Exclusive

Excerpt Reveal: Seducing Lauren by Kristen Proby





Title: Seducing Lauren

Author: Kristen Proby
Hosted by: Inkslinger PR

In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?
And don’t forget to read the first book in the Love Under the Big Sky Series…
EXCERPT REVEAL SCHEDULE:
August 14
August 15
August 16
August 17
August 18

The small amount of money that Jack is trying to lay claim to is nothing compared to the money I have that Jack knows nothing about. Since our legal separation, I’ve become very successful in my career, but I wasn’t lying when I told Ty that it’s not about the money.
This is my heritage. My family worked hard for this land, for the wealth they amassed, and Jack doesn’t deserve another fucking dime of it. That’s why the divorce took so long. I fought him with everything in me to assure that he didn’t get his greedy hands on my family’s money.
In the end he won a sizable settlement that all of the lawyers talked me into.
Jack wasn’t happy. He wanted more.
I push off the edge of the pool and glide underwater until I reach the surface and then move into a front crawl.
After my parents died in a winter car accident just over two years ago, Jack made it clear that he didn’t love me, had been sleeping around since we were dating, but expected me to keep him in his comfortable lifestyle.
When I threw a fit and kicked him out, he slammed me against the wall and landed a punch to my stomach, certain to avoid bruising me, before he left.
Thanks to threats from Brad, and Jack’s knowing how well-known I am in this town, he’s not bothered me since. Until now.
And now he’s threatening me.
It’s not worth it. Living in constant fear of seeing Jack around town, of finding myself in the middle of another humiliating scene. Seeing the pity in the eyes of people I’ve known my whole life. And now, coming home to an ambush because he’s feeling desperate?
I’m done.
I pull myself out of the water, exhausted and panting, and resigned to see Cary in the morning to agree to a settlement.
It’s time to move on.
It’s early when I leave the house and drive to the lawyer’s office. I don’t have an appointment, and I don’t even know for sure if anyone is there yet, but I couldn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t lose myself in work.
I need to get this over with.
When I stride to the front door, I’m surprised to find it unlocked. Sylvia isn’t in yet, but I hear voices back in Cary’s office.
I step through his door like I belong there, and both Cary’s and Ty’s faces register surprise when they see me in the doorway.
“You know, Lo, we have these things called phones, where you call and make what’s called an appointment.” Ty’s gray eyes are narrowed, but his lips are quirked in a smile. He’s in a power suit today, making my mouth immediately water. His shoulders look even broader in the black jacket, and the blue tie makes his eyes shine.
“Ha ha.” I sit heavily in the seat before Cary’s desk. “I’m sick of this shit.”
“Ty told me you came by yesterday.” Cary leans back in his chair.
“I was fucking served papers,” I mutter, and push my hands though my hair. “But I think I want to settle.”
Ty’s eyebrows climb into his hairline. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
“You can stay,” I mutter. “I could use both of your opinions. I’ll pay double for the hour.”
“That’s not necessary.” Ty’s voice is clipped and he frowns as he gazes at me. “Why the change of heart?”
I lean back in the chair and tilt my head back, looking at the tin tiles on the ceiling. “Because Jack’s an asshole. Because now he’s decided to threaten me.” I shake my head and look Cary in the eye. “But no payments. It’s going to be in one lump sum and he needs to sign a contract stating that he’ll never ask for another dime.”

Kristen is the author of the Amazon and USA Today bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT OF PLAYING WITH FIRE BY KRISTEN PROBY FROM THE SOME LIKE IT HOT ANTHOLOGY

We are fanning ourselves over this incredibly hot cover for an even hotter anthology! SOME LIKE IT HOT contains five novellas of hot, sexy love in one limited edition anthology, brought to you by five of today’s hottest bestselling Erotic Romance authors.
Some Like It Hot Cover 
ABOUT SOME LIKE IT HOT Anthology: 
5 Bestselling Authors, 5 Bestselling Erotic Romance Novellas, 1 Amazing Price.This special edition anthology will be available for a limited time once it releases on May 20th!

iBooks and Barnes and Noble are coming soon.

