forward, further obstructing his view as he leaned closer. The scent of her soap surrounded him. Magnolia blossoms. His favorite, and Dottie knew it. This was a full-fledged conspiracy. “I assume you brought witnesses with you?”
“Witnesses?”
“Of course. Why would you want me in your bed if there were no one to see it?”
“My God, you’re perverse.”
“You’re hoping I am, aren’t you?” He stroked the inside of her wrist. “You’re hoping I’ll be tempted by your soft skin.”
She shook her head and wiggled beneath him.
He gulped. She was definitely not wearing a corset beneath her shift. “You think I cannot resist a beautiful, womanly form?” Damn, but she was hard to resist.
“Get off of me,” she hissed.
“I beg your pardon? That’s hardly the language of a seductress. Didn’t they coach you better than that?”
“Damn you, release me.”
He chuckled. “You’re supposed to coo in my ear, not curse me. Come now, let me hear your pretty little speech. Tell me how much you want me. Tell me how you’re burning to make love to me.”
“I’d rather burn in hell, you demented buffoon.”
He paused, wondering for the first time whether he had misinterpreted the situation. “You’re… not here to seduce me?”
“Of course not. Why would I have any interest in a demented buffoon?”
He gritted his teeth. “Then who are you and why are you in this bed?”
“I was in bed to sleep, which would be obvious if you weren’t such a demented—”
“Enough! Who are you?”
She paused.
“Is the question too difficult?”
She huffed. “I… I’m Agatha Ludlow.”
An Excerpt from
WHEN I FIND YOU
A TRUST NO ONE NOVEL
by Dixie Lee Brown
Dixie Lee Brown continues her heart-racing Trust No One series with a sexy veteran determined to protect an innocent woman on the run.
“Okay—now that I’ve got your attention, let me tell you about my day.” Walker resumed his pacing. “I’ve been up since four-thirty this morning. I’ve saved your neck three times so far today, and for my trouble I’ve been cracked on the skull, threatened by a bear, and nearly drowned. We’re through doing it your way.” He stopped and pinned her with a warning glance. “I realize you’re confused and you’ve got no idea who I am, but there’s only one thing you need to know. I’m taking you out of here with me, and I don’t care if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out. Are we clear?”
She watched him without saying a word, looking anything but resigned to her fate.
Walker stared back, daring her to defy him.
She never even flinched.
“If you were me, what would you do?” Her strong, clear voice challenged him, while her eyes flashed with fire.
“If I were you, I’d find someone I could trust and stick with him until this is over.”
“And that’s you, I suppose? How do I know I can trust you?”
He made a show of looking around. “You don’t have a lot of options at the moment, but, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m the one trying to keep you alive.” He reached for her elbow and pulled her to her feet. The cool breeze through his wet clothes chilled him, and he worried about her. Even with her arms wrapped around herself, just beneath her breasts, she still shook. No sense putting this off. She wasn’t magically going to start trusting him in the next few minutes, and they had to get moving.
He held up his jacket in front of her and took a deep breath. “Get out of those wet clothes and put this coat on.”
Her eyes widened in alarm and she stared at him, resting her hands on her hips in a stance that would have made him smile if she hadn’t been so serious. He held her gaze, expecting her to tell him to go to hell. He couldn’t afford to give on this issue, so he kept talking. “We’ll head back to higher ground, start a fire, and get our clothes dried out. I have to warm you up, and this is the only way I know to do it. We don’t have time to argue about this.”
“You can’t seriously expect me to… you’re wet and cold, too. Wear your own damn coat.” She wrapped her arms around her waist again, as though she could stop her trembling.
The fear in her expression tugged at his conscience and sent him searching for the words to reassure her that he wasn’t going to jump her as soon as she undressed. The suspicious glare she fixed him with succeeded in hardening his resolve, and he lowered the coat, raised an eyebrow, and swept his gaze over her. “Either you can get out of those clothes yourself, or I can help you.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“You’ll find there’s not too much I wouldn’t do.”
Darcy glowered at him a few more seconds, clearly wishing she had a t
ree branch in her hand. Then she sighed and dropped her gaze, blinking several times in quick succession, obviously determined that he wouldn’t see her break down. So, the woman wasn’t as tough as she wanted him to believe. Her vulnerability unleashed a wave of protectiveness that washed over him and left him feeling like an ass.
He frowned. “I’m not the enemy.” He held the coat higher so it blocked his view of everything but her head and shoulders. “Hurry, we have to get moving.” Trembling visibly, her lips still maintained a bluish tint. She wasn’t out of danger yet.
An Excerpt from
PLAYING THE FIELD
A DIAMONDS AND DUGOUTS NOVEL
by Jennifer Seasons
The sexy baseball players of Jennifer Seasons’ Diamonds and Dugouts series are back with the story of a single mom, a hot rookie, and a second chance at love.
JP reached out an arm to snag her, but she slipped just out of reach—for the moment. Did she really think she could get away from him?
There was a reason he played shortstop in the major leagues. He was damn fast. And now that he’d decided to make Sonny his woman, she was about to find out just how quick he could be. All night he’d tossed and turned for her, his curiosity rampant. When he’d finally rolled out of bed, he’d had one clear goal: to see Sonny. Nothing had existed outside that.
Her leaving her cell phone at the restaurant last night had been the perfect excuse. All he’d had to do was run an internet search for her business to get her address. And now here he was, unexpectedly up close and personal with her. So close he could smell the scent of her shampoo, and it was doing funny things to him. Things like making him want to bury his nose in her hair and inhale.
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