Under Your Skin by Shannyn Schroeder

Book Description

Blood Is Thicker Than Ink. . . 

Norah O'Malley has been alone for a long time. It's been ten years since her father and four brothers shipped her off to be raised by her aunt. Seven months since she's seen the guy who got her pregnant--who still doesn't know. And it's two weeks since she came home to Chicago and discovered none of her family wants to talk--or listen. 

She never expected to walk into a tattoo shop seven months pregnant and get her socks knocked off by instant attraction. She can't even see her socks. But Kai Ellis is big and gruff and sexy as hell, and if he has a past, well, so does she. Even more, Kai knows how to listen so that Norah feels just a little less alone . . . 

All the chemistry in the world can't help Norah make her decisions. And no sizzle of desire will make Kai believe in happy endings. But a little time with someone who understands might just change everything . . .

AVAILABLE: June 28, 2016

I couldn't get on board with these characters.  I found the typical "broody, uncaring" hero really hard to like.  I actually thought Kia was selfish, rude, and self-centered.  It wasn't just an act... He just didn't like him.  He also didn't really seem to like Norah all that much.  He seemed to be bothered by her presence.  And Norah... oh Norah.. seems to take it all AND continue to chase after him.  All while she is pregnant with another man's baby.  A man that doesn't even know he is going to be a father.

To me, Norah was a desperate girl seeking attention from whomever and where ever she could get it.  She BEGS Kia for attention.  I don't know... but as a woman I don't like it when the "heroine" has to BEG the "hero" for attention.  I find a big difference between FIGHTING for a relationship and BEGGING for attention from a man.  And while she is chasing this "hero", she is pregnant...  And she doesn't even know what she wants to do with the baby.  

Um... 

How about rather than chase after a man that seems to WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, you focus on getting your life together.  She acts like an immature, spoiled brat throughout most of this book.  I didn't like her at all.  I was happy with her decision because I thought her daughter was better off with a family that actually cared.

Continue reading below for an excerpt.

EXCERPT

Kai Ellis came from the back room to the musical sound of female laughter. The girl sitting across from Tommy at the front counter had an awesome rack spilling out of her tank top and her tits jiggled as she laughed.

“Hey,” he called, “I told you no girls while you’re on the clock. Get busy on your own time.”

Tommy dropped the food in his hand. “Gross, man. This is my sister.”

She wiggled her fingers. Then she pointed. To Tommy, she said, “Let’s ask your friend here, I’m sure he’s made mistakes in his life.”

“Boss.” Kai crossed his arms. He had no intention of answering questions about his mistakes, but it annoyed him that she jumped to the conclusion that he’d made them. Part of the reason for opening his own business was so he would never have to answer to anyone about his past again.

“Huh?”

“I’m his boss.”

She continued on as if he hadn’t spoken. “It’s normal for people to make mistakes, right? Even if they’re huge mistakes, you still learn from them. Life lessons and shit.”

He knew all about making life-altering mistakes, but he still wasn’t about to discuss them. Addressing Tommy, he said, “Girlfriend or not, she needs to go.”

Her eyes popped wide and she slid from the stool. Tommy laid a hand on her arm. “It’s fine.” He twisted on the stool. “Kai, this is my sister, Norah. She just moved back to town.”

Norah stepped around Tommy with her hand extended. Her belly stuck out full with a baby. He’d forgotten about Tommy bitching about his pregnant sister.

When he didn’t move, she dropped her hand. “Sorry. I thought I’d catch Tommy before his client came in. I brought him lunch and dessert.” She turned and picked up a plate from the counter. “Want a Rice Krispies Treat?”

Her smile was friendly as she spoke, but her light blue eyes filled with mischief. Like she was offering up more than marshmallows and cereal. It was a good thing that belly was between them. He stayed rooted to his spot. Then his phone rang. Again. He’d ignored Jaleesa all morning, but if he planned to get any work done, he’d have to deal with her.

With his phone in hand, he spun and walked back out the way he came. “Yeah.”

“It’s about time. I’ve been calling you all morning.”

