The Prince and the Pencil Pusher: Royal Powers Book 7, Kenzie Blades

Series: Royal Powers #7
Author: Kenzie Blades
Length: 30,000

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Bad things happen when supos go unchecked. That's why Abarra needs The Ministry: to keep tabs on royals with powers run amok. Queen Maialen has entrusted the safety of her subjects to her nephew, Prince Xabier, placing the agency in his capable hands.

Only, the Prince would rather spend his days putting his own power to good use in the vineyards than to wither away on the bureaucratic vine. Tired of policing perpetrators and babysitting bean-counters, he schemes to groom his first lieutenant (and second cousin) the Duke of Shrubs. After months spent moving chess pieces, he is poised to convince the Queen to assign his cousin to his post.

But an unlikely pawn still stands in his way: the sexy Zain Otxoa is the pushiest pencil-pusher in all of The Ministry and head of internal affairs. Prince Xabier has plotted to have him fired at least thrice. Zain's influence over the Queen—his only saving grace—is baffling.

When a master maneuver to have Zain reassigned exposes a shocking imbroglio, Prince Xabier learns The Ministry isn't what it seems. And Zain isn't a pawn at all.

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Review

This was a cute story that held the right note of seriousness and boasted a slower burn romance.  Most short stories focus on the relationship at the peril of the surrounding plot, but this was a bit opposite in that it focused on the reality of the situation as well as its gravity, the growth of the prince, and the necessity for the roles carried out by both men.  Adding in the training element and I was doubly impressed.  It took a while to find its footing and its traction, but once things got moving the story really grew on me.  Similarly with the Prince and his Pencil Pusher, their chemistry was subtle and less visceral, a more timid animal that took time to warm up before becoming comfortable.  Overall this was a good story for the series and a nice introduction to the author.

Excerpt

Not so fast.

My heels clicked in rapid succession as I walked down the centerline of the grand executive hall. It was far afield of the offices on lower floors. It took minutes to get all the way up there, which was why I’d needed to make haste. Left unattended on nights when he would rather have been any place but at his post, the Prince had a tendency to disappear.

The floors were made of marble and their design was quite ornate—a wide white border off to each side, with an elaborate design forming a runway down the middle. It wasn’t a pattern, but a work of art, its geometric pieces reminiscent of stained glass. It gave the sense of walking on a rug made of stone.

Hues from garnet, to ruby, to tawny, to rose made up elements of a palette that swirled and faded to ambers and golds. They complemented magnificent oil paintings of Abarran countryside that lined the grand corridor’s high walls. Spaced-out sitting benches rendered the space worthy of entertaining. Yet, he kept it to himself, and spent most of his time alone.

The downstairs offices were another story. They were filled with six-by-six-foot cubicles configured en masse for the Ministry’s rank and file. Enclosed offices here and there were reserved for mid-level managers: MLMs, as we liked to call them. I inhabited one of the better of these offices—a space in the corner on a higher floor with a not-bad view—though an MLM I was not.

Ostensibly, I was the Head of Internal Affairs, which was exactly her intention—a gross understatement considering my deep involvement with the covert side. Not making that last fact public was by design. My list of responsibilities was too long to name—too long for me to remember most days. Yet, the highest of my duties was to babysit him.

He was Prince Xabier Garrastazu, third in line to the South Abarran throne, son of Prince Frantzisco, nephew to the Queen, and Duke of Brix. He was also the Minister of Powers—the highest-ranking official at this agency and—despite my charge to keep him from making too big a mess out of things, he was—technically—my boss.

“Is he in?” I asked Eusebio, more for his benefit than mine. I knew the Prince’s comings and goings. I had eyes on him at all times. I tried not to roll my eyes as Eusebio made a production of picking up the phone to announce my arrival. The Prince enjoyed forcing me to wait to be let in.

Good.

The more ridiculously childish and infuriatingly vain Prince Xabier, Duke of Brix, chose to be wherever I was concerned, the easier it was to ignore his ridiculous appeal.

