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Thursday, August 18, 2016

EXCERPT REVEAL: Viewing Room by Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover

Are you ready for Society X? 
**STANDALONE NOVEL by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover.**

Viewing Room will release on September 6th. 


Excerpt
“Kennedy, do you mind sitting in the chair?” Max asks.

I turn to look at him and then focus on the chair. I can do this. After joining him up on stage, I take a seat.

Kneeling down in front of me, he smiles. “If you ever feel uncomfortable, all you have to do is say stop. We’re not going to do something you don’t want.”

             “Okay.”

            “Are you ready?” Closing my eyes, I nod. The lights dim but when I open my eyes, I can’t see the couch. The lights above have hidden them from sight, making it feel like I’m the only one in the room. Music starts to play and it’s no shock that “Pony” by Ginuwine is the song choice. It’s the perfect one to set the mood.

            I can feel someone behind me and then their warm hands caressing my shoulders. The smell of his cologne drifts to my nose and I gasp. Is it the guy I talked to in the club? Heart racing, I wait for him to face me, but he stays behind me, his mouth so close to my ear.

            “Are you ready, Kennedy?” he murmurs. I suck in a breath and freeze. It is him. He circles around me, his dark eyes full of heat. “Are you?” he repeats.

            He moves closer, straddling my legs with his hard cock pressed between my breasts. Sliding lower, his body shields me from view as he settles between my thighs. His hand slides under my skirt and he smirks, knowing the others can’t see what he’s doing. What’s exciting is that I’m actually letting him do it. I want him to touch me. If the others weren’t in the room, there’s no telling what I’d allow him to do. My body craves a man’s touch. 

            He pushes his hand farther up my skirt, his middle finger skimming across my underwear. My skin’s on fire and I know he can feel the wetness between my legs. Groaning low, he gently nips my breast through my shirt.

            “How ’bout we give ’em a show?” he asks, murmuring the words.

            All I can say is ‘okay’ and then I’m in his arms. He carries me over to the bed and lays me down, covering my body with his. His hips move against mine as if we’re having sex and in my mind I can just imagine us doing it. With his back to my friends, he lowers his underwear so I can see his arousal. My whole body trembles and I want desperately to feel him inside of me. He slides his hands up my legs and pulls down my underwear, breathing in my scent. The song is almost over but yet I want more. It feels like I’m high, drugged up on sex and lust. When the music stops, the room is dead silent except for our breathing. Hunter’s chest rises up and down, his eyes wild and unsatisfied. At least he looks how I feel.

            “Do you still think I’m gay?” he asks, whispering the words.

            A small smirk spreads across my lips. “Maybe. It’s a shame you can’t prove otherwise.”

            The lights brighten and he slides off my body. Grabbing his robe, he puts it on and backs slowly away. “Until next time …”

I watch him walk away, my heart pounding against my chest. I’ve never been so exhilarated in all my life. Thunderous steps pound toward me, and then Sara appears in my line of sight, fanning herself. “Holy shit, I can’t believe you did that. It was so hot.”

“Yes it was. And I really want to do it again.”

            Chris and Max both chuckle. “She’s addicted now,” Chris says. “Looks like you have a new member.” He’s completely, and without a doubt, right. I’m addicted and I want more … a lot more. 

Are you ready for Society X? 
**STANDALONE NOVEL by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, Heidi McLaughlin & L.P. Dover.**

Viewing Room will release on September 6th. 

Now Available for Pre-order!

Blurb
Viewing Room Rules:
The rules of Society X are simple . . . break them and you're out.
Rule #1 - No names
It doesn't matter if you want to know, it's forbidden.
Rule #2 - No exchanging numbers
It doesn't matter if you want to call, it's forbidden.
Rule #3 - Everything is to remain strictly anonymous.
It doesn't matter if you want to tell, it's forbidden.
Whatever your desire.
Whatever your fantasy.
The Viewing Room will make it happen.
For Kennedy Vaughn, it’s an escape.
For Hunter Miles, entering the Viewing Room means he’s been selected.
What you witness in the viewing room will have you asking for more . . .


Haven’t read this series yet,  Now is your chance to 
grab Dark Room (Book One)!


Meet the Authors


L.P. Dover
L.P. Dover, is a southern belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries. 

Not only does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, white water rafting, and you can’t forget the passion for singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols. 

Aside from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written countless novels including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, the Armed & Dangerous series, the Royal Shifters series, and her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae. 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author
International Bestselling author
You can find her here:


Heidi McLaughlin
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup and a Highland West/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot.