“I’m aware.”

“Mom’s surgery went fine. She came through with flying colors.”

He’d figured as much. It was just her knee. “Good to know.”

“Are you coming to the hospital today?”

He walked until he hit the back door of the shop and stood in the alley. “I don’t know. Depends on how busy I get.”

“Kai, it’s not like this was some surprise. We scheduled it. You could make sure you’re free. You’re choosing not to.”

“And?”

His sister’s sigh whistled in his ear. “We need to talk about where Mom will go when she’s released from the hospital. She’ll only be here a few days.”

“I thought you were looking into a rehab facility.”

“I tried, but it made her upset. She thinks we’re going to dump her off and leave her for good.”

“So explain to her that’s not the case. She knows she won’t be able to get around your house. It’s not like she lost her mind.”

“She’s feeling vulnerable and she’s worried about being alone.”

“I don’t know what you want from me, Jaleesa.”

“Maybe she could stay with you.”

“I have stairs in my house.”

“Five, Kai. Five measly steps to get up to your door. Everything else is on one floor. You have the space.”

What she really meant was that he could make the space for his mom to move in. He didn’t want to. His house was set up exactly as he wanted. He would have to move all of his workout equipment somewhere, probably to the basement or the garage. He had no furniture for her. No bed or anything. He didn’t have guests and he liked it that way.

“I can’t take care of Mom. I don’t know what to do with her.”

“And I do? You figure it out, Kai. That’s what you do for family.”

“I have a business to run and I keep long hours.”

“At least think about it. We can probably hire someone to fill in when you’re not around so she’s not alone, but she’ll feel secure in your house.”

“Why can’t we hire someone to help at your house?”

“Stairs.”

“Maybe we can convert some space to make it work.”

“My whole family isn’t losing our living room so you don’t have to man up.”

He shook his head, not wanting to lose this argument. “We’ll talk about this later. I have to go.”

“Try to stop by the hospital. It’ll make her happy.”

“Yeah.” He clicked off and stared at the brick building across from him. He was tempted to throw his phone to hear the satisfying crack of plastic against the wall. Instead, he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. The air he sucked in was rank with the smell of rotting garbage. Tomorrow was pickup day and the heat did no favors for the Chinese restaurant on the corner.

The sun beat against his skin, searing it. Five minutes of quiet without thinking about his mom at the hospital. Anything was better than the damn hospital. Leaning against the back door, with his eyes closed, he allowed the sun to sink into him.

The door thumped against him and he stepped away. So much for his five minutes.

Rating: 2 out of 5

**I received an ARC from Tasty Book Tours/Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

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Dirty Sexy Cuffed by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

Book Description

As a cop, Levi Kincaid is all about discipline and control . . .in the bedroom, and out of it, and he's always been very careful about choosing women who abide by his rules. Hot sex and intense pleasure? No problem. Emotional commitment and forever promises? No way. But he never anticipates falling for a blue eyed angel who makes him want to cuff her to his bed and do dirty, sexy things to her. And that control of his? It doesn't stand a chance against Sarah Robins, the one woman he can't resist . . .

AVAILABLE: June 21, 2016

Dirty Sexy Series

Dirty Sexy Saint (Book 1) *REVIEW HERE

Dirty Sexy Inked (Book 2)

Dirty Sexy Cuffed (Book 3)

Dirty Sexy Sinner (Book 4) *Available November, 2016

Dirty Sexy Cuffed is the third book in Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde's Dirty Sexy series.  And if you are like me, I've been looking forward to Levi's book since we first met him in Dirty Sexy Saint.  If you have read the previous two books (which isn't a MUST in order to read/enjoy Dirty Sexy Cuffed), you know that the Kincaid boys did not have an easy childhood.  Levi was the most quiet out of the three brothers and I couldn't wait to get my hands on his... uhmmm... story.

Levi Kincaid needs to have control in all aspects of his life.  He knows what he wants and how he wants it.  He is careful in choosing woman that can abide by his rules and that can understand that all he has to give is them a night (or two) of pleasure before he moves on.  So, Levi can't understand why he keeps coming back to a certain convenience store just to see a certain store clerk...

