She’s a temptation I just can’t resist...
Tempting Little Tease, a sexy, new standalone from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner, is available now!
My business is security. I protect other people—sometimes at my own expense.
It’s the only way to explain how I got talked into playing fake fiancé for my best friend’s little sister.
Now I’m seeing little Samantha Watson through new eyes. Instead of the little girl I used to tease, I’m up close and personal with a stunning woman whose curves and heat and heart-stopping smile rocket straight to my heart, not to mention parts south.
I’ve never minded going above and beyond for a job. Except playing the smitten lover doesn’t feel like acting anymore.
Despite all my experience, I’m the one who forgot to secure my heart.
The only rule for this job was to walk away at the end.
But maybe this time—for the first time—I’m going to break the rules.
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Excerpt
I pull open the
screen door, knock a couple of times, and wonder if I’ll even recognize her.
A moment later, the
door flies open, and I’m staring at Samantha Watson’s wide, happy grin. Her
dark brown hair is pulled back beneath a blue bandana, and there’s a white
streak of paint on her cheek that makes me think of street urchins. She’s at
least three inches taller than the last time I saw her, the top of her head now
reaching my chin.
In my mind, she’s
still built like a pre-teen fence post, but to be fair, I can’t get any real
sense of her figure since she’s wearing a paint-splattered men’s button-down
that doubles as a smock and baggy, faded jeans.
I can see her face
just fine, though. The same, but different. Her wide brown eyes seem bigger and
darker, with the kind of lashes that Cayden’s wife Gracie wears when she’s
modeling, but on Sam are the real deal. The childish round face that’s burned
into my memories has given way to a perfect oval accented by cheekbones that
stand out when she smiles. Something she’s doing right now, actually, and I
can’t help but notice that her plump lips and wide mouth were made for smiling.
And for other things. Things that I have no business noticing about my best
friend’s sister. Not even in passing. Not even casually.
I’m still lecturing
myself when she steps forward, obviously intending to give me a hug. And, damn
me, I actually take a step back, her lush lips still filling my vision and
Brody’s all-too-strict warning still ringing in my ears.
To my relief, she
laughs. “I know. Awkward, right? I mean, you were like my brother, but it’s
been ages. Probably best to start out with a friendly handshake and work our
way up to social hugging.”
She thrusts out her
hand, and I take it, noticing how well it fits into mine, and surprised at how
smooth her skin is despite the fact that she apparently spends a lot of time
working with her hands.
“From what Brody
tells me,” I say, “we won’t be stopping at the social hug.”
It might be my
imagination, but I think her grip tightens slightly. Not that I have time to
analyze the nuances of our connection, because she gently tugs her hand free.
She clears her
throat, then steps aside and ushers me into the house. “Listen, thank you so
much. I know this whole thing must sound crazy, and I can’t even tell you how
much it means to me that you agreed to do it.”
“I didn’t—”
“I know. Brody told
me the whole story about how you didn’t want to, but then you remembered how
you two pledged to look out for me. And even though I’m old enough to look out
for myself now, I really, really appreciate this.”
She pauses, looking
me over once more before she shuts the front door and gestures me further into
the house.
I hesitate, because
this is the moment when I should tell her that I need to leave so that I can go
strangle her brother. The guy never could keep a secret.
“It’s not that I
didn’t want to help…,” I trail off lamely as she flashes me a crooked smile.
“I believe you. Why
wouldn’t you want to go off to Fredericksburg to a weekend wedding hosted by
people you’ve never met with a woman you haven’t seen since she was a kid, but
now you’ll have to pretend to be her fiancé even though you don’t even know her
favorite color?”
“When you put it
that way, I must be crazy.”
Kim's 5 Star Review
When
Leo’s best friend Brody enlisted Leo to help his little sister, Samantha (Sam)
out by playing her fake fiancé, Leo got a lot more than he bargained for.
She’s not the gawky teenager he remembers. She’s a stunning woman with
curves and a heart-stopping smile that he’s finding hard to forget. Will
Leo be able to play this role without breaking the rules or will Samantha’s
proposition be too hard for him to resist?
I
was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.
Leo
has been living his life without attachment. Now that his friends have
started to settle down, he’s finally seeing what he is
missing. One-night stands have lost the appeal they once
had. Leo wants something more in his life but he isn’t quite sure what he
wants. Life in the military and seeing what Brody went through has left him a
little weary. His alpha male side is usually takes charge, so when
Samantha comes clean about why she really wanted him to be her fake fiancé, he
has a hard time finding a reason to turn her down. Leo knows is breaking the
most important rule set by his best friend, but he can’t bring himself to say
no. She has awaken things in him he never felt before. She could
very well be the one and he’s not sure what to do.
Leo
and Sam may have known each other for a long time but it’s been years since
they saw each other. When Leo agrees to help out he only remember what she
was like then, not thinking of what she has become now. When Leo sees her
for the first time, he realises that this role he’s playing just got a whole
lot harder. How was he going to keep things platonic when his mind keeps
going to where is shouldn’t be? When Leo is with her, the energy round
them crackles. They have an undeniable chemistry, making it easy for others to
believe that they are truly together. Leo knows what’s going on between
them but with Sam not revealing how she’s feeling, he isn’t confident that she
is feeling the same way.
One
thing I learned while reading Julie’s books, is that she never disappoints her
readers. She bring her characters to life in ways no one else has.
Julie is truly a gifted writer. As a reader, there isn’t a time when I haven’t
felt connected to the character. I found myself drawn into the story and
felt like I was a part of it. I loved that the entire book was from Leo’s
point of view. Seeing how the male mind works gives a fresh view on a
love story. I haven’t read the other books in this series but after reading
this book it’s made me want going back and read the whole series from beginning
to end.
About the Author
J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.
Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.
JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.
Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.
In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.
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