When she isn't writing one of the many stories planned for release, you'll find her sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games

Heidi's first novel, Forever My Girl, is currently in production to be a major motion picture.

NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author




Tuesday, August 16, 2016

$50.00 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Neighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward

This is your next book purchase! I absolutely loved this book. Read my review & enter for a chance to win a $50.00 Amazon gift card!
  
Neighbor Dearest is LIVE and on limited-time release sale for $3.99 (Changing to $4.99 after release. This will be the ONLY sale.) A sexy STANDALONE friends-to-lovers story that does NOT have to be read in conjunction with any other book.

AVAILABLE ON ALL RETAILERS:

Blurb
A STANDALONE NOVEL that does NOT need to be read in conjunction with any other book.

From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a friends-to-lovers story with sexy new characters.

After getting dumped, the last thing I needed was to move next door to someone who reminded me of my ex-boyfriend, Elec.

Damien was a hotter version of my ex.

The neighbor I’d dubbed “Angry Artist” also had two massive dogs that kept me up with their barking.

He wanted nothing to do with me. Or so I thought until one night I heard laughter coming through an apparent hole in my bedroom wall. 

Damien had been listening to all of my phone sessions with my therapist. 

The sexy artist next door now knew all of my deepest secrets and insecurities.

We got to talking. 

He set me straight with tips to get over my breakup. 

He became a good friend, but Damien made it clear that he couldn’t be anything more. 

Problem was, I was falling hard for him anyway. And as much as he pushed me away, I knew he felt the same…because his heartbeat didn’t lie.

I thought my heart had been broken by Elec, but it was alive and beating harder than ever for Damien. 

I just hoped he wouldn’t shatter it for good. 

Author's note – Neighbor Dearest is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Review of Neighbor Dearest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What is a unicorn? There are many definitions.
-A mythical beast
-A newbie start-up company that is valued at $1 billion or more by investors.
-A pair of LuLaRoe leggings that you saw only once and never found them again. You must own these leggings. You can only hope that all of your web stalking pays off and they magically appear again!

Then there is a book lovers’ unicorn. You hope and pray that the new book you start reading from one of your favorite authors has all of this magic. This book has the perfect hero/heroine; it’s sexy, funny, and packed with the ideal amount of heartfelt emotional highs and lows. You find yourself laughing and crying along with the characters. This book is so well written and believable that you can’t fathom that it has to end at some point. This book does exist. Your world is rocked. Neighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward is my unicorn. 

Excerpt
Copyright © 2016 by
Penelope Ward

Looking tense, he placed his hands slowly into his pockets as he looked at me. “What exactly happened last night?”
“What are you talking about?”
Nice try dodging the question.
He moved in closer to me. “What am I talking about? You leaving me with a giant fucking basket of muffins and running off before I could even say anything? Ring a bell?”
“I thought you’d be alone. It caught me off guard.”
His eyes softened. “You were upset…”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“You’re a terrible liar, Chelsea. Fucking horrible at it. You don’t hide your feelings very well.”
“You think you know just about everything there is to know about me, don’t you?”
“Not everything. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read you. It’s one of the things I like about you, though. You’re one of the least fake people I’ve ever met.”
“Then, tell me. Why do you think I was upset?”
“Honestly? I think you’re confused about me.”
“Confused…”
“Yes. I think you’re wondering why I opted not to have dinner with you and instead ended up with a woman I’d literally just met, someone who isn’t as sweet as you and sure as fuck isn’t as pretty as you. So, you’re wondering what the hell I was thinking. Am I right?”
That’s exactly what I was thinking.
He continued, “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I do feel a connection with you, okay? If you’ve sensed something, you’re not imagining it.”
“Well, if I wasn’t confused before…now I definitely am.”
“I feel like I need to say this now, because I can’t stand the thought of you thinking that I somehow find you undesirable when it’s exactly the opposite.”
I crossed my arms. “Again. Not following you.”
He closed his eyes as if to try to find the right words. “It’s just that I know for sure that I can’t ever be what someone like you needs in a boyfriend, in a partner. It’s not that we wouldn’t have fun or be great together at first. I’m just not good for you in the long-term—not marriage material. And the reasons are too complex to get into, except to say that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I can’t, in good conscience, start something with a girl like you.”
“A girl like me…”
“Yes. You’re not the kind of girl a guy takes home for a quick fuck. You’re the girl he keeps.”

Right. Just like Elec did.

About the Author:
Penelope Ward

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island. 