One who keeps rejecting him...

Sarah Robins just wants to leave the pain that life in Chicago has dealt here.  All she needs to do is save a little more money and then she can leave this city behind.  The one highlight she has is when CPD Officer Levi Kincaid comes into the store where she works after his shift.  But there is no point in giving in to Levi's flirtations when she knows she is leaving in a few weeks.  Luckily for Sarah, Levi is there one night when a gunman holds up the store.  And Levi uses that to his advantage to get Sarah to agree to go out with him.

But Sarah makes it clear that this can only be one time and that she is leaving.  So will the one-and-done Levi be able to convince Sarah to give him and them a chance at something longer?

Dirty Sexy Cuffed is a story about second chances.  Ms. Phillips and Ms. Wilde wrote a beautiful (and sexy) story about two broken people that come together to heal, comfort, and find love together.  The only reason why I didn't rate this book a 4.5/5 is that I was expected a little more heat/intensity from Levi.  And HOLY ENDING!!!! The surprise 4th book in the Dirty Sexy series is expected in November 2016.

Rating: 4 out of 5

**I received an ARC from Rock Star PR in exchange for a honest review.**

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The Buckhorn Bachelor by Lori Foster

Book Description

Buckhorn, Kentucky's favorite son has finally decided to tie the knot in a sizzling new Buckhorn Brothers novella

Adam Sommerville always thought he had it all—a great family in a close-knit community, a worthwhile job as a high school gym teacher and no shortage of women eager to be on his arm. But it seems his luck has suddenly run out. Because Buckhorn's most renowned bachelor has decided it's time to settle down—and the one woman he wants has just put him firmly in the friend zone.

Hiding her true feelings from Adam has been a full-time job for the past five years, but librarian Isabella Presley is determined not to be the latest heart he breaks. The best way to get over her attraction is to find someone else to date—even if it means asking Adam for flirting tips to help her land the perfect guy. But when Adam sets out to convince her the perfect guy is him, will she face her fears for a chance at forever?

Don't miss the other titles in the Buckhorn Brothers series, including Buckhorn Beginnings, Forever Buckhorn, The Buckhorn Legacy, "Buckhorn Ever After" in the All For You anthology, Back to Buckhorn and A Buckhorn Summer.

AVAILABLE: June 1, 2016

Every year Lori Foster writes a "benefit book" where all proceeds go to local (to Lori) charities.  For a full list off all her benefit books and more information on the charities go here: 

http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/

If you are familiar with the Buckhorn Brother's series, you should recognize Adam as one of the kids from that series (he is Jordan's step-son).  Well, now Adam is all grown up and approaching thirty.  And turning the big 3-0 has brought on some thoughts that it MAY just be time to find that special someone to spend his life with.  He's seen (most) of his family pair off and he wants that sense of family with a significant other.  And when the school's librarian asks for flirting tips, Adam realizes that he has to convince the sexy librarian that see doesn't need to look any further than him.

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a super sweet, quick read.  This book hits all the spots.  It has funny moments, sweet moments, crazy moments, and of course, sexy moments.           

RATING: 4 out of 5

**I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review.**

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Cover Reveal - Unbelievable by Callie Harper

Book Description

Throw together a billionaire CEO who always gets his way and a feisty environmental activist set on shutting down his latest real estate development, and you know there’s going to be sparks.

We all know opposites attract, but the kind of heat between these two is next level. Only an unbelievable set of circumstances could let loose a passion this hot. Like if the two of

them got marooned on a breathtakingly gorgeous, uninhabited tropical island...

That spark? Now it’s a blazing fire…

NOTE: Unbelievable is a standalone hot adult romance. It’s the fourth story in the Beg for It series about the dominant, alpha males in the Kavanaugh family and the strong, sexy women who make them finally meet their match.

AVAILABLE: June 27, 2016

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WCs0J2 

iBooks: http://apple.co/1Y4l46U

One of Five ARC's for Unbelievable

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cba4250252/?

