excerpt
A current hummed between us. An
undeniable connection. I couldn’t remember a moment like this when I wanted to
bury my hands in a woman’s hair and discover the taste of her lips. In past
dating experiences, I had all the romance planned out in my head well ahead of
time. Right now, I was running on spontaneity, which wasn’t one of my strengths
when it came to relationships of the past. Maybe it was time I tried something
different.
She pulled cash out of her
mini-purse and held it out.
"That's too much."
"At least go halvsies."
She shook the bills.
"Keep it. Call it a thank you
for making my first date in a long time memorable."
She nibbled on her lip, an
endearing quirk. "Okay, thanks. Walk me to my car. Then we’ll say
goodbye."
We strolled up the hill away from
the restaurant in silence, me slowing my long strides to allow her to keep up.
The sound of my slightly uneven gait in cowboy boots, the slight scuffing of my
right leg in comparison to the left, the one that had been shot, rang out in
the silence between us. She'd notice.
I slow-released the breath I hadn't
realized I was holding when she didn't say a word as we made our way up the
hill.
With us almost to the point of
saying goodbye, I felt a sense of desperation not to end the date. There’d been
no one I'd talked to like this in forever. No one who saved me without asking
for something in return. No one as insightful and refreshing. I lost my wife
and the guy I considered my closest friend at the same time last year. In
retrospect, neither of them had ever sat and just talked to me without
judgement like Joley did tonight.
She slowed next to a crookedly
parked gray Honda sedan. The butt of the car stuck out at an odd angle. In the
light cast from a streetlight, I caught her cheek flush when she noticed me
checking out the parking job.
"So I can’t parallel
park." She
lowered her voice to a whisper. "Please don’t tell the DMV."
"My lips are sealed." I
held back a smile.
We stared at each other as if
searching for words. Need powered through me. Need to keep talking to her. Need
to feel everything with her. To touch her, kiss her—hell, I wanted physical
reassurance that the electric attraction I felt was real. Maybe it’d be like
this with any woman I dated from now on?
She cocked her head. That little
smile was back on her lips. "We’re in different mental places right now.
You’re not ready for me. Hot sex potential aside, you’re too messed up over
your divorce for you and me to…"
I moved into her space to cut her
off and leaned in until my lips were a fraction of an inch from hers. The pants
of each of her breaths tickled my skin. She wanted me to kiss her. "We
might be in different head spaces, but there’s something here. It's unexpected,
but there's something real."
"Perhaps you're right."
She moistened her lips.
I wanted the kiss, but I also
wanted her to make the first move. This moment was her decision.
She rested a finger on my lower lip
and ducked her head. "I won't be able to resist pushing you for everything
if we start this. If I kiss you…" Her eyes met mine. "I won't stop. I
don’t want to be your regret when you realize you jumped into something too
soon. Usually, I wouldn't care. I'd grab this kind of thing, soak it up for a
day or two, and walk away." She took one of my hands between both of hers.
"I don't think you can handle something with this much chemistry that might
turn insignificant fast. I'd hurt you, and you've already been hurt
enough."
I stepped away when she let go of
my hand, feeling like I'd lost a hell of a lot more than a kiss. "I’m real
sorry I wasn't the greatest date tonight."
She gave me her cute, small smile
again. "Me saying no right now has nothing to do with that." She
opened her car door but turned my way before getting in. After a quick
once-over she released a rough exhale. "This decision might turn out to be
my biggest regret."
synopsis
I warn all my dates: Don’t fall for me.
I’m good for a date or two of no-strings fun, but then I’m a ghost.
Until the sheriff. He saves me from a jerky ex-date. Now I owe him a favor. Almost a decade older than me, funny, and insanely attractive, my chemistry with Seth is off the charts. His post-divorce hurt makes me want to heal his wounded soul. For the first time in ever, I say no. He doesn’t deserve my heartbreaking ways. I tell myself I must walk away since me dating law enforcement is a no-can-do. I’m not a felon, but I do have connections from my past that make it dangerous. If I’m truthful, it’s self-preservation. Seth threatens to awaken the desiccated organ inside my chest.
Then he needs a favor.
Calling in favors becomes our not-dating game.
I should have stopped helping him. I should have left well enough alone. But I just couldn’t resist. I have a connection to this guy. One that has me acting irrationally. One that snags the attention of the gang leader I wished would leave me alone.
I want to nurture our burgeoning spark, but I must protect us from the deadly dangers of my past.
Hesi-dating features a hesitant sheriff, a player girl hiding a big heart and dangerous past, a lame horse, and the world’s worst home security dog. It stands alone and comes complete with sibling meddling, an awkward naked handcuffs scene, and a sweetly satisfying happily ever after.
about the author
USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.
Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.
You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two wild kids.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
happy reading,
anie
Thanks for sharing!
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