Mari Carr's Blog, page 15
July 11, 2016
Quote of the Day
“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi
July 8, 2016
Wild Card
Wild Card is out today. The final chapters in the Boys of Fall series are here. Be sure to look for Cari Quinn’s Going Hard and Erin Nicholas’ Full Coverage – also releasing today!
Boys of Fall, book 3
It’s been a tough year for Lorelie. Following her dad’s heart attack, she put her own life on hold, terrified of losing the most important person in her life. As her father’s health improves, Lorelie struggles to find her way back to life as normal. Her girlfriends insist the answer is simple. Get laid.
Enter Glen Rodgers, Wade’s former band mate. He met Lorelie briefly at a party she’d hosted for her dad and the woman made a lasting impression. When he returns several months later, intent on taking a break from his own screwed up life, it’s obvious Lorelie is just the cure for his blues.
Both determined to kick-start their stalled lives, they rev things up…in bed, the hayloft, the backseat of her car. Unfortunately, reality interferes, leaving them no choice but to show their hands, forcing them to decide if they should fold…
Or go for broke and play the wild card.
Excerpt:
“How many of those former football players are in here?” he asked.
Lorelie scanned the room and he could see her doing a mental count. “I see five. The usual suspects.”
“The guy with Tucker and Jackson?”
Lorelie shook her head. “No. Nolan didn’t play on the team. He wrote for the school newspaper. Actually, he’s in town right now working on a book about my dad.”
“And what do you think they’d do if I kissed you right now?”
A seductive smile appeared. “I don’t have a clue, but the suspense is killing me. Should we give it a try?”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she turned to face him. “Lori.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t give a shit about those guys. I’m kissing you because I can’t stop myself.”
She reached up to touch his cheek. It was rough from a day’s worth of growth. He was suddenly sorry he hadn’t taken a second to shave again.
They both moved forward and met in the middle. He liked that. Liked that she wanted this as much as he did. His lips touched hers softly at first. She tasted sweet and smelled like sunshine. He didn’t have a clue what sunshine actually smelled like, but she was it. Fresh air and heat and a mountain lake—all rolled into one.
Her hand remained on his face, the touch as potent as the kiss. He tilted his head slightly, pressing her mouth open with his. Her tongue was there, stroking his, driving them out of the “sweet” range and straight into “sin city” in seconds. He tightened his grip on her shoulders with one arm while his other hand cupped her cheek. Her skin was as silky soft as her hair. The woman was the epitome of sensual perfection.
After a minute or two, Lorelie broke away.
He scowled.
“Gotta breathe,” she said, placing one, then two more quick kisses on his lips.
It took Glen a few minutes to catch his bearings, to recall he was in a crowded bar with loud music and laughter, surrounded by Lorelie’s friends. All those things had faded away when he’d kissed her, leaving only the two of them in a silent world where nothing else existed. He wanted to go back there.
“Lori,” Glen whispered. His head was spinning, everything except her face blurry, gray.
“I…” she started, licking her lips. “That…”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
She blinked rapidly as if trying to regain her own focus. “I’m a little rusty.”
He chuckled. “God help me when you get your sea legs back then, because that kiss rocked my world.”
She smiled and flushed slightly at his compliment. “It’s been a long time since I’ve kissed a guy. I don’t remember it ever feeling so…overwhelming.”
“That’s a good word for it. You keep talking about your lack of dates and as always, I find it hard to believe there’s not a row of guys from here to the next state waiting to ask you out. No matter how deep the defensive line of football players around you.”
He meant his words as a joke, but Lorelie sobered. “Sort of lost track of myself after my dad’s heart attack. It’s taking me a little time to bounce back.”
Glen recalled his first impression of Lorelie back in October. “Caged bird,” he murmured.
She frowned. “What?”
“First time we met, I thought you looked like a caged bird.”
Lorelie considered his description. “That’s not too far from the truth. Let’s just say my dancing shoes are dusty from lack of use. I was there the night my dad had his heart attack. To say it scared me shitless is an understatement. For months, I never strayed far from home because I was afraid it would happen again and I wouldn’t be there to save him.”