First look - Hitched by Kendall Ryan

Book Description

Marry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.

Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.

Produce an heir… Wait, what?

I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.

And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.
She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.

But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.

Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.


On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling SCREWED series, Kendall Ryan brings you HITCHED, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. A NYC playboy turned business mogul has ninety days to win over the woman he's always desired in order to save his father's company. One tiny problem: She hates his guts.

AVAILABLE: July 5, 2016

Hitched: Volume 1 - PREORDER HERE

EXCERPT

I give him a skeptical look. “You want to show me your dick?”
“If it’ll help convince you.” He drains the last drops of his Scotch and stands up. “Come on, let’s go.”
I stare after him as he walks away.
Is he serious? He’s just going to whip it out? I look around to see if anyone is watching me, then I get up and follow him to the bar’s back hallway, near the restrooms, unable to comprehend why the hell I’m humoring him. This is ridiculous.
Once we’re safely in a private corner, Noah undoes his belt, opens his fly . . . and pulls out a fucking fire hose.
Holy mother of God. My hands fly to my mouth. I want to gasp in shock, but there’s no way I’m giving him the upper hand.
He was right. His cock is nothing short of massive, and it’s not even fully erect right now. Nine inches may actually be a conservative estimate of what it might look like hard. He must destroy men’s egos every time he walks into a locker room. And I don’t even want to think about what he destroys with women . . .
“Meh. I’ve seen bigger,” I force out, fighting to maintain my composure.
Noah chuckles. “I don’t think so, sweetheart.”
“Well, th-that monster is not coming anywhere near my uterus. No, thank you. I prefer to keep my organs intact.”
Noah’s grin widens. “I doubt that, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll ease it in nice and slow. Piece of cake. Plus, you’ve got good health insurance, right?”
“That is not funny, Noah. Now, put that thing away or I’ll remove it.”
I try to sound stern, but my shaking voice and bright red cheeks surely give me away. Why the hell can’t I stop staring?
He chuckles—yeah, the jerk can definitely see right through me—but he obliges, tucking the beast back into its lair.

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Heart of the Bad Boy by Sugar Jamison

Book Description

The Bad Boys of Destiny are back and this sexy charmer will stop at nothing to win the heart of the one woman who never let him down.

Shelly Walker was born to be good. Raised by her deeply religious, prison guard father, Shelly was taught that good girls follow the rules—and definitely don’t sin. Just as her father announces he’s arranging her marriage, Shelly’s childhood friend-turned-TV host, Levi King, unexpectedly returns. With his sexy smile and bad boy charm he’s the type of guy who has sin written all over him.

Levi has been fond of Shelly since childhood, but when he returns to town, he sees that the delicate girl he knew has turned into a bombshell. Levi encourages Shelly to shake things up, but when Shelly tells him that she’s considering obeying her father and starting a family, Levi realizes that being with Shelly means more to him than just a good time. Will Shelly follow the rules or will she take a chance on the bad boy?

AVAILABLE: May 31, 2016

Destiny series

The Bad Boy CEO (Book 1) Review HERE

Betting the Bad Boy (Book 2) Review HERE

Heart of the Bad Boy (Book 3)

Heart of the Bad Boy was my favorite out of the three Destiny series.  But that isn't saying all that much because I didn't really like any of these.  I found (ALL) these characters to be whiny, entitled, and just annoying.  I honestly don't know why I continued reading the King brother's stories.  But once I rad the first two, I figured "Why not?!  Maybe Levi will win me over!!"  Sadly, Heart of the Bad Boy was just an "ehhh" kind of read for me.

While Levi was the nicest and most personable of the three King brother's (by far), I found him kind of whiny.  Definitely the "youngest" sibling stereotypical behavior to me.   