Connect with Penelope Ward:

Sunday, August 14, 2016

NEIGHBOR DEAREST by Penelope Ward is LIVE!

This is your next book purchase! Check out my review below. I promise you are going to LOVE one of my favorite books of all-time! 

Neighbor Dearest is LIVE and on limited-time release sale for $3.99 (Changing to $4.99 after release. This will be the ONLY sale.) A sexy STANDALONE friends-to-lovers story that does NOT have to be read in conjunction with any other book.

AVAILABLE ON ALL RETAILERS:

Blurb
A STANDALONE NOVEL that does NOT need to be read in conjunction with any other book.

From New York Times bestselling author, Penelope Ward, comes a friends-to-lovers story with sexy new characters.

After getting dumped, the last thing I needed was to move next door to someone who reminded me of my ex-boyfriend, Elec.

Damien was a hotter version of my ex.

The neighbor I’d dubbed “Angry Artist” also had two massive dogs that kept me up with their barking.

He wanted nothing to do with me. Or so I thought until one night I heard laughter coming through an apparent hole in my bedroom wall. 

Damien had been listening to all of my phone sessions with my therapist. 

The sexy artist next door now knew all of my deepest secrets and insecurities.

We got to talking. 

He set me straight with tips to get over my breakup. 

He became a good friend, but Damien made it clear that he couldn’t be anything more. 

Problem was, I was falling hard for him anyway. And as much as he pushed me away, I knew he felt the same…because his heartbeat didn’t lie.

I thought my heart had been broken by Elec, but it was alive and beating harder than ever for Damien. 

I just hoped he wouldn’t shatter it for good. 

Author's note – Neighbor Dearest is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Review of Neighbor Dearest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What is a unicorn? There are many definitions.
-A mythical beast
-A newbie start-up company that is valued at $1 billion or more by investors.
-A pair of LuLaRoe leggings that you saw only once and never found them again. You must own these leggings. You can only hope that all of your web stalking pays off and they magically appear again!

Then there is a book lovers’ unicorn. You hope and pray that the new book you start reading from one of your favorite authors has all of this magic. This book has the perfect hero/heroine; it’s sexy, funny, and packed with the ideal amount of heartfelt emotional highs and lows. You find yourself laughing and crying along with the characters. This book is so well written and believable that you can’t fathom that it has to end at some point. This book does exist. Your world is rocked. Neighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward is my unicorn. 


About the Author:
Penelope Ward

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island. 

Connect with Penelope Ward:

        Stalk Her: Facebook | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Private Group


Thursday, August 11, 2016

COVER REVEAL & TWO GIVEAWAYS: Blind Reality by Heidi McLaughlin

I'm so excited to read Twisted Reality!  I would recommend reading Blind Reality (book #1) first.  Don't forget to enter Heidi's two giveaways below.


Release Date: August 16, 2016

Twisted Reality Synopsis
When we left off in Blind Reality, Josh was on bended knee proposing to Joey. The cameras were rolling, and the audience was waiting…

Joshua Wilson never thought he’d get married until the day that he met and married Joey Mitchell on the hit television show Married Blind. 

Joey never thought she’d find love… period, especially after her heart was broken. But now that she’s married to her celebrity crush, she’s trying to turn her fairytale into her happily ever after before the wicked witch takes a bit out of her apple.

Now TV’s favorite couple is moving their love affair off camera and trying to build a life around Josh’s Hollywood career while dodging his crazy fans, producers wanting to chronicle their first year of marriage for the public and Jules Maxwell—Josh’s all too famous ex. 

But we all know where there’s good, there’s bad. Every relationship has its ups and downs. With the cameras no longer watching their every move, will the love they shared in the house be the same when their lives become a Twisted Reality?


Synopsis
Joshua Wilson, an up-and-coming movie star, is turned off by the idea of marriage. His Oscar-winning smile and breakout role in the summer’s hottest romantic comedy bring in enough attention to satisfy Joshua’s cravings for the spotlight – not to mention the never-ending supply of willing women. 

Joey Mitchell is down in the dumps after finding out that her fiancé cheated on her with her best friend, and is living at home with her parents until she can get back on her feet. Without Joey’s knowledge, her overbearing and neurotic mother submits an application for her to appear on the reality show, Married Blind. When the producers surprise her with the news that they have cast her, Joey wants nothing to do with the show but agrees to participate because, at this point in her life, she really has nothing to lose.

Lights, camera, action… Welcome to another season of Married Blind. Contestants are about to take the plunge, but only one couple will come out of the house winners! 