“Where’s your mom?” It was a personal question, but the more he learned about Lorelie, the more he wanted to know.
“Died when I was born. Dad raised me on his own. He’s all I have.”
His chest tightened as he thought about the stress Lorelie had been under since last June. Wade had called him shortly after finding out about Coach’s heart attack. Told him he was going back home. At the time, Glen thought Wade was a fool for leaving Nashville and he’d banked on his friend coming back. Even though they hadn’t toured together for a couple years prior to that, the two of them had found plenty of opportunities to meet for drinks at the bar and talk shop. Then Wade reconnected with Charlene in Quinn and stayed gone. Glen had missed him.
“He’s doing better though, right?” Glen asked, recalling the conversation about Coach’s doctor’s appointment.
“Oh yeah. He’s on the mend. Has been for a while.”
“But you’re still worried.”
She nodded. “That’s not going to go away. Ever. I know that. I just need to find a way to deal with it.”
“Sounds to me like you need to let go. Have some fun.”
Lorelie gave him the sexiest grin he’d ever had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of. “My friends suggested I get laid. But your idea sounds okay too.”
He cleared a throat that had suddenly gone tight. “I think you should listen to your friends. They know you better than I do.”
Lorelie laughed loudly. “Wanna help me shake off some of this rust?”
July 4, 2016
Quote of the Day
“Do the scary thing first, and get scared later.” – Lemony Snicket
June 27, 2016
Quote of the Day
“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” — Robert F. Kennedy
June 22, 2016
Small Town Romance, BIG Series Sales
Check out this AMAZING one week only sale! 60 books for just $30.
Find all the details HERE.
June 20, 2016
Quote of the Day
“You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.” – John Lennon
June 13, 2016
Quote of the Day
“Things are pretty, graceful, rich, elegant, handsome, but until they speak to the imagination, not yet beautiful.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
June 8, 2016
New Release!
Welcome to Hampton General, where the stakes are high and sexual tension is even higher. Four of the McSteamiest romances you’ll ever read are waiting for you from Entangled Brazen.
Pulse… where love changes in a heartbeat.
ENGAGING THE BACHELOR by CATHRYN FOX
AVAILABLE NOW!
Hot Southampton doctor Carson Reynolds isn’t the kind of man Gemma Carr should be playing with. But his offer of a fake engagement comes with sexy, late night house calls, and despite her bad girl reputation, it’s been far too long since she’s taken two and called anyone in the morning.
When Carson sees Gemma at a charity event, he knows he has to have her. It’s been ten years since he’s had her in his arms, but that hasn’t lessened his intense need for her. To save her reputation and get his parents off his back, he makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
It’s the perfect set-up—until this fake engagement starts to feel a little too real…
AND DON’T MISS:
SEDUCING THE BOSS by MARI CARR — AUGUST 1
CLAIMING THE ENEMY by LAUREN HAWKEYE
TEMPTING THE BAD BOY by JAN MEREDITH —
COMING SOON!
Excerpt from Engaging the Bachelor…
Gemma gave a curt nod, and Andy tapped the microphone and said, “Sold.” She gestured toward the staff. “Let’s take a short break and refill our drinks.”
The noise level reached a new high as the waitresses made their rounds, taking drink and food orders. Thankful the attention was off her, Gemma reached into her pocket for the key to the handcuffs.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Carson asked.
She worked to insert the key, but her hands were shaking so hard she couldn’t get it into the lock. “Getting us out of these things.”
“Maybe I’m not ready to set you free.”
“Too bad.”
The key slipped from her hand, and they both bent down and reached for it at the same time. Fingers brushed—intimate, soft—lingering a moment too long. She drew back like she’d been burned, but not before she caught the clean scent of his skin again, a beautiful reminder of the night that was permanently etched in her memory. Desire bombarded her, and she made a noise to cover the moan rising in her throat as his hand closed over the key.