From the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Olivia Cunning… One Starry Night… 
In high school, Jake was the bad boy who made Michelle burn with desire, took what he wanted from her body, and broke her heart. In hindsight, Michelle never should have gotten tangled up with the aspiring guitarist in the first place. In high school, Devlin was a sweet, shy geek who’d had a crush on her, but when he’d found the courage to ask her to Prom, she’d turned him down flat. In hindsight, she should have worried more about the quality of the boy than her reputation with the popular crowd. But this isn’t high school anymore. At her ten year class reunion, Michelle finds her once popular crowd lacking, but finds both the man who broke her heart and the one she once rejected irresistibly sexy. She wants them. Both of them. And they want her any way—every way—they can have her. Can she resist either man? Does she even want to try?

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards is heating things up with Boots Optional, a sexy new ménage novella which is the first book in a hot new series called Dead Heat Ranch. 
Grace Lambert is familiar with hard work, long days, and handsome cowboys. She’s been working for her family’s dude ranch since she was old enough to ride a horse and she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty. What she is afraid of is the heat that’s been generating between her and not one, but two sexy cowboys who’ve set their sights on her. And each other. Grant Kingsley and Lane Miller have both had their eyes on Gracie for years, but the feisty cowgirl has managed to keep them at bay. As far as they are concerned, cowboys don’t give up, and neither of them is ready to give up just yet. Not on her and not on the heat that transpires between the two of them. Find out what happens when the sultry Texas nights get as hot as the fierce Texas days.
New York Times bestselling author Cherrie Lynn gets it hot in here with SHAMELESS. 
It’s a vacation Meredith Taylor will never forget. A sunny beach, good friends and good times. But when she overhears a couple having a passionate interlude on the balcony above her one night, she can’t get the man’s sultry voice out of her mind. Especially when she figures out exactly who that man is… Cameron Moore always had an eye on his best friend’s little sister but considered her strictly off limits, choosing to satisfy his lust elsewhere. Now Meri seems to want to annihilate every wall Cam’s put up against her. The beach is hot, the drinks are cold, Meredith is irresistible, and something has to give. Will it only be the walls between them, or their hearts as well?
New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby brings you PLAYING WITH FIRE, a ménage novella. 
Bailey Whitworth is a charity event organizer and a woman exploring her sexuality. Kevin Welling and Gray McDermitt are firefighters and best friends who share everything. Bailey always knew her sexual appetites were “different”, but she had no idea that she could fall in love with two men at once. What will she do when she has to choose between them? Or will she have to choose at all?
From USA Today bestselling author, Lainey Reese comes Guarding Nadia. 
When Nadia Dixon walked into the offices of CJ Investigations, the last thing she expected to find were men who looked more like GQ models than bodyguards. It was desperation that brought her to their door however and she prayed that the two sex gods were more than just pretty faces. Caleb and Jonas had started their security firm together after leaving the Secret Service. They had the lethal skill and training to safeguard anyone, including the gorgeous erotic author. Considering her stunning beauty, alluring sensuality and decadent profession, the only wonder was that she had drawn out just one obsessed fan. After hearing Nadia’s story and seeing for themselves the threat that she was under, they knew they could keep her safe from any stalker. Their only worry…who was going to keep her safe from them?     
(PLAYING WIHT FIRE BY KRISTEN PROBY)
“You guys did great,” she insists. “I saw the final numbers. How do you stay in such good shape?”
“It’s the job,” Kevin replies. “It’s hard work. Keeps us in shape.”
“Some of us have to work harder than others,” I add. Kevin is naturally fit and lean, while I have to work out every day to stay in this shape. 
“Well, whatever you’re doing, it’s working for you,” she replies and then slaps her hand over her mouth in mortification. I grin and take a sip of my beer. Kev’s right, she’s interested.
Maybe this won’t be as difficult as we thought.
“We carry a lot of equipment,” Kev continues, and I can see by the humor in his eyes that he has a plan up his sleeve. “Hoses, gear, people.” He loops his arms under her legs and back and lifts her off the stool, takes her spot and settles her on his lap facing me, so she sandwiched between us. Her arms are wrapped around his shoulders and she’s laughing. 
“You just haul people around,” she says dryly. 
“Haven’t you heard? We carry damsels in distress out of burning buildings all the time.” Kevin grins down at her then over at me. “Right?”
“Almost every day,” I lie easily, playing the game, but Kevin isn’t fooling her. She just laughs moves to stand but Kev tightens his hold on her, keeping her in place. 
“You’re fine right here,” he says.
She glances uncertainly between us, then picks her drink up and downs the rest of it. 
“Another?” Kevin asks.
“No,” I reply before Bailey can open her mouth. I shake my head but keep my eyes on Bailey’s bright blue ones. “I think she’s had enough.”
“You’re right, I should probably go home.” She opens her purse and digs around for a moment, but I grip her chin in my fingers and lean in, plant my lips over hers and kiss her long and slow, stealing the breath right out of her. She moans as the tension leaves her and she sags against Kevin. I feel him wrap his arms around her middle, anchoring her as she melts into the kiss, opening her mouth to me sweetly.
She tastes like strawberries and heaven. Before I get too carried away, I back slowly away and watch in fascination as her eyes flutter open and she stares at me with her jaw dropped.
As if she realizes what she just did, and that she might have offended Kevin, she glances back at him.
“I’m sorr…” 
Before she can finish, Kev catches her chin in his palm and guides her lips to his, kissing her just as long and just as sweetly, making her moan into his lips. 
My dick throbs behind the fly of my jeans as I link my fingers through hers and hold onto her as she rides out the kiss. At last, Kev backs away and smiles smugly down at her.
She glances back and forth between both of us, licks her lips and whispers, “Holy shit.”
“I think it’s time we took you home,” I reply with a wide smile. “What do you think, Kev?”
“Past time,” he agrees and stands with Bailey still safe in his arms. “Let’s go.”
Olivia Cunning Author PhotoNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Olivia Cunning Combining her love for romantic fiction and rock ‘n roll, USA Today Best-Selling Author Olivia Cunning writes erotic romance centered around rock musicians. Raised on hard rock music from the cradle, she attended her first Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She’s been known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. As a teen, she discovered her second love, romantic fiction — first, voraciously reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own. Olivia’s first book in her Sinner’s Tour Series, Backstage Pass, was published in 2010 by Sourcebooks. Book two in the series, Rock Hard, was published in 2011 and the third book, Double Time just released November 2012. The last two books in the series are expected to be out in 2013. Aside from the Sinners Tour that launched her career, Olivia has been hard at work on a few other series and stand alones . . . of course with the music turned up. 