“Your Grace.” As usual, I greeted his back, the part of him that always seemed to face me when I walked into his suite. Even from behind, the man was magnificent. Broad shoulders filled out a perfectly tailored button-down made of fine fabric and subtle herringbone design. Today’s shirt—white if you weren’t paying attention—was the faintest of lilac. He was the epitome of a dashing prince.

To be clear, I was paying attention, not only to the way its snug fit showed the definition in his shoulders—to the place where the fabric stopped and his rolled-up sleeves gave way to skin. For all the hard work he didn’t do, there needn’t have been any rolling up of sleeves. In my most outlandish of theories, he did it to torment me.

“Mr. Otxoa,” the Prince greeted blithely, not turning toward me just yet. He stood on a rug in the sitting area with his gaze remained fixed on the fire. His office was a projection of the man himself—pleasantly fragrant, clean to a fault and dripping with style. Tufted wingback chairs with ottomans flanked a matching Chesterfield, all three in a dark teal. Fire glow warmed his features, casting appeal on the planes of his face, flattering the smooth line of his nose and cutting shadows from his diamond jaw.

I stopped at the edge of the rug next to the drink trolley that carried only wine. Its twin at the other end of the Chesterfield was all crystal decanters and spirits. When he turned, I was meant to bow out of deference. This was always the most difficult moment—the one when he first cast his gaze upon me. I faltered at the devastating beauty of his eyes.

“And what have you for me tonight? More documents to sign, no doubt. More supos with powers run rampage?”

He made no secret of the fact that my presence vexed him. Unencumbered by the burden of common birth, the Prince was under no obligation to feign politesse. Logic dictated that his resentment stemmed from me holding him to task. Instinct told me that the sport he made of pushing my buttons was something more.

The Prince finally cast his sapphire gaze upon me and I did bow then, thankful that the deep hue of my skin made it easy to hide my flush. Blood that he could not see rushed to my cheeks and prickled my nose and burned the tops of my ears. If he resented me, I, too, resented him. Training the Prince was not supposed to be so difficult as this.

About Kenzie

Kenzie Blades is a queer author of romantic LGBTQ+ fiction and is the alter ego of a multi-award winning author who writes other fiction under a different name. Kenzie lives in San Francisco and enjoys lots of things that start with the letter B, like bacon, bourbon and books.

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It's a Steal, Arden O'Keefe

I adored the premise and thought the beginning was quite cute with the complete opposites of the two mens' personalities, but it kind of quickly went off the rails and added a whole lot of elements and intrigue and drama that detracted from the whole overall feel.  Honestly this was a low 3 star, maybe even a 2.75 star book for me because of just how much was added to increase the conflict for no conceivable reason.  Manufacturing situations to make the story more interesting totally didn't work here.

What should have been a simple meet*cute between two men that had great reasons to discover more about one another through their individual differences alone devolved into cybercrime, family drama that was pretty much solved by one sisterly outburst that was one-sided and unfair as well as being overly simplistic, a rockstar that was actually a rocker with a respectable and enthusiastic fan base rather than a rock star, and a different family drama that was solved by a black hat hacker with a soft spot for a young man they hadn't spoken to in nearly a decade breaking silence and making actual contact so they could wave their magic wand and fix everything that was wrong.

It was just too much crazy with too little substance.  There were some nice moments, but timelines in the background snippets we got were confused and confusing, there was very little actual connection between the men, and way too much in-the-head explanations that basically told the story and not enough dialogue or depth driving the story.  So it was nice, just not my favorite.

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Edric Wilcher has realized growing up that there are simply two things in this world he can never imagine his life without—music and coffee. This is the reason why he chooses the life of a famous rock star—at least, famous in his own small town, and then, goes ahead and opens up Rockstar’s Hideout Café. Every morning he serves his regulars and has a nice, long chat with them before they go back to their daily routine. His charms work wonders on them. Thanks to the good genes bestowed upon him, he doesn’t look half bad. So, it strikes him as odd that this new customer who walks in that morning carrying a heap of books doesn’t seem to even spare him a second glance.