Blind Reality Buy Links:


Author Bio
Heidi is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author.
Originally from Portland, Oregon and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup and a Highland Westie/Mini Schnauzer, JiLL and her brother, Racicot.
When she’s isn’t writing one of the many stories planned for release, you’ll find her sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games.
HeidiJoVT

TWO Giveaways
Giveaway #1 - 

NEW RELEASE & PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY: Born Sinner by S.L. Jennings is LIVE!

I'm in love with paranormal romance all over again!  Check out my mini-review of Born Sinner.
Title: Born Sinner (Se7en Sinners #1)
Author: S.L. Jennings
Release date: August 11, 2016
Buy Links: 

BLURB:

Twenty-two years ago, I was cut from a cold, sodden womb, and cradled in the filth and poverty of Chicago’s concrete arms. Statistically, I wasn’t supposed to survive these streets past the age of eighteen.

Fate had a different plan.

I was bred for one purpose and one purpose only: to unleash death and destruction on my world.

My thoughts are power.

My words are weapons.

Evil created me then grace tried to save me. But first… they tried to kill me.
They call themselves the Se7en. They are sin and salvation, and everything we’ve feared from the beginning of time. And their leader is the deadliest of them all.

He doesn’t lose.

He doesn’t compromise.

And most importantly, he doesn’t distract himself with mortal weakness.

Not until me.

Kill one to save a million.

That’s what he told me when he took me as his prisoner.

Kill one to save a million.


That’s what he’s been trying to tell himself ever since he took me into his arms.


Mini spoiler-free review: 
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
FIVE DARK STARS - It's official; I'm addicted to a new paranormal series! Holy hell, Born Sinner is a slice of heaven in hell! I fell in love with paranormal romance all over again! I need the next book NOW, please :) What an incredible start to this sexy new series.

PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY:
3 copies are up for grabs on Goodreads!

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

NEW RELEASE REVIEW: Hard Rules by Lisa Renee Jones

Happy release day Lisa Renee Jones.  Hard Rules is LIVE!  Check out my review of this HOT new series. 

Wall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in the smoldering, scorching first novel in the explosively sexy new Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

How bad do you want it?

The only man within the Brandon empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family's business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit, and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret that could that destroy them both.

Hard Rules

NOTE:

SPECIAL $4.99 EBOOK PRE-ORDER PRICE! It will go up to $7.99 shortly after release day so be sure to get it now!

The print version of HARD RULES will have a bonus alternate POV scene and is on sale for 50% off on Amazon (subject to change)!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Omgggg I need more!!!! Review to follow!

4.0 - 4.5 Stars
Title: Hard Rules (Book #1)
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Release Date: August 9, 2016

If you thought your family has issues, just wait until you meet Shane Brandon and his complicated
family in Hard Rules (Book #1). This multi-layered family drama is one big chess game of good vs. evil. Everyone in the Brandon family is struggling to get their piece of the Brandon company fortune. Who is playing who?

Emily walks into Shane’s office and his life. Is Shane's new love interest who she says she is? Will her dark and dangerous past, filled with secrets and lies destroy them both?

I have to say it took me a little while to get into this book. There were a lot of complex family background to digest. Once the foundation was laid, this story became super intense. Is this company really controlled by some mafia family and dangerous thugs? Is this drug company selling more than drugs? Hard Rules ends with an intense cliffhanger. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this exciting new series!

This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter. A review copy of this book was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

FIRST LOOK: Neighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward


READ THE ENTIRE FIRST CHAPTER HERE---> http://bit.ly/2aUGTpX
Preorder Links:
***Available for purchase on Amazon on release day.

Neighbor Dearest Goodreads:

Neighbor DearestNeighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What is a unicorn? There are many definitions.
-A mythical beast
-A newbie start-up company that is valued at $1 billion or more by investors.
-A pair of LuLaRoe leggings that you saw only once and never found them again. You must own these leggings. You can only hope that all of your web stalking pays off and they magically appear again!

Then there is a book lovers’ unicorn. You hope and pray that the new book you start reading from one of your favorite authors has all of this magic. This book has the perfect hero/heroine; it’s sexy, funny, and packed with the ideal amount of heartfelt emotional highs and lows. You find yourself laughing and crying along with the characters. This book is so well written and believable that you can’t fathom that it has to end at some point. This book does exist. Your world is rocked. Neighbor Dearest by Penelope Ward is my unicorn.


Ruthless by Lexi Blake is LIVE!

