Last Chance Proposal (16 page)

Acknowledgments

Rata Cove was inspired by a gorgeous place I visit every year with my family. There’s sun, surf, and even pukeko chicks! It’s been wonderful to share it with you in Cy and Ellie’s story.

As always, there are many people behind the scenes who’ve helped bring this story to life and my heartfelt thanks go to:

My editors: Lewis Pollak, whose patience, persistence and brainstorm brilliance helped breathe life into this book, and Alethea Spiridon-Hopson whose knowledge of what makes a kick-ass romance is awe inspiring.

My agent, Nalini Akolekar for coming all the way ‘down under’ and being just as fabulous in person.

My Entangled “family” for all their support, especially Liz Pelletier, Stacy Abrams and Debbie Suzuki.

Hayson Manning, Rachel Bailey, Melissa James and Robyn Grady for reading every incarnation of Last Chance Proposal and offering their incredible advice and enthusiasm.

Sandii, because there hasn’t been a GPS invented that could help me find my way without you.

And to George, and my four amazing children, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.

About the Author

Barbara DeLeo’s first book, co-written with her best friend, was a story about beauty queens in space. She was eleven, and the sole, handwritten copy was lost years ago, much to everyone’s relief. It’s some small miracle that she kept the faith and is now living her dream of writing sparkling contemporary romance with unforgettable characters. After completing degrees in Psychology and English, then traveling the world, Barbara married her winemaker hero and had two sets of twins. She still loves telling stories about finding love in all the wrong places, with not a beauty queen or spaceship in sight.

Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:

Website:
http://www.barbaradeleo.com

Blog:
http://www.barbaradeleo.com/blog
/index.html

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/BarbaraDeLeoAuthor

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/barbdeleo

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/BarbDeLeo

Find your
Bliss
with Rachel Harris’s…

Seven Day Fiance

One bad boy. One good girl. One unforgettable week…

Brushing a lock of auburn hair away from Angelle’s face, Cane said, “This charade isn’t going to be easy. I’ll learn everything you want me to know, everything we have time for during the drive. But darlin’, there’s one thing we don’t need to work on. And that’s this.”

He lowered his forehead to hers, feeling the soft pant of her quickened breath hit his opened lips. He skimmed his nose across hers and closed his eyes as he breathed deeply. Sunflowers. A hint of vanilla. Cherry-scented lip gloss. And Angelle. His Angelle, at least for the next week.

Angling his mouth so their lips were barely touching, he said, “Desire, Angie. Attraction. We have it. We don’t have to fake that. And since we’re alone, and that’s my ring on your finger, it seems only fair I get to steal a kiss.”

Anxiety mixed with excitement entered the emotional gumbo of her gaze, and her tongue flicked out to wet her lips. It brushed over the seam of his mouth, and he growled low in his throat. “Our first kiss of many.”

Then, closing his eyes, pretending he didn’t see the sudden flash of affection in hers, he dropped his mouth and kissed her.

He kissed the shit out of her.

That desire he’d said they had, well, it damn near set off an explosion in his truck. Fire, heat, panting breath. Thoughts that had no place in a cramped cab alongside a busy highway, at least not in the light of day. But hell if he wasn’t wishing he’d stopped at a hotel instead.

Angelle was soft—soft hair, soft lips, soft sighs of pleasure. And she tasted sweet. So damn sweet. This was his bit of heaven, right here, and while Cane had no right to keep her long, now that Angelle was in his arms, he knew one night would never be enough. To get this woman out of his head, he’d have to extend his plan. It’d take at least a week with her in his own bed, stopping to refuel only when it became an absolute necessity. But he couldn’t rush this. This was Angelle. She required an entirely different game plan than the women he was used to. She needed to be wooed.

So, with his lips and tongue, Cane began showing her exactly what he wanted to do to her body. Everything he hoped to do before the week was out. And when her tiny, tentative hands reached out to grip the fabric of his shirt, he grinned.

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Find your
Bliss
with Robin Bielman’s…

Her Accidental Boyfriend

Faking it with this flirt never felt so real…

Moving both hands to his face now, she cradled his cheeks with more tenderness than he deserved. Girls looked at him all the time. But not like this. Not like she saw him as human, faults and all, and still liked him. Most women didn’t see much beyond the exterior. They wanted the spot next to him for bragging rights more than anything else. But Kagan pulled his legs out from under him and all the confidence and swagger he used to keep his heart safe was replaced by fear and humility.

“Shane,” she cooed back.

Then she kissed him.

And he was lost.

Lips sweeter than anything he’d ever tasted. Delicate but unyielding. Also trouble with a capital T.

He felt the kiss everywhere in the most hellish good way imaginable. He kissed her back, the thrill of connecting like this rousing his greed. He’d been aching for this moment since the second he’d met her and the fact that she took the initiative set his blood on fire.

The kiss started like they had all the time in the world. Slow. Sensual. Sincere. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he teased her lips open with his tongue. She let out a moan and allowed him inside.

The sexy sound, her surrender, took his pleasure and magnified it times a thousand. Better than his daydreams, better than his fantasies.

Her hands moved to his shoulder blades, stroked his back. He sank against her, careful to keep the majority of his weight on his arms. He licked and nibbled, their tongues mated, and he deepened the kiss. Tingles—he didn’t get tingles—went off where her fingers touched through his shirt. He’d never wanted someone more than he wanted Kagan, but he had to slow things back down. Savor this—whatever this was.

She groaned when he let up on the pressure. He echoed her sentiment and moved his lips against hers in careful abandon to take the edge off the strain in his shorts. He concentrated on her ripe mouth, on bringing her to the edge. It must have worked because she wanted no part of slow after he’d lingered for maybe half a minute. She squeezed his shoulders, curled her tongue around his and kissed him so thoroughly stars winked behind his eyelids.

Had he ever had a kiss this good? This mind-blowing?

No. And no.

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