New York Times bestselling author
A long, hot summer with her secret crush…
What could possibly go wrong?
Nissa Lang knows Desmond Stilling is out of her league. He’s a CEO, she’s a teacher. He’s gorgeous, she’s…not. So when her house-sitting gig falls through and Desmond offers her a place to stay for the summer, she vows not to reveal how she’s felt about him since their first—and only—kiss.
Desmond should’ve known better than to bring temptation into his house. He decided long ago that his best friend’s sister was too sweet, too good, for him. She deserves a guy who can give his heart. For her sake, he’s stayed away. But as her laughter breathes life into his lonely mansion, he’s not sure how long he’ll be able to resist.
From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
PLEASE ENJOY THE EXCERPT:
They all went downstairs and outside to Nissa’s car. With the three of them working together, it didn’t take long to get everything unloaded and delivered to her suite. On the last trip up the stairs, Desmond carried an armful of her hanging clothes. The action felt oddly intimate, as if he were seeing into something private. Silly, really, he told himself. So what if a few of her dresses were draped over his arm?
Once they’d dropped off everything, Hilde excused herself to go start dinner. Desmond hesitated.
“You have the Wi-Fi code,” he said, pulling a house key out of his pocket. “Here’s this.”
She took it. “What about an alarm code or something?”
“It’s only set at night. I’ll get you the instructions to deactivate it. Or you can ask me.”
“But what if you’re out on a hot date?”
“I’ll probably be home.”
“Not seeing anyone these days?”
“No.”
She sighed. “Me, either. I’m focused on growing my Italy fund.” She waved her hand. “Which you are contributing to by helping me out. Did I say thank you already?”
“Fifteen times.”
She grinned. “You’d better get used to it, then. I plan to thank you a lot more.”
“You’re family, Nissa. And always welcome here.”
He chose his words as much for himself as for her. That was what he had to remember. That while she was a beautiful, sexy, smart woman and there was just something about her that got to him, he was not to go down that path. She was someone he needed to look out for and protect, even from himself.
“Thank you.” Her gaze met his. “So how does the whole dinner thing work? Is there a bell? Or does a butler show up and escort me?”
“Dinner’s at seven. In your honor, we’ll be eating in the dining room. After tonight, just let Hilde know if you’re going to be home or not. She’ll plan meals accordingly.”
“You have a great life, Desmond. Next time, I’m going to remember to be rich.”
He thought about telling her that his life wasn’t what she thought and there were times when he felt isolated and alone. That she was the one with the warm, loving family and to him, that was priceless. But he knew saying the words would be to admit something he wasn’t ready to face.
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
I can't wait to read this! Sara @ TLC Book Tours
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