“Coffee” is what he orders and Ed goes out of his way to make him feel special. But the redheaded nerd—okay, a cute nerd, probably cutest he’s seen in his life—just leaves with his books, leaving even the muffin-on-the-house completely untouched. The mystery surrounding this guy gets the best of Ed and when he finds a book left behind by this customer, he can’t help follow the trail to see him just one more time. Even if it is to get a name.

Dean Harrett has somehow misplaced the one thing that was supposed to help him out of his current problems—and that thing is not a cheesy, romance novel. What matters to him the most is what he’s kept in the book—the perfect plan that can make or break his future. And that book has gone now. Only if he can remember where he’s last seen that book…

Of course! The café, where that annoying barista just wouldn’t leave him alone so he had to leave.

But now Dean has to get back there and look for himself before anyone can lay their hands on it. He doesn’t even want to think about the worst-case scenario of someone finding out what he is up to. But this only means he will have to face the annoying, but handsome barista again. Ugh!

To celebrate Arden's debut release they have organized a MASSIVE giveaway!

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Amazon Gift Cards worth up to $200 and some amazing goodies are up for grabs!!!

"An enormous, gigantic THANK YOU everyone who has pre-ordered or purchased  IT'S A STEAL! This is a way of me showing how much I appreciate it. By following THREE easy steps (refer below), you stand a chance to win one of over TEN prizes!!!

I call this giveaway MASSIVE for a reason ... read on" -Arden O'Keefe

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❣️ A grand prize winner who'll receive $50 Amazon Gift Card

(Chosen on September 1st, 2020)

❣️ 5 lucky winners who'll have a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card

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❣️ 1 lucky winner will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card

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❣️ 1 lucky winner will receive a pack of amazing goodies!

(Chosen on September 1st, 2020)

Enter the contest in THREE easy steps over on Facebook -

Step 1: Like Arden's Facebook Page.

(Please note you will also be invited to my Facebook Group "The A-OK Squad")

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Step 3: Come back and tag AT LEAST 10 friends in your comment on the Facebook post HERE.

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About Arden

Arden O’Keefe has several passions and reading is one of them. It is through reading the works of several loved authors that O’Keefe was inspired to craft out some personal creations. The muse never stops to motivate and that’s how the story of Edric and Dean just developed by itself. This is where O’Keefe begins the journey hoping that it doesn’t end anytime soon.

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Out on the Ice: Out in College Book 5, Lane Hayes

The college boys are back,

and this time it's a whole lot of heat

for two boys who thought they hated one another.

Release Date: March 19, 2020

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 63k

Genre: Romance, New Adult, Bisexual, Enemies to lovers, 

College romance, Athletes, Hockey, Baseball, Humor

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Colby Fischer is a bad boy with attitude and a chip on his shoulder. As a senior at a Southern California college, he knows this may be his last shot. He doubts he’ll ever become the hockey legend he dreamed of being as a kid, but he definitely doesn’t want to be an accountant.

Things get interesting when he’s asked to train the new intern at his step-dad’s firm, who happens to be the troublemaker from his econ class. And the one guy Colby can’t stand.

Baseball is Sky Jameson’s life. He’s happy to be back at Chilton for his senior year, but he’s burned a few bridges and has a bit too much free time off-season. He could use the money and something to keep him busy until his season begins. But his accidental crush on his prickly coworker could be a problem.

Colby is straight and Sky is in the closet. Their timing isn’t great, but the intense attraction is hard to deny. With his final season on the hockey team in the balance, Colby may have to decide if he’s ready to come out on the ice.

Excerpt

“What position do you play?” Sky asked, pealing the label off his water bottle.

“Right wing. Forward. Think of soccer where the front line moves the ball down the field. We do the same with the puck.”