I'm reading Ruthless now.  What a roller coaster ride full of revenge, lust, and lies. I think this book is going to keep me up all night until I finish!  



Ruthless
A Lawless Novel
By Lexi Blake
Release Date: August 9, 2016

The first in a sexy contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence...

Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without...

Buy links:
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1WYrIcA 

Reviews
“Smart, savvy, clever, and always entertaining. That’s true of Riley Lawless, the hero in Ruthless, and likewise for his creator, Lexi Blake. Both are way ahead of the pack.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

"I love Lexi Blake. Read Ruthless and see why.” ~ New York Times bestselling author Lee Child

With Ruthless, Lexi Blake has set up shop on the intersection of Suspenseful and Sexy, and I never want to leave. ~ Laurelin Paige, New York Times bestselling author

Ruthless is full of suspense, hot sex, and swoon worthy characters -- a must read!" ~ New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst

About The Author:

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.


Excerpt 
“Why did you do that?”

It was the first time she’d spoken without being prompted. “Do what?”
Her face flushed the sweetest pink. The color went all the way down that sexy V-neck. Her breasts flushed as well as her face, and it made his damn dick tighten. “Kiss me. Why did you kiss me like that?”
Oh, so many reasons, but he gave her the most compelling one. “I wanted to.”
The minute she’d opened the door and he’d seen her standing there looking anxious, he’d known how to calm her down. All he’d had to do was put his hands on her and some odd connection flared between the two of them. She hadn’t fought him. He could have gone on kissing her. He’d been the one to pull away.
It was like the minute he walked in, he was the only thing that existed for her. It made him feel ten feet tall, but it also made him want to please her.
It was an unsettling sensation.
Her hands came up, fingers on the sides of the table. “You know what I’m asking. You knew I wasn’t alone. Why did you pretend to be my boyfriend?”
It was easy to see she’d wanted him to wait for her at the restaurant so as to avoid him meeting her sister and ex. When she’d opened the door, he’d immediately known something was wrong. He’d gotten a glimpse of her sister and known Ellie had likely needed a hand. It had to be tough on a woman’s ego to lose even a pathetic excuse of a husband to a younger sister.
“You were alone with your sister who slept with your husband. Excuse me. Ex-husband.”
She shook her head. “At the time, we were definitely married. How did you know he was my ex-husband?”
“He took half your net wealth. I’m your lawyer. At this level, a good lawyer is less legal counsel and more war consultant. I can’t properly perform my duties if I don’t know everything about you, including the fact that you tend to have terrible taste in men.”
She frowned. “I haven’t had a ton of boyfriends. I’m not sure what my taste is.”
He really wanted to understand why she’d married that obvious prick. “What attracted you to him? Because from where I was standing, he looked like a dickwad desperate to be twenty-one again.”
She bit into her bottom lip, her eyes glancing away from him. “He wasn’t always like that. I actually met him when he was twenty-one. He was far more mature then.”
He liked her candor. “You were in college?”
“Last year of undergrad. We dated for two years and then it seemed like it was time to get married. We’d moved back here to Manhattan so I could take my place at StratCast. I thought he was going to go to grad school, but he decided on a different path.”
“What path was that?”

A single brow rose over her right eye. “You don’t know?”
Of course he knew. He knew everything. “Are you referring to your ex-husband’s penchant for swinging for the fences? When it comes to investments, that is.”
It was what he liked to call “idiots who funded ridiculous ideas.” They never wanted a simple profit out of their money. They wanted millions and really fucking fast. They swung for the grand slam when all they needed to do was get on base.
It took a true genius to take a single idea and make millions off it. Drew had.
Her shoulders straightened. “He wanted the easy solution. A get-rich-quick scheme. He wasn’t that way at first. At one point he was very intellectual. It’s what attracted me to him. He was curious about the world and liked to discuss everything from politics to social jus- tice to movies we saw. He changed. I didn’t. In some ways, I blame getting involved with me for what happened to him. He got around my father and real wealth and wanted some of his own. When I met him, he wanted to be a professor. He wanted to teach.”
At least he’d gotten her this far. She was talking. Now he needed to get those shoulders down from around her earlobes. For one moment, for that moment when he’d drawn her into his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, she’d relaxed against him, given over to him. Her body had softened and she’d leaned into him, and if he’d pressed her, he didn’t know what would have happened. She might have continued kissing him, forgetting all about the other people in the room. He could have cupped her breast, her ass. Put his hands anywhere he liked.

She hadn’t given a damn that they hadn’t been alone. All she’d cared about was him.
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