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FOREVER WITH YOU
The Starlight Hill Series #5
Heatherly Bell
Releasing April 26th, 2016
Tydandon
Publishing and Heatherly Bell Books
She forgot something on the way to the courthouse …
Sophia Abella has a good life, even if she is a little stuck. Not quite single, not quite married, she keeps men at a safe distance. But when her ex-Marine husband returns to town and takes the job of chief of police, it might finally be time to get that paper work done once and for all. After all, most of her family already thinks she’s divorced.
They’re not actually, in the fullest sense of the word … divorced.
Years ago, Riley Jacobs chose the Marine Corp over his wife and has regretted his decision every day since. But once a Marine always a Marine, and he’ll use every tactical advantage he has to get Sophia to realize that she’s the only one for him.
Love and marriage … take two
He didn’t answer
but only studied her. “Eat.”
She took a bite
somewhat automatically and felt immediately annoyed with herself for listening
to him. “You’re bad for me.”
What she didn’t
say, because she didn’t even want to voice it, was that he’d somehow become
nothing but a constant reminder of loss. Pain. Of a fear so overwhelming and
raw it threatened to take over everything in its path.
“I’m not. I’m what
the doctor ordered.”
“You’re like eating
Chunky Monkey every night instead of once a week. Not a good idea.”
He moved closer, so
that his shoulder was touching hers. “So what do you want? Vanilla?”
“Not vanilla.” She
took another sip, moved her legs and Hershee jumped off her lap, disgusted with
Sophia for not sitting still enough for Her Highness. “Maybe Neopolitan. It’s
good enough but not so much that I want it every day of the week.”
Riley stood up,
took Sophia’s bowl and set it on the coffee table. He pulled her up off the
couch, his hands on her elbows. The blanket fell to the ground at her feet.
“Admit it. You’d like to have Chunky Monkey every day of the week. And
sometimes you catch yourself thinking about it in the middle of the day.
Wondering how you could get away with it.”
“Maybe.”
She’d forgotten how
perfect it felt to be this close to him, their breathing comingled. Without a
doubt, she’d once known he would have breathed for her if he could. He would
have done anything for her.
“You want Chunky
Monkey. Admit it.” He pulled her closer, until she could feel every hard ridge
of his body and then closer still.
“Wait. Are we still
talking about ice cream?”
“No.” He kissed
her. Not a tender kiss at all, but rough and claiming.
Her hands fisted
his shirt, and then with both hands she untucked it at his waist, letting her
palms glide up his hard chest, touching the soft short hairs between her
fingers. How she’d missed this, missed him. No matter what, they’d always had
this part right. Touching, feeling.
Riley squeezed her
ass, his other hand sliding under her sweater to tug her bra cup aside. But
then just as suddenly as he’d kissed her, he stopped.
“Stay with me.” She
pulled on his arm, directing him toward the bedroom.
“Slow down, baby.”
“It’s this way to
the bedroom.” Sophia tugged on his hand again, a little like trying to move a
mountain. “Just like your floor plan but reversed.”
“Wait.” He bit his
lower lip and didn’t move.
“I don’t want to
wait. I’ve waited long enough.”
“You can wait a
little bit longer, can’t you?” He grimaced.
“Why should I?”
He chuckled and
framed her face with both hands. “Because I need you to be sure.”
“Oh, that. I’m
sure, Riley. I want this. I want you.”
“No,” he said and
his hands dropped down. “I want you to be sure about us.”
“Us?”
“You and me. Us.
Forever. Can you tell me you’re sure about that?” He studied her.
“Listen, you and I
…”
“Yeah.” He moved
away from her, picking his jacket up on the way to the door. “I’ll talk to you
tomorrow.”
“But—” Was he
seriously leaving her? Now? After all
that talk about Chunky Monkey? Bastard!
“Eat your soup,” he
called out and shut her front door.
When early onset stage fright dashed dreams of Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame status, Heatherly tackled her first book in 2010, and now the people and
voices that occupy her head refuse to leave. She no longer sings unless you
count randomly bursting into song to annoy her children (and the dogs).
If she were not an author, Heatherly maintains she
would be a detective and a criminal's worst nightmare. She watches Dateline
every Friday night and takes notes.
She lives in northern California with her family,
including two beagles, one who can say 'hello' and the other who can feel a pea
through several pillows.
Lol...I love the excerpt - this sounds like a story (series probably) that I would enjoy. Thanks for the chance with the giveaway
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome!!! I hope you get a chance to read the book/series soon :D
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