“I know how it works. I’ve watched a lot of hockey.”

“Have you ever played?” I asked.

“No. Baseball was always number one for me. Besides, hockey is kind of…rough. There’s always a fight. And the game moves so fast, it’s hard to see the puck sometimes.”

“Not if you pay attention.” I raised my beer bottle in a mock toast and grinned. “And I like it rough.”

Sky pursed his lips and stared at me…or maybe he was staring at my throat. I couldn’t tell. “Me too. But not on the field. It distracts from the game.”

“In hockey, it’s part of the game. If you can’t defend yourself, your teammates, and the ice, you have no right to be out there. Might as well take up ice dancing or something,” I snarked, only half kidding. “And no offense, but ice dancing is a hell of a lot more entertaining than baseball. Trust me, I know. I played Little League for a couple of years. I used to beg the coach not to put me in the outfield. Geez, you could take a fuckin’ nap out there some days, you know?” Sky laughed. “Fuck you. You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. Baseball is a game of strategy.”

“Strategy my ass,” I huffed, smiling to take the sting from my words…even though I kinda meant it. “It’s one of those weird sports where everyone gets pumped when nothing happens.

‘Oh, it’s a no-hitter. That’s amazing!’ Sure…but nothing fuckin’ happened! No one hit the ball, no one rounded the bases, no one slid to home plate. No one had to even wash their damn uniforms! And you know why?”

“Why?”

“’Cause nothin’ fuckin’ happened,” I replied, taking a long sip of my beer as I let the sweet sound of Sky’s laughter wash over me.

God, he had a great laugh. It made me like him a little more. And yeah, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I liked Sky. He was smart, talented, easy on the eyes, and he had a sense of humor.

“That just proves baseball players are smarter than hockey players,” he taunted. “Said no one anywhere ever.” I held my hands up in surrender when he flipped me off. “Hey, I’m kidding. I like baseball fine. I told you I follow the Tigers. I still have the jersey my dad bought me when I was ten. Dude, I’d wear it if I still fit in it. What’s your position?”

“Shortstop. I’ve played almost every position at one time or another but I like it the best. You gotta be quick, have a strong arm, and good instincts. I also have a long wingspan. That helps.”

“Makes sense. I don’t know about wingspan, but you gotta be quick in lightning fast hockey too with quick reflexes. Big ol’ quads help.” I smacked my thighs and chuckled. “Mine are kinda huge.”

Sky gave me a lopsided smile. “I noticed. It’s hot.”

“You think muscular legs are hot?”

“I do. Believe it or not, it wasn’t your sweet personality that made me look twice. It was your thighs.”

I snickered. “That’s weird.”

“Maybe, but it’s true. You always wore shorts to summer school. I used to come in a little late so I’d get a good look at you before I sat down. I purposely didn’t sit next to you because I knew I’d get caught staring. And the one day I did, you were the one who got caught.”

“Are you telling me that all this started because of my thighs?” I asked, narrowing my gaze suspiciously.

Sky nodded. “Basically…yes.”

We held eye contact for a moment then busted up.

And when our laughter faded, the mood changed all over again. I felt that same crackle of heat and sexual energy I always did when I was around him, but this time I knew what it was. And though I might have been unsure, I wasn’t afraid.

I leaned forward on my barstool and motioned for Sky to close the distance. He brushed his nose against mine. I held my breath and waited for him to make a move. Any move at all. When he blinked, I licked the corner of his mouth then pressed my lips to his and closed my eyes.

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About Lane...

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were First Place winners in the 2016 and 2017 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

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Breathless with Her: Less Than Book 1, Carrie Ann Ryan

Series: Less Than

Devin Carr likes his life. He likes his job, his family, the outlook for his future. Then he meets her. Erin. As soon as he sees her, drunk and wearing a sequined dress as her world crashes down around her and she fights to put on a brave face, he knows what he’s been missing. Her.