Nichole Edwards Author PhotoNew York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards Nicole lives in Texas with her husband, three kids and four dogs. It’s quite the household and most of the time you’ll find her locked away in her office – dubbed the writing cave. When she’s not there, you’ll probably find her reading or hanging out with the dogs and kids, doing her best to keep them in line. And no, for the record, it doesn’t usually work. 

Cherrie Lynn Author PhotoNew York Times bestselling author Cherrie Lynn has been a CPS caseworker and a juvenile probation officer, but now that she has come to her senses, she writes contemporary and paranormal romance on the steamy side. It’s *much* more fun. She’s also an unabashed rock music enthusiast, and loves letting her passion for romance and metal collide on the page. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, listening to music or playing with her favorite gadget of the moment. She’s also fond of hitting the road with her husband to catch their favorite bands live. Cherrie lives in East Texas with said husband and their two kids, all of whom are the source of much merriment, mischief and mayhem. You can visit her at http://www.cherrielynn.com or at the various social networking sites. She loves hearing from readers! 

Kristen Proby Author PhotoNew York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby KRISTEN PROBY is the USA Today bestselling author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com. 

Lainey Reese AuthorPhotoUSA Today bestselling author Lainey Reese Lainey lives in lovely Lake Stevens, Washington. She is the author of the sizzling New York series, including the USA Today best seller Innocence Defied. Lainey’s first novel, A Table for Three, was nominated for best debut novel of 2010 by the Romance Review and the fun hasn’t stopped since the minute that book hit the shelves. Most days when Lainey isn’t tucked in front of her computer she can be found out exploring the beautiful Pacific North West with her daughter and their two beloved pups. For more on Lainey and the books available, you can visit her website @ http://www.laineyreese.com