His gaze slid over hers, his eyes glistening invitingly. He sipped the key into the lock and freed them. “Maybe I’ll hang on to these.” Handcuffs dangling from his finger, he bent forward, and put his mouth near her ear, the warmth of his breath on her face eliciting a shiver. “I might want to use them later.”
She snatched them back and jumped up. “Maybe I’ll use them on you.” Having taken care of herself for as long as she could remember, she was an independent woman, one who always called the shots. This take-charge attitude of his flustered the hell out of her and teased the hungry ache between her legs.
He followed her up straightening to his full height. A wicked grin tweaked the corners of his mouth. “If that’s the way you want to play it, I’m game.”
“That’s not what I meant.” She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Done what?”
“Bid on me. I’m not interested in rekindling anything with you.”
“What makes you think this was all about you? I’m just trying to help out with your cause.” He pushed one hand into his pocket, looking for all the world like he was nothing more than a generous benefactor. But she knew better. Mr. Innocent, he was not. “You weren’t auctioning any women, and I wasn’t about to bid on some dude.”
“Why not? It’s for a good cause.”
“Yeah, but I like a date who can hold her own, one who is a little rough and tough.”
“You’re saying these guys aren’t rough and tough?”
He gave her a lopsided grin, and a laugh escaped her before she could stop it. “Not like you, they’re not.” His warm hand caressed her waist. “But don’t worry, there’s a cure for that.”
She eyed him, refusing to let him know his touch turned her to putty. “Oh, yeah? And what might that remedy be? You?”
His fingers splayed, and a flash of heat moved through her. Instead of answering, he asked, “Ready?”
She pushed on his shoulder to send him away, but he didn’t budge. Cripes, she’d have a better chance of moving an eighteen-wheeler with her finger than him. Rock solid and full of rigid determination, he stood there waiting like he had all the time in the world.
“Sorry, Sailor Boy, but I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone.” She tapped the podium. “I still have work to do so you might want to go home and get a good night’s sleep. You look like you could use it.”
Instead of backing off, he stepped closer, the blue in his eyes darkening and derailing her ability to think with clarity. “I’ve waited ten years, Gemma. Tired or not, a few more hours aren’t going to hurt.”
Shit, she wished he wouldn’t stand so close. It was messing with her last working brain cell. “When I get done here, I have to take Gracie for a walk.”
He arched a brow. “Gracie?”
“My guard dog,” she explained, and twirled the handcuffs around her fingers.
“I like dogs.”
“She doesn’t like men. If you get within five feet of her, she’ll probably bite.”
“With a name like Gracie, she doesn’t sound like she’d hurt a fly.”
“I never said she had anything against flies,” she replied, her voice light, teasing.
What the hell am I doing?
She was a known flirt, but the last guy she should be playing games with was Carson.
He laughed, amusement lingering in his eyes when he said, “I’ll take my chances.”
She gave a casual shrug, enjoying the easy banter between them more than she would have liked. “Fine then, don’t blame me if she takes your leg off.”
“Leg or no legs, you’re having dinner with me.”
“I don’t remember you being so bossy.”
He arched a brow, the look in his eyes challenging. “Oh, so now you remember something about me, do you?”
“No…yes…I mean…” Shit. Of course she remembered. Ten long years had passed, and she still couldn’t forget his kisses, the soft sweep of his hands on her body—gentle one minute, greedy the next. Arousal wound through her just from the memories.
Honest to God, how she was going to make it through a date with him without wanting an encore was beyond her.
Wait. Why the hell couldn’t she just get him naked and have her way with him—again? Why not satisfy a curiosity—what would he be like in bed after all these years—and scratch the itch that still stirred deep within her. Once he demonstrated that he cared only about himself and his needs, she’d be able to forget about him once and for all, and get on with her life.
Or not.
June 6, 2016
Quote of the Day
“Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.” — Maya Angelou
May 30, 2016
Quote of the Day
“I like flaws. I think they make things interesting.” – Sarah Dessen
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