A Monday Excerpt!

How about a peek at my upcoming release with Samhain? This one comes out Aug. 3rd!

Blurb:



Hot weather, a hot man, and chocolate pie. A recipe for summer fun—or heartbreak?


Summer Chase has loved and lost, and she has no intention of ever going through that pain again. But when a Camaro-driving hunk shows up at her B&B looking for a room for the week, she sees something more than a hard-bodied guest. For the first time since her husband’s death, her sexual interest is awakened—and she’s not about to hit the snooze button.

P.I. Gage Knight is in desperate need of a vacation. An impromptu trip to Cape May, New Jersey is just what he needs to relax and unwind. But when he knocks on the B&B’s door and comes face to face with its sexy owner, relaxing drops to the bottom of his to-do list. Now all he wants is a tasty Summer treat, and he plans to savor the curvaceous beauty one delectable inch at a time.

Gage’s smoldering kisses turn Summer inside out, not to mention what he does to the rest of her body. But when it’s time for him to drive off into the sunset, she comes to a horrifying realization—she’s lost her heart.



EXCERPT:

Bells over the door chimed as Gage stepped past the threshold of Chase’s Bed and Breakfast. Ahhh… The house was much cooler than his ’71 Camaro. Why hadn’t he flown here instead of driving a classic car with no air conditioner in August? Because he was too damned impetuous for his own good.

As he waited for the elusive Summer, Gage recalled his aunt’s tale of the young widow. Summer Chase had opened a bed and breakfast after her husband died in a car accident. She’d needed the money. He felt sorry for her. It must have been tough to open her home to outsiders.

He heard shuffling and looked up. A woman stood in the doorway, clad in a turquoise one-piece bathing suit and matching sarong cover-up. He let his gaze travel the length of her. Luscious. Possibly the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. Hills and valleys in all the right places. The longest brown hair. He itched to tangle his fingers in it. Gage imagined her walking to him, naked, hair drifting around her bountiful body.

“Hello, can I help you?”

Ah, a lovely voice for a lovely woman. “Summer Chase?”

“Yes, and you are?”

Christ. He hadn’t expected her to look so damn edible.

He stood and held out his hand. “Gage Knight. My Aunt Bev is a friend of yours.”

She took his hand, and her eyes widened as she caught his words. “Little Gage?”

That damned nickname! His aunt would kill his personal life yet. “Please, just Gage.”

She laughed. “Of course, sorry about that. I’ve just heard so much about you. Heck, I feel like I know you.”

He liked her warm and inviting laugh. “All good things, I hope.”

She winked at him. “Mostly.”

“Well, don’t listen to the bad things. My aunt just likes to talk.”

“She’s a very dear lady.”

“About that. Did she happen to call and tell you I was coming?”

“Yep, she called.”

He smiled. “I was hoping you might be able to put me up for the week.”

“Did your Aunt Bev tell you I could keep you for the entire week?”

Heat filled his cheeks. “Not exactly. Until I got here, I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying.”

Driving straight through from Ohio, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks, had his muscles aching. Only a solid eight hours of sleep would help him feel alive
again. Thirty-two years old, and he was feeling it.

“Gage, you’re in luck. A couple had to cancel at the last minute, so I do have a room ready, and it’s available to you for the entire week as well.”

“Thank you! You’re a goddess.”

She laughed. “Follow me. You look like you could use a cold drink.”

She started out of the room, and Gage jumped at her offer. “I’d be forever grateful. The last leg of the trip was hot as blazes.”

She stopped and turned. “Your car doesn’t have air conditioning?”

“I drive a 1971 Camaro. The only air is from the open windows.”

She whistled and kept walking. “Wow. All the way from Ohio?”

“Unfortunately.”

When she entered the kitchen and headed for a cupboard, Gage leaned against the doorframe and scanned his surroundings. The kitchen was spacious and well lit by the many windows. He could see a deck out back. Since the house backed up to the beach, he wondered if she’d been sunning herself when he’d arrived.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Gage watched her precise movements. He could stare at the sway of her hips for hours and not get bored.

“Was the trip a last minute decision?” Summer asked as she reached into a cabinet to grab a couple of glasses.

“Yeah. I’m sort of burned out from work. I needed the R and R.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“Aunt Bev didn’t tell you?”

“If she did, I don’t remember.” She placed the glasses on the counter before grabbing a pitcher from the refrigerator. “Iced tea okay?”

“Is it sweetened?”

“Is there any other kind?”

He grinned. “Perfect.” She poured a glass, then handed it to him. “I’m a private investigator,” he said.

She poured herself a glass, then leaned against the counter and took a sip. Even watching her swallow the tea was sexy.

“A PI, huh? That sounds pretty exciting.”

He pried his gaze away from the elegant line of her neck, but was snared by the sight of her damp lips. An image of her sucking his cock sprang to mind. Christ, what was wrong with him?

“Uh, not as exciting as you might think,” he said. “I track down cheating spouses most of the time.”

“I’ll bet it’s more exciting than changing sheets and cleaning all day.”

He chuckled. “You do have a point there.” Then, after a beat of silence, he asked, “So, Summer, what do you do when you aren’t taking care of this place?”

“That pretty much fills my time. Not much room for recreation.”

“Ever?”

She shrugged. “I try to get out every once in awhile.”

Gage had the crazy urge to lick her, to taste every silky inch of her. From her rosy-cheeked face to her dainty coral-painted toes. He cleared his throat and asked, “Any place in particular?”

She pointed to the window behind her. “Just to the beach. I’ve lived near the ocean my entire life, but it never gets old for me.”

“I can see how it’d be addicting. Since I’m in the middle of farm country, I don’t get to see the ocean. I’m hoping to fix that.”

“Relaxing in the sun with a cold beer will definitely give you the relaxation you need.”

“And maybe a pretty lady to keep me company?”

Her cheeks turned a captivating shade of pink. “I could show you the hot spots around here if you like.”

“It’s a deal, Summer.”


and here's my inspiration for Gage :)