Exclusive: Ryker’s POV from Andrea Randall’s In the Stillness

Andrea Randall has written a special treat for all you In the Stillness fans!  We are getting the farmers market encounter from Ryker’s point of view!  What was going through Ryker’s mind when he first laid eyes on Natalie after ten years apart? Read and you will find out!  Enjoy…
Ryker’s POV
It’s hotter than usual for this time of year, and the sweat is pouring off me, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The farm finally secured a contract with Atkins Market, and I’m unloading our first delivery with my buddy, Steve.
“This is the last box, Steve. I’ll be right in.” I hand him the last crate of squash and take a breath in the shade of the truck before jumping out into the blazing sun. Leaning forward to pick up the stack of dirtied papers, I’m stopped by a familiar voice.
“Natalie! What are you doing?”
Tosha?
On instinct, I whip around. For ten years, wherever I’ve been and whatever I’ve been doing, any time I hear Natalie, I turn around. It’s never her.
Until right now.
Shit. That’s Natalie. My Natalie. No. No, it can’t be her. If it were, she wouldn’t be walking toward me. She’d be running. Or yelling. Her eyes are wide, unblinking, and moving slowly across my face and up and down my body. I can see that her full lips are slightly parted, set in neither a smile nor a frown. Remembering, against my better judgement, how her lips once felt against my skin, accelerates my heart. Natalie’s arms are hanging loosely at her side, though they’re not moving as she carefully places one foot in front of the other. The closer she gets, the more it looks and feels like we’re in a dream—that she’s in a trance and I’m frozen in place.
Wiping sweat from my forehead, I’m certain that I’m watching the same girl walk toward me that walked toward me twelve years ago on the common. The gorgeous girl that I couldn’t help but kiss a minute later. I’m staring at the girl, now a woman, who put on a brave face and kissed me goodbye before I left for war. I take off my gloves and rub my eyes, trying to ignore and disguise tears that have filled them. Blinking twice and reminding myself to breathe, I’m forced to recognize this is real. It’s Natalie.
Say something, fool, before she comes to her senses and runs away. Like she should.
My breath catches in my throat as she stops ten feet in front of me, staring for an eternity and a half before slowly shaking her head.
“Ryker?”
Her voice. It’s her voice. God, her voice. Suddenly I’m back in Afghanistan, anxiously waiting for her to pick up the phone. Shaking my head, too, I grin in spite of myself.
“Natalie.”
Her lips part further, but neither one of us moves. Out of my peripheral vision, I see Steve approaching.
“We’re all set, Ryker, just bring them the inventory sheets and they say we’re good to go.”
I can’t look at him. If I do, she might disappear. To be safe, I just blindly slap his shoulder, grateful that her eyes aren’t searching for an escape. “All right, Steve-o. Thanks.”
As I pry my feet from the asphalt and walk toward her, I notice Tosha approaching Natalie, looking flustered. “Seriously, Natalie,” she says, “what are you do—” she drops her bags as her eyes land on me. “Ryker?”
Stopping just in front of Natalie, and ignoring Tosha for the moment, my lips form a full smile as I take her in. Her hair is still long, and hanging free down her back like I always liked it. She barely looks a day older than the last time I saw her, except there’s a slight tiredness that’s settled in her eyes. She’s still breathtaking, as always.
“Hi,” I manage.
“Hi,” Natalie says as she exhales. She looks scared. I am, too.
Tosha takes Natalie’s hand as she looks me from head-to-toe. Her eyes bore through me as, I’m sure, she’s looking for signs of the last Ryker she saw. One I barely remember. One who’s not here anymore. Smiling through my nerves, I run a hand through my hair, staring at the pair of speechless women.
Tosha takes a breath. “Hi Ryker.”
“Hey Tosha!”
Okay, that was a little more excited than I’d intended, but, neither of them are ignoring me. She lets go of Natalie’s and hand stands on her tip toes, giving me a hug. I look to Natalie as Tosha pulls away. God, I want to hug her. I want to pick her up and swing her around, setting her down twelve years ago, where maybe we could start all over.
