by Valerie Mann
I won’t be the third.
“Answer me, Beth.” His jaw clenched again.
“The tow shop called. I went to get my car.”
He didn’t say anything for several moments. Finally, he ran a hand through his short hair. “Do me a favor. Next time leave me a note. Or call me.” He blew out a long breath. “Or something.”
Her heart filled with compassion. Damn those women for hurting him. Whether she knew the details yet or not, they didn’t matter.
“Chris, you have to admit we haven’t done much talking. So the subject of trust hasn’t come up.” He remained silent when she approached him. Standing inches away, she added, “It took a huge leap of faith and trust for both of us to agree to this marriage. But since we did, I have to think we trust each other.”
“You’re right.” Cupping her face, he bent and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You shouldn’t have to deal with my past.”
“That’s part of the vow we took. For better or worse. Everyone has a past.”
Resting his chin on the top of her head, he held her close. “You’re my future. That was the vow I took.”
Oh, my God, this guy is the real deal.
Beth tumbled head first down the rabbit hole.
She swallowed around the hard lump in her throat. “I did go somewhere else while I was out.” Until then, she hadn’t realized she still held the small shopping bag. She reached inside for a black box. “This is for you.”
He opened it and stared. Her heart hammered and she bit her lip, waiting for him to say something. Anything.
“Put it on me.”
She lifted the ring out of the satin interior and slipped it on his finger. A perfect fit. Closing his fist around it, he kissed her again. “Thank you.”
“Do you like it?”
He growled, the possessive sound thrilling her. “Querida, I’m going to show you every day just how much I like it.”
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Valerie Mann has lived from sea to shining sea and currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has her own romance hero husband, five children, and two lazy cats. She started writing when she figured out her school chums would listen to her stories, with “The Stolen Ring”, a riveting tale about a ring stolen from a museum gumball machine, being her first critical success. Between family, authorly stuff, managing and editing for an electronic publisher and whatever else she can cram into a day, she’s having lots of fun! She loves to hear from her readers! [email protected]
To Feel Again
A 1Night Stand Story
When Leah loses her fiancé, Mark, in Afghanistan, it takes nearly a year to get to the point where she’s ready to live again. Although she doesn’t want an emotional commitment, a night of consensual sex, even with a stranger, might help bring her some closure after Mark’s death. Enlisting the services of Madame Evangeline’s high-end, online dating service, One Night Stand, promises exactly what Leah is looking for—sex with a man she doesn’t have to see again, but one who will satisfy her physical needs now that she's ready to move on with her life.
Jackson Castillo has no desire to go on a date with one of Evangeline’s clients. One Night Stand uses his hotel for its client’s rendezvous, but otherwise, he never gets involved. When Eve threatens to take her business elsewhere unless he helps her with a particular case, he’s no fool. He’ll go on the date. But he won’t sleep with the woman.
When one thing leads to another, his good intentions to stay out of the bedroom with Leah are shattered. The sex is phenomenal, but there’s more to Leah he wants to explore. After she leaves the next morning without a goodbye, he’s both disappointed and royally pissed. Will he let her go or find a way to convince her she’s ready…to feel again?
Hey You
Playing by the rules. Cara spent her entire life doing just that—dutiful daughter, stellar student, responsible adult…in a word…nerd. Not that she had much choice. The Society, a secret moral social order she’d been born into, had one motivating tool in its arsenal to ensure members didn’t succumb to temptation and break any of its laws—
The Watcher… A demon whose sole mission consisted of waiting for his watch to break the rules—and bring them to—
The Dark... Marek sucked at his job. Not only did he hate being a Watcher, but he’d fallen in love with his watch, Cara, placing his eternal soul in peril. Only able to protect her in her dreams, when she reaches a crossroad in her life that puts her mortality in jeopardy, they have to decide who will give the greater gift.
Will Cara sacrifice her mortality for Marek’s love…or will he sacrifice his soul to save her life?
Table of Contents
Title page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~