When Erin Taborn finds her high school sweetheart and husband banging the former head cheerleader of their graduating class at their high school reunion, she tells herself she’ll be fine. She just needs to figure out what fine means. There’s only one problem. Devin. She didn’t plan on him. And for someone who thinks they have all their plans in place, that’s a problem.

One she’ll have to find an answer to if this whole friends-with-benefits thing is going to work.

If not, she’ll fail just like with everything else.

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Releasing December 3, 2019

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Releasing March 24, 2020

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Author Bio

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Fractured Connections, and Elements of Five series, which have sold over 3.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.

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Trashed: Eastside Brewery Book 2, Mia Hopkins

The Rosas brothers are back!
A fiery chef captures the attention of Trouble,
but is his will enough to find the truth
and slay the demons of his past?

Trashed

Eastside Brewery #2

He burns for her. Lucky for him, she likes to play with fire. . .

My name is Eddie Rosas, but everyone calls me Trouble. Since I got out of prison six months ago, I’ve had one goal: find my father, whatever the cost. My older brother says I need to move on. He also wants me to leave our gang, East Side Hollenbeck, and go straight, but I can’t—not until I uncover the truth about our family and its missing piece.

One problem? I’m distracted. My distraction’s name is Carmen Centeno. Smart, passionate, and tough as hell, Carmen is a woman from the neighborhood who’s built her career as one of the city’s top chefs. She’s a master of creating pleasure both in and out of bed. But when our connection deepens, how can I show her I’m not the trash everyone says I am?

The pressure’s rising. Carmen deserves a man she can depend on. And when the ghosts of my past rise up, I’ll have to outsmart them—or lose my shot at a future with the only woman who believes in me.

The Rosas brothers will return in Tanked!

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Praise for Thirsty...

ONE OF THE BEST ROMANCE NOVELS OF THE YEAR “A powerful, honest look at love as both a motivation and a risk.”—The Washington Post

“Heartrending, raw and beautiful.”—USA Today

“A brilliant read. There are good writers, and then there are writers that just leave you in awe. And Hopkins has definitely left me in awe.”—Hypable

“Bold and unapologetic.”—Smexy Books

“A sizzling, emotionally intense story that is both gritty and heartwarming, an addictive page-turner that will stay with me for a long time to come.”—New York Times bestselling author Cathryn Fox

“Sexy and soul-wrenching, with Sal’s irresistible voice luring you through a living, breathing Los Angeles.”—USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone

“An amazing read! I stayed up way too late to finish and haven’t stopped thinking about the characters. Highly recommended!”—USA Today bestselling author Molly O’Keefe

About Mia...

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. Her favorite form of procrastination is baking. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

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Hot SEAL Hero: Hot SEAL Team Book 7, Lynn Raye Harris

A woman on the run,

A SEAL who protects,

An incendiary chemistry.

Will her past or their passion burn them first,

and what will be left among the ashes?

Series: HOT SEAL Team #7

She fears for her life.

He’ll risk his to protect her.

Falling in love? Not part of the plan…

Chloe Cooper is on the run from an abusive ex. Living in a new state, with a new name, she’s ready to focus on rebuilding her life. She’s got a job she loves, a new home—and a sexy Navy SEAL neighbor who makes her pulse flutter in spite of her determination not to get involved. But when a threatening message arrives, her dread about what her ex will do if he finds her forces her to make a choice.

Ryan “Dirty Harry” Callahan is protective by nature. When he meets Chloe, it’s clear she’s skittish about something. When he learns why she ran from her old life, his first objective is to keep her safe. His second is to make sure she knows she can trust him—and that she’ll have a posse of Navy SEALs at her back if she ever needs them.

When the attraction between Ryan and Chloe explodes, they’re stunned by its intensity—and helpless to resist its seductive heat. Everything is finally going right for Chloe—until her worst fears come true. With Chloe missing and her life on the line, Ryan will stop at nothing to get her back. Before he loses the woman he loves forever.