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

**I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.**

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Into the Whirlwind by Kat Martin

Book Description
A bodyguard, a bounty hunter, a private investigator, no one can handle the heat like the men of BOSS, Inc. 
Megan O'Brien is at her wit's end. Her three-year-old son has been kidnapped. No police, says the ransom demand. Fearing for her son's life, Meg has no choice but to turn to her former bodyguard, Dirk Reynolds. 
Dirk's never forgiven Meg for the way she left him after their brief affair. But with bounty hunter Luke Brodie on his side, Dirk knows he's got to help Meg rescue her son. 
The few clues they've gathered send them spiraling into a murky world of big banking and international crime. Meg may be way out of her depths, but she's seeing a side of Dirk she never suspected—one no woman could possibly resist.
AVAILABLE: May 31, 2016
BOSS, Inc Series Into the Fury (Book 1) REVIEW HERE Into the Whirlwind (Book 2)
Into the Whirlwind is the second book in Kat Martin's BOSS, Inc series.  If you haven't read Into the Fury (book 1), that is okay.  It isn't NECESSARY to read the first book in order to love Into the Whirlwind.  HOWEVER, I would totally recommend reading both books because they are just that good.  Dirk and Meg were secondary characters in Into the Fury and I was SOOOO excited to learn that they would be getting their own story in the second book.
Five months ago, Meg O'Brien broke off her short relationship with bodyguard Dirk Reynolds.  And even though he begged her to reconsider, she didn't want to tie him down with in "instant" family.  She thought she would never see him again... 
That is, until her three year old son was kidnapped from her home.
So she turned to the one man she KNEW would do anything to get her son back to her.
Dirk was heartbroken when Meg decided to end their brief affair.  But the reasons behind Meg's return into his life are bigger than either of them.  An innocent child is missing and he knows he and his friend/co-worker, Luke Brodie, can find Charlie.
Into the Whirlwind was everything I wanted in Dirk and Meg's story.  It was fast-paced, thrilling, steamy, and romantic.  At the end of book 1, Meg had some grovelling to do to get Dirk to risk his heart with her again.  I appreciated that Ms. Martin made Meg work for a relationship with Dirk and earn back his trust (and not the other way around).  Luke Brodie was a major (secondary) character throughout the book and he is up next.  
I CAN'T WAIT!!! =]
Continue down for an excerpt of Into the Whirlwind by Kat Martin.

Excerpt

“Ms. Megan, thank God you’re home! It’s . . . it’s Charlie. I can’t find little Charlie.”

Meg’s heart took a leap as she stepped into the house, nearly colliding with her housekeeper, Rose Wills.

“He probably woke up and wandered off somewhere. He has to be here someplace.” But even as she said the words, worry jolted through her. Telling herself not to panic, Meg hurried toward the stairs.

“I put him down for a nap an hour ago,” Rose said, hurrying along behind her. “When I went back to check on him, he was gone.”

“You know how he likes to hide. He’s just found a new place.” But fear had her pulse kicking up, and her stomach started to churn. At the top of the landing, she turned and ran down the hall to her three-year-old’s bedroom, the housekeeper close behind her.

Charlie wasn’t in his small white youth bed. “Charlie! Mama’s home. Charlie! Where are you, sweetheart?” Meg ran to the closet and pulled open the door, searched through the stuffed toys and games on the closet floor, but found no sign of her son.

Her heart was hammering now, her stomach balled into a fist. Meg told herself to stay calm. There were dozens of places a little boy could hide in a two-story house.

“Charlie! Charlie, where are you, sweetie?”

Rose’s higher-pitched, worried voice chimed in. “Charlie! Come out now. Your mommy wants you.”

They searched upstairs, but he was nowhere to be seen, went downstairs and searched the floor below.

“God, Rose, where could he be? You don’t think he went outside?”

“I always keep the doors locked and the chain on. There’s no way he could have gotten out.”

They checked all the doors, but Rose was right. No way could her little boy have gotten out of the house.

Meg ran back upstairs. She returned to his room, walked over to the bed to see if the covers still held a trace of warmth. Reaching down, she touched the soft blue blanket with the sailboats on it, but none of Charlie’s heat remained.

Instead, she spotted an envelope protruding from the folds, her name in ink on the front.

“What did you find?” Rose came up beside her.

