Her hands stilled on the shoulder strap. She looked out at the moon- and fluorescent-washed parking lot. “What? “
He shifted on the seat beside her, checking to see if Jack still slept, and his knee brushed her thigh. With the engine shut off, the car’s interior was warm and close and very silent.
“I respect that you don’t have room for a grand passion in your life. Neither do I. Thing is,” he continued slowly, “I’m already spending too much time thinking about you. Wanting you. Imagining how it could be between us. Maybe it would be less...distracting for us both if we found out.”
She turned to face him, choosing indignation over the quaking in her stomach. “Are you suggesting we sleep together to get it out of our systems?”
“That’s one way to put it. Neither one of us wants a complicated relationship in our lives.”
With an effort, she kept her voice low, to avoid waking the child in the back. “And am I supposed to be flattered by this limited offer?”
He shook his head, his smile gleaming in the darkness. “Not flattered. Interested, maybe.” She was interested, all right. More tempted and more scared than she’d ever been in her life. She folded her hands tightly together in her lap to disguise their shaking. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
“Kate.” His deep voice was gentle. “I don’t want to hurt you. I like you. But you need to know up front how things are with me. I may want you until my teeth ache with it, but Jack is the center of my life right now. If that’s not enough for you, if I misunderstood you, just tell me no.”
Her nails dug into the backs of her hands. Kate had long ago accepted that she wasn’t the kind of woman men wanted to marry. Wade, brutally breaking their understanding, had gone so far as to suggest she wasn’t the kind of woman men wanted, period. But Patrick wanted her. And maybe she owed it to herself, just once, to experience a man like Patrick MacNeill.
From THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL, now on Kindle and Nook
Her knees, her spine and her jaw all sagged. She caught herself reacting to him for a moment purely as woman to man, warmed by the glow of his tall, dark and blatantly sexy good looks. It was totally involuntary. It was... stupid, she reminded herself.
Doug’s death had trapped her in a high-stakes game with uncertain rules and her children’s future on the table. A joker like Sean MacNeill wouldn’t help her odds at all. But, goodness, he was gorgeous to watch.
He saw her. Setting down the box, he straightened, pushing back the brim of his cap with his forearm. His slow smile thumped into her midsection and quivered like an arrow. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Oh, please.” She flapped her hand. “You can call me Rachel.”
“Rachel.” He lingered wickedly over the name, rolling it in his mouth like something delicious. “Well, it suits you. But then, so does ‘beautiful.’”
She was amused. “Me, and everyone else you know?”
He came up to the porch, all long bones and male muscle, and tipped back his head to look at her. Her heart actually fluttered. “How do you figure that?” he asked.
“Well, for a man who must spend his time in the company of a lot of women, ‘beautiful’ is convenient. I mean, it saves you the trouble of remembering who you’re...” Rolling off of, she thought. “With,” she finished.
From The Temptation of Sean MacNeill Available for Nook and Kindle.
Isn't it gorgeous? Wonderful artist Tony Mauro did the art.
Fun fact: Tony also did the trade illustration for Stephen King's Under the Dome.
Anyway, I'm thrilled!
I've got a SIGNED copy of Mary Alice Monroe's THE SUMMER GIRLS to give away along with a signed copy of CAROLINA GIRL. Leave me a comment on my Facebook page to enter the drawing!
I'll pick a winner Sunday night.
Carolina Girl, on sale today! At Amazon ~ B&N ~ IndieBound
Smart, ambitious Meg Fletcher had a major crush on her brother's best friend, Sam Grady. But back in high school, Meg had places to go, and Sam had things to prove, and except for one disastrous New Year's Eve, she never acted on her attraction.
Years later, in the wake of her company's restructuring, Meg is back in her family home on beautiful Dare Island to nurse her wounds and plot her corporate comeback. The last thing she needs complicating her life and her plans is Sam, all grown up and irresistible as ever.
But this time Sam is determined to make Meg notice him...
Carolina Girl is a reunion story, about first times – first crush, first sex, first big, big mistake – and second chances. It's about our fears of turning into our mothers and our discovery that maybe Mom isn't exactly the person we thought she was. It's about Meg and Sam. I hope you enjoy their story.
Happy reading!
Thank you for your support. It means more than I can say.
Visit with me, Mariah Stewart, Carly Phillips, Kristan Higgins, Susan Andersen, and Jesse Hayworth as we chat on the USA Today Happy Ever After blog about the reasons we love contemporary romance. 
http://usat.ly/17ljsgj
Want more Dare Island?
Click here to read an excerpt of Carolina Home about Meg's brother, charter boat captain Matt Fletcher. Matt is a stand up guy, a single dad--quiet, steady, tough, and sexy as hell. He’s the one who stayed behind, the man who’s put his own dreams on hold in support of his family. He keeps his love life uncomplicated and his heart intact by following two rules: No dating island women. And no serious relationships. Of course, all that changes when pretty young schoolteacher Allison Carter comes to the island and challenges both his son’s school performance and Matt’s notions of what his own life can be.
and in March 2014 look for Luke's story, Carolina Man!
Thanks for reading!
I'm doing TWO big giveaways to celebrate the upcoming release of CAROLINA GIRL on Tuesday, June 4!
The lovely ladies of Book Binge are giving away a copy of Meg and Sam's story. Contest Ends: 6/4/13 (release day!) @11:59pm. US Only. Enter by leaving a comment at Book Binge, here.
And at Plot Monkeys, fabulous Carly Phillips is sponsoring a big beach giveaway - beach book, beach towel, and beach tumbler!
Leave a comment at the Plot Monkeys blog here. Winner announced Sunday.
Good luck! Happy summer and happy reading!