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Excerpt

Ryan “Dirty Harry” Callahan woke to the sounds of someone shouting and the beeping of a large truck backing up. His head throbbed as if someone inside chiseled away at his temples. The shouting and beeping continued and he groaned. Where the fuck was he?

He cracked an eye open and pain shot behind his eyeballs. He tried again, slowly. This time, he paid attention to his surroundings. He was in his own bed. What the hell had happened?

Then he remembered. The party at Money’s place, Ian Black, and a whole lot of drinking and laughing. He’d indulged too much, which wasn’t something he ever really did. He usually had an iron will about alcohol and he guarded himself carefully.

But yesterday—shit, yesterday had been different.

Had Neo gotten drunk too? Had they taken an Uber, or had someone brought them home? They shared a house, though they each had their own floor. The kitchen was on his floor, but he didn’t smell coffee.

He dragged his hand across his body and reached for his phone. Outside, the shouting and clunking continued. The beeping had stopped, but now the noise was just as bad.

He picked up his phone and squinted. Noon? It was fucking noon?

He dragged his body upright, groaning. Then his gaze landed on the bottle of water and the two horse sized Motrin sitting beside it. Neo had written a note, which meant Neo hadn’t been as drunk as he had.

Gone to the range. Take these, bud. Eat some cereal if you can. Man, you were drunk as shit!

Ryan grabbed the pills and twisted open the water, downing them both. He finished the water and lay back, wishing his head would either split and kill him or stop pounding. The doorbell rang and shattered whatever peace he was trying to find. He lay there like death warmed over and prayed they’d go away.

Eventually, he climbed from the bed, grabbed his Sig, holding it at his side, and stumbled down the hall toward the door. He wished like hell he had the basement floor today, but it wasn’t to be.

“Fucking stop pressing that bell,” he yelled at whoever was on the other side. And just yelling it made his head threaten to split wide open. He reached the door and peered through the peephole.

A woman stood on the other side, arms crossed, foot tapping as she waited. He jerked the door open and growled at her.

“What do you want?”

Her eyes widened as they climbed from his midsection to his face. Then they widened some more. “Oh. Oh goodness, I am so sorry.” She held up both hands as if to ward him off. He squinted at her, because the light was killing him, but what he could see looked nice.

Long golden-brown hair, wide eyes, a pretty pink mouth. Her skin was tanned. She wore a loose T-shirt and shorts with flip flops. Her legs were long, long, long for a small girl. He’d be interested if he wasn’t so fucking hungover.

Across the street, a moving van sat kind of cockeyed in the street. His truck sat next to the curb, right in front of where the van needed to go.

It dawned on him what she wanted. “You want me to move the truck, right?”

She stared hard at his face. “Um, yes? I’m sorry, you clearly look like you’re ill or something, but—” She waved a hand behind her, didn’t move her eyes from his. “I’m moving in today and the van can’t get into the driveway.”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “Fine, I’ll get the keys.”

He turned and went over to the kitchen counter, found the keys and dropped the Sig, and headed back to the door. She was still standing there, back turned as she yelled something at someone across the street. He stepped onto the porch and she turned around again. Squeaked as her gaze dropped and then she dragged it up to his face again.

“I, um, oh dear,” she said. And then she laughed, throwing her hand over her mouth and giggling in a way that made him frown. Pretty laugh, though.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. Really. But, um—” She waved her hand in his general direction. “Shouldn’t you put on some pants?”

Ryan stood there, puzzling over her words. Then he looked down—and discovered he was completely and utterly naked. He was standing on the front porch in front of God and everybody, holding his keys, his dick standing at half-mast like a tired old soldier who couldn’t quite make it work.

Fucking hell…

About Lynn...

Lynn Raye Harris is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM SERIES of military romances as well as 20 books for Harlequin Presents. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former-military husband, two crazy cats, and one spoiled American Saddlebred horse. Lynn's books have been called "exceptional and emotional," "intense," and "sizzling." Lynn's books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

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