“It’s a letter.” Her hands shook as she tore the envelope open.

“I didn’t see it before,” Rose said. “Oh, dear Lord.” She started to tremble, her breasts heaving as the implication sank in. She was a big woman, nearly as tall as Meg’s five-foot ten-inch frame. “What . . . what does it say?”

Meg read the note and her heart clutched, then turned to stone. “‘We have your son. He’ll cost you ten million in cash. You’ve got three days or he’s . . . he’s dead. No police.’“

Meg swayed on her feet. She gripped the headboard, afraid she might faint. Dear God, my baby! She turned, let Rose pull her into a hug, and her eyes welled with tears. They clung to each other, both of them crying.

The housekeeper straightened away. “We have to call the police. They’ll know what to do. They’ll get Charlie back.”

Meg shook her head. “No police. If we call them, they’ll kill him.”

Rose crossed herself. “What are going to do, Ms. Meg?”

Meg closed her eyes and prayed for strength. Her dad was extremely wealthy. He loved his grandson. Her father could get the ten million dollars they needed to pay the ransom.

But her dad was also extremely controlling. And he believed money was the solution to everything. What if the kidnappers took the money and still killed her baby?

She thought of Charlie’s father, Jonathan Hollander, the man she had married to please her dad. Yes, he was hand-some. She couldn’t deny she’d been attracted to his dark good looks and charming smile. Her father hadn’t been able to see past Jonathan’s impressive Harvard education and his family’s lofty position in society.

Meg thought what a no-good, lying cheat he had turned out to be.

She couldn’t go to Jonathan.

Another man’s image came to mind. Smart. Loyal to a fault. Strong. Tough. Reliable. The one man she would trust with her precious son’s life.

“I know someone.” Strength seeped through her as determination set in. “I know a man who can bring Charlie home.”

Megan O’Brien parked at the end of the gravel driveway and quietly got out of her white BMW X1 compact SUV. Through the trees, she could hear the roar of a chainsaw, hear hammers banging away, see two-by-fours of golden-yellow pine going up to form the sides of the house under construction.

The garage was already finished, undoubtedly full of Dirk’s toys, including a Harley and a custom Dodge Viper. In the summer, he kept a boat docked on the lake below the house.

Though two other men were hard at work, her gaze went straight to Dirk. Hammer in hand, carpenter’s belt dangling low on his waist, he was shirtless, though the January air was chill.

Hard muscle flexed across his back and shoulders as he pounded in a nail with an ease that said how many times he had done it. Long, sinewy muscles outlined by the soft fabric of his jeans stretched and moved as he worked on his house.

Meg’s gaze went over the familiar dragon tattoo that wound over one shoulder and inched up the side of his neck. The colored ink seemed right with the sexy, short-cropped horseshoe mustache that framed his mouth and curved down to his jaw, making him look like the hard, tough man he was.

Even her terrible fear for her son couldn’t block the memories of how it had felt to lie with him. Couldn’t lessen the yearning that burned through her body just at the sight of him.

Meg had met Dirk Reynolds five months before when she had been preparing for the La Belle fashion show tour. Meg, one of their top models, worked for the chain of expensive lingerie stores.

She glanced back at Dirk. He and his friend, Ethan Brodie, did private investigation and personal security for Brodie Operations Security Services, Inc., the company that had been hired to protect the models after one of them was murdered.

Dirk had been her bodyguard, and though every instinct had warned her not to get involved with him, the fierce attraction between them had been impossible to resist.

Once the models returned home, Meg had ended the affair. She and Dirk weren’t right for each other. Dirk lived fast and hard. He rode a motorcycle, drove a car that could go two hundred miles an hour. Dirk Reynolds was wild and fierce, while she was a single mother with a son to raise.

She couldn’t have Dirk Reynolds. She had a responsibility to her little boy. With a failed marriage behind her, she couldn’t risk failing again.

But she had never gotten over Dirk.

Meg steeled herself and headed along the gravel driveway toward the house Dirk was rebuilding after the fire that had nearly killed him five months ago. One thing she knew, Dirk Reynolds was a hard man to kill.