As if she hears my thoughts, Natalie lunges forward and wraps her arms tightly around my neck. I lock my hands around her lower back, dropping my papers as I breathe her in. Sweet Jesus, she still smells like lilacs.
The last time I laid eyes on her, at her graduation from Mount Holyoke, she was laughing with Tosha and some dark-haired guy who I saw her kiss a minute or so before she spotted me. The way her face sank as she found me across the grass broke my heart, and I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.  I plucked a lilac from it’s bush on the walk to the car, vowing to stay far away from her for the rest of my life. I owed her that.
Her soft cheek brushes against my chin, and we sway for a moment. For just a second it’s us. She lets go first and takes a step back.
She chuckles uncomfortably. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
She’s right. Here. We’ve lived in the same town for several years and have managed to avoid each other this whole time. I’ve never tried to avoid her, to be honest. But, knowing how things ended between us, that’s exactly what she’s been doing.
Tucking my hands in my pockets, I try for a nonchalant shrug. “I just got a contract with them last week, this is our first delivery.”
Watching those bottomless dark eyes flick back and forth between the truck and my face, I realize I’ve skipped a step.
Smiling again, I say, “It’s my farm, Nat. I started it two years ago and this is the first year we’re selling off of the property.”
Idiot, don’t call her Nat! That name doesn’t belong to you anymore. I find myself wondering who, exactly, it does belong to.
She and Tosha look at each other, wide-eyed. Natalie smiles, looking back at me, settling my heart’s uneven race. “That’s amazing, Ryker, good for you.”
“Thanks.” My eyes fall to the ground for a second. They take their time coming back up—following the curve of her hips before meeting her eyes again. “You look great, Natalie.”
She does.
“You do too.” I feel the tension around us snap as I watch her face relax.
I’m about to open my mouth and try to say thirty things at once, when an impatient truck driver honks his horn.
Dude, seriously?! This is Natalie, give me a second!
“Shit, listen,” I shake my head to help me focus. Her eyes haven’t stopped moving across my face since she spotted me. I’d kill to know what she’s thinking. “I gotta get these papers inside and get back to the farm. You should stop by sometime and see the operation.” Tosha’s been picking up the bags she dropped when she saw me. I pick up the last one and hand it to Natalie. “It was great seeing you, Natalie.”
You should stop by sometime? What?
I can’t believe it’s her. Still. Reaching out, needing to touch her one more—one last—time, I softly squeeze her shoulder before picking my papers up off the ground and jogging inside before she can tell me to go to hell.
Once back in the truck, alongside Steve, after we settle up inside, he pulls me out of my head.
“Who was that you were talking to? She’s hot. So was her friend.” Steve nods approvingly as he speaks.
I open my mouth three different times. How do I tell him? Sure, Steve and I are friends, but only in the last couple of years. He knows I have a messy past, but the details haven’t ever been necessary. She’s the only thing that went right for me back then, and I fucked it up. Big time.
With my stomach twisted in knots, and a lump forming in my throat, I shrug, deciding the less he knows, the less I have to fill in. “She’s just this girl I used to know.”
I feel guilty as soon as the words are out. Natalie’s not just anything. She never has been. She was my soul mate. Is. And I ruined her. But, she looked healthy and happy. Turning left to head back to the farm, I fight the urge to track her down. To grab her face and kiss her, to kiss away the pain I caused in her.
No. I take a deep breath and ignore the lilac buds on the trees as we head down the road. I can’t ever see her again.

Natalie is a wife.
Natalie is a mother.
Natalie is a cutter.

Clawing at walls built by resentment, regret, and guilt, Natalie cuts as an escape from a life she never planned.

Staying present is only possible when you let go of the past. But, what if the past won’t let go?

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