Which was the reason she had swallowed her pride and her heartache and come to him. She needed him, trusted him as she never had any other man. Her little boy’s life depended on gaining this man’s help. This man she had loved and rejected.

She stepped out of the foliage-covered driveway into the open area around the house he was rebuilding. She had called his office looking for him. Nick Brodie, one of the other PIs at BOSS Inc., had reluctantly told her where to find him. Maybe it was the tears he heard in her voice when she had said how important it was. That it was a matter of life or death.

With Dirk’s usual keen senses, he turned, alert that some-one was there, though the buzz of the saw had hid the sound of her footsteps.

For several long moments, he just stared, watching as she walked toward him. He was six-two, his body lean and sculpted. Wavy dark brown hair curled at the nape of his neck. She forced herself to keep walking, even as his jaw locked and a fierce scowl darkened his face.

Dirk grabbed a faded blue work shirt and shrugged it on, covering most of his amazing chest. He didn’t bother fastening the buttons, just strode toward her, blocking her view of the house.

He stopped right in front of her. “What are doing here, Meg?”

“I need to talk to you. It’s . . . it’s urgent.”

“You’re trespassing. What do you want?”

She swallowed, fought to stay strong. He didn’t want her there. She had known he wouldn’t. Known he thought of her only with contempt. She wished he would hold her the way he used to when she was afraid. “I . . . I want to hire you.”

The corner of his mouth edged into a ruthless half smile. “What for? Stud service?”

She wanted to cry. She wanted to beg his forgiveness. Tell him she had never forgotten him. That she never would. She knew it wouldn’t matter to Dirk. Not anymore.

All that mattered now was saving her son.

She looked into those hard hazel eyes and for the first time wondered if she’d been wrong to think he would help her. Dear God, what would she do if Dirk refused?

A sob wedged in her throat. She fought desperately to hold on to her courage. “It’s Charlie. He’s been kidnapped. They left a note. It says they’ll . . . they’ll kill him if I go to the police.”

Something shifted in those hard, condemning eyes. For a moment, the old Dirk appeared. Concerned for her, determined to protect her at any cost, even his life.

“I’ll take you down to the office. Ethan’s out of town with Val. I’ll get Nick to work with you. Or Luke. They’ll help you find your boy. They’ll help you get him back.”

They were all private investigators and they were the best. But they weren’t Dirk Reynolds. Meg started shaking her head, couldn’t stop the tears that leaked onto her cheeks. “It has to be you. I know in my heart you can save Charlie. Only you.”

His jaw went iron hard. “Jesus, Meg.”

“Please, Dirk. Please help me.”

“Do you know what you’re asking?”

She knew. There was a time he had loved her. He had begged her to stay with him, give them a chance. Meg had refused.

“He’s just a little boy. I know you can save him. You won’t give up until you do.”

“Jesus.” He raked a hand through his heavy dark hair. She remembered the exact silky feel of the strands between her fingers.

“The note says they want ten million dollars,” she said. “They’ll kill him if they don’t get it.”

He took a deep breath, released it slowly. “How much time did they give you?”

“Three days.”

“Ten million. That’s a helluva lot of money.”

“My father can get it.”

His gaze remained on her face. “But you don’t trust him to get your boy back. That’s smart, Meg, because money doesn’t always work.”

She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “Will you help me?”

His eyes went dark. “You knew I would when you came here.”

“I prayed you would. I wasn’t sure anymore.”

He gazed over her shoulder through the trees, spotted her small white SUV. “You okay to drive?”

“I’m all right.”

“I’ll follow you back to your house.” His mouth barely curved. “I think I can remember where it is.”

Meg turned away from him. Three days. In three days Charlie would be safely returned. Dirk would go on with his life and she would go on with hers.

Three days.

The pain didn’t matter. Charlie was all that mattered. Meg had no other choice.

RATING: 5 out of 5
**I received an ARC through Netgalley and Tasty Book Tours in exchange for a